Today at Church

The church service was led by United Methodist Women. The choir was all women and the sermon was delivered by a woman. We learned of several service projects of church women including pack-a-sack, which provides meals for disadvantaged children in Saint Petersburg. The first lesson (from the Upper Room) in Sunday school had this scripture: Hebrews 8:5 (NIV)—“See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” The lesson pointed out as we make things in our employment, “we are being made ourselves for better or worse.” The byproducts of work are spiritual. As we seek to find and do “God’s will in all things in this world” we help “fulfill God’s redemptive love and purpose, both in us as individuals and in the world around us.” This is an important concept, for as man creates, he creates himself. The second lesson was from Psalm 145:13 (NRSV)—“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and you dominion endures throughout all generations.” Despite premature predictions by nonbelievers of God’s death, the Psalm reminds us that “God isn’t a fad.” God is as much a part of human understanding throughout the centuries as is music, work, and all creative endeavors. Man believes in God for it is deeply ingrained in his nature to believe. It is in his nature to see a divine purpose that is deeper than his temporal wants and desires. Experience (often arising from short term failures) can through grace reveal to him that God’s purpose is deeper and wiser than man’s purpose. The final lesson was on prayer. We are to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NRSV). Prayer always acknowledges human limitations. We can’t go it alone. We need other people and we need divine intervention. Prayers arise from the heart. If we pray to win the lotto, we are revealing our heart; so too if we pray that disadvantaged children in our community find solid love, support, and discipline.

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