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“The bush was always burning. It just took someone moving slow enough to notice it.”
—Rob Bell
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The Spirit of God spoke though a burning bush to Moses. The Spirit spoke through a donkey to Balaam. It would appear the Spirit of God is trying to communicate with us on a regular basis, by whatever means possible! | |
The Church just celebrated its spiritual birthday last week: on a day known as Pentecost. Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church's mission to the world. | |
It was said that something like “flames of fire” appeared above the heads of those gathered in worship that day in Jerusalem. Here is a funny comic in light of that story: | |
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But to get back to that Rob Bell quote above…it would seem that though the Spirit speaks, we aren’t always aware, listening, in tune or even desiring to hear! Life continues to throw multiple curve balls over our “home plates” of life…whether it be through the news, our work, family issues or just the choices we make in difficult moments. | |
Yoga, prayer, and the various forms of meditation are well known these days, and one of the few places we might slow down enough to catch the quiet whisper of the Spirit. Sometimes I wonder if what we call “gut feelings” are really messages from the Holy Spirit. Guidance and direction can often come in the midst of urgent circumstances, and maybe in desperation we may be more receptive to what we need to hear. | |
But it’s in the daily grind—within the daily routines of grocery shopping, eating, exercising, gardening, working, driving and running errands—where we see the results of not hearing the still quiet voice. Life and its perpetual calendar can become quite difficult, draining, and even monotonous without some divine, supernatural energy filling our souls with greater purpose and meaning. | |
What are your sources to discover the Spirit? They may be different than your spouse’s sources, or your friends’. For me, it is often found in music: listening to and playing it, writing songs, attending concerts, praise and worship, etc. It is also through reading some favorite authors through the years who inspire, challenge and encourage me in my spiritual journey. | |
My hope for us—and for the rest of the human race for that matter—is that we would be able to find the space and the place to be in touch with the Spirit of God on a regular basis. And through that effort, may we find rest for our souls, and the peace that passes all understanding. Amen. | |
VBS Updates
Vacation Bible School planning is underway and we are most likely looking at one of the last weekends in July, to help us launch into August and Sunday school! More details to come; let me know if you’re interested in volunteering!
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Calling All Youth! Calling All Youth!
Many of you are comfortable and familiar with social media, computers and programs like Zoom….and we need your help! We have a wonderful opportunity to assist some of our church members who need some guidance and training in utilizing this modern technology! This way they can participate in and benefit from the fellowship and connections that you enjoy on a daily basis! Obviously this is another great way for youth to serve and get to know some church folks that you may not know very well! Please contact Adam ([email protected] /928-710-5532) to offer your kind assistance, or ask questions. Thank you!
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A quick smile-bringing video of a child’s baptism (you don’t need Facebook to watch, and you’ll need to turn the volume on inside the video). | | | |
The great actor and inspiring Denzel Washington shares his brief testimony of encountering the Holy Spirit: | |
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A perfect short song and prayer to begin each day of the Pentecost season! | | | |
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A Bible verse for today:
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
1 Corinthians 2:13
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Peace in Christ~
Adam
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Prescott Valley, AZ
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A Note About our May 30 Worship
Remember, we will have an outdoor worship tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and we won't be live-streaming it, but rather recording it and uploading the video later in the day. You'll receive the Worship email (with the video link and service folder copy) once it's been uploaded.
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