HIGHWAY TABERNACLE ~ RESURRECTION LIFE
Monday, November 24, 2014
“Following Jesus and Loving People”
A young person shared with me about the three greatest fears of youth today. I was especially surprised at the third. Here they are: the fear of death, the fear of public speaking…and the fear of silence. Our culture encourages people to cultivate a constant stream of noise. A TV is always in the background at home, the radio is always on in the car, the ear buds are in when walking around. Why are we so afraid of silence? Could it be that silence increases our anxiety as we are forced to face issues which need attention? Men in prison have told me the worst time for them is at night while in their bed trying to fall asleep. That is when the volume knob of past failures is turned up and becomes a deafening, sleep depriving, roar. So, in order to deaden the reminders of responsibility or past mistakes, we opt for “activity” and noise of any kind. Silence and stillness, however, should not be our enemy. In fact, silence can benefit us greatly and become the special discipline through which we learn to hear God speaking. The Psalmist challenges us to, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” Psalm 37:7. Learning to wait before the Lord is a great way for God to show us both our need…and his grace. He never reminds us about past failures to condemn us, but to free us through his forgiveness. If we try to avoid our issues by cluttering our ears with constant sounds, we miss the peace which could be ours. Being still also disciplines our heart to overcome “fretting”. We all know what it is to obsess over something we perceive as not going right in life, and continually pushing the replay button in our mind. As we present ourselves before God and quiet our heart, we are given God’s power and perspective. Exalting God, rather than exalting our problems, creates room in our hearts for faith and hope to overcome fretting and worry. While others may think of silence as something to avoid, the godly person embraces waiting before God as renewing and reviving. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” Psalm 27:14.
Pastor Mark Boucher
Have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends! The church and school offices will be closed Thursday and Friday and we will have no Family Night Ministries. Spring Garden Academy at 17th and Tioga will dismiss at 1 pm on Wednesday.
Upcoming...A water baptism service is planned for December 14th, in the AM service. See Pastor Mark for details.
Did you know that businesses can receive substantial state tax credits while also giving to our Scholarship Organization?
Learn more about this wonderful way to invest in the children of Philadelphia. Think about the people and businesses you know: owners, employees, or customers. You may have friends, family members, or neighbors connected to a business in this state. Let them know. We’d be happy to sit down and explain the details of the program soon before time runs out to take advantage of this savings (for businesses) and blessing (to our kids). Please talk to Amy dela Cruz (adelacruz@springgardenacademy.org) or Candace Wegner (candace@springgardenacademy.org) at 215-226-1000 as soon as possible.
United Way Donations
Does your business/employer ask you to contribute to United Way each fall? If they do, you may specify that your contributions are given directly to Spring Garden Academy. Just list the following information on your United Way contribution form.
Highway Mission Tabernacle – Spring Garden Academy
1801 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Donor Choice # 49757
Give on-line: http://give.highwaytab.org
Highway Tabernacle, Resurrection Life, SGA, and NextGen
Weekly Schedules
Highway Tabernacle: Morning Prayer @ 9AM; Sunday Worship @ 10AM; Resurrection Life: Sunday Worship @ 12Noon
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