Shelburne Free Press
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Export date: Sun Nov 24 9:02:29 2024 / +0000 GMT

Crossroads Community Church – 1st Annual Cowboy Church




We praise the Lord for keeping the rain away on our very first “Cowboy Church Sunday”. Many came to enjoy a beautiful outdoor service with country inspired worship. After prayer and announcements Pastor Don introduced our special guests Ruth and Ken Shaw of Collingwood who started off our festive service. The worship was lively and friendly and the presence of God was felt throughout the morning.

Pastor Don thanked God for this lovely day and began with a short quiz on Cowboy lingo; “What's a buckaroo?” A Cowboy, what is “Chuck?” It's food, what is a “Cookie Duster” in laughter someone said a mustache, after a list of funny words, he asked what is “Love?” It is affection for another person. After a brief pause He said how many of these words can you identify? “Church”; a gathering of believers in Jesus, “Bible”; the word of God, “Grace”; undeserved favor from God, “peace” the absence of inner turmoil and again “Love” ; the very nature or essence of God. God is Love and does everything out of love, even when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is he responded; “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”(Matthew 22:37-40). God is love, loves others and desires our love.

Unconditional Love is what we are called to show others, we are to practice and cultivate love amongst each other. When new people come into our place of worship our aim should be to greet them in love regardless of attire or appearance. “Do all that we can to live in peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18). Especially because we are loved by Jesus we are to love as He loves, we have learned the truth from Him,(Ephesians 4:21.) The apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 describing the unique attributes of love and it's great value …Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

Paul was stressing the fact that although spiritual gifts are to be desired they are worthless without love at their core. Society today tries to analyse what is wrong with humanity and the common response is ”get more knowledge” but if we know God we know the answer is Love, as the country singer Martina McBride sings ”Love is the only house big enough for all the pain in this world”. Jesus told an infamous story about that very subject of unconditional love, the parable of the Good Samaritan,( Luke 10:30-35). The Good Samaritan chose to show love and compassion despite what others thought of him and what it would cost him, we too can choose to love, however God commands us to love and will enable us to do so; “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other,” (John 13:34.)

God also wants us to think of others and show them kindness, and sometimes that will require sacrifice, it will cost us something but in the end we will reap eternal rewards in Jesus name,(Philippians 2:4,5). When we choose to do right and practice loving actions towards one another it leads to right choices and inner peace,(Romans 12:20,21). As spoken before love is the essence of God, His love, His compassion and His way are excellent, and having a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ ensures that we will have the grace needed to live lovingly and with compassion in a world that is in desperate need of it. Beloved it is our heartfelt desire to honor God by loving the Shelburne community, and our mission is L.O.V.E. to leave others valued every day, Asherey Shalom! To learn more visit http://www.shelburnecrossroadschurch.ca
Post date: 2013-08-08 11:24:06
Post date GMT: 2013-08-08 15:24:06

Post modified date: 2013-08-15 23:28:25
Post modified date GMT: 2013-08-16 03:28:25

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