Grateful for You

3 We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.

(Colossians 1:3)

Grateful for You

Good Day Family,

I love these opening words of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. He begins by expressing his appreciation for the people of that faith community. He wrote it during his first imprisonment. He gave thanks for their faith although he had only second hand knowledge of that community. He never visited them; strictly speaking, he had not met them. Yet, his prayer for them was fervent and specific: “Since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit

in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father.” (Col 1:9–12)

We don’t have to personally know one another to care, to be compassionate, or to pray. We don’t have to have direct contact in order to form connections. That is the work of the Spirit at work in us and through us. We can be grateful to be co-citizens in the world and in creation with people we will

never met or experience. Yet, we are all connected.

Still, there is nothing like the gratitude to be in a community of faith. It is good to grow together and challenge one another. It is a blessing to support and nurture one another. In season and out of season, God calls us to belonging…to God and to our neighbor.

I thank my God every time I think of you….

In thanksgiving,

Be well

Pastor Cheryl

Let us encourage one another. Let us love our neighbor. Let us be the church.