Pastor's corner | Published 2020/10/10

Dear church family,

By Josh Stadnik

Dear church family,

It is my pleasure to be writing to you again. One of my favourite books within the Bible is the book of Colossians. It’s short and to the point, yet contains many profound thoughts and truths, if you’re looking for something to read then read this short letter Paul writes. Its incredible! Seriously it blows my mind every time.

So here’s some thoughts on a little passage.

Colossians 1:3-4:

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people.

Paul is saying here “I am thanking God for you...” Has anyone ever said that to you? There is an implication that you are a gift from God, and so God deserves thanks for creating YOU! That is a pretty amazing thing to think about. Some days, you might just be the answer to someone’s prayer. What a cool thought!

And why does Paul pray for them? Because word of their faith in Christ and love for others had reached his ears. This means that reputation is important. Not only are those who are in the faith hearing about you, but so are those who are judging faith. Is our church a church that Paul would write this letter and would say the same things? How can we all contribute to being a community of belonging that is faithful to Christ and loves others well?

How can we be a community that not only loves those close to us, but to love beyond, to love those who don’t experience love each day, and to continually aspire to show God is through the way that we live our lives! How can we be that sort of community?

Paul also says that he thanks God when he prays for them. That means that we should be praying

for one another. This is sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle of life. Truly, what we want to do should be prayed for first, and then acted upon. By keeping each other in our prayers, we are reminded of our responsibility to love in real, tangible, and meaningful ways.

So keep praying for each other, and keep loving each other. Grace and peace to you. Hope to see you all soon!

Blessings
Pastor Josh.

Also here are some questions to think and reflect on:

Who have you prayed for today? Who is your answer to prayer?

Have you ever been someone’s answer to prayer? How did that make you feel? What/Who is something/someone that you can pray for today?

What would Paul say about you? What would Paul say about your church? How can we love more effectively?

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