A reflection on Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and the Sermon on the Mount

A reflection on the hymn, "God is Calling Through the Whisper" and a call for a renewed appreciation for stillness and silence.

Christian mystic C.S. Lewis wrote, "Discovering spirituality is like discovering you are in a boat. Mysticism is like pushing off from the dock."

In the modern world, we do better with facts and figures than we do with mystery. But the mystical presence of God in our lives is real. So instead of dismissing God's activity in your life, embrace it. And SHINE.

God's grace is sufficient for even the toughest moments of our lives. God never fails. If we could tell someone new to our community just one thing about the God we serve, that might be it--Our God never fails.

What is God naming for us? What is it time for us to draw out? God wants to draw something out of each of us. God wants to be born in each one of us. The question is: Will we let God lead us?

It's not hard to find conflicting messages about who God is out in the world today. People don't just naturally know that God is loving, patient and kind. We have to teach them.

And our actions speak much more loudly than our words ever will.

To a world that too often thinks that the God we serve is intolerant or narrow-minded or judgmental or self-serving, we lift up as examples those whose lives tell a differnt story about God, and we say, "God is kind."

God is on our side even when the path forward seems impossible. So be strong and courageous, knowing that God is there to help you wherever you go.

God sees things differently than we see them. So God is patient when we are not. But we can learn to be patient like God is patient, too.

When we are more patient, we are more faithful. When we are more patient we are more hopeful. When we are more patient we are more loving.

We hope you enjoy the second message in our "God Is..." series based on 1 Corithians 13.

We all want what's best for our children and families. We pray that we're blessed with wisdom, insight, faithfulness, and generosity. But scripture reminds us that LOVE stands above them all.