Our October Newsletter is attached.
Our weekly bulletin and monthly newsletter can be found on our website: www.ebcwv.com.
Pray for: Pat Ahlborn, Karen Cox, Bill and Phyllis Crone, Diane Hays, Patricia Lander, Wendell Littrell, Teresa Seckman, Sam Bolian, Bob Howard and Randal Jones.
The World Communion Service will be held Sunday night at Christ United Methodist Church at 7 p.m.
Ian Thomas tells the story of a man walking down a dusty, rural road on a hot and humid day. The man is loaded down with a heavy backpack and carries a duffle bag in each hand. A pick-up truck comes along, and the driver lets the man hop in the back. The driver heads on down the road, but when he looks in the rearview mirror he sees that his passenger is standing in the bed of the truck still holding both duffle bags, still wearing the over-packed backpack on his back. This story helps us face the reality that often we stand in the truck of faith, still carrying our burdens, thinking they're independent of our ride with God. We think God can carry us, but not our burdens. But God's truck of faith is big enough to carry us and to carry all our burdens. Sit down and rest in the ride of God, our Father, carrying us home to him.
I’ve been watching the news a lot lately with the election events heating up and the financial bailout votes in Congress. By the time I’m ready for bed, my head is spinning with facts, figures and information gleaned from CNN and Fox News. It’s hard to find peace or maintain a positive perspective with all that is going on these days.
The questions on everyone’s mind right now are: What does the future hold for me and my family? Do I have a secure future? What direction will a new president take our nation? How can we dig our way of this “sub-prime” mortgage mess?
Two passages from Scripture come to mind:
In Revelation 5, God sits on his throne in heaven holding a seven-sealed scroll. The scroll contains a description of the events that will play out in the final days of the earth. No one in all heaven is found who is worthy to open the scroll and implement its contents until Jesus steps forth and takes the scroll from his Father’s hand. All heaven breaks into spontaneous praise because Jesus is worthy to open the scroll and direct the future events that will precede his second coming. The message of Revelation is clear: despite the chaos in the world, God is still in control.
In Jeremiah 29: 11, the Lord speaks a word of hope through the prophet to