As fellowship is coming to close on Sunday mornings, I love to see the Sunday school children coming from class. This past week many of them were holding their colorful artwork, rendering Jesus’ baptism along with John the Baptist! I hope you can enjoy one of the pictures that a proud dad was holding, so that the wet painting would not get on their clothing. The child, with joyful energy, showed all of us the creation they had made in their learning at Sunday school!
Today, where is your joy in the Spirit? How is God speaking and directing your time and energy? I shared in my sermon this week that our youth are clinging to the morsels of spiritual food being shared in their learning, in their fellowship, and in worship. They are examples of faith that I have been noticing and taking delight in. I must share a thanks to many of you teachers and table guides who are present in their learning at church. Thank you to parents who are teaching at home and bringing our young to church as well. You are nurturing a faith that will last a lifetime.
I read recently in my devotions from Seize the Day with Dietrich Bonhoeffer about our celebration of life. He begins with a passage from the book of Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.” Our living, our work, our play is to not be outside of God’s purpose for our lives. No matter your vocation, we all work for God. If we find ourselves begrudging life and faith, I pray you can find your way to a place with God, to strive for this unity in life, that displays joy and merriment like our Sunday school students did this past week!
God’s Blessings from Christ the King – Where God’s Love Comes to Life!
Pastor Nate Gauerke