Tuesday Daily Faith Connection

FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC

Ministry Updates for Tuesday, December 1^st, 2020

 

We know that Christmas itself is really about a big present God gave the world about 2000 years ago – Jesus.   Many families celebrate this event by giving presents to those they love.  This year, our church will be supporting the Valley View Christmas Angels program.   More than ever, there are children whose families have had a tough year and could use our generosity.  Our church has been given 3 boys that really need clothes, gym shoes, socks, and underwear.  There are other items on their list they would like as well.  (List attached at bottom of FC)  If your family is interested in being an “angel” and help these kids, they and their families would really appreciate it.  To avoid giving duplicate items, please let Donna Thie at donnathie@gmail.com or contact the church which item you will be donating.  Gifts need to be wrapped and dropped off at church by Sunday December 15; pick-ups can be arranged. 

 Scripture – Matthew 7:12

Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 

 Reflection – What Are You Waiting For?

I think my life has been too long on ‘wanting’, and too short on ‘asking’. Jesus preached to the crowds that they could ask for what they needed. They could search for what mattered. They could knock on doors and doors would be opened.

 Of course Jesus’ primary interest in this world was spiritual. So the key to this passage is understanding what our souls need. God is not going to feed people’s greed. And he knows we need food, clothing, shelter. But more importantly, he knows that what makes life worth living is not found solely in survival, excess, or security.

 The promise lies in striving to understand the value of our souls, in striving to understand what it is to be children of God, in pondering what the depth and breadth and width and height of riches God wants to give to us. If we do this, then material things will be there too, but they will only be of secondary importance in the kingdom of heaven toward which Jesus beckons us.

 Advent is a season of waiting. And we do not like to wait. Especially in our 24 by 7 culture. But in our hearts we know there is a yearning for something that goes beyond food, clothing and shelter.

 I am waiting on the next revelation from God, not just for our church, but for my personal life. I am waiting on the chance to hug my mother, who is hospice care, and who I cannot visit right now. I am waiting on a plan for my family’s Christmas gathering which will probably not come together until we get very close to the holiday.

 I am waiting on these things that matter to my heart and soul. It sounds like Jesus is telling me to stop waiting, and start asking, seeking and knocking on doors.

 So that is my plan for today. How about you? What are you waiting for? Maybe it is time to ask, seek and knock more, and wait a little less.

 Our Prayer

God who goes ahead of us into the future, in this season of Advent, we think about what it means to wait. Help us learn when to accept what we cannot change, and when to turn our waiting into asking, seeking and knocking, so that we might experience the hope, the love, the joy and the peace God and the Advent season promise to bring. Amen.