Chaplain’s Corner

Today’s Scriptures:   Psalm 16:1-11 • Galatians 5:1, 13-25 

CHAPEL SERVICE in Easton resumes at the VFW on Glebe Road this Sunday, June 26 at 10:30 A.M.        USE THE FRONT DOOR FACING GLEBE ROAD.  CASUAL DRESS, EVERYONE IS WELCOME 

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  We give all honor and glory to God the Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

Psalm 16 begins with this prayer…Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”  God is in the protecting business and He is definitely in the saving business.  This past week was our vacation week in South Carolina.  Routinely, one or both of us invites Jesus to accompany us and allow us to keep us safe going and coming as well as being with us as we have some time to relax and always want His company at home.  This happened Saturday:

On our return trip up interstate 95 we had breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.  When our meal was delivered, we discovered it wasn’t our order (it actually belonged to the couple sitting at a table across from us).  So, our breakfast was delayed by 15 or 20 minutes to get the orders straight.  And since most of the time browse the store part, there was a longer than usual check out line.  We were travelling about 35 minutes when we were in gridlock.  As we inched further, two ambulances, two Virginia State Police, two fire trucks roared down both shoulders of the highway heading North as we were.

              As we moved ahead to the accident scene, there even was an animal control there.  The ambulances (and the accident victims) were gone.  Lois and I both came to conclusion that our earlier delays may have kept us from being in that accident.  I prayed for the accident victims, there were 3 cars being loaded on to the wreckers.  Here is the amazing thing that I believe God was showing his presence.  There, along the shoulder of the highway as we motored along there were THREE WHITE DOVES matching our speed and they were in a triangle formation flying about 15 feet above the grassy shoulder.  I took this sign as  a message from God.  Think about it…these were doves and not pigeons!  They were snow white.

              Several years ago, when I pastored St. Paul’s in Cambridge, we had held the Easter Sunrise service off the Choptank River at the American Legion parking lot.  The service included the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist (or Holy Communion) We sang hymns, prayed, thanking God for the Sacrifice that Jesus made for us, asking forgiveness and receiving absolution in the name of Jesus Christ.  During the Eucharist we experienced three doves flew over our congregation.

              After that, we had a number of visitors at St. Paul’s that were present during the Communion service.  They became regular attenders, then members of the congregation. 

              I hope that by sharing these signs and events will give you another ‘brick’ of faith to place in your own wall of faith.  You see, I think that its very important that we share our experiences together to strengthen us in our walk with God.  Of course, some may say these things are merely coincidences, but I can’t help but to think there is merit here for my own faith walk and possibly someone else’s as well.

If you’ve had an experience to share as well, please send me an email.  I will not disclose your name unless you tell me in the email to use your name.  OK?

Now, my email is:  fbahr@hotmail.com

              May God Bless you and keep you safe and secure, free from worry and doubt.

Yours, in Christ,

revfred

Today’s Scriptures Trinity Sunday: St. John Chapter 16:verses 12–15

VFW CHAPEL Easton will resume at 10:30 AM, this Sunday June 12, 2022.  USE FRONT DOOR FACING GLEBE ROAD.  CASUAL DRESS, EVERYONE IS WELCOME 

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Praise be to God the Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

             God calls to us through each person of the Trinity. Each voice is a little different, each plea uniquely stated. But the goal is the same. God wants our hearts to come home because where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.

The Christian idea of the Holy Trinity is derived from a careful reading of the Bible, and it’s not just theological inside-baseball talk meant to confuse outsiders. Rather, it’s an important way to understand who God is and what God is calling us to be and do.   No matter how hard you search the Bible, you won’t find the words “Holy” and “Trinity” next to each other in the Bible.  We learn about the Holy Trinity from the doctrine where the Trinity is expressed in various scripture passages. 

            So, if you ask for God’s help as you put together today’s passage from St. John and others from the last few verses in St. Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples to baptize people “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” you can’t help but notice that there is a Holy Trinity and there is one God.    

God wants you and I to have transformed lives right now and the gift of eternity in the Lord’s healing presence. So, to deliver this message God does not depend simply on a snail-mail letter to us, although the Bible should be enough. It’s so wonderful that God also phones. God emails. God texts. And God makes His divine presence available to us through the Holy Spirit. To communicate with our spirits.  It was Gods choice to reveal Himself to us so that we can say yes to the calls for us to be grateful for forgiveness, salvation and for us to be disciples as Jesus reveals to us even this day!.

I’m asking you to listen to the call to you from God the creator, God the cross-bearer and God the comforter. When you say yes to all three, your yes will be a yes to the one true God, to whom deserves all glory and honor, now and forever.

May God continue to bless and keep you in the knowledge that God has a great love for you!

Yours, in Christ,

Revfred+

Ps.  If you’d like to share your story in how God made a personal difference in your life or in the life of someone you know, please email it to me.  I’d love to hear your story and I’ll keep your name confidential unless you’d like me to personalize your experience.