Absence makes the heart grow fonder...
And it does! I sure missed being with you last Sunday. It was a wonderful service with a large turnout. Thank you Pastor Lee for leading and Olan for speaking in Worship. Fortunately, I was able to watch the Service on Facebook. (Thank you Matt Blount!) Selfishly, my favorite part of the service was when folks came forward to receive Communion. I was able to see most of your smiling faces, and it brought one to mine.
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, misses this special Church family. His only means of communication is through his letter, delivered by Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian Family. He went to Paul in Rome with a financial gift from Philippi and is returning, after a bout with illness to Philippi with a letter. Paul's letter is full of appreciation and gratitude; hope and love.
One of the things that Paul knew about Philippi is that if there was a need, they would address it and take care of it. I feel the same at Fernvale. So, I want to share an ongoing need that we need help with. Simply, we need more leadership to help with our children's Sunday morning Bible Study. It is a joy and privilege to work and mentor our awesome children. Last week not only did they study the Ten Commandments, they also handmade Valentine cards that Patti delivered to Ms. Carol. Patti said it made her day! Our goal is to have three teaching teams that will teach a month at a time. We have some who have stepped up but we need more. Is it you? Please let me know. (By the way, we provide the materials, we just need people.)
Also, one of the reasons FCC is such a wonderful place is that EVERYONE is not only wanted, but also needed. Many of you step up and help when there is a need. Oftentimes, it is an opportunity that you probably never imagined that you would do. Who would ever think that John Morena would be a "wedding coordinator". Yet, recently, when the need arose, he stepped in and helped out...and did a great job! (Thanks John!). And there are many others that are consistently serving, with many behind the scenes. I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you where you can serve, even if it is something that you never thought you could do. As Paul says, the Body of Christ is made up of many unique parts. And EVERY part is critically important, but also necessary. You matter!
A few updates on our Family: Ms. Carol continues to get better and stronger. She is still witty and herself, but needs to grow stronger. So for now, she is still in rehab. Ms. Marsha touched base with me and shared that she has "the virus" so keep her and Bobby in our prayers. We also have so many reasons to rejoice and be glad. Check out all of the birthdays! February, though short, is full of reasons to celebrate - especially birthdays!
Easter will be here before you know it. Infact, Lent begins this coming Wednesday. Over the years I have participated in Lent where I gave up certain things, activities, or especially food, for the forty days prior to Easter. It was meaningful when I really focused. The whole purpose is to intentionally focus on the gift of Life that Christ gave us on the first Easter, and continues to give us each day. So my challenge, and I invite you to join me, is to intentionally spend more time focusing on the awesomeness of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the incredible love of our Heavenly Father. This means turning off the phone, and/or disconnecting from the computer for a while, stepping away from distractions, and actually focusing. But it's worth it!
I am so excited to see you this Sunday. We will continue our dive into Philippians. Following Worship, we will break bread together at our Potluck! I hope you will join us. Most of my career, including now, I have had to travel. I am fortunate that I have been and seen a lot of places. But my favorite place to be on Sunday is still at FCC when I see your faces. I really do miss you when you (or me) is not there. Absence does make the heart grow fonder...and mine is full. So, I hope to see you. And always remember...
You ARE Loved!
Pastor Lonnie