Sunday Sermon Jan 15th 212

Hi Friends,
Well it’s Sunday.
We tried a new church today. It’s such a small community we actually knew quite a bit of people in the church already….there were a TON of kids. All ages..which is really good. The superficial type stuff….Music was good. They were all contemporary songs that I listen to in my car..which I liked…however they slowed them down so much I could hardly sing them because I am used to the fast paced versions..LOL. But hey..I won’t really complain because at least I know the songs and it’s not hony-tonk. That’s a HUGE plus. But it’s not really about music is it?

The church is a new church..very nice atmosphere…they also said they were replacing the carpet….so it’s even going to look more brand new next week. Our (old) church got new chairs this last summer which was really nice but since then …we had a woman in the church who was so mean to the kids …she wouldn’t let them have water or drinks in the sanctuary ..but all the adults could. It didn’t make sense to me because we have 80-90 year old people in the church ..are they any more stable with their coffee than my kids with drinks? Probably not. The gal making the announcement said they weren’t replacing the carpet because of all the spilled coffee stains it was for a different reason. Which just kind of made me chuckle. Kids don’t usually drink coffee. That just came to mind….but clearly not something that was a make or break deal ( with my old church). It is just that they weren’t being kid friendly.

All the people seemed really nice…and came up to talk to us. Of course since we already knew so many it was easy because they introduced us to the people we didn’t know. I also noticed many transplants from a church we went to years ago…so I had wondered if that church had had some sort of a division. Not because I wanted to gossip but because I had heard some news recently about that church and the movement that they were involved in..I had actually considered going back there…so that was interesting. We will go back next week…but then we are trying another church…and I am kind of more excited about the other church because it’s smaller. I don’t know?? I am not looking for some spiritual experience…I just want to find a comfortable place to worship. I don’t think that’s asking a lot.

Anyway the sermon was based upon scriptures in Mark. The story about Jesus healing the disabled man who had been lowered in through the roof by his friends. Familiar with that story? The pastor had done background on the traditions of the time…what Jesus was experiencing with all the fame..for lack of a better word. He was having trouble with privacy..and some people couldn’t get to him because of the mobs surrounding him.
When he told the man he had been forgiven of all his sins. The traditional Jewish law at the time said he was blaspheming because Jesus didn’t have the authority to do that. The attitude was also that faith and healing go hand in hand. Right. But just to prove that he did have the authority to forgive this man of his sins..he also physically healed him..the man walked out of the house.
It is a difficult message to think that faith and sin go hand in hand..right? I mean look at Job he was a faithful guy…bad things still happened to him….eventually he was blessed. But we do reap what we sew right? I mean we all have sin and we have to learn and grow from it. My sin is pretty visible..I am overweight. So if I find comfort in food and not Jesus..I am sinning. So let’s just say I was a bit uncomfortable after I thought that this morning. Jesus told me my sins were forgiven….yet I still keep committing them….I am working on it…in an ever so slow way. But that was the first thing I thought of as he was talking about this.

I thought this as well….in my own mind.
We are also supposed to judge a tree by it’s fruit. Only God really knows our fruit ….because he sees all..I have no idea how many people I come in contact with…at the grocery store..on the web…in life…none of us really do. But at the time wasn’t Jesus bearing lots of fruit? I mean he has flash mobs! People still doubted him.
So Jesus has the Authority! He can heal me…in all ways possible and he will forgive me..all I have to do is ask. I think one of the real messages is that we can only be forgiven if we have faith….really to me…in my own thinking…to be forgiven is to be healed. I mean if I go through life carrying all this heavy luggage of everything I have done wrong that could get pretty heavy. But I have been healed..I have been forgiven..that relieves a HUGE burden doesn’t it? That’s really all the healing I need.

So good message…yes!

The church service starts at 9. I have to say I went to bed late..woke up at 3 am and then at 6am…I didn’t sleep well..probably all that spicy dip from last night. (UGH!) . So that came really early this morning….we came home and I fell asleep watching a movie..Guess I needed the sleep.
Rob went to Ritzville to go get the boys…..
I don’t really have to make dinner..yesterday the Guenther’s came over for football and I made tons of appetizers and dips..so we have leftovers..YAY! No labor today. LOL

Tomorrow is the start of a new week..a new journey ahead..I have so much to look forward to. Thank you all! Have a great week!