"Let us rediscover that the gospel, the good news, does not begin with Jesus’ birth. It begins with the good earth that God made through Jesus. Let us celebrate again that creation in all its richness is the wonderful gift of a good God."

Dave Bookless

"It is not so much the case the God has mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission - God's mission."

Christopher J.H. Wright

Oh come! Oh come Messiah! Oh come our Alleluia!
Oh sing! Oh sing Hosanna! Oh come! Messiah, come!
Comfort and joy, Alpha, Omega,
He Sorrow and toil, no longer rulers be.

Isaac Wardell Bifrost

The opposite of silence is not the absence of sound; the opposite of silence is noise.

And the goal of silence isn’t the mere elimination of sound; the goal of silence is attentive presence.

David Taylor

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul’ (giving me perspective, peace, and trust). (Psalm 94:19). “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or live in the cone of the hurricane), I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

Lord Jesus, as the sun comes up to today, so are the winds of Hurricane Ian. We own our fears, state our worries, and come to your occupied throne of grace. We pray for the people of Cuba and Florida—especially for the most vulnerable, the elderly, and children. Loss of property is one thing; loss of life is a whole different category. We also pray for first responders, already at work.

Like the Psalmist, our anxious thoughts are multiplying. Thank you for being present before, during, and after Hurricane Ian—and every other type of “hurricane.” Some hurricanes happen in the environment. Others blow into our homes, health, and hearts. There’s not a day we don’t need you, Jesus, nor a day you aren’t with us and for us.

We know we don’t have to ask “Why?” big storms come to us—as though those in the cone of the hurricane (or some other crisis) are more deserving of major life-disruption than others (Matt. 5:45). The most timely question we can ask is, “Who can we love, serve, and help?” For, “the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love” (Gal. 5:6).

May neighbor-love be on full display—transcending everything that normally divides us. Rescue us, Jesus, if not from the storm by it. In the coming days, may we be joyful servants, mercy conduits, and grace dispensers. So Very Amen we pray

Scottie Smith