In worship this Sunday, I will continue my November sermon series on spiritual resources. Believe it or not, this Sunday’s theme will be thanksgiving. Our scripture texts will be Psalm 138 and Luke 17:11-19.
According to the Christian liturgical calendar, Sunday, November 23 is the final Sunday of the year. The traditional liturgical name for this Sunday is Christ the King, representing the culmination of 52 Sundays, starting with Advent, through Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost (also called Ordinary Time) seasons. The year ends with the church’s proclamation of all glory and authority to our risen Savior Jesus Christ!
We will give all our thanks and praise, this coming Sunday and on every Sunday, as well as every other day of the year, to our risen Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. We have so much for which to thank God!
According to the Christian liturgical calendar, Sunday, November 23 is the final Sunday of the year. The traditional liturgical name for this Sunday is Christ the King, representing the culmination of 52 Sundays, starting with Advent, through Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost (also called Ordinary Time) seasons. The year ends with the church’s proclamation of all glory and authority to our risen Savior Jesus Christ!
We will give all our thanks and praise, this coming Sunday and on every Sunday, as well as every other day of the year, to our risen Savior Jesus Christ. I look forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. We have so much for which to thank God!
Azimuth
by Dave Nock
Ok, so what is an azimuth. Short answer, it is a direction, a compass heading or maybe a plan on how to get somewhere. Do we have an azimuth? Do you have a direction? Do we have directions that point us were we want to go?
When I wake up in the morning, on some days, I have an azimuth, I know exactly what I am doing that day. On other days, not so much. The need for resources, money, food, water and shelter drives a lot of this. This basic need can and does give direction. We have to do something on a daily basis, thus giving us directions. Maybe that direction or azimuth is driven by the needs of others. Maybe it is not resources but support to others that is the driving force that provides direction. The need to take care of others, family, and loved ones means we have to provide support and resources.
Many people do not have the ability, for whatever reason, to take care of themselves or their loved ones. They do not have a clear direction. Their azimuth is not focused on what is truly needed. Maybe at one point they had a solid focus on what they were doing, and an event happened in their lives that forced a change, and they lost that direction.
God provides us a direction, an azimuth, throughout the Bible, often through promises of guidance, wisdom, and purposeful paths. Key verses include Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:5–6, and Isaiah 30:21. Isaiah 30:21 — “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
PLPC has an azimuth. The congregation is working on defining that direction, the future of what PLPC is and will become. How we come together and define the future will point the compass on the path God wants us on.
When I wake up in the morning, on some days, I have an azimuth, I know exactly what I am doing that day. On other days, not so much. The need for resources, money, food, water and shelter drives a lot of this. This basic need can and does give direction. We have to do something on a daily basis, thus giving us directions. Maybe that direction or azimuth is driven by the needs of others. Maybe it is not resources but support to others that is the driving force that provides direction. The need to take care of others, family, and loved ones means we have to provide support and resources.
Many people do not have the ability, for whatever reason, to take care of themselves or their loved ones. They do not have a clear direction. Their azimuth is not focused on what is truly needed. Maybe at one point they had a solid focus on what they were doing, and an event happened in their lives that forced a change, and they lost that direction.
God provides us a direction, an azimuth, throughout the Bible, often through promises of guidance, wisdom, and purposeful paths. Key verses include Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:5–6, and Isaiah 30:21. Isaiah 30:21 — “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
PLPC has an azimuth. The congregation is working on defining that direction, the future of what PLPC is and will become. How we come together and define the future will point the compass on the path God wants us on.
PLPC has been blessed with a small army of talented, dedicated people who keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. To show our gratitude, Session has voted to continue our yearly Staff Gift Program.
We’ll be collecting donations November 23 through December 14, and gifts will be divided among 10 staff members and distributed on December 21.
Here’s how you can give:
- Online: Through SubSplash—make sure the fund field is set to Staff Gift.
- By Check: Write Staff Gift on the memo line.
- Cash: Place in an envelope labeled Staff Gift.
Bonnie Shapbell - finance committee
