November 1, 2014

Living lives of mission and service…such has been the calling of people of the First Presbyterian Church of Barre. Among Jesus’ first actions in his ministry is the calling to would-be disciples, “Come and follow me!” We hear that same voice inviting us to lives of learning and service.

November first marks the beginning of our second month of sharing in devotions as a congregation. Marking the 125^th anniversary of the church, we are spending time together reading, reflecting, and praying our way through scriptures and meditations that can shape us to be the people of God.

During October, we focused on the role of fellowship in the creation of the church as the people of God. Fellowship, while not flawless, supports us to become the people that God longs for us to be. And, as we become those people, our natural outward flow is toward mission and service. The inward breath is renewal in fellowship, the outward breath living out our lives in faithful service.

In these pages, you will find scriptures, quotations, sayings and reflections that we pray and hope will create time for reflection and inspiration for service. Let’s allow the questions in the daily readings to be invitations from God for concrete action each day of November. May we meet God in these pages in the month of November! Let us remember, in the words of Emil Bruner, “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.”

Carl Hilton VanOsdall

In the Pastor’s Study

First Presbyterian Church of Barre

November 1, 2014

On behalf of the Devotional Committee ~ Janet Fuhrmeister, Diane Nichols-Fleming and Carl Hilton VanOsdall

Saturday, November 1

Philippians 2: 1-5  If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Reflection:

Kathleen Norris, in her book Amazing Grace, writes of the teachings of St. Benedict (d. 543) . Benedict taught, “Only people who are at home and at home with themselves can offer hospitality.”

Questions for reflection:

How have you witnessed other people placing themselves at God’s disposal in the fellowship of the First Presbyterian Church? Who, specifically, comes to mind?