Women's Association Luncheon - FCCLA

Women’s Association Luncheon, April 9, 2015

Devotional

Friend’s poetry book … 

John 15.12 …

From the fb page:

The purpose of this Association shall be to emphasize the spiritual development of a liberal Church, advance the cultural and social opportunities of the Association, and provide an avenue of Christian service for the women of the Church

How I love the phrase,

Liberal Church …

Can a church truly be anything but liberal?

Liberal in the things of God:

Grace, mercy and peace.

Faith, hope and love.

Liberal toward the world and its needs:

Liberal with energy and action.

Doing the great things of God.

God’s will and purpose.

To make all things new.

If not liberal, then what?

Stingy?

Hesitant?

Overly cautious?

I don’t think Jesus was any of those things.

Do you?

I think Jesus was incredibly liberal.

And that got him into some trouble.

Wouldn’t you say?

So it is.

A liberal church

Full of grace.

So full of grace, it overflows.

A liberal church.

A labor of love.

The new commandment.

And so it is by the grace of God.

Let us pray:

Eternal God, 

Maker of heaven and earth.

Liberal in love.

Generous in mercy.

Without restraint and caution.

You created a world of amazing beauty,

wonder and

joy.

Full of odd creatures.

Including us.

A strange blend of dirt and divinity.

Your love is our bright morning star.

Your love brings us here today.

Your love opens windows of understanding

and service.

Your love sustains us.

Guides us.

Disciplines us.

And reshapes us constantly.

As a potter with clay.

An artist with paint.

An organist with music.

That we might be more like Christ.

We are yours, dear God,

For you have made it so.

And for that,

We are ever grateful.

And ready to serve.

A labor of love.

In the name of our LORD Jesus Christ.

Amen.