July, 2024
YAWNS AND GROANS
I loved the sign so much I took a picture of it. Polly’s at the Pier is a restaurant/coffeeshop/bar in the town of Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix. St. Croix is the poster child of the quintessential tropical island paradise. When you are approaching Frederiksted by sea, there are no high-rise buildings. None of the typical tourist traps like “Senor Frog” or “Margaritaville” restaurants clutter the end of the docking pier. Only a small town, with plentiful green spaces, laid out in the traditional British colonial pattern of 7 streets by 7 streets.
Polly’s is on one of the streets. Ann and I ran inside to escape the rain, and to quench our thirst. The coffee was strong and delicious. It wasn’t until I had finished half the cup that I realized my yawns had disappeared. My yawning body was trying to tell my mind what I needed to drink!
As I noted in one of the last Wednesday’s Family Night studies on Ephesians, prayer is important. All Christians pray, some more than others. Prayer is also very personal. We all pray differently, both in content and mode. Where are you when you pray? Do you have a set time or place? Do you close your eyes, bow your head, get down on your knees?
Mode is one thing; content is another. Sometimes it is difficult to know what to pray, what words to use, or how to make it sound “professionally religious”. My advice is to remember what the Apostle Paul wrote: let the Spirit tell us. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”. (Romans 8:26)
Pray what is on your heart. Say your praises, count your blessings, give voice to your concerns, even yell out your complaints. Let the Spirit move you, and you will pray what needs to be said. For just as yawns call for coffee, so does the Spirit lead us to call out what we “ought to pray for… through wordless groans”.
Prayer and coffee. A most excellent way to begin the morning!
Blessings ~ Pastor Richard
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Welcome To Olive Branch
Jesus said to his disciples… “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…”
Olive Branch Christian Church exists to help bring people into a deep, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, nurture them toward spiritual maturity, and equip them to share God’s grace and love in ministry.
At Olive Branch We:
- Worship God
- Grow as Christ’s followers
- Serve to touch lives with God’s love
- Give to build God’s kingdom
- Invite more people into a life saving relationship with Jesus Christ
We invite you to explore how you might grow in your faith at Olive Branch, and we hope you’ll come to experience for yourself what Olive Branch Christian Church is all about.
Located on Route 60 between Norge and Toano, Virginia, Olive Branch Christian Church has stood proudly for over 175 years.
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