Pathways Press.com

MEDITATION:

Written by Alan Goodman.

I became a member of the Village Church in 2015. Being a member means different things to different people. I did not want to just occupy a pew seat on Sundays. I did not want to give token financial support to the church, etc. I also wanted to really participate in other things.

I started tithing several years ago while at SBPC. The blessings from God have been “off the charts” and growing since doing this. I never thought that a God-first approach to stewardship worked so extremely well. I have seen the fruits of doing this personally. In addition to volunteering in a variety of church activities, I have come to feel closer and closer to living life as Jesus would want me to live. I am definitely a “work-in-progress” however.

More recently, Pastor Jack invited me to participate in group 2 of his “Kingdom Academy” initiative. Our whole team is looking into the very essence of improving our relationship with God in every aspect of our lives.  As a group, we are looking into ways to get from here to there to actually achieve this goal in a very tangible way. Having been a Business Operations consultant in my past life has given me a very direct foundation to even participate in this for the church. This group effort is going to make my own life more Jesus-based as an absolute gift.

I think more deeply about my personal (and improving) journey with Jesus, and I give thanks to God daily. Hallelujah!

PRAYER:

Written by David Mathis, a contemporary author and editor at desiringGod.org.

Lord, thank you for your abundant, abounding grace. Thank you that we don’t have to earn a drop of the mighty river of grace that flows freely for us today. Thank you for the unexpected, unmerited favor you’ve showered on my life. Help me put myself in the path of your love and grace. Help me not neglect the disciplines I need to meet with you regularly and to drink from the water of life. Thank you for your rich love. Amen.

MUSIC MEDITATION:

Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley   Performed by The St. Francis de Sales Choir.

The origin of this folk hymn are unclear, but it first appeared in U.S. hymnals in the second half of the 20^th century. It is a conflation of the Appalachian folk song tradition and the African American spiritual.