For Such A Time As This 050920 – Sandi Smith
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
Sunday Worship Service:
Tomorrow morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's Worship service. Our worship times in May will hopefully remind, challenge, and encourage us as we continue this journey through a COVID-19 world. This Sunday I will be preaching on the topic “Be Church.” The service includes some great music, a time of sharing, and prayers. We will also be celebrating Mother’s Day. Please join us as we gather in spirit through our virtual worship service.
Praying for Each Other
Everyone in our church is given a special day to receive prayers from their fellow Christians. Let us take a moment this week to hold the following persons in our prayers.
Sunday – Steve Hartman
Monday – Donald & Donna Layser
Tuesday – Jeff & Diana Maurer
Wednesday – John Rhine
Thursday – Dave & Sharon Smith
Friday – Daniel Turnbow & Sarandon Smith
Saturday – Makenzie Wilson
Please pray for the concerns of:
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me. If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to Sandi Smith for providing today’s devotion. Sandi invites us to look for moments of joy. If you wish to respond to Sandi, her email address is tomandsandi@sandisbreads.com.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture – Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)
You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
Thoughts:
When was the last time you thought about being joyful? One could argue that this is a time of challenge, rather than a time of joy. This is a time to stand up and fight the virus and guard against its invasion into your life and the lives of those you love.
All of this may be true, but we can be joyful even in this time. As my daughter writes in this year’s devotional guide for the now-cancelled workcamps, “Joy is contagious.” She notes that joy is not something you need to look outward to find. Joy is a gift from God that exists within each of us.
In Exodus, Miriam dances and sings in her joy. Her joy, like ours, is contagious. The women dance and celebrate with her. In our current lives, joy might take on a less obvious appearance, but is still very much present and contagious.
As Liana writes, joy for some might be writing a poem or painting a picture. Maybe even taking a social-distance walk with a friend would be a joy-filled experience, too. Your expressions of joy are unique. I have been finding joy in baking for others. More than that, I have found joy in serving our customers and offering smiles and words of encouragement. For some, a smile is all they need. I know that with each smile returned, by own sense of joy expands.
As we have been sharing for weeks, at such a time as this we experience God’s presence in many ways. Daily reminders of our shared community encourage us and can be a source of joy. How better to celebrate life and be joyful than by acknowledging those we care about even from a distance?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, many of us are struggling now with sadness and varieties of challenges. Help us to see joy in its many-faceted experiences. Help us to be the joy in others’ lives, even as we sense your love for us in our own.
Sunday Worship Service:
Tomorrow morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's Worship service. Our worship times in May will hopefully remind, challenge, and encourage us as we continue this journey through a COVID-19 world. This Sunday I will be preaching on the topic “Be Church.” The service includes some great music, a time of sharing, and prayers. We will also be celebrating Mother’s Day. Please join us as we gather in spirit through our virtual worship service.
Praying for Each Other
Everyone in our church is given a special day to receive prayers from their fellow Christians. Let us take a moment this week to hold the following persons in our prayers.
Sunday – Steve Hartman
Monday – Donald & Donna Layser
Tuesday – Jeff & Diana Maurer
Wednesday – John Rhine
Thursday – Dave & Sharon Smith
Friday – Daniel Turnbow & Sarandon Smith
Saturday – Makenzie Wilson
Please pray for the concerns of:
- Jose’ Aponte, John Hughes, Gloria Kettering, Jill Speicher, and Jean Summers
- For those alone in hospitals and those who have lost their jobs
- For all people, no matter what their circumstances, challenges, or joys
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me. If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to Sandi Smith for providing today’s devotion. Sandi invites us to look for moments of joy. If you wish to respond to Sandi, her email address is tomandsandi@sandisbreads.com.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture – Isaiah 55:12 (NIV)
You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
Thoughts:
When was the last time you thought about being joyful? One could argue that this is a time of challenge, rather than a time of joy. This is a time to stand up and fight the virus and guard against its invasion into your life and the lives of those you love.
All of this may be true, but we can be joyful even in this time. As my daughter writes in this year’s devotional guide for the now-cancelled workcamps, “Joy is contagious.” She notes that joy is not something you need to look outward to find. Joy is a gift from God that exists within each of us.
In Exodus, Miriam dances and sings in her joy. Her joy, like ours, is contagious. The women dance and celebrate with her. In our current lives, joy might take on a less obvious appearance, but is still very much present and contagious.
As Liana writes, joy for some might be writing a poem or painting a picture. Maybe even taking a social-distance walk with a friend would be a joy-filled experience, too. Your expressions of joy are unique. I have been finding joy in baking for others. More than that, I have found joy in serving our customers and offering smiles and words of encouragement. For some, a smile is all they need. I know that with each smile returned, by own sense of joy expands.
As we have been sharing for weeks, at such a time as this we experience God’s presence in many ways. Daily reminders of our shared community encourage us and can be a source of joy. How better to celebrate life and be joyful than by acknowledging those we care about even from a distance?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, many of us are struggling now with sadness and varieties of challenges. Help us to see joy in its many-faceted experiences. Help us to be the joy in others’ lives, even as we sense your love for us in our own.
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