Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Greetings in Christ!
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in a truly lovely mid-autumn day, and let us be glad for those partaking of the opening day of firearms deer season that it’s not raining and bitterly cold (although we understand that a bit of tracking snow might be welcome)! Our prayers are with those out in the field for a safe and successful hunt.
Opening day of deer season marks something of a “hinge” in the year; a week ahead of Thanksgiving in the United States, today could be thought of as the calm before the storm of the holidays. While our mailboxes and email inboxes are stuffed with catalogs and sales flyers, and store shelves are loaded with potential gifts, for many of us the craziness of the end of the year celebrations hasn’t quite hit home yet. Come Monday, meal planning for Thanksgiving gatherings will begin in earnest, then next Friday (Black Friday for those in the retail world) unleashes a buying frenzy both in stores and on-line. After these two big events, the next five weeks will be packed with special worship services, parties, travel, treats, and last-minute shopping. For some, the holidays are exhilarating, for others they’re depressing; for all of us, they should be a time for reflection. Reflection, because the modern word “holiday” derives from the Old English word halidaeg, or “holy day.” While it may not feel like it at times, the upcoming holiday season is supposed to be a holy season; one in which we acknowledge the One who has given us everything we need, and one in which we celebrate those gifts and blessings. These next several weeks are not supposed to be all about food, football, and overspending; they are supposed to be holy days on which we give thanks and praise. Truthfully, they can be about both, if we’ll just make a slight adjustment in our points of view. Today is the calm before the storm. Today can also be the beginning of a truly holy time in our lives.
God bless you!
Karen and Greg
Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com
“Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10a
Grand Lake Community Chapel 