Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It seems to be near peak foliage change in our area these days. New England is having a particularly exceptional foliage season this year, with conditions being right for deep reds, bright oranges, outstanding yellows and more. With the changing of the seasons, we are reminded not only of the beauty of God’s creation, but also the impermanence of life. I heard on the radio a discussion about how the changing of the leaves is like trees dying, and the shortening sunlight like the end of life.
That reminded me of something we talked to our youngest daughter about. On Sunday in Kids Ministry, she had learned the first question and answer in the New City Catechism. For those who don’t know, a Catechism is a tool for teaching foundational truths of the Christian faith. It often is structured with questions and answers. The first question in the New City Catechism is “What is our hope in life and death?” And the answer: “That we are not our own, but belong, body and soul, both in life and in death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.” This answer comes with a reference from Scripture – Romans 14:7-8 “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
This truth is comforting in the midst of change, joys and sorrows. We belong to the Lord. As we heard on Sunday, the Lord is your keeper.
A reminder that on Sunday you will be able to sign a petition for the suspension and repeal of Chapter 188 (signed on Aug. 10, scheduled to be implemented on Nov. 8). Chapter 188 removes ethical and medical restrictions for late-term (beyond 24 weeks) abortion. You can find more information in last week’s update.
If you want to talk, let me know. I’m working to find times to meet with / visit all the members and regular attendees of CPC so that I can help you to grow in Christlikeness. So if you hear from me, you’re not in trouble – in fact, you are loved!
Please continue to pray for the nations of Iran and Israel/Gaza and Ukraine/Russia and Sudan. May God grant peace and bring an end to these wars.
Further announcements can be found in the weekly spotlight. And other church wide announcements can be found in our weekly bulletin. Also, moving forward, I am going to include one of the questions and answers from the New City Catechism each week, just to bolster our understanding of God and ourselves!
For Prayer:
1. From Bishop J.C. Ryle – “To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction…It will always be found that when prayers are few, grace, strength, peace, and hope are small.” Please join our Wednesday night prayer meeting (7:45 – 9:00 pm) even if you can’t participate the whole time.
https://zoom.us/j/758587937?pwd=aS9sZUdxcm1janNNM2I2aXJ6Smx2QT09
Meeting ID: 758 587 937
Password: 030086
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
2. We’d be glad to pray for you. If you need prayer, you can submit your prayer request via the following link: https://www.cbcgl.org/pray/
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Pastor Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL