Greetings children of God.

Revelation 22:1-2 – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”

One of my seminary professors wrote an article on this text. In it, she wrote about planting a tree on the day of her oldest daughter’s graduation. She said, “There is something deeply hopeful about planting a tree. We can’t know what the years will bring of heartache and joy, but planting a tree is an earnest of hope for the future.” How true this is. When a tree is planted, the expectations of the one who plants it aren’t for what the tree will do or provide right now but for what it will do or provide in the future. The tree is planted with hope.

Our reading from Revelation this week also speaks of a tree and a river. As Dr. Schifferdecker notes, “John provides us a vision to anchor our hope in these times when hope seems to be a scarce commodity.” She continues, “During the time of the Vietnam War, Wendell Berry, Kentucky farmer, agrarian poet and author, wrote this short poem, titled “February 2, 1968”:

In the dark of the moon, in flying snow, in the dead of winter,
war spreading, families dying, the world in danger,
I walk the rocky hillside, sowing clover.

An earnest of hope in a world gone mad. I love this poem, not only because it’s written on the day I was born, but because it speaks of defiant hope. In a world filled with so many reasons to despair, Berry tills the soil and sows a crop. Exiled to an island prison, John writes of the new Jerusalem, where the tree of life will be available to all who are hungry, its fruit for food and its leaves for the healing of the nations.”

This prayer was written by Nikki Banas, “If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way. Let it be hope that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now, and that you are on the path to where you are meant to be, because during these times, hope will be the very thing that carries you through.” Amen.

Sunday, May 29 is the 5^th Sunday which means we’ll have only 1 service at 9am with fellowship time afterwards. The next Sunday after that is the first Sunday in June at which time we will begin our summer worship schedule with only 1 worship service at 9am with fellowship time and Sunday school afterwards.

God’s blessings,

Pastor Tim

Greetings children of God,

This year, the NWOS is inviting everyone to join them in 2022, as we read the Poets and Prophets. You can click on the link below to get the daily reading guide. Spending time reading God’s Word daily is something we should all do, however, many times it feels daunting or more like a task, something we have to do instead of something we want to do, because we’re not sure how long we should read for or how much we should read. The daily reading guide for the Poets and Prophets resolves these issues as the readings are the equivalent of about a chapter a day, sometimes less, sometimes a little more. Reading a chapter a day takes about 3-5 minutes and after reading, I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on what you’ve read. You may just be surprised as to what you think, feel or experience. I look forward to this journey with you.

God’s blessings,

Pastor Tim

https://files.constantcontact.com/8f1c062f001/3c6eae47-693c-4c53-b78a-691c79b58c1a.pdf

Welcome to the Year of Vision!   Our focus this year will be on God’s vision and promise to make “all things new”. At the end of the Book of Revelation, God paints a picture of a new haven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and a new Eden. God is in the business of making all things new and invites us to be a partner in the renewal of all things. The mission of the Northwestern Ohio Synod culminates in the renewal that God promises to bring. “And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.'” (Revelation 21:5a) I encourage you to memorize Revelation 21:5a and open your eyes to notice the places in your community where God is doing a new thing. And then allow the Holy Spirit to open your hearts to love the new thing that God is doing. And finally, open your hands to fully engage and partner with God to bring what is new in the community to life. In partnering with God to renew the community and the world, you will discover your own transformation. For it is in the renewing, that we are renewed.