IN MEMORY OF CHARLOTTE SICKLES

Charlotte Sickles turned 3 on Feb. 11... and on Feb. 13,
      she died in a house fire, along with her father.
On Friday, Feb. 22, I officiated at her funeral service,
      where I met her mother, her grandmother, and her dad's parents.
 
The parlor was decorated with Charlotte's pictures and stuffed toys.
      Videos were playing and tears were flowing.
I was told that there would be a handful of Penney's friends speaking,
      and that I should not make my message "too religious."

Then, at 2 pm, it began and I took my place at the podium.
      We were gathered, I noted, to cry our tears (just as Jesus as cried over Lazarus),
      to celebrate a beautiful life that had blessed us with joy, to join hands and give
            support to one another, and to claim that Charlotte is in heaven.

We acknowledged that little girls aren't supposed to die.
      They're supposed to laugh, dream, grow-up, and fall in love.
We acknowledged that love demands tears and people cried.
      Penney cried, all of her chosen speakers cried, and others did too.

When I talked to Penney earlier, she told me to mention what a happy-go-lucky
      kid Charlotte was... and to make sure and say that she is in heaven!
I did these things to the best of my ability.
      I stressed the joy that Charlotte gave to so many and how she loved to play.

I stated unequivocally that little girls go to heaven! Joyful, beautiful, trusting,
      little kids- they go to heaven because Jesus invites them to come to Him.
After the service itself, we shared a meal together-
      all of us, everyone was invited, and I joined them for few moments.

I told Charlotte's grandparents that I was saddened to hear that their son had died,
      and Penney- who was always graceful- told me that my words were good.
Then, I left, praying that someone would spend the night with Penney,
      and praying also for broken-hearted parents and grandparents wherever they are.

I told them that they would see Charlotte again when "heaven's gate" opened for them,
      and I promised that I would mention the GoFundMe site that has been established,
            which I am doing now, hoping that some of you will give a gift of love.

May God be with Penney and with all the little children in the world. Amen.

THE RICH MAN, THE BEGGAR, JESUS, AND ME

After he chose his 12 apostles, Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, where he encountered a huge crowd from Jerusalem, Judea, and the costal area of Tyre and Sidon. According to Luke, Jesus healed everyone who had a need and when he was finished, he looked up at his disciples and said, “Blessed are you who are (desperately) poor for yours is the kingdom of God.” In his better known Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lifted up those who were “poor in spirit,” but as he stood on the plain, he referred to the real poor and to those who were really poor. The Greek word for poor which is used here is the same word that Luke used to describe Lazarus, the beggar who laid and died beside a rich man’s gate, with running sores and nothing else at all. (Luke 16:19-31) It’s the word “ptochos” and it doesn’t refer to those who are just eking out a living, but to people who have absolutely nothing and count on the generosity of others for life itself. 

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.”  This was Jesus’ second point. If you are hungry now you will be filled in the kingdom of God! Not in the abstract, but in the concrete! If you’re starving now, you will eat your fill at the Great Banquet. You will be first in line, while there are still deviled eggs and the best desserts, and you will be fully satisfied when the meal is done. “Blessed are you- we note that Jesus is speaking directly to his listeners- who weep now (where the word “weep” means “sobbing” as Peter did when he denied Christ) for you will laugh.” Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh.” It’s not easy to be poor. It’s not easy to beg and to stand in line for a hand-out. It’s not easy to worry about the most essential of things. It weighs on people. It breaks them down. If you’re sobbing now, you will throw you head back and laugh with joy someday. This is the promise!

Throughout his gospel, Luke focuses on an upside-down world where… sinners dine with Christ, unclean shepherds are the first to know that a Savior is born, children are welcomed by the Lord himself, women are included in Jesus' ministry and heard when they speak out, and foreigners are blessed. Luke’s gospel is filled with surprising grace, unexpected blessings, and radical challenges to conventional wisdom. In Luke’s view, those who are poor, oppressed, chained, overlooked, and silenced… are blessed by God… simply because they are poor, oppressed, chained, and abused during their lives on earth. 

The Sermon on the Plain is addressed to the those for whom life on earth is something of a hell. It’s hard to hear it differently, but Luke goes on, adding “woes” that weren't mentioned in his Sermon on the Mount. “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation; woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry; woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.” It’s radical message for a rich, mostly happy, and well-fed Christian like me to hear. It’s a tough message for a 21^st century American Christian to hear because most of us are rich and satisfied… but it’s a needed reminder for us to get busy and involved!

It’s not easy for a rich man to get into heaven because rich men (and women) cling to their money as if it was their god. They are tempted to hang on to their riches even if they pass by "Lazarus" every day... but it doesn't have to be that way! With God all things are possible and we have many, many opportunities to bless the poor (ptochos) with our riches. Instead of allowing our riches to be an obstacle to faithfulness, we can use them to minister in Christ's name. Riches, if they're shared, can feed and clothe people, provide shelter and opportunity, heal people and rebuild lives. 

If we won't share, if we’re full of ourselves and unconcerned about the sadness all around us, we’re on the wrong path. But it doesn't have to be that way! We can make it our business to serve Christ in every corner of the world we know. We can seek him among the least among us and we can serve him when we find him. One thing is for sure- Christ is among us. Somewhere, even now, he’s begging for food, seeking a drink of water, shopping for clothing, calling  for assistance, hoping that we’ll cross the road to help him up, or have the grace to look him in the eye. We’ll meet him in many forms. He will be an old man in overalls, an old woman in rags, a young woman with too many tattoos, a person who's numb with rejection and grief, a teen with disabilities. According to the Bible, he will be among those who are in need and it’s our calling to meet His need, in ways big and small. It’s as simple as that! Amen.

LET'S GET INTO THE FISHING BUSINESS!

      When the crowds began to press in, Jesus stepped into one of the boats he saw on the shore and proclaimed the word of God to them. Then he told Simon to put his boat out into the deep water for a catch. Simon and the others had been fishing all night. They knew what they were doing. They were tired, but Simon did what he was told to do, saying, "Master... if you say so, I will let down the nets." It was against his own judgement, it seems, but when he let down the nets, "they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break!" So, they signaled their partners in another boat to help them and together, they filled both boats with fish- to the point that they were beginning to sink! It was amazing. It was a "God-thing," an Epiphany for sure, Simon thought... and in the manner of Isaiah, he cried out, "Lord, go away, for I am a sinful man." What do you do with an epiphany? How do you act when you've seen the Lord? Well, Simon literally fell down in awe (where the word includes both wonder and fear). Don't be afraid, Jesus said, "from now on you will be catching people!" So, they brought their boats back to the shore, left them and the fish that filled them, and followed Jesus!
      This is a "call" story. It's an "epiphany" story. It a story of trust and obedience. It's a story of how God's blessings can change our lives. Finally, it's a tale about fishing- fishing for the tilapia, sardines, and carp that were in the Sea of Galilee- and fishing for people. ICTHUS- the sign of the fish, which we see on bumpers and in Christian bookstores. It stands for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, and its foundation lies in this fishing story... and in Christ's Great Commission for us to make disciples of all people! Yes, we're called to the fishing business and our aim is to catch people. But most Christians, and certainly most mainline Christians, don't want to catch people. They don't want to be in the fishing business. It's a distasteful thing in their view- intrusive, manipulative, and a bit unsavory. ICTHUS. When I think of the "E word," I think about Greg, who was one of two men who joined me for Bible Study when I first became a Christian. Greg was fundamental in his beliefs and his actions. He prayed over his brother when he came home drunk time and time again; he prayed over his car when it didn't start, and he often asked Jewish co-workers if they "knew Jesus as their personal Savior." I could hardly believe Greg's courage, but the "E word" also reminds me of Pastor Lu, who invited me to join his evangelism committee when I joined his church. I soon discovered why he and I were the only two members of the evangelism committee... because we walked around neighborhoods in Omaha, NE. and asked total strangers if they were sure that they would go to heaven if they died that very night. Surprisingly, Greg was never fired and I was never thrown out of anyone's home, but I developed a healthy respect for those who "fish" in this way.
      Oh, the "E" word. How can we make disciples of all nations without irritating all of our relatives and most of our neighbors? Well, let me suggest that we do our  "fishing" through invitation, story, and service. Let me begin with story because we all have a story. I had a rough beginning and an addiction; some people have experienced divorce or abandonment; some people are lonely because they've lost a loved one; some people were disoriented because they were laid-off, downsized, or fired; some people- some of the wealthiest people I've known- are "empty;" some people- many people- believe that others wouldn't love them if they knew them; some people, even in our time, haven't heard the good news; some people have been broken by bad experiences and disappointment. I could go on, of course, but my point is this: we can tell them what our Lord and our faith has done for us. "I know what you mean," we can say; "I've been there," we can say, "and God gave me a new beginning, or a loving community, or a purpose for living"! If Jesus has amazed us with the blessings we've had, if we've had an Epiphany, we can tell others about it. We can tell others, across our kitchen tables, across our office desks, at the cafe downtown, or at a bar somewhere... that God has saved us from the demons that had a hold on us.
      We can all tell our stories. We don't need a degree or a clerical collar to do that, and we can invite others to come and see what Jesus can do for them. We can tell them about the number of fish we caught when we trusted Jesus and we can invite them to come and see for themselves. If you believe that God is moving in this place, invite others to come and see; if you believe that God has blessed us with a love that transcends our differences (and I know that you do), you can invite others to come and experience God's love for themselves; if you've found meaning in one or more of our ministries- the Resale Shop, Quilting for Valor, feeding the hungry with food boxes, calling on those who are shut-in or shut-away for any number of reasons, you can invite others to come and experience that joy and purpose for themselves; if you think that we're preaching the gospel in ways that are faithful and relevant, invite others to come and see if they agree! We can fish by telling our stories and inviting others to come and see, but we can also make disciples by ministering to them in Christ's name. Actions can speak more loudly than words and if we do what Jesus would do, or what he did, when we meet someone who is thirsty, hungry, wounded, ill, broken, blind, or chained... we will be "catching people" for Christ because those who received God's love from us will have experienced an epiphany from God!
      One of my interests in my post-graduate studies was church growth and I learned a lot about it over the years. I know about targeted mailers, large signs, guest speakers and musicians, and fellowship events that draw people in... and I've used them. But here's what I've discovered- every community that gets into the fishing business... must fish in ways that are authentic to them and to their stories. And for us, as we sit in a small, settled town, this means that our fishing will have to come from personal stories about our own faith journeys. We won't be able to purchase the wonderful sign that we purchased in Peoria and again in Rock Island... but we can tell others how great our God is and we can invite them, in small clusters and one by one, to come and see what Christ can do for them! If we put our boats out deep and let our nets down- if we risk a little in faith- we may discover that God has planned to bless us all along. Amen.
   

IT'S HARD TO BE A PROPHET AT HOME

Throughout her life, my mother always called me “Kenny,” and if she had the opportunity, she would tell her well-worn stories about the time a rooster chased me around our barnyard when I was a toddler and/or the time I put a kernel of corn in my nose … and it took root. I told her to quit telling these old stories and to call me “pastor Kenny,” but I was never a pastor to her. Some time ago I called an old high school friend of mine and, in the course of our conversation, I asked him how he and his wife were doing. He told me that he and she “didn’t make it” and he wondered what I was doing. “I’m a preacher now,” I told him. “You? A preacher?” he exclaimed, and then he began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more. It never stopped and we said goodbye! Me, a preacher? It was sort of surprising, I confess, but it wasn’t that funny. It’s hard to be a pastor at home because there are too many thoughts, doubts, secrets, and memories in the way.

It’s also hard to be a prophet at home. That’s what Jesus said to the congregation in Nazareth after he told them that HE had been anointed by God to touch, heal, empower, and forgive the very people whom they generally ignored. At first, the congregation seemed to be amazed, but their amazement was anchored in their unbelief. This is just Mary’s boy, someone said, the kid who ran on our streets, the young man who worked in his father’s carpentry shop. Who does he think he's fooling? Who does he think he is? Well, as his homecoming in Nazareth was deteriorating, Jesus rebuked the gathering and said that, like God’s other prophets, he would be doing his miracles somewhere else! Upon hearing this news, the congregation became a mob, which drove him out of town and planned to hurl him off of the cliff. (Luke 4:30)

Jesus, it appears, barely escaped with his life... and the best thing to come out of Nazareth left town and made Capernaum his home. Jesus was rejected in part because he was a “prophet at home,” but he was also rejected because he told the truth! People are eager for the truth when it favors them, neutral toward the truth when it doesn’t involve them, and downright hostile to the truth when it threatens or condemns them! To use an old movie line, some people can't take the truth. It hurts their feelings. It asks to much of them. It indicts them and it makes them mad. Be careful with the truth.  People don’t like it when they're asked to help others get out of the places to which they've been relegated. They don’t like it when they’re told that, instead of receiving miracles, they’re being called to serve people whom they consider inferior. People don’t like it when they expect to be honored and are told instead, that God is more likely to heal a leper from Syria than he is to heal them!

Prophets get killed for telling the truth to people who don’t like it. Period. But the main reason the congregation at Nazareth rejected Jesus was this: they didn’t believe in Him! They didn’t believe that God had anointed him to usher in a new age. They couldn't believe that he was speaking for God. Matthew tells us that Jesus didn’t do many deeds of power in Nazareth because of their unbelief. (Matt. 13:58) Mark tells us that, other than laying hands on a few people, Jesus didn’t do much at Nazareth because “He was amazed at their unbelief.” (Mark 6:6) Our journey in Christ begins when we’re willing to trust because no one is going to carry a cross for a man whom they don't believe in and trust. We may like and admire such a person, but we aren’t likely to surrender to him… unless we believe that he is who he says he is. 

The people may have objected to parts of Jesus’message. Some of them may have thought that the oppressed were to blame for their own oppression and they didn't want to see them released. Some of them may have thought that Jesus should not have suggested that a widow in Sidon was more important to God than they were. The leaders of the synagogue may have held a meeting in the parking lot. The members may have complained over lunch… but the die was cast when Jesus said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” because I have been anointed to usher in the kingdom of God. The die was cast when he uttered these words because the people didn’t believe them!

There are many wonderful prayers in the Bible, but I've always been especially fond of this one: "I believe, Lord, help my unbelief!” Help my unbelief! Let this be our prayer then our faith begins to wane. Let this be our prayer when the winds of life blow against us and batter our dreams... because it is in believing that we will find the courage and the grace to love God with every fiber of our being and our neighbors as ourselves. Amen!

WHERE DID THE SPIRIT GO?

Jesus came to earth to save our souls... and that should give us great joy! And while he was here, he spent his days...giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and restoring men and women to their families and communities. These are works that yield great joy, and he also stood up for the disenfranchised, invited outcasts to His banquet, calmed the sea, told truth to power, and kept the wine flowing at a community wedding. Joy upon joy upon joy. Each of these acts created great joy, and there were many other joy-producing things that Jesus did. Indeed, the air was filled with hope and promise when Jesus lived on earth. According to Scripture, the wise men rejoiced when they saw the star and heaven applauds with joy when a shepherd carries a single sinner home. According to Scripture, neighbors gather with joy when a widow finds a lost coin and a father throws a joyful bash when his prodigal son staggers home. Joy! Joy! Joy! Joy, the Bible says, is a gift of the Spirit and an unmistakable part of God's presence... so where has it gone?

Where's the joy? Where are the tambourines? Who turned the music off? And why are so many Christians so somber? Well, it's hard to say... because people lose their sense of joy for any number of reasons. Some people just never have much joy to lose. They were born on a rainy day and it has rained ever since. Some people lose their joy when tragedy strikes. They just can't get out from under their grief. Some people are too "smart" to embrace simple things with joy. Church communities become joy-less for a number of reasons too, but generally, they lose their joy because they forget what they're doing and why they're doing it. Their journey gradually becomes more and more about securing a "nest egg" and protecting traditions... and less and less about bold ministries and radical grace. Without vision and passion, churches come down with a disease that I call "Churchism"... which is a mindless coming and going, and a doing of things for no particular reason. The door is unlocked, the lights are on, the restrooms are clean, the choir is practicing, and somewhere in the building, a committee is meeting-but no one actually knows why! There is no dreaming. No questioning. And no one even expects God to show up on Sunday mornings! 

The church leaders in Jesus' time did not find joy in the good news. They didn't get it. They couldn't, and they never would... because they had a fatal form of "Churchism." Whenever people quit dreaming and start controlling, whenever people are so tied to the status quo... that they can't see what God is doing in their midst, whenever a church worries more about the balance than the blessing, whenever people feel envious when someone else is celebrated, or offended when they see "too much" grace, whenever church elders come to believe that serving communion is just a "job," whenever church leaders refuse to welcome the very people whom Jesus sent to them, whenever the way things "used to be" outweigh the way things "can be" or "ought to be,"whenever people are ignored and dismissed because they don't "fit in," whenever you see things like these, you won't see much joy!

The question then is this: if Jesus showed up today with people who offended us, or if he asked too much of us, or created a stir that threatened our church order, would we be filled with joy... or would we take offense? Which is the stronger in our own community- our sense of Christ, or our sense of church?




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TODAY IS THE DAY

      According to Luke, Jesus launched his ministry as a preacher when his temptation had ended. In time he came to his hometown of Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read from a scroll of Isaiah and turned to the place (chapter 61) where it says: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the poor, release to the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." It was an interesting message for Jesus to choose. It was a message about God's heart for all people who are neither seen, heard, nor valued. Jesus could've chosen Isaiah's invitation to those who thirst (55:1) or the promised day on which a wolf will lie down with a lamb (11:6) ... but he chose to begin his ministry by identifying with God's commitment to justice and righteousness. I'm called, he said, to proclaim freedom to the oppressed (in all the ways people are oppressed), recovery of sight to the blind (in all the ways we are blind), and good news to the poor (in fact and in spirit). I'm anointed, he said, to proclaim liberty to the captives (in all the ways that we are captive when things get a hold on us) and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, in which debt is forgiven, servants freed, and mortgaged land returned. He read this passage and sat down. Silence fell over the gathering and all eyes were on him. Then he said, "TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING." (Luke 4:21)
      I am struck with Jesus' candor... and with God's radical agenda. As Christians, we can debate the role which government should play in our lives, but we cannot debate whether or not we should be involved as Christians! We must be involved in bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. We dare not blame them for their own situation, or turn away from them in their time of need, because things will never be right on earth until Jesus' work is completed. As his disciples, we're called to use our voices and talents to bring good news to the poor and tell all of them who are chained and oppressed, weary and burdened, that, in Christ, their debts are forgiven and their yokes are broken. It is our calling- our work- to carry on Jesus' ministry in His name... and to carry on with the same concrete sense of urgency that Jesus had. We are called and equipped to bring good news to the poor, freedom to those who are oppressed and captive... and to proclaim, by word and deed, the year of Jubilee to people we meet and see in our own lives. I'm sure of it, but it also seems clear that we are called to start setting things right... TODAY!
      Do you know the lyrics to Willie Nelson's song, "There's Nothing I Can Do About It Now?" Well, in part they go like this: I've got a long list of real good reasons for all the things I've done/ And I know just what I'd change if I went back in time somehow... but there's nothing I can do about it now." No, there's nothing I can do about them now because the past is gone and its glory days are gone too. There are things that I would love to change, even erase, and there are moments that I would love to relive, but I can't and I won't.. because they're only in my mind. And what is more- tomorrow is only in my mind too. It will never come because the only thing I'll ever do is today! Today. This day. This is our time to show up. If we're ever going to say, "I'm sorry," "I love you," or "you can do this," let it be today. If we're ever going to visit someone who's lonely or let someone know that we care, if we're ever going to listen to someone's story, let it be today. If we're ever going to proclaim good news to someone who needs to hear it, give light to someone who lives in darkness, or a little joy to someone burdened with sadness, let it be today. If we're ever going to tell someone that they can begin again in Christ, that he will set them forgive their debts, let it be today. TODAY
is not a bridge between the past we recall and the future we dream about. It is the stuff we call life. Christ is inviting us to bring good news to the poor and to let them all know that this is the year of the Lord's favor! Jesus has anointed us to speak truth to power, fight for justice, do the right thing, pick up the fallen and carry the broken. He has called us to turn our own little world upside down... with grace, courage, and loving kindness... and he has equipped us to do all of this TODAY!

PRESBYTERIAN AND SPIRIT-FILLED

      The Top 4 things you never hear in church: 1) Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front row; 2) I wish the pastor would've preached for an hour; 3) I find evangelism more enjoyable than golf, 4) I love it when we sing songs we've never sang before. Here's another. The Top 5 signs that you're in the wrong church: 1) The church van has a gun rack; 2) The church staff includes pastor and socio-pastor; 3) There's an ATM behind the sanctuary; 4) Choir members wear leather robes; 5) Ushers ask, "smoking or non-smoking section?"
      There are scores of lists that poke fun at church, but today, I want to identify the spiritual gifts that will fulfill those who use them... and strengthen the church itself. For many years now, the term "pentecostal" has been associated with "speaking in tongues." which is a spiritual gift that I respect and celebrate. However, for believers who don't worship and pray to God in "tongues," focus on this one gift seems to minimize the others. In fact, in some places, spiritual gifts are pretty much ignored, which is a shame because they are the very things that empower ministry. 
      Spiritual gifts have always been central to life together in Christ and, in addition to speaking in and interpreting tongues, Paul identifies seven other spiritual gifts in his first letter to the church at Corinth: faith, wisdom, healing, prophecy, knowledge, discernment, and 7) miracles. We don't see many miracles in the churches we know, but we do know people who've been given 1) extraordinary faith- a martyr's faith- that inspires us and some of you have the 2) gift of wisdom. You're able to apply your knowledge to context and the matter at hand. If you've been given these gifts, please share them for the common good. Some of you have 3) the gift of healing. You listen to those who are burdened. You assist those who are at risk and sit with the sick. There are many ways to relieve pain, and if you have the gift of healing, you are encouraged to use it generously. 
      Some have been given the 4) gift of administration. You are detail-oriented- orderly- Presbyterian- and you cringe when things are not done the way they should be done. Some of you have been blessed with the eye of an editor and you can't help but see the typos in the bulletin. But others have the 5) gift of vision! You may stumble over some of the cracks on the path, but you see the way in which we should go. In either case, we need your gifts. My mother called it the "gift of gab,"and while I don't think she meant it as a compliment, the Holy Spirit has given some of God's people, the spiritual gifts of 6) preaching, 7) teaching, and 8) speaking in ways that are clear and compelling. If you've been blessed with one or more of these gifts... preach, teach, lead, and advocate, and speak the truth in love! The Bible also mentions the 9) gift of mercy and it is true that some of your hearts are always broken. You can't ignore the pain that's all around. You see their faces and you hear their cries! If you have the spiritual gift of mercy, help us find ways of responding as a church. 
      The Holy Spirit has given some of you the 10) gift of prayer. We're all called to pray of course, but some of you are prayer warriors. You pray frequently, specifically, and in a deeply personal way. Please keep on praying and pray for us. Others have been given the 11) spiritual gift of evangelism. This is a common calling, but you have a passion for it, and you find ways of inviting others to come and see what God can do. You also find ways of engaging our community in ways that reveal God's love for them, Some of you have been given 12) the gift of exhortation. You make a point of affirming others. You cheer them on! If you've been given this spiritual gift, please use it all the more because, in a world filled with critics, we need more cheerleaders!
      Spirit-filled churches are bold because the Holy Spirit is bold. They are filled with Spirit-filled Christians because the Spirit fuels our ministries. They are open, inviting, and loving because Christ Jesus was an inviter and because God is love. Spirit-filled churches stand on God's word! They know it, preach it, teach it, study it, and live it out! And finally, while Spirit-filled churches may or may not speak in tongues, they all share a passion for faithfulness and personal growth in Christ! We are small and Presbyterian. We have an old and glorious building and we don't have a parking lot. We're low on technology, but we're filled with love for one another and for God, and we engage the community as if we were several times our size. The banner in back tells the world that we were founded in 1835, but we're not through dreaming yet. No we're not, and we are still seeking God's guidance for tomorrow. Many of our members are doing what their spiritual gifts demand and even more of them will be answering God's call in the coming year. No doubt, we have some work to do, but it's not undoable! Not under God, not in Christ, not with the Holy Spirit leading us on! Not if we use our spiritual gifts for the common good. Can I get an "amen?"