We are reading chapter 3 in "The Good and Beautiful God" these next two weeks.
“there is a river whose streams, make glad the city of God” – Psalm 46
Old Testament • Jeremiah 23:1-6
Gospel • Luke 19:29-38
Believe it or not but New Years arrives early this year. At least it does for the Wheatland Mission. Our new year begins on November 28, the beginning of the Christian calendar. Of course the new year begins with the celebration of Advent a time to reflect upon and anticipate the coming of Christ.
This year Advent will be a season of slowing. Rather than plunge through the Christmas season as we often do I want our little community to take time to breathe, take in the joy, and slow ourselves down. This will allow us to be present to one another, those around us and, most importantly, to God.
Ready, set, go! Prepare to slow….down.
“Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other…” - Malachi 3:16
Psalm • Psalm 98
Old Testament • Malachi 3:13-4:6
Gospel • Luke 21:5-19
New Testament • 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
I love that first line from Malachi 3:16. Those who “feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard.” Our communication with one another matters to God. When we gather together to share what God is doing in our lives, how we are responding to God and what we think God would have us do he listens. While the context in Malachi is a negative one, God is defending himself to his unfaithful accusers, the concept remains valid for us today.
God guides us through the midst of our interaction with one another. Look in Acts 15. This is the story of the Jerusalem Council. God’s people discussed and God’s people acted and then, God acted through them. God is a benevolent eavesdropper.
This weekend Wheatland has its first Fall Retreat. It is my hope that during this time we will “talk with each other” not about our disobedience (we can if we need to!) but more about how God is working in and through us. How we hope God will work and what we hope for our futures together. Come to pray and come to talk.
Believe it or not, we are coming up on the end of the Church year. There are only three more weeks of what is called “ordinary time” and then, after that, we begin the Church year anew through celebrating the Season of Advent.
The readings that align with each week on the calendar are there to help us form our lives around Christ’s life. The Advent season builds within us an anticipation of Christ’s coming, both his return and his arrival in each of our hearts.
Let me encourage you to take time each week to read and reflect upon the passages that are provided below. May God bless you as you read and pray, pray and read. Amen.
Psalm • Psalm 17
Old Testament • Job 19:23-27
Gospel • Luke 20:27-38
New Testament • 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5
Psalm • Psalm 32 
Old Testament • Isaiah 1:10-20
Gospel • Luke 19:1-10
New Testament • 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
May God bless you as you read and pray, pray and read. Amen.
This is the prayer that we have prayed for the last several weeks at the beginning of our worship time. Saturday night we concluded our service with it after we discussed the first chapter in The Good and Beautiful God called “What Are You Seeking?”. The prayer comes from Celtic Daily Prayer and is based upon Psalm 27.
Let me encourage you to begin your day with these words on your lips. Like most good prayers this one is aspirational. It includes a proclamation on our part that we are seeking the Lord all the while asking for God’s mercy in the search. Kyrie eliason, Lord have mercy.
One thing I have asked of the Lord, 
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.
Call: Who is it that you seek?
Response: We seek the Lord our God.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your heart?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your soul?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your mind?
Response: Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Call: Do you seek Him with all your strength?
Response: Amen. Christ, have mercy.
For the Morning Prayer at CDP you can click here Northumbria Community. Or, you may click on the prayer tab above.
Every once in awhile someone enters into our life creating such an impact that we cannot really know ourselves apart from some memory of their presence. Parents perform this function, of course, as do siblings, grandparents, and other family. Seldom do people outside of family leave such positive, lasting marks in our lives. Cecil Beaver was one of these people in mine.
In almost thirty years of pastoral ministry Cecil impacted countless people. For each of the years he served our small congregation in West Texas he had at least one person enter into some kind of ministry. He was quiet, unassuming and constant. He will be laid to rest today a mere 80 years old. Godspeed!
“For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel.” – I Corinthians 4:15
