Thoughts & Profundities

Summer for us as Americans has a patriotic beginning, middle and end. For many the beginning of Summer is Memorial Day. Then, in the middle we have Independence Day (celebrated on the 4th of July). And finally we have Labor Day celebrated on September 6th this year. These are times when we celebrate and remember those who have given their lives for our freedom, the birth of our country, and the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

All of these have had me thinking and reading leaders of our country. I'd like to share with you some of my favorite quotes:

We have proclaimed to the world our determination to die freemen, rather than to live as slaves... We have appealed to heaven for the justice of our cause, and in heaven we have placed our trust..Numerous have been the manifestations of God's providence sustaining us...In the gloomy period of adversity, we have had "our cloud by day and our pillar by night."  We have been reduced to distress, and the arm of omnipotence has raised us up... let us still rely in humble confidence on him who is mighty to save. God tiding will soon arrive.

~ John Adams, York, PA 1777

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at his worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.

~ Teddy Roosevelt Citizenship in a Republic Apri/28, 1910

If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, "Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

As summer begins my prayer for you is that you have a wonderful summer, remembering our heritage as a nation, as a church, and as an individual. I am personally looking forward to a great summer of service. I would appreciate your prayers as I serve as Dean at Camp Sawtooth in June, and as one of our presbytery leaders at Triennium.

God Bless You,

Murph

Prayer Warriors Needed

For the last several summers as I have gone to serve at Camp Sawtooth as Dean, sharing the Gospel, and helping kids take the next step in their faith, I have asked for individuals to partner with kids committing to pray at least daily for a young man or woman.

If you would be willing to join in this endeavor, please call the church office or email me and I will match you with one of the young people registered for camp. I thank you in advance as this has been a powerful ministry to the kids in years past. At the end of the week, I let them know who it is that is praying for them.

In His Grip,

Pastor Murph