A Note From Our Pastors:
 
The Cash Deposit
 
A story is told about a woman who saw a small boy in the downtown area of a major city one January morning. The little boy, who looked to be 8 or 9 years old, was obviously from a poor family. His clothes were frayed and threadbare and he was barefoot! It was a bitter cold morning. Snow was swirling in the air and the store windows were frosted over. Trying to find relief from the cold, the little boy was standing with his bare feet on the grating of a hot-air vent outside a bakery. The warm air felt good as it curled around his toes but still he was shivering in frigid wind. As the woman walked up to him, she saw immediately how cold he was. And when her eyes fell on his chapped, bare feet, her heart went out to him. She was moved with compassion and said, “It’s below freezing this morning! Where are your shoes?” “Don’t have none,” he answered. “Well, we will see about that,” she said. She took him by the hand and they walked to a nearby department store. She bought him a new pair of shoes, several pairs of socks and a new warm winter coat. When they came out of store, he was so proud of his new gifts that he ran down the sidewalk toward home to show his family his good fortune. When he had gone about 30 yards however, he suddenly stopped, turned around and ran back to the woman. His face was beaming as he said, “I almost forgot to thank you for my shoes and socks and coat.” “Also,” he said, “I wanted to ask you something. Are you God’s wife?” The question threw her for a moment. She blushed and stumbled for an answer, then said with smile, “No, I am not God’s wife, but I am one of his children!” The little boy replied, “I knew it! I knew it! I just knew you were some kin to him!” That story raises the question: Can people look at us today and tell that we are kin to God? Can people look at the way we act, the way we talk, the way we behave, the way we treat others, the way we support the church and tell that we are kin to God? Can people spend a few minutes with us and know by our values and our commitments and our compassion that we are, without question, God’s kinfolks?
 
His and Yours,
Walter
 
 
Michele’s Musings
 
Sunday, Pastor Mike shared a story of a blind man named Bartimaeus. We are not told if Bartimaeus has been blind since birth, or if something happened to cause his blindness. However, we are told he is in Jericho when Jesus arrives, and Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road. Bartimaeus had heard of Jesus healing others, and he had the faith to cry out to be healed. Many people told him to hush and be quiet, but Bartimaeus had too much faith for healing from Jesus to be quiet. After his healing, Bartimaeus followed Jesus down the road. How is your faith? Will you call out to Jesus in your time of need? Would you have called out there on the roadside with others surrounding you telling you to hush? I hope and pray I would have to the faith and courage that Bartimaeus had and cry out to Jesus whenever I need His help. This story comes from Mark 10:46-52
 
Have a blessed and faith filled week,
Michele