A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

Be reconciled with our brothers and sisters first, before we come to God.

Anger and murder, adultery and divorce, and foolish oaths and retaliation are unwanted things in human life. Jesus, going to the root of the 10 commandments, tells how we need to deal with these sins in order to be his disciples. Toward this theme, I would like to give three stories for your reflection. (I think the kids will like them).

Bless my Ex-sister. Two sisters spent the day fighting. That evening they prepared for bed, still mad at each other. As usual, they knelt by the side of their beds for their prayers. "Dear God," the 8-year-old began, "bless Daddy and Mommy, bless our cat and dog." Then she stopped. Her mother gently prodded, "Didn’t you forget somebody?" She glared across the bed at her 6-year-old sister and added, "And, oh yes, God, bless my ex-sister."

Be Reconciled First: Little Johnny had a quarrel with his younger brother, Willie. Before he said his night prayers, Johnny's mother said to him, "Now I want you to forgive your brother." But Johnny was not in a forgiving mood. "No, I won't forgive him," he said. Mother tried persuasions of every motherly variety, but nothing worked. Finally, she said, "What if your brother were to die tonight? How would you feel if you knew you hadn't forgiven him?" Johnny gave in. "All right, I forgive him," he said, "but if he's alive in the morning, I'll get even with him."

You Win the War: (A man’s witness to a group of family gathering). “My wife and I have a rule. We don't fight on Saturday nights. You know why? Because I have to go to church on Sunday morning. Now I don't want you to get the idea that we fight the other six nights of the week. Quite frankly, I gave her an unconditional surrender several years ago. Husbands, let me teach you a lesson that will save you a lot of grief. When it comes to your wife, if you lose the battle, you win the war.”

We need to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters first, before we come to God.