Summary
Dear Amazing Grace people,
It’s still hot. Really hot – but 99 feels cool after the past few weeks. Hurricane Hillary is on the move, but it looks like the eastern half of Arizona will be spared the worst of it.
We are prepared, thanks to Jerry Price and his wonderful work with the sandbags. Let’s to refuse to worry – God has all things in control.
We celebrated several answers to prayer today, including the sale of the bells. Love of Christ Lutheran Church in Mesa has an expanding bell choir and was happy to have more bells and chimes. They did due diligence in bringing along a representative of the manufacturer of the bells who repairs and tune bells and writes music for bell choirs. As it happened, Doug Benson, the expert, sold these bells to our church in the late 1980’s. Everyone is happy! We are invited to ring with them and attend their Christmas cantata.
We are ready to put together a committee to plan the logo for church stationery – we have volunteers – Doris Miller, Bonnie Warren, I volunteer Wilma since she sends out most of the communications, and Jackie Noss.
We honored the life of Dorothy Pope this morning. It has been an honor for those of us who took communion to her over the past year. She always brightened up, remembered us, and was happy to hear news of the church. We referred to the church as John Calvin PC for her sake. Pastor Larry met us there so she could make the connection with him. Dorothy and her husband were members of the church since 1996. Charlie Fox remembers being at their home several times; Toni Clos remembers singing Christmas carols at their home. Their son, Bill, grew up in our church and remembers it fondly.
We sang some good ol’ fashioned hymns today – to honor those who have gone before us, who have given us a legacy to enjoy.
Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well – at Jacob’s Well, to be exact, where Jacob trembled in fear of a visit from his long estranged brother, Esau. Instead of bloodshed, Jacob and Esau reconciled, so Jacob dug a well. Jacob built an altar, calling it “El-Elohe-Israel” – the mighty God of Israel – revealed to Jacob with angels on a ladder. The well, a place of reconciliation, is surrounded by various religions and churches today. Evil persists regarding the well, thousands of years later; in 1979, an Orthodox priest was murdered by Zionists who claim the well as theirs. I guess they missed the whole purpose of the reconciliation that inspired the well. But at this well, a well of peace, Jesus offers the woman at the well living water that will quench her thirsty and need soul.
Have a blessed week. Pray for each other. We have several people having medical procedures and assessments and biopsies this week. May they be blessed and at peace as the Great Physician guides them and their doctors in wisdom.
Please notice the Benediction on the back page of the Order of Worship. It is from Jude 24,25, and I hope to teach it as a musical benediction. Picture it: the Lord keeps us from falling, His plan for us is to present us faultless before the throne of God with exceeding joy!
Thank you,
His,
Cheri