Weekly Greeting - July 5, 2024
Dear Bethlehem,
Once when Jesus was talking with his disciples, he made a statement they must have found shocking:
I no longer call you servants, because the servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father, I have made known to you. (John 15:15)
Being a friend is very different from being a servant. Servant’s serve because they don’t have a choice. They do what they have to do out of obligation. The servant lives in fear of the master.
Jesus wanted his disciples to be his friends. He wanted them to show up because they wanted to be with him. He wanted them to trust him and to love him.
Well, it still may seem shocking when we really think about it, Jesus still wants us to be his friends. Jesus still wants us to show up because we love him and want to be with him. As Rev. Carty mentioned in his sermon this past Sunday, Jesus still allows us to be a part of what he is doing and we are called to participate in what God is doing.
I pray that as we prepare for the Fish Fry and our upcoming concert series, the people of our community will see us as friends of the one who loves us all and longs to be friends with us all. I pray that they will see us as a church filled with friends. Please pray with me that we will be about God’s business as we share God’s love with our community and world. It is a great time to be a part of the Bethlehem family!
God bless!
Craig
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We will be begin our new summer concert series this week with one service at 9:30. Dann Childers and Donna Gray will be singing “Both Sides Now,” by Joni Mitchell. Our text is Luke 1:26-38 as we explore how Mary, the mother of Jesus was being called to see life in a new way and what that means for us. Hope to see you there!