Are you an Encourager?
We spend lots of time talking about all sorts of things in our lives. The Economy has dominated our discussions, but we also spend time talking about movies, sports, home improvements, our cars. We spend lots of energy simply talking.
Here at Orangethorpe UMC, our Vision statement challenges us to "prayerful and lovingly encourage each other with healing and hope", but this last weekend I realized that it's not just to each other here in the church or even to the people who happen to show up at church that we can speak to about faith issues.
Recently I spent a day in the outpatient facilities of St. Jude Hospital and before and after the minor surgery, I realized anew that God gives us the opportunity & challenge to be an "encourager" in the Christian faith every day!
There were four nurses with whom I spoke off and on about Christ, faith, prayer and church. In each case they attended a church, somewhat nominally. (One Lutheran, one a very lapsed Catholic and Two Calvery Chapel church attenders.)
It was easy to talk to them because, in good United Methodist fashion, I simply encouraged them to become more active in their own place of worship and to make sure that their family had the rock of Christ in their lives by their regular attendance. (Especially in these hard times! We can all do that, can't we?)
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