For Such A Time as This May 26, 2020 – Dennis Lohr

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,

Chalk the Lot!

Missing the ritual of coming to the church building to worship? Us too! You are invited to come to the church lot anytime to leave a message of love, hope, and positivity anywhere in our parking lot! And then walk around and see what others have left and spend a few moments in prayer for our church community. 

If you have chalk, feel free to bring your own! Otherwise, there are baggies of chalk in a container by the back door. Once used, please keep it as your own and bring it with you if you come back. 

Please remember that we are practicing social distancing. If others are in the lot, respect their space by keeping at least 6ft distance. Masks are requested as well. 

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 have written today’s devotion.   A few years ago, when my son Tim and his family lived with us, my granddaughter would tell her daddy goodbye each time he left for work, and then remind him, “Make good choices, Daddy.”  I think of her challenge often.  I hope this devotion inspires us to make good choices.

Shalom,
Dennis

Scripture – Philippians 3:17

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 

Thoughts:

Paul’s words, “join in imitating me,” always catch my attention.  How bold!  How confident!  How risky!  There are things that I do that I think are worth imitating.  These are things I have probably seen in others and have decided to imitate as best I can.  But there are things I do that are not worth imitating.  I hope such things will be received with grace, correction and forgetfulness.

Whether we think people should imitate us or not, our choices, actions, attitudes and words will influence others.  What parent has not heard their child repeat their own poor choice of words, or act out their own bad behaviors.  “Do as I say and not as I do” is not a very convincing argument.  We live public lives.  Folk are watching what we do and say.

Therefore, Paul continues, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  And then he does it again, “Keep on doing the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

We need the God of peace right now.  We need examples of people who are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.  We need to be people who are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.  We need the God of peace right now.

Prayer:

Gracious God, you are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.  Help us to imitate you, so that others who imitate us will experience some of your peace.  Amen.