Faith

PASTOR’S CORNER, Rev. Jason Toombs, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Liberal

There are many times in our lives that we come together with others and celebrate.  Thinking back to a few days ago, there were many people who gathered for T-Ball, Baseball, and Softball at the various ball fields as they watched their kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, and their friends, play ball.

Our ballparks are small, especially compared with Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City or Coors Field in Denver, but they are much loved because of the people inside.

It is the same way with church.  We might not be able to boast of hundreds of thousands gathered each week, we are knit-together in the love of Christ our Lord as the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies our gathering each week.  We are brought together in the love of God as we gather around His Altar as we come at His invitation to His Table.

PASTOR’S CORNER, Rev. Jason Toombs, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Liberal

The Church celebrates the life and martyrdom of Saint Boniface of Mainz, Missionary to the Germans on June 5 as that was the date that he was martyred, in the year 754, for his faith in Jesus Christ.

Winfrid, his English name, later named Boniface after the fourth century martyr Boniface of Tarsus, was born in 675 into a prosperous family in England, and, against his father’s wishes, he devoted himself to the Benedictine monastery. His father had hoped that he would continue to follow in his footsteps, but the life of the church called him from an early age as he desired to walk the lonely way of the cross.

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18, NIV)

The need to take personal responsibility for the consequences of our actions shows up in all areas of life – the relationship between what we put into our bodies and how much we weigh, between the sleep we get and how we feel, and between the money we spend and what we have left. I can safely assume there is agreement we all should own up to our responsibilities, even if we are less stellar at doing so in particular areas.

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.’ When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. ‘We are your slaves,’ they said.” (Genesis 50:15-18, NIV)