Thrivent and the Miracle Baseball

It's 3-quarters past Monday,

I'm sitting at my desk in the office awaiting the 7 o'clock dash to Confirmation class.  Now that I know at least 3 people are tuned in to my blog, I'm gung-ho to post an informative entry (and after all, didn't Jesus say, "where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also."???  I guess that means that He's tuned into the blog as well.

It is such a joy to share this interim time with you all.  You are a great congregation.  And a busy one, judging from al the goings-on this month.

CONFIRMATION YOUTH AND PARENTS-tonight is our final Wednesday evening Confirmation class.  We will meet next on Sunday, February 14 at 11 am.  We will continue tis Sunday-11 am schedule throughout Lent.  Wednesday classes will resume April 14 at 7 pm.

HARVEST FEST-don't forget to come out and support our faithful produce vendor/farmer Horace Brittany each Saturday. He is here (or Steve his assistant) from 9 am to 1 pm.  His offerings are always fresh and top notch (and quite reasonable).  We ALWAYS need folks to help with our church information booth.  If you haven't had a turn at a two-hour shift yet, please consider signing up.  You can sign up on the sign-up slips located on the bulletin board in the Narthex.  Why is this ministry important??  Our vendor provides fresh produce to the Ft. Myers Soup Kitchen.  We can also help by donating money or canned goods to this worthwhile project.

GOD'S SPA-Yoga and Bible study, begins Monday February 15.  Come for both or pick one of your choice.  Yoga with Sylvia  begins at noon.  My bible study starts at 1 pm.  Our study is 'Having a Mary Heat in a Martha World."  It is one of the best studies I have ever led.  If you need childcare please call the office. We have an adult care-giver available.

PAINTBALL-If you are at least 10 years old, you and your family are invited to a Painball Outing at Greenwell's Family Fun Park.  Cost is $15/person and the fun begins Saturday, FEB, 20 at 1 pm.

SCRAPBOOKING for all ages is Saturday, February 13.  Come from 1-4 pm to scrap and fellowship with Kay.

ASH WEDNESDAY, Lent begins April 17.  This is a time of year to begin a spiritual journey through the 40 days that precede Easter.
We will observe an ages old traditional rite of the impositionof ashes at 7 pm and then on consecutive Wednesdays, we will get together at 6 pm for soup suppers and community worship that includes a film series led by Max Lucado called Fearless.

GTLC's FIRST ANNUAL PET PARADE is Saturday, February 27 at 10am.  It's for the animal lover in all of us.  Come and participate with your own furry or feathered or scaly critter, or just come to watch, or if you really want to have a good time, sign up to help. The sign up sheet is located in the church welcome area. 

As God blesses you, may you be a blessing to others

P.K.

Hey!  Is anybody out there?

I looked forward with anticipation to the possibility of doing a regular blog on the GTLC website, but I have the feeling that I'm blogging in a vacuum.  Nobody's tuned in.

Communication is always the number one problem in church organizations.  The challenge is this: How do we stay connected with our 'audience' (you, the congregation)? Blogging is the most efficient way I can think of to keep you up-to-date on ministry events and fellowship offerings as they come up. It is also a great way to keep you informed about schedule changes or last minute details.

But if no one subscribes to the blog, or if no one links to the Pastor's blog through the church website, it makes no difference whether I blog or not.  You aren't getting the information you need to keep abreast of all the things that go on in and around our chiurch commuinity.

The problem is easily solved.  Just visit the church website and click on the link to my blog. 

I need to know if youu're tuning in, folks.  So when you read this, please leave your name, your email and your comments about how I can make this blog interesting, informatibve and NOT BORING.

Peace and God's blessings to all of you.
Pastor Kathy (Revkat)

What time is it?  It's half past Sunday.

Please keep Maria Sarracino and her family in your prayers.  Her husband Oscar passed away on Thanksgiving morning.  We are holding a memorial service for him here at the church on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 11 am. 

I am off to visit my daughter Kim for three days. She and her family live in Virginia Beach. Her husband Jeff is in the Navy and stationed at Oceana.. I leave tomorrow. It's going to be my Christmas visit with her. Pastor David Stacy at Faith Lutheran in Lehigh Acres will be on call if you need pastoral assistance.

Pastor Bill Russell will be leading Advent mid week worship this week.  As I recall, the parable of the day  is The Prodigal Son. Hope you enjoy it.

Don't forget to bring your cookies next Sunday for our reception after the 9:30 Cantata. I'm looking forward to sharing this marvelous Christmas experience with all you GTLC-ers.

I recently traded my Subaru in on a Honda Civic.  The Civic came with a free trial subscription to XM saltellite radio.  I have to tell you, I am luvin' it.  You can choose from hundreds of different offerings--from shock jock Howard Stern to classic radio programs like Fibber McGee and Molly. If you are a sports fan, you can listen to your favorite NFL team, or NASCAR, or hockey, or NBA basketkball. There is even a station dedicated to truck drivers. There is a music channel for any genre you want to listen to: 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and the list goes on and on. Talk radio, shock radio, jock radio, rock radio. . .you can have it all.

Did anyone notice the tile floors in our facilities?  They have been cleaned for the very first time.  I bet you never knew the floors were all white and not speckled with black dots!!

Advent blessings,
P.K.

Hey folks!!

It's a day for ducks. . .reminds me of damp fall days up north.  Speaking of ducks, that reminds me of swimming.  Swimming reminds me of the pond in my back yard.  The pond reminds me of the story about Jesus walking along the shore of the lake of Galillee and seeing some guys fishing there.  (You know which story I am talking about, right???)  He tells them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."

Last night, we had a guest speaker visit GTLC.  Her name is Kelly Fryer and she is a fabulous bible study leader.  She brought some new illumination to this story.  We all read the passage from Matthew and assume that Jesus told them to drop everything and follow him.  That he even encouraged them to leave their vocations behind and learn a new one (fishing for people.)  Kelly reminded me that Jesus stayed with Peter in his house at Capernaum, even healed his sick mother-in-law.  He also used boats a lot.  Boats to teach from, boats to get from one side of the lake to another quicly, boats to take him to quiet places for prayer and self reflection. Well, where do you think he got those boats!!  That's right.  Those boats belonged to the crew he had recruited as his disciples.  They were still fisherpeople.  Only now, they were using their vocation to help gather folks around Jesus, so the message of hope and redemption could be heard.

Kelly has a church renewal enterprise and lectures around the country. She uses this passage (Matt. 4:17-21) to teach three basic principles about being a vital church in mission.  
    BE WHO YOU ARE.  
    USE WHAT YOU HAVE.  
    MAKE IT MATTER.
Over this advent season, ask God to show you how you can be vital and useful, just as you are to the mission and ministry of Gateway Trinity.  You don't have to leave your boat behind!!!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away?

For many here, Homecoming means a trip up north. For others, Homecoming means "we're lucky enough to have relatives in the Sunshine State. . .and it's a treasured respite from the blustery November cold of the Northeast and Midwest." Whether you are coming in from the cold or going north into the cold, Jim and I wish you the very warmest of holiday get-togethers

What are you holiday traditions?  If you are reading this blog, then you are invited to post your comments and share your favoirtie things about the holidays with us.

Our family gathers at the table and each one tells what they are thankful for in the past year.  Then we tell corny thanksgiving jokes.

God's blessings to all of you.
Pastor Kathy

The belt of truth. . .
The breastplate of righteousness. . .
. . .and the sword of the spirit (which is the word of God)

If you remember nothing else about the book of Ephesians, remember this. Ephesians, chapter six. . .describes the full armor of God.  All the equipment you need to contend with this present darkness. . .or as Luther was fond of putting it. . .the world, the flesh and the devil.  

The last piece of wonder armor I want to talk about in God’s Sports Authority is the Sword of the Spirit.

Paul uses the Greek word gladius for sword.  This was a kind of short sword used by the soldiers for close hand to hand combat.  Known for its double edged, 20 inch blade with a diamond point tip, it was called the sword that conquered the world.  It allowed the combatant to step nimbly inside the enemies’ guard, so their longer sword would be useless.  The Roman soldier could cut and thrust in any direction.  It was the most powerful and awesome weapon of its day. . .and it is not by coincidence that Paul uses this word gladius when he says ‘sword of the spirit.’

So much for the sword of Roman solider.  What then, is the sword of the Spirit?  Paul goes on to say. . .that is the word of God.

Now word of God is a phrase all of are familiar with one way or another.  We know that in John the first chapter, he writes, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The Greek for that Word is logos.  Collectively, the Bible, as God's "word," is the written, divine expression or revelation of God to humanity.  Jesus completed this expression as the literal embodiment of God's word, logos But Paul doesn’t use this word logos in this passage from Ephesians.  He uses rhema.

Rhema is the spoken word of God.  Another definition is ‘that which is or has been uttered by the living voice."  Rhema carries a with it a spiritual connotation that differentiates it from logos.  It also bears application to the specific context of our lives.  For example, we may be wrestling with an issue in our life and during our quiet time we read a verse that "speaks" directly to the situation we are dealing with.  That portion of the scripture then becomes a "Rhema word" from God for us regarding our situation.  A living utterance from God.  It is the sword with which God equips us to do battle with the world, the flesh and the devil.

In a different age, the age of the church militant, spiritual warfare was often physical warfare.  At war with the nations, defending the faith with the shedding of blood, the enemy had hands and feet. And sometimes the enemy was us! It was a time in our history when intolerance, fear, lack of communication, superstition, and persecution ever gave rise to violence, bloodshed, and religious animosities.

We live in a different age today.  But we are still at war with the world, the flesh and the devil. of And more than ever, we are in need of this Sword of the Spirit which Paul speaks about.

Rhema. A living word from God.  Can you recall a time when a verse from the Bible helped you confront the a situation, an issue, a temptation you were having trouble dealing with?  Have you ever experienced God’s rhema as A defensive and offensive weapon that helped you overcome the pain and pressures of the world?  

Then you know what Paul means when he talks about the Sword of the Spirit.  S w o r d.  S word.  Saving word, sacred word, scriptural word. It is a situational word, a specific word, a stand alone word. A word God gives us when we are thrown into battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.

Remember when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan river?  And the spirit of God ,descended upon him like a dove?  And God said, This is my beloved Son?  What’s the very next thing that happened. . .Jesus is led into the desert by the Spirit in order to face temptation.  And sure enough, when he’s at his weakest, his hungriest, his thirstiest, who comes waltzing by?  Satan.

You hungry, Jez?  Well, if your Dad really is who you say he is, then turn these stones here into loaves of bread.  It should be a piece of cake for you.

He comes again . . . Jesus is weak in body.  He takes him to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem.  Show me how indestructable you are Jez! Throw yourself down.  If you are who you say you are, you’ll be protected. God won’t let his son be dashed to death on the rocks. The angels will catch you.

And the devil comes one more time. At the point of total exhaustion. Jesus is at his limits.  He takes him to the peak of a mountaintop, and shows him a vast kingdom. . .far as the eye can see, farther than the limits of the human imagination.  All this I will give you.  All power, all authority. Everything at my disposal.  All you have to do is bow down and worship me.

 Each time Satan tempted Jesus he was rebuffed with a rhema of God.
Man does not live by bread alone but by every utterance that comes from the mouth of God.  

Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

Away from me Satan.  It is written, Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

Three times Satan comes. In the Hebrew, the names for devil mean slanderer, tempter and in Hebrew Satan means accuser.
Three times Jesus parries the assault with the Sword of the Spirit. A rhema of God.

Jesus responded to each of the temptations by quoting scripture.  The scripture he quoted revealed and destroyed the lies of each temptation.   

When you think about it. . .many of the attacks we suffer from the world, the flesh and the devil take the form of slander, temptation and accusations. Part of the equipping process, when you come into God’s Sports Authority, for your sword of the spirit, is to develop a discipline of committing scripture to memory.

Now I’m not telling you that you have to memorize the whole bible, or entire passages.  I’m just saying pick a verse a week, or even a phrase.  Read the verse every day. Or write it on a card and put it on your refrigerator door, or slip it into your daily calendar. You can also put on the sword of the spirit by praying the word.  Just turn to a verse and make it a prayer.

As you read it aloud or silently in your heart, just direct your thoughts to God.  You can also sing the word. We sing praise verses every week.  They are all based on scripture.  Let the words of a favorite praise song or hymn play in your mind.

You already know a verse from Ephesians.  Put on the full armor of God.
Over the past three weeks we have buckled on the belt of truth, fastened up the breastplate of salvation, and armed ourselves the sword of the spirit.  You can dig a little deeper into Ephesians on your own, outfitting yourselves with shoes for the gospel, and trying on the helmet of salvation.

One thing I know for certain.  The word of God never comes back empty. In other words, whatever time you put into familiarizing yourselves with bible verses, there will always be a specific moment when a word, a phrase or verse will return to give you protection, wisdom, security, assurance, consolation, or forgiveness.

And God doesn’t care whether or not you can quote chapter and verse number.  It’s his word that matters. And when all else fails, and you are in the midst of battle. . .whether it’s confrontation with the world, the flesh or the devil. . .there is one final word you can always always always count on.  And that word is Jesus!