Words of Welcome

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5     A moment ago we commissioned two of our own to do the work of the ministry.  We shared together in the commissioning of Alex and Rial to be Stephen Ministers, a ministry of pastoral care and service to this community of faith.  According to information I found on the Stephen Ministries website:      The Stephen Series is a complete system for training and organizing lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around your congregation. With their commissioning, we have recognized and affirmed the gifts and calling of these two people to take up this caring ministry in the congregation.     Perhaps it’s providential that this service of commissioning occurred on the day that we begin observing the Week of the Ministry.   Each October our churches observe The Week of the Ministry in order to lift up the call to ministry, both in its lay and clergy forms.  This year, for...

Hebrews 11:29-12:2 The saying goes: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." It’s a saying you hear before a tough race or game or a big decision. It’s supposed to be a word of encouragement when things seem too difficult and you’re thinking of giving up. Marathoners especially know what it means to keep going when things get tough. Running 26 miles that seems insane – at least to a non runner like myself. I do well to run a couple of blocks. Now my brother is a bit crazier than I am and he’s training to walk the Portland Marathon in October. From what I hear the training is hard, but the reward of finishing is great. It’s a sense of accomplishment that no one can take away from you. The image of the marathon runner stands behind this text from Hebrews. The story of the first marathon, the one ran by the courier who brought the good news that the small Athenian army had held off the great Persian army at the plains of Marathon. It was a famous dash that inspired a ra...