November Note from Pastor Jon

Filed Under Archives, Pastor's Notes

     As I write this, it is raining outside, and the forecast calls for a possible snow on Thursday.  What happened to our beautiful summer days, or the autumn evenings when it was just the right temperature to go outside and play, or go for a walk, or work in the yard?
     The seasons of the year change so quickly, it seems like this change can occur, literally overnight.  What was beautiful and full of life one day, becomes leafless and dead above the ground, that it might grow back even stronger the next spring.
     Seasons of our lives change as well.  It is impossible to predict what things might be like for us 5 years from now, next year, or even next month.  We may find blessings of new life, joy, or health in our families, or we may find ourselves grieving the loss of a loved one, or suffering from a setback of some sort.
We live in an unstable world, as we are witnessing in the financial sector as the stock market swings wildly back and forth.  
     Now, please don’t let this dampen your mood, because even with all of the change and uncertainty I have discussed, there is one certain fact in our lives.
     Isn’t it wonderful that there is one thing in our life that will never change?  God’s love for us, shown through the work of Jesus Christ can be relied upon as a constant in our ever-changing lives.  God loved us so much that Jesus Christ came to this world, walked among us, suffered and died, that we may be drawn closer to God as his people.  God loves us dearly, and that is something that will never ever change, no matter what else is changing around us.  As we walk through this life together, hold fast to this:  God will always be with you, and will always love you, thanks be to God!
                                                          In His Name,              Pastor Jon

Posted October 27, 2008, 5:05 pm | Comments Off 

October Note from Pastor Jon

Filed Under Archives, Pastor's Notes

We have a name!  After several months of looking at possible newsletter names, the Marketing Committee decided upon the name that you see in the newsletter masthead above this article:

 Midtown Manna ~Food For Thought~

             For a Midtown church, I believe that this is a great name for our newsletter.  As described below, Manna is the food provided by God for his people during their journey in the desert as they seek the Promised Land.   Our church is seeking to provide spiritual nourishment for all as they travel through their life journeys. 

             It is my hope, and the hope of all of the staff and leaders of the church, that we can provide Spiritual Manna for all who might seek it, as they go through their lives seeking a closer walk with their Lord who calls each of us to the Promised Land.  We seek to do this within the walls of our church through Worship, Bible Study, Fellowship and Service.  We also seek to provide Spiritual Manna to those outside our walls, reaching out to those among us, and even to those we have not yet met, offering prayers, encouragement, support and care regardless of the circumstances which they might find themselves in.

             Truly this is what we are called to do, as followers of our Lord, who said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”. We are all called to share the Bread of Life with all whom we encounter as we go about our own journeys through life.

In His Name,      Pastor Jon

Posted October 2, 2008, 1:56 pm | Comments Off