Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the countless blessings you so graciously give. Especially during the times when we don’t feel blessed, may we count every blessing in all seasons of life, and find comfort in your never-ending presence. Amen
Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: The October 28th devotional reflected on Luke 6:20-31, and the heading in my Bible for this passage is “Blessings and Woes.” On All Saint’s Sunday, my pastor’s sermon also reflected on this passage, and pointed out that its blessings are similar to the beatitudes that appear in the start of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. I had never made this connection before and I especially found the blessings in Luke to be encouraging, because even in the times when we feel that we are not blessed, this assures that we are! Additionally, my pastor also pulled Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 in to connect to the blessings and woes. This passage brings back a lot of memories for me, because part of it is quoted at the end of every week spent at camp, as we send off our campers to return home. It begins with, “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. This is like tying the bow on top of a present- reminding us that we are not blessed because of what is happening in our life, but because of God’s never-ending presence in our lives. No matter what the season brings, we are blessed. True blessedness comes with the presence of God! --Anne Harshbarger
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