FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Tuesday, October 27th, 2020
How are You Doing in the Pandemic? Sunday after In-Person Worship
Following the 11am In-Person worship on Sunday, we will break into small groups to talk about the blessings and the challenges of this pandemic and what God may be expecting of us in this very unusual time in our collective lives. We will maintain social distance and wear masks for this event, too.
Halloween – Beggar’s Night in Farmersville
Taking the kids out for Beggars night? Please stop by the church for candy and hot chocolate. We look forward to seeing you, your kids, and the costumes. (Beggar’s Night is Saturday, October 31st, from 6 to 8.)
Scripture – I John 4:19
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
Feeling drained, empty, or just like the obstacles ahead are too big to overcome? Know you are not alone in this time of pandemic, racial unrest, and election season.
We may say it takes courage to live in these times. We may say it takes courage to face a pandemic, a changing world, and our individual day to day challenges. We may say it takes courage because somewhere deeper within we have some sense of fear. We all live with the challenges of survivals, as well as high expectations put on us by ourselves or others. And fear of failure, or of letting others down is very real for many people.
John suggests fear’s antidote is not courage, but rather love.
In my experience, John is right. When I am driven by love for others, courage seems very secondary. I act simply because love dictates it. And I act without regard to self.
So the antidote to this poison called fear is love.
At the bottom of almost every anxiety, every depression, every worry, every greedy or hateful impulse is fear. I am not talking about healthy fear of real threats. I am talking about the fear that paralyzes us or moves us away from God. This kind of fear is what John is telling us is capable of being eradicated. We cast out fear with love.
So where do we get this love? We get it from God. It starts with God.
So then how do we get this love? See yesterday’s Faith Connection.
Lost, afraid, or filled with fear? There is an antidote. The practices of our faith may not fix the world, but they may fill our hearts with the kind of love that makes life worth living.
Prayer:
God of love, God who overcomes all evils, please fill us with the kind of love that casts out all paralyzing and unproductive fear. Help us face our challenges, our worries, our anxiety, our depression, our greed, or our hate with the hope that a dose of Your love will begin to neutralize these poisons which debilitate a joyful and faithful life. Amen.