“Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! ”
(Psalm 37:4-7 ESV)
Dear Friends,
Greetings in Jesus’ name.
The first verse of the quote above used to give me trouble. “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I used to figure, “So if I somehow ‘delight… the Lord’ then everything will go my way. Everything I desire will come to me.”
I think I was reading it wrong!
If you read the whole passage quoted above, you get a different sense of what it means.
Essentially, it means this: Give your life to God – all your thoughts, feelings and desires. Trust Him to do what is best in your life. And the things that really matter will be yours…
- Knowing God’s peace
- Feeling the assurance of God’s love
- Understanding your worth in God’s eyes
- Knowing that the Lord is there to guide and protect you (a great anti-stressor)
All these things are great anti-stressors.
And when we look around and think, “I’m not happy because others have more status than me, more money than me, more good fortune than me,” consider that it is just an illusion. They are not really better off than you. Often their lives are falling apart within and all around them – without the Lord’s favour, they are worse off than you. How many times have people envied ‘popular’ and ‘successful’ people only to be surprised when the marriage falls apart, the money evaporates, they get arrested, or they commit suicide.
I recall a saying that I think is true. “Bibles that are falling apart (from use) are usually owned by people whose lives are not.” Let us encourage one another to draw near to the Lord and the assurance of His goodness towards us found in His holy Word. The ‘desires’ that really matter will be ours. And if you do not sense the value of such a desire, continue in the Word till the Holy Spirit of God creates these holy desires within you.
Truly, the Lord be with you!
Coming Up at Prince of Peace …
17th Sunday after Pentecost, September 20
9:00 a.m. Sunday School, Adult & Youth Bible Class
10:30 Holy Communion
Special Announcement…
My wife and I are pleased to announce that our daughter gave birth to a healthy boy. Our daughter and son-in-law feel blessed to be parents under God’s gracious hand.
PoP News …
Pastor Robert Krestick, who supervised me when I was a vicar at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Port Colborne, will be our guest preacher and Bible class teacher. He has been a mentor to me and I know these Sundays will be a blessing to you. Welcome Pastor Bob in the name of the Lord.
Calendar Reminder: There will be no Tuesday Bible study on September 22 and September 29. Also, there is no confirmation class September 23. There will be no September midweek Prayer & Communion Service. The next one scheduled is Tuesday, October 20, at 7:15pm.
Ladies Bible Study Breakfast – join us at PoP this Saturday September 19 at 9:00 am for our women’s Bible Study and breakfast.
“12 Axioms for a happy marriage and other impossible stuff!!” Bible study with Pastor Robert Krestick on September 20th and 27th at 9:15am downstairs at Prince of Peace. “12 Axioms to a Happy Marriage” – check it out, talk it up, bring someone!
“Stump the Pastor” Youth Bible Study: As I will be away for two Sundays, the youth study in the blue room upstairs will take a break. However, the confirmands and youth are encouraged to join the group downstairs as Pastor Krestick shares his topic, “12 Axioms for a happy marriage and other impossible stuff!!”
God Hidden in Our Work is a Sunday Bible study workshop which will help answer life questions like, “Who should be teaching my kids — the government or me?” “Why don’t my prayers get answered?” “What’s God up to allowing me to be sick?” See you there on October 4 (after the Pastor Krestick Sundays).
Other News …
Syrian Refugee Relief: CLWR, through The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is providing support to Syrian refugees living in urban areas in northern Jordan and in the Za’atari refugee camp. Many refugees have witnessed intensifying violence, are enduring the loss of homes, jobs, and loved ones, and are working to cope with difficult conditions wherever they have sought refuge. Your donations will be matched through the Canadian government’s Syria Emergency Relief Fund. Make a designated offering donation to Syrian refugee relief through your Sunday envelope or directly to CLWR. Donations will go where needed most. Click here for more information.
Ladies Appreciation Dinner: The Men’s Breakfast group of Pilgrim have decided to host a Ladies Appreciation Dinner (…. and you thought men don’t appreciation all that women do!). Because a couple of our men attend their monthly breakfasts, they have decided to invite women of Prince of Peace to attend as well. The Dinner is Saturday, October 17 at 5:30pm. RSVP if you like to attend on the sign-up sheet in the lobby here at PoP.
Banana Cram Confirmation Retreat: This district-wide retreat is geared specifically for confirmands and there are generally 30 confirmands plus their counsellors and other leaders. The weekend retreat is scheduled for October 23-25 (Friday evening through Sunday church) here at Prince of Peace. We are happy to be hosting them. Meals: The Board of Trustees is leading up the effort to provide meals to the retreat. However, they are welcoming volunteers to assist them. Talk to Phil, Craig, Donna H., Susan, John or Thomas if you’re interested.
EvangelFest , it’s not too late to register! EvangelFest 2015 will be held September 25-26 at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines. Rev. Jonathan Fisk will be the keynote speaker. Visit http://www.lcceast.ca/ (Calendar/September) to see the Agenda, Keynote Speaker Info & Registration Form
“Anxiety and Depression” Seminar – right here at Prince of Peace! : Mike Glugosh was an ordained pastor for a few years before he started working with the Midwest Centre for Stress and Anxiety. He offers a free 2-hour seminar called “Anxiety and Depression.” There are so many among us and also people close to us who suffer from depression. This free seminar will be held right here at Prince of Peace on Monday evening, November 16, from 7:00-9:00. Come and learn.
Call to Prayer for Partners in Australia: Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC) President Robert Bugbee is asking congregations across the country to pray in Sunday services on September 27 for their partners in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). See the article pasted below for more information.
Online News …
The Changing Face of Canadian Missions: James Morgan explores the subject of rising immigration in Canada and the Lutheran response. READ MORE
Iranian and Afghan Muslims in Germany converting to Christianity en masse: The Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) of Germany has drawn international media attention recently as a result of the large number of Iranian and Afghan converts their congregations have received into fellowship in recent years. READ MORE
In your prayers, please remember:
- Those recovering from surgery
- Those in hospital
- Those battling cancer
The Lord be with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Kevin Walrath
Call to Prayer for Partners in Australia
Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC) President Robert Bugbee is asking congregations across the country to pray in Sunday services on September 27 for their partners in the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA).
“The LCA will convene a very important Synod convention in the last days of September,” President Bugbee explained, “and this request for our prayer support came from their Bishop, the Rev. Dr. John Henderson.” The LCA has experienced turmoil for years over the question of whether to ordain women to the pastoral office. Since Bishop Henderson’s election in 2013, there has been an intensified focus on this issue. LCA leaders have established a process to try to reach a more lasting conclusion on the matter.
“Many things could be said on this subject,” President Bugbee noted, “but the needed words right now are the ones we will speak to the Lord in our prayers for our Australian friends. Bishop John is very sincere in seeking this support from all their international partners, and we’re grateful to be close to them in this way.”
A suggested prayer for use in congregational worship September 27, as well as further information on the Australian situation, is available here.
