February has been a busy month here at Emmanuel. Thanks to all of you who have been involved in the activities. From Scout Sunday (the Boy Scouts did a great job) the first Sunday of the month moving to the Youth Mardi Gras celebration, and then their 30 hours of hunger and shopping for our food bank to our regular Wednesday night suppers. I have been happy with the attendance Wed. nights. I believe those who take a little time out of their busy schedules to come to dinner or service or both are blessed. It is always good to come together as family.
We will continue our suppers and services during the month of March. During Holy Week we will have our service on Maundy Thursday night instead of Wednesday. Our joint Good Friday service will be at the Presbyterian Church in Mountain Top. Our Confirmation class has been working hard and will be confirmed on Palm Sunday. And we will have a wonderful celebration on Easter with a sunrise service and regular service with breakfast in between.
I will be leaving town on April 1 for a couple of months for sabbatical. Archie and I will be doing some travelling to visit family and enjoying some rest and relaxation as I prepare to come back in June and jump right back in to Graduate Sunday and 300 Club. Thank you all for this opportunity for some quiet resting, relaxing, and reading time.
Now for a story:
A story is told of former world chess champion Bobby Fischer when he was a young boy. His mother took him to a museum, and he happened upon a painting that caught his eye. The painting was entitled “Checkmate.”It depicted a bedraggled, exhausted older man slumped over a chessboard. A few of his pieces were left on the board, and he was conceding the game. On the other side of the board was his fresh and snappy opponent, Satan.Already a chess prodigy, young Bobby Fischer stood looking at the painting for a long time. His mother soon tired of it and moved around the remainder of the gallery. Finally returning to find Bobby still entranced by that painting. “Come now, Bobby, we have to go.”Bobby Fischer did not stop staring and thinking. One more time his mother insisted, “Bobby, we have to go. Come now!” “But, Mom,” he pleaded, “he has one more move!”What the untrained eye could not see the trained eye did. The painter had intentionally left an option open for the old man that he could not see. Fischer did.
There IS always an option open to us, even in the face of our fiercest opponent. Satan cannot checkmate God! And as we lean on a loving God, Satan will also not best us here at Emmanuel as we work together.
We as a community of believers will all benefit as we move back to the basics with excellence by being God’s people, telling God’s story, building God’s kingdom.
God’s blessings to all!!
