Weekly update – 5/31/2021

 To reflect on recent Sunday messages Pastor Terry shared with us, please take a look at the below summaries, or take some time to view these services

 (if you missed them)  via Facebook or Youtube.

They convey some inspiring messages for us all, and include beautiful music for us all to hear.

In his May 16th Sermon – “What’s In A Window” (based on Scripture Reading Genesis 28: 15-22), Pastor Terry reminded us of the occurrence of Ascension Thursday, one of the earliest Christian festivals, taking place the 40th day after the resurrection. On this day, it is believed that Jesus took his disciples to the Mt. of Olives where they watched Him ascend into Heaven. Jesus met with his disciples several times during these 40 days prior to Jesus’ ascension to instruct them how to carry out his teachings.

A key verse in this week’s scripture is Genesis 28:15 inwhen Jesus spoke to Jacob in a dream he had the night he stopped at Bethel: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” This verse is such a strong reminder that the spirit of God is always with each and every one of us.

Pastor Terry brought us back through the years of our Community Church. He reminded us that our current church family is just one of many others who have come before us, worshiping within the secure structure of our church’s beautiful home. Although our church has grown from originally meeting in the local small little red school 125 years ago, generations of families have worshipped together in different structures on the site where our church stands today — from the little white church house — to the stucco church building — to our current brick home we now worship in today, adorned with the beautiful stained glass windows.

Just imagine how many prayers that have been prayed in the peaceful presence of all these structures. We have been blessed for a century and a quarter to have this home to share our deepest prayers with God — prayers of joy and sorrow; our church walls have heard them all. But, they don’t stop there, as Pastor Terry points out. Through our current stained glass windows, God has heard — and will continue to hear — each and every one of our personal messages from deep inside us — our needs, our wants, our hopes, our dreams, our pleas for help, our thank you’s, and so much more.

God is not so far away from us way beyond the clouds that He only hears bits and pieces of our conversations with Him. He is always present, and hears us through every silent thought, every silent prayer, every spoken prayer — in our own homes, in the parks or the beach while walking, on the bus going to work, wherever we are — he hears. And each Sunday, while we gather together as a family in the comfort and quiet of our church home, we especially are reassured to know that whatever our conversation is with God just doesn’t stay within our church walls. As you gaze at the beauty of each colored glass that surrounds our sanctuary, know he’s right there listening — surrounding us, hearing every thought and every word of every prayer we each pray.

We all have trials, disappointments, broken relationships, deep hurt and losses to share with Him. We all stumble occasionally; we are not perfect; we are not flawless. God is the only perfect One.  And God does not judge when we do fall; He wants us to pick ourselves up and keep trying. All He wants is for each of us to have a relationship with Him — to grow to know Him better each day — to communicate with Him — to follow Him through all stages of our lives. He asks for nothing more.

And, the more we get to know God and have conversations with Him, the more we will find He IS there right beside us — always — everywhere we go. And, He will surely answer each of us — in His time; in His way — but He will answer.