RevMarple @ Niagara

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Hard Work

Thanks be to God for such a hard working congregation. We have all been practicing what I have been preaching about each part contributing to the work of the whole. Much of this work is behind the scenes and not seen with the eyes.

Even as I speak there are people downstairs getting set up for the installation dinner. We have had hard workers set up the nativity scene and hang the greens. We have a hard working choir that is always preparing weeks in advance and the coming cantata has been getting ready for a long time. Even I, though you see me a lot, have been hard at work behind the scenes putting together bulletins and sermons for the special times of worship and for Sunday.

And some of the fruit of that hard work we have already seen. We have seen it in worship, we see it when we look around the sanctuary at the greens, we have seen it in the 50+ Christmas Dinner. There is a lot that goes on in preparation for all of these kinds of things. And there is fruit that we have not seen yet, but will, like with regard to the installation and dinner this afternoon, the nativity scene, cantata, etc. And there is fruit that we may never see but is there. God shows us enough of the fruit to encourage us to keep going.

The work that you do contributes to a bigger harvest than you will ever know. Thanks be to God.

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Sunday, November 1, 2009

A Well of Living Waters

Inspired by my home visits this week, we went up to see Old Fort Niagara. This is a picture of a well in "the Castle" at the fort.

Wells have great significance in the Bible because of the importance of water to the physical body. Song of Songs even speaks of the ideal woman saying, "A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon" (4:15). Of course the impure Samaritan woman at the well said to Jesus, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?" (John 4:11). And Jesus replied, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (4:13-14).

Thanks be to God for His word.

As I begin to make my way around to your homes, it is refreshing to see the church is a well of living waters.

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