COMPARE MY LIST TO YOURS
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In a world that only listens to others make music; the church invites us to sing together as a community of praise.
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In a world where children are controlled, and the elderly are warehoused, Christ says the children are a key to the kingdom, and the elderly are God’s beloved children.
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In a world where everyone seems out for themselves, Jesus invites us to love our neighbor and even pray for those who persecute us.
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While we sometimes bicker and fight like the rest of the world, the final word for us is not who wins but who forgives.
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In a world that makes us feel insignificant, Christ tells us we each are a valuable part of God’s plan for the entire universe.
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In a world that treats ethics loosely, the church offers us the opportunity to think deeply about what God says is right and wrong.
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In a world that tries to eat us alive with all its demands, we have a savior that loves us alive with grace and forgiveness.
3. In a world that dismisses God as unimportant and mocks God’s son on the cross, God doesn’t try to get even but seeks to redeem us for eternity.
2. In a world that emphasizes productivity and praises those who work 24/7, God invites us to experience the Sabbath that emphasizes relationships with God and neighbor.
1. AND on Easter, we hear again in the announcement that Christ is risen, that God, not death has the final word.
TRY REPHRASING ONE OF THESE AND ASK A SPIRITUAL BUT NOT RELIGIOUS FRIEND TO TELL YOU HOW IT SOUNDS.
YOU BOTH MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.
Excerpted from a new booklet, “Is There Salvation in the Church?” http://bit.ly/Salvinchurch
In a world where we are urged to keep score and criticize others and seek every advantage and hoard our surplus, Worship invites us to be grateful for every minute of life and every opportunity to help and every moment of peace and to rest refreshed in God’s promise of Grace. Peace be with all. Love lift all.
I find both of your remarks, Steve and George, helpful and refreshing. I feel blessed to have two worshiping communities (Palma Ceia/Tampa and WShores/St. Pete) available to me each week. Grace and gratitude to you both.