For Such A Time as This June, 12, 2020 – Bethany Hoffer

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

Weekly Update Starts Tomorrow!

Each Saturday you will receive a Weekly Update email.  It will have an Envoy look to it, but provide church related announcements on a weekly basis like our Sunday morning bulletin used to do.  Going forward our Monday, Wednesday and Friday devotional emails will have fewer announcements, focusing on prayer concerns and the devotion. 

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 Bethany Hoffer for providing today’s devotion.  Bethany first shared this devotion on April 12th in her weekly Connect post on our website Youth Page.  If you wish to respond to Bethany directly, her email address is bhoffer@palmyracob.org .

Shalom,

Dennis

 

Scripture – Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

Thoughts

You have probably heard the term "Fruit of the Spirit" before. Paul lists them in his letter to the Galatians as traits all Christians have been gifted by the Holy Spirit. Think of it sort of like a talent that you have been blessed with. In some ways, it comes naturally, but even our talents need to be refined and grown to be at their best.

When I ran high school cross country, my coach made t-shirts for each of us with the saying, "effort beats talent when talent doesn't make the effort." the same is true when it comes to the fruit of the spirits. Some of them may come a little easier to us than others: maybe you are naturally a more joyful or peaceful person. But perhaps you aren't the best at self-control or patience. In order to grow in these fruits, we have to continually practice and work at them. Spending time strengthening your relationship with God is a great way to start. Spend some time in prayer this week considering these things.

This time of quarantine and social distancing is inconvenient in so many ways. I would so much rather talk to you all in person, offer snacks and drinks, and give you hugs. I miss that. But even though we lack that ability, we were given a unique opportunity to spend time in personal study, prayer, and reflection. We certainly have the time.

I encourage you this week to spend some time thinking about the fruits of the spirit. Which traits come most naturally to you? And which of them are not so easy? Are there some that you wish you were better at? Some that you don't really care for? Consider these things and what you might do about it.

Prayer

God of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, help us to be like you.  Amen.