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August 2008 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with Me one hour?” (Matt. 26:40) JESUS’ night in Gethsemane was surely the most agonizing of any He spent while on earth. Not only did He wrestle in prayer with His Father about His coming crucifixion and death, but He was also virtually abandoned by His own disciples, who weren’t able to stay awake and pray with Him for more than a few minutes. Yet Jesus’ rebuke to them wasn’t done simply out of self-pity. He knew the forces that were arrayed against His disciples, and how easy it would be for them to go astray: “watch and pray,” He warned them, “so that you do not fall into temptation.” It is important for us as Christians to remember our Lord’s words to the disciples on that night long ago. We too need to “watch and pray,” since our faith, like theirs, is under constant attack. Even as we weren’t able by ourselves to create belief in our hearts, so we aren’t able to keep it alive by our own efforts. We are tied together into one body in Christ, and worship with fellow believers is one of the most powerful means we have available for “staying awake” in our faith (Heb. 10:24,25). Even though it may seem unrelated, a time of vacancy in a congregation’s life–as we are experiencing now–is somewhat like the situation in Gethsemane. Without a regular Pastor and with a different worship schedule, it becomes easy for Sunday mornings to turn into a chance to “sleep in” rather than an opportunity for “staying awake.” Like the coal taken from the fire that glows for a while but then gradually cools and turns dark, repeated absence from regular worship with other Christians will contribute to a gradual cooling of our faith. It seems to be a package deal–a lack of eagerness to join fellow believers in giving thanks, offering praise, and sharing the sacraments is almost always accompanied by a similar neglect of personal Bible study and daily prayer. A faith without any such spiritual nourishment will eventually wither and die. “Could you not watch with us one hour?” Continue to join us Sundays and add your praises of thanks to God for His inexpressible goodness toward us in Christ. Let’s help each other “stay awake” with our Lord! The Elders
 News From Trinity/HOPE!
Have you ever wondered what God wants from you? Have you ever wondered why you are gifted in some way? The scripture tells us that we have all been given a gift in order to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Whatever your gift is, it is from God and it is up to you to use that gift as He wants you to. I was completely involved in my husband & children’s lives, my church and many other things besides a full time job. This all seemed to come to a screeching halt when I got very sick. This person that was so busy and active had to suddenly be still, go slow, not do as many things as I was used to and stop working. I allowed Satan to enter my thoughts. I was useless. I was depressed. I spent a lot of time in prayer but was I really listening? No I wasn’t. Every time I would talk to Him, I would hear in my heart and in my head “talk to John Hall about Trinity/HOPE”. I continued to pray. Please, answer me Lord. Again and again, I continued to get the same urging. I continuously said “no”. One day we were having a pot luck luncheon at our church. My husband and I were sitting there just enjoying everyone when John and his wife Carol came and sat down across from us. I kept hearing in my head “follow my instructions”. For the most part I just ignored it. Then I felt like someone had touched me on the back of my head and I heard those words again, “TALK TO JOHN HALL!” This time I got the message. I turned to John and said “John, is there something that I could do to help you?” John was in the process of taking a bite and his fork just stopped midway to his mouth. He looked at me with the most incredulous face. He told me that he and Carol had been discussing the need to have someone write grants for Trinity/HOPE. I told him I had no clue how to do this but I was very willing to learn. I immediately felt an inner peace that I had not felt in a very long time. The children of Haiti needed money to feed them and that money has to come from donors and grants. I learned the grant writing process and started. So the next time you feel like you don’t know what God wants, ask Him, and then listen for the answer. He’ll tell you. He knows what is best for us because we are his children and no one knows us better than He does. The gift I have of organization and secretarial skills is being used to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ one bowl of beans and rice at a time. Cheryl Coleman, Trinity Lutheran Church, Gallatin, TN [In addition to her family duties, Cheryl does volunteer work for her church, Trinity/HOPE and others. Since she began this process about three years ago, Cheryl has secured over $88,000 in grants to feed the children in Haiti.] x page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 10 page 11 page 12 end |
