Let it snow

You might find this odd, but I truly miss the snow, and even stranger, I don’t mind driving in it!  But it is the beauty of it, the way it carpets everything in white.  I love the contrast in the bare trees, the white on the branches.  As a child, I loved to go sledding, and even went on to tackle some pretty big hills when I was in high school!  But snow also reminds me how our entire landscape can change quickly.

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
-Isaiah 1:16-18

At the beginning of Isaiah, God is quite upset with the people of Israel, that the blood of innocents is literally on their hands.  And yet, the Lord offers a desperate plea for them to change their wicked ways and embrace the way of the Lord.  Further, like the clean purity of fresh fallen snow, God will forgive the sin and cleanse us with grace.  And just as quickly as the land can turn white with snow, our sins will be forgiven and we will be made right by God.

Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Ron

Worship
This Sunday, January 31, 2021, we continue in the Gospel of Mark, Mark 1:29-39, “The Message Must Be Proclaimed.”  After teaching, Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and then many others.  After a time of rest and prayer, Jesus returns with a mandate and a mission, to share the message of God’s love, because the Good News must be proclaimed!  Come join us!

Last Week’s Sermon
Missed the service from last week?  On January 24, 2021, Pastor Ron preached on the Mark 1:21-28, “The Real Thing.”  Jesus begins teaching and performs his first miracle, healing a man tormented by a demon.  Not only does the crowd comment that this Jesus teaches with authority, but the demon even calls him Holy One of God. The YouTube link to view the sermon is:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5edARrfXLg&t=1s

Book and Bible Study
Please join us for a study of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship.  The class will double as a bible study as we journey through various passages from the Gospel with emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).  The class will meet Tuesdays at 1:30pm in the Multipurpose Room and will last about an hour each session.

This Tuesday, we will be discussing chapter 2, pages 57-78, and we will look at the following passages from Scripture: Mark 2:13-17, Luke 9:57-62, Matthew 19:16-22, Luke 10:25-29.

There is a sign up to purchase the book for $11, or you can let the church office know.  You can also order the book directly from Amazon.  We hope you will join us!

Grief Support Group
Recently lose someone you love?  Still feel like you are stuck in grief?  Or maybe it’s been awhile but you still feel the shadow of loss?  Or maybe you’ve walked that road and might be able to help another who feels lost?  Whatever the reason, you are invited to journey with others, to share your burden, and find support.  We will be using the DVD series Grief Matters, Learning to Cope with Loss by Dr. Bill Webster.  Support materials will be provided to help.  We will meet on Wednesdays at 6 pm in the multipurpose room, starting February 3.