Field of Grace Center of Mission and Outreach

10/30/2024

Words to live by:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
O Lord, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in forgiving that one is forgiven,
it is in dying that one awakens to eternal life.

Commonly known as the Prayer of St. Francis.

09/19/2024

I begin with a quote from Nancy Gibbs (director of the Shorenstein Center and the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice of Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard): “Of all ennobling sentiments, patriotism may be the most easily manipulated. On the one hand, it gives powerful expression to what is best in a nation's character: a commitment to principle, a willingness to sacrifice, a devotion to the community by the choice of the individual. But among its toxic fruits are intolerance, belligerence and blind obedience, perhaps because it blooms most luxuriantly during times of war.”

During this election year it is vital that we each do our due diligence in knowing who and what we are voting for.

*Have you read the Democratic Platform? https://democrats.org/where-we-stand/party-platform/

*Have you read the Republican Platform? https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform

*Have you read, or at least reviewed, the Project 2025 document? https://www.project2025.org/playbook/
If don’t have time to read all 900+ pages, choose some sections that are of interest to you. Or, the Republican Platform is a bit of a synopsis/condensed version of the document.

*Have you read up on Viktor Orban (Hungarian Prime Minister) who one of the presidential candidates often praises? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Orb%C3%A1n

There is no reason for anyone to say, “I don’t know anything or enough about…?” The information and the facts are readily available. As part of exercising our due diligence as responsible and conscientious voters, we need to take the time review the information that is available. This election year is not the year for apathy or chosen ignorance. You know your own values, and what is important to you and so you need to review the information necessary for you to make an informed voting decision that supports your values.

Read and re-read. Ask questions. Fact check and corroborate. Use your intellect and delve behind the words you hear as you make your decisions.

The Christian Scriptures tell us, “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thornbushes. Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts, but bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.” Luke 6:43-45 (CEV)

Pay attention to the words you hear and read and consider how they align with your values and the values necessary for “…doing good; seeking justice, correcting oppression; … loving kindness…, (selections from Micah 6:8).

The fourth pillar of Project 2025 is our 180-day Transition Playbook and includes a comprehensive, concrete transition plan for each federal agency. Only through the implementation of specific action plans at each agency will the next conservative presidential Administration be successful. Pillar IV...

09/18/2024

I heard a great quote this morning: "You can't follow both Jesus and the world; they are going in opposite directions."

09/15/2024

Words matter: Let us consider the words of James 3:1-12 as we continue to pray for the people of Springfield, Ohio and Dayton as ill-spoken words bring harm and distress to people in those communities. Although James uses the word teacher, the same warning holds for anyone in a leadership position:

"My friends, we should not all try to become teachers. In fact, teachers will be judged more strictly than others. All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body.

By putting a bit into the mouth of a horse, we can turn the horse in different directions. It takes strong winds to move a large sailing ship, but the captain uses only a small rudder to make it go in any direction. Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things.

It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and have been tamed. 8 But our tongues get out of control. They are restless and evil, and always spreading deadly poison.

My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn't right. Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? Can a fig tree produce olives or a grapevine produce figs? Does fresh water come from a well full of salt water?"

06/30/2024

I don't cater to making "political" comments but I believe these words are crucial for guiding all our words and actions, and in this these divisive times--filled with anger and hateful words-- they are especially important as we make decisions for our nation and what we will look for in the people we choose to lead us. From Galations chapter 5:
...You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only don’t let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses, but serve each other through love. All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour each other, be careful that you don’t get eaten up by each other! I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires. A person’s selfish desires are set against the Spirit, and the Spirit is set against one’s selfish desires. They are opposed to each other, so you shouldn’t do whatever you want to do. The actions that are produced by selfish motives are obvious, since they include sexual immorality, moral corruption, doing whatever feels good, idolatry, drug use and casting spells, hate, fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, conflict, selfishness, group rivalry, jealousy, drunkenness, partying, and other things like that. I warn you as I have already warned you, that those who do these kinds of things won’t inherit God’s kingdom. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires. If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other."

06/12/2024

07/31/2023

07/25/2023

Volunteers are needed in the Lackawanna and Wayne County areas,

Home Health Care Professionals & Hospice Are you Caring, Compassionate, Committed? Be a Hospice Volunteer Join our team and enjoy the rewards and satisfaction of having a positive and meaningful impact on someone's life!  Volunteer Opportunities include: Crafters (knitters, quilters, beader...