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October 19, 2008 A Letter to FCCSR On her next-to-last Sunday with us, Pastor Julianne preached on her thoughts for our future. She centered these around the following "scripture" text, freely adapted from Paul's First letter to the Thessalonians (with credit to Eugene Peterson's The Message.) I, Julianne, together with Mary Susan Gast and John Thomas, send greetings to the Church at San Rafael, Christians assembled by God, the Mother/Father and by the Master Jesus Christ. God’s amazing grace and peace be with you! Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we remember your works of faith, your labor of love and your patience of hope in following our Master Jesus Christ, before God our Creator. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put God’s hand upon you for something special. We can see that when the Message came to you, it wasn’t just empty words. Something happened to you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions. You paid careful attention to the example given by Jesus and determined to live that way yourselves. Although great troubles appear around you, you are able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit, taking the trouble with the joy and never losing your grateful hearts. Do you know that all over the Northern California/Nevada Conference of the UCC believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. You walk your talk. The news of your faith in God is out, we don’t even have to say anything ---you are the living message! People come and tell us how you received them with open arms, how you have let go of the false gods of your old life, how you do not live in fear but in hope and confidence of God’s abundance so you can embrace and serve God, the true God. |
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