 | Newsletter
If calling the church office and no answer, please always leave a complete message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Church directories are always available to pick up or mail out only. If you would like one please see Sue or call the church office.
PRESBYTERY UPDATES!! Information can be found on the Ministries page. The 2025 per capita is $46.10 per each active role member.
Save the Date! On its way to becoming Mountain Laurel Presbytery! The February Joint Assembly of Lehigh and Lackawanna Presbyteries will take place on February 15, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom only Among other things, we will: Worship together virtually with communion (please have elements of your choice ready when you join the meeting. Hear from the Merger Team Receive the proposed Plan for Merger for a first read & discussion Receive the proposed By-Laws for Mountain Laurel for a first read The call to the meeting, registration link and document access information will be coming soon!!!
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) urges support in response to the devastating fires in California, which authorities are calling a historic and deadly wildfire event. PDA has already released emergency grants to meet the urgent needs of the communities and to provide immediate care. The magnitude of this event will require the development of long-term projects and assistance, both for the physical and emotional long-lasting effects. Years of recovery lie ahead, and your commitment will help PDA extend the hands of Christ. Will you stand in the “GAP” for the people affected by these catastrophic wildfires? — Give. Act. Pray. PRAY: God, our refuge and strength, you are an ever-present help in trouble. You see the devastation caused by the California wildfires. You hear the cries of loss and know the exhaustion of those waiting and helping. For those forced to flee, grant rest. For those fighting fires, grant strength. For those mourning, grant comfort. For those still in danger, grant protection. May your Church be a presence of hope. In Christ’s name, Amen.
Random Acts of Kindness Day, observed each year on February 17, is a reminder of the power of altruism. Followers of Jesus express kindness selflessly, out of love for God and our neighbors. Yet in return, we reap emotional — and even physical — benefits. Researchers have identified a “helper’s high” that can ease anxiety and depression. Spontaneous or planned acts of “pro-social spending” have been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve heart health, reduce pain and even extend longevity. For maximum impact, experts recommend getting creative with random acts of kindness and mixing them up. But no matter how you spread kindness, you’re bound to experience blessings in return! We find a delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.”
We trust in God and believe in our members and friends to support the church's ministry. Let us all show our faithfulness with good stewardship through our time, talents and treasures.
God’s Gift Of Music
Albert Schweitzer, a pastor, musicologist, physician and more, said, “Joy, sorrow, tears, lamentation, laughter — to all these music gives voice, but in such a way that we are transported from the world of unrest to a world of peace, and see reality in a new way, as if we were sitting by a mountain lake and contemplating hills and woods and clouds in the tranquil and fathomless water.”
Redeeming ‘wasted’ time In Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado writes that the average American spends a total of six months waiting at stoplights, eight months opening junk mail, 18 months looking for items we’ve lost and five years standing in line. All the while, many of us grumble: “What a waste of time! I could be doing something much more important! Where are my keys?” But Lucado suggests that we give these moments to God. Rather than whispering to ourselves, we can speak to God in prayer. “Simple phrases such as ‘Thank you, Father,’
‘Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,’ ‘You are my resting place, Jesus’ can turn a commute into a pilgrimage,” he writes. “You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.” When we do this, “the common becomes uncommon,” Lucado adds. What’s more, “wasted” time becomes valuable; boring waits become meditative; the lost — your time, if not also your keys — is redeemed.
GODWINKS During times of trouble, we should be on the lookout for Godwinks. That’s one way for God to communicate with us. In fact, one of the best things about Godwinks is that they are like a handrail along your way, giving you hope when answers are not forthcoming . . . assuring you that everything is going to be okay.
A POSITIVE PRAYER “Please help me with NOTS that are in my mind, my heart and my life. Remove the have nots, the can nots and the do nots… erase the will nots, may nots, might nots that may find a home in my heart. And most of all, Dear God, I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and my life, all of the AM nots that I have allowed to hold me back… especially the thought that I am not good enough.” Author Unknown
Would you not agree that NOT is not a word we should choose to employ… unless utterly necessary? May every positive prayer be answered this week, Godwink, after Godwink, after Godwink!
Both the regular and large print editions of Our Daily Bread are now available – if you you would like one, contact the office and we will be sure you receive it.
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