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We don’t seem to be people who write, or receive, a lot of letters anymore. Oh, we still get plenty of correspondence.
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I have been paying attention to what comes in my mailbox, for instance, for the past few days: Lots of catalogues (I guess someplace that I buy stuff from on the internet is giving my address out), the usual bills (why is it that these people NEVER fail to write!), Coupons from places I might go to someday (put them in the drawer with the coupons that came in the mail last week and I didn’t use them either!), Some stuff from the bank that I really don’t understand but my wife does and I am glad for that!, ah, a thank you note from some friends we had over for dinner recently (that was nice of them to write), a couple of newsletters and periodicals that I look forward to receiving and reading. Just today, for instance, my copy of the Handy Man Magazine arrived and it is all about sprucing up my garage! I know the post office is important because my dad worked at one for years but it seems like we need the mail carrier less than ever for helping us to stay in touch and mostly for doing business these days. I have got mail on my mind because part of this month and next month our worship services will be focused on the lessons we can learn from opening someone else’s mail! The mail I am talking about is actually a special kind of mail called an epistle. Epistles are the letters which the Apostle Paul wrote to the church which he founded on his part missionary journeys. When we read these letters we are reading correspondence which was meant for a particular congregation in a certain time and place but
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they also continue timeless inspiration for us as well as insight into how our faith was formed. During part of September and part of October our worship on Sunday mornings will be an in-depth look at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. For four weeks, beginning Sunday, September 21 we will consider what the Apostle’s words mean for us and for our church as we benefit from these scripture lessons. Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter and he was facing almost certain martyrdom for his faith in Christ. Thankfully most of us don’t face these issues but this letter will invite us to consider how we can, in fact, continue to find the grace, peace and joy which Paul tells the Philippians about during our own trials. These are some of the most beautiful and meaningful lessons in the new testament as far as I am concerned and I hope you won’t miss a Sunday this fall as we share this series of messages which I like to call, “What Are You In For?” because Paul wrote them from prison. The title is a play on words, of course, because the timeless question is a question about life in general – we are in this life for Christ, and for the Gospel! See you in worship!
Love, Pastor Scott
PS – from time to time members have expressed an interest to me in an evening Bible Study. If you would like to attend a Sunday evening Bible study about Philippians on the four Sundays during this sermon series contact the church office and we will meet together if enough interest is expressed!
Pastor’s New Pager #: 636-818-7709, type in your number for a return call.
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