Asbury United Methodist Church recently issued the following announcement.
Dear Friends,
The clergy of the Upper New York Conference received a letter from our Bishop, Rev. Mark Webb. Filled with words of encouragement, the letter certainly lifted my spirits. Below are several parts of his letter I wanted to highlight for all of us. I hope they lift your spirits as well.
“While we know God did not cause the events we are experiencing, I have no doubt that God is not wasting these days. God is using this season to draw us closer, to renew us, and to help us re-imagine the ways in which we can be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus Christ in the world. I pray that we will continue to be open, first to what God desires to do in us and then, how God desires to use us in the lives of others in offering the good news of Jesus in word and deed.
When those early followers of Jesus experienced the events of Holy Week, they had in their mind a definition of life that would be found in following Jesus. By the time they got to the empty tomb, that definition had changed. It moved from an earthly focus to an eternal one. It moved from sufficiency found in power and authority to sufficiency found in service and submission. In just one week, Jesus changed it all! From a parade to an empty tomb, Jesus trusted and demonstrated the sufficiency of God and now invites us to do the same.
As we move from Palm Sunday to Easter, as we travel through these different, difficult, and uncertain days because of the corona virus, may we encounter our God who proclaims while seated on a donkey, reclining at a table, hanging on a cross and emerging from a tomb - I am sufficient - I am adequate - I AM ENOUGH! Believe it and then go tell someone else about it!”
Pastor Penni here: It is very easy for us to forget that as we struggle with the ramifications of this pandemic, God is really enough. When we struggle to see our way clear, let us turn to the Bible to see testimonies of God being sufficient to sustain and bolster God’s people in the good times and the trying times. God was sufficient to sustain Noah as he built an ark. God was sufficient to sustain childless Abraham and Sarah as they struggled to remember God’s promise that their descendants would outnumber the starry sky. God was sufficient to sustain Joshua as he took the mantle after Moses’ death. God was sufficient to sustain the prophets who faced daily challenges. God was sufficient to sustain a young, unmarried girl who carried God’s child. God’s sufficiency is more than enough to sustain us through all the times of life. Thanks be to God!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Joys!
+ The sun is shining, the sky is blue; a great day to be outdoors!
+ Online giving is up and running! Check it out on our webpage: www.AsburyUMC.net
Prayer Concerns
+ Continued prayers for all food pantries who are helping those in need.
+ Continued prayers for all healthcare workers, EMTs, emergency personnel.
+ Continued prayers for our local, state and national leaders.
+ Continued prayers for all small business owners.
+ Continued prayers for all those deployed and their families.
+ Prayers for the unemployed and the underemployed.
+ Lou D. asks for prayers for his friend, Bob that God reveals God’s self to Bob.
+ Stella G. asks for prayers for her longtime friend, Janet who is hospitalized.
+ Aaron/Stacie asks for prayers for Aaron’s sister and Stacie’s friend who are both nurses. Also prayers for Aaron’s grandmother Beverly who is in Hospice.
+ Joyce M. asks for prayers for her daughter-in-law’s friend Lisa, whose father died.
+ Lisa S. asks for prayers for a friend’s dad, Wendell, who is hospitalized with Covid-19.
+ Carol S. asks for prayers for her daughter’s friend, Rachael, who is hospitalized with Covid-19.
Friends, as we journey this Holy Week, may we continue to remember that our God is more than sufficient to sustain us in any trial we face. God is more than adequate. God is ENOUGH.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up