October 27, 2017
Russell's Ritings....
Diane and I were in Paris a couple years ago and spent a great afternoon wandering around the Montmartre section. A highlight of our wandering was climbing the over 200 steps to reach Sacre Coeur Basilica, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe.
The Upper Room devotional of October 18 brought back that happy experience and also made me sensitive to the needs of others. It's entitled STEPPING OVER and was written by May Patterson.
"Over 200 steep steps lead to the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris. My daughter Caroline and I climbed those steps to visit the church, located on a bluff overlooking Paris. When we finally made it to the top, we stood on quivering legs and beheld the beautiful panorama. Leaving the church we saw a woman lying across the doorstep, directly in our path. She wore a threadbare orange coat and a green scarf. She seemed cold, dirty, and helpless. I had to step over her to get out of the church. As I did, I thought to myself, "Do church members step over people like her too?"
Both Caroline and I felt God nudging us to help the woman. Caroline turned back and knelt down. She pressed a few Euros into the woman's hand and said, "God loves you." The woman's face brightened with a smile. Our encounter with that woman made me realize that I often 'step over' people in need. It can be easy to go through our days without noticing the needs of others around us. Though we may not be able to help everyone, we can give as the Spirit leads us. Showing love to others is showing love to God."
Let's find someone in need this week and help them!
Sunday is going to be GREAT BIG SUNDAY. That's what Sarah has nicknamed the day. We are presenting gifts from the church to the EverKids. The Evergreen Children's Chorale will be singing for us. It's TRUNK OR TREAT after the 10:30 service. AND next Tuesday is the 500th Anniversary of the birth of the Reformation. On Oct 31, All Hallows Eve, in Wittenberg, Germany, a young monk named Martin Luther nailed 95th theses to the church door, the beginning of reform in Europe.
Sunday's Sermon: HERE WE STAND, the scripture is II Thessalonians 2:15.
From the Heart,Russell