Michael Harrison's e-devotion

This past weekend I unplugged from the world and was part of a “Walk to Emmaus” weekend with 75 plus other people.   It was an amazing time to assist with this walk and brought me to remember when I first went on my “Walk to Emmaus” over 2 years ago.   In the middle of the spiritual get away and times of refreshing many things happened around our world that have caused great pain and fear. The earthquake in Nepal and riots in Baltimore continue to bombard the headlines of news outlets this week.   We must be careful to not let these events, or others, paralyze us with fear. Fear is a fact of life, yet God gives us faith and tools to deal with fear.   The biggest tool is love.   We must embrace the fact that God loves us no matter what.   In turn we can respond to God’s love for us by loving others in the same, unconditional way. This love can be seen in acts of kindness, through prayers, in listening to a friend, by offering words of encoura...

This week’s volunteer of the week at The Community Fellowship are … UNNAMED HEROES!!!   Volunteers at The Community Fellowship are invaluable to us and worth their weight in gold!  We take great joy in recognizing, through our Volunteer of the Week, those that strive to help others and help our church demonstrate the love of God to our community .   Volunteers share their time and talents without any compensation, so it's crucial, to us, to acknowledge their contributions and let them know they are valued and deeply appreciated.  This week we want to recognize those exceptional volunteers that haven’t wanted their names mentioned.   The compassion these volunteers show to the people we serve is an inspiration for us all.  We've noticed how they treat everyone with respect and kindness, no matter what the situation is.  We know how stressful it can be for t...

Events around the world send us in so many different directions.   There is fear among most people.   Many people are angry.   What is always true is that many people are in the middle of the trauma experiencing pain and are left in need. Read reports about the devastation from the earthquake in Nepal, and you will be left hurting for the people impacted by this event.   Almost 5,000 people have died due to the earthquake and another 9,000 plus have been left injured.   I cannot imagine the heartache as well as the needs of those around that part of the world.   There is room for the love of God and compassion everywhere. News continues to pour out about the events taking place in Baltimore, Maryland.   From riots and various acts of brutality hurt my heart.   Thousands of people have been impacted by these events, people on both sides of the law.   This reminds us of what has happened in other places around the United States of A...

Micah 6:6-8   NLT What can we bring to the Lord?   Should we bring him burnt offerings?   Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? 7  Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?   Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? 8  No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Worship is a big deal.   One famous author put it this way: “every body worships something”.   Each of us has to make a choice about who we will worship or what we will worship. When we look close at the options, there are so many things that humans put in the place that only God deserves.   The answers may seem simple, but they are also what seems rational.   People throughout time have chosen things like this and methods like this to worship. The verses from M...

Romans 12:5   NLT so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.   1 Corinthians 12:20   NLT Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.   The last several days I was part of a “Walk to Emmaus” weekend.  I did this personally about 2 and 1/2 years ago, and this time I was part of the team leading the event.  It was, once again, a great time of learning and seeing God change lives.  There are several things that stick out in my mind that I would like to share with you.   There were people from very different parts of life on this walk.  The youngest pilgrim (that is what people on the walk are called) was about 20 years old, and the oldest I believe was in their middle 70’s.  Some of the people were from well-to-do families while others struggle from pay check to pay check.  Many had bee...

It is that time of year once again when we step up to bless some ladies in our community.  It is time for our FREE Mother's Day Car Care Clinic  that will take place on Saturday, May 9th (the day before mother's day) from 9am till noon.  This is during the same time as our FREE community meal and clothes closet.   Here's the deal.  Call and register to have your oil changed, ladies, and also prepare yourself for the possibility of a manicure or pedicure or even a seated chair massage.  You will need to know the year of your car, the kind of car and the engine size (like 2.4 liter) so that we can be ready. To register call The Community Fellowship at 276-647-8231 and leave a message.   We will call you back with your appointment time! There is limited space.  ALSO, we need people who will volunteer to change oil, to work in the clothes closet, to do nails and could even use a massage therapist to help out.  Give us a call to volunteer too. This is one more way that we demons...

James 1:5 nlt If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Ask God for some insight and know what you will get? An answer and help. Not only is our God real, but He is really active in the lives of His kids. Why is it that we miss Him at times or fail to hear His voice? It could be because we are not looking for an answer or for help after we ask. 12 years ago I began a search that led me to study in depth Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. What an eye opening experience those months where! Come to find out, some of the same notes I made then have become of huge value to my work and my life now. God is always working, and He gives us His best. All we need is to be listening and looking. One of the ways this is true is in a small book I bought during that time I of study. Yes, I read some of it, and then placed the book on the shelf. Last year I began reading another book, and come to find out, it is by the same auth...

The past several weeks I have been spending some time thinking through the elements and meaning of communion, the Lord’s Supper.   Within the sacrament and celebration of this act of worship we see the love of God spelled out through the death of our Savior. The piece that continues to stand out is the payment that was given for my sin, to connect me to God and to be shared with others.   God did so much for us.   His gift is our gain and the gift is the foundation of our eternal salvation. Ephesians 2:13   NLT But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ . I may not be able to spell it out as well as other people can, and thus I point you to a text that is over 220 years old.   These words, though a bit odd in our modern language, well explain what Jesus did for us. And Can It Be by Charles Wesley And can it be that I should gai...