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What a great way to start this week with Love Feast Sunday night. My thanks to all our deacons and volunteers who helped make our World Communion Sunday Love Feast so meaningful. Although I wasn’t feeling the best, the opportunity to be with God’s people and share a meal, wash a brother or sister in Christ’s hands or feet, and come to the Lord’s Table is always a spiritual highpoint for me. 

I spent much of this week trying to get past this stubborn sinus cold. Just went I thought it was getting better, it came right back. I stayed pretty close to the office this week as I didn’t feel well enough to be visiting. Ruth and I left for Harrisburg yesterday to celebrate her birthday with the girls, and we will be returning this afternoon. Tomorrow, I will be with Scott and Janae McMichael and Karl and Sue Auker who are serving as our delegates for the District Conference. 

Next week is a busy week with Commissions and Board Meeting on Monday night and Roots night Wednesday night. In addition, there is the OAKS event on Tuesday and Pastor Rita and I will be attending an event Tuesday evening at Snyder Funeral Home in Willow Street for Clergy Appreciation as well as hearing a speaker talk about caring for the grieving. So glad she can join me for this event. 

My prayer time this week has been on our nation as we are in the midst of election season. Politics is so polarizing, and I am praying daily for some civility as we elect the next president. My prayers were also focused on Florida with Hurricane Milton coming ashore late Wednesday. I also prayed a lament for my beloved Phillies as they once again ended the year in a disappointing way.

On Wednesday of next week Ruth is leaving for SC to spend some time with her sisters and her two aunts who are traveling in as well from PA. Molly and Tessa are doing well. We are so glad we get to spend Thursday evening with them. It is the first time the four of us have been together in over a month. Tessa has started her new job and was so excited that today she is getting her first paycheck. 

On Wednesday evening this week, we continued our “Great Passages of the Bible” Bible study by looking at Exodus 20 which is the Ten Commandments. We had a great discussion as we learned more about the Ten Commandments like the fact that Moses never called them the Ten Commandments. Feel free to join us this coming Wednesday at 6:30 pm as we will be looking at another beloved Old Testament passage, the 23rd Psalm.

At out staff meeting this week, Aliza shared devotions and in particular from Ephesians 6 where we are called to put on the full armor of God. It was a challenging devotion in light of everything going on around us. What I find interesting though is when Paul says put on the full armor of God, all but the sword of the spirit which is the Bible is for protection and defense. The Bible as the sword is the only weapon we are given to use. That reminded me again of the significance of reading, knowing, and living the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (ESV). So let me encourage you to continue to equip yourselves for spiritual battle by being in and growing in God’s Word.

Let me close with this thought. Last Saturday I shared in the celebration of life service for Donna Kreider. Donna was a faithful servant of the Lord and very active for years at Mechanic Grove. Her children and others eulogized her well and I have only known her these last two years when her health was a constant struggle. I shared though how Donna’s spirit seemed to be constantly encouraged and lifted even in the midst of her many struggles. Paul in 2 Cor. 4:16 says, “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Donna lived that verse out before us and that remains my goal as well—to be renewed inwardly day by day. The key of course to doing that comes two verses later where Paul says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Coming out of Love Feast and looking to another Sunday celebration, let us fix our eyes on what is unseen. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

Please take a moment to pray for District Conference tomorrow and enjoy the beautiful weekend. Don’t forget the hiking group is meeting at the Conowingo Dam for a hike on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 and it should be a beautiful day for it. Have a great weekend and remember it is Friday…but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin