“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— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.” -Colossians 1:3-6

Our wonderful Whitworth Fellows, Andrew and Molly, are finishing up their final week with us here at First Pres and I am thankful for the time we have enjoyed together. They have both worked and served our church and children/youth well. We will miss them when they return to school. It isn’t easy to step out in faith and trust that God will be with you in a new place among strangers. God continues to be faithful.

For whom are you praying and thanking God for today? Do they know it? One of the beautiful things about these epistles of Paul is that they have endured as sacred scripture for us to learn and be encouraged. Do those individuals know what you are thankful for? Would hearing that give them an opportunity to bear fruit in their spiritual lives and in their hearts? I encourage you today to tell someone that you are thankful for their influence in your life. Send a card or a text. Pick up the phone or go to coffee together. This life is precious and fleeting, so let’s not hold back sharing the love and gift of being thankful.

Yesterday, as I was driving, I saw a bumper sticker which really touched my heart. The license plate was from Wisconsin, which caught my eye first, and then I saw these words:
HUMANKIND
be both

What a simple admonition to how we should behave and see ourselves. We are all the same and have the same needs, same wants and desires, same longing for connection as humans. And we can transform the world with kindness. I wonder if the recent mass shooters who have chosen to inflict unimaginable pain and suffering on innocent strangers had people in their lives who helped them to be human and kind, if things would have been different in their lives? Is it possible that our actions and words of encouragement could stem the tide of hatred, fear, violence and mistrust in our country and in the world?

Thank you, God, for Molly and Andrew and the rest of our First Pres staff. Thank you for the way the gospel is bearing fruit in their lives and growing throughout our church and in the world. Bless us as we reach others in kindness and love in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Christ,
Rev. Hanna Peterson Shearer