Trinity United Methodist Church's Daily Scripture Email for Wednesday, 12 February 2014 "The Meaning of Stones"

Trinity United Methodist Church's Daily Scripture Email for Wednesday, 12 February 2014 "The Meaning of Stones"
As the tribes of Israel prepared to cross the Jordan river into Palestine, Joshua said to each representative of the 12 tribes: "Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow olf the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of The Lord. (Joshua 4: 5 - 7).
You do this, don't you?  Every day you are establishing memories - for those who follow you.  On June 1, our Church, Trinity will be celebrating wonderful memories, legacies of faithfulness over the past 60 years, and particularly over the past 20 years as we burn the mortgage and conclude the paying off of our $3.4 million debt, although, over the years it has probably been well over $15 million - in an accumulative way. So, what do these "stones" (buildings) mean?  They mean that God has led us, has been faithful and that people have responded to God's grace.
In your family or among your friends, you are setting traditions, experiences, events that one day they will look back on and remember and give thanks for love expressed and devotion extended and say, "God is good!"  And "I'm grateful to have known her/him as a friend, a parent, an aunt or uncle."  That's the "meaning of stones."
And, finally, as you may know, our Jewish brothers and sisters often place small stones on the top of the graves of loved ones - for this very reason.  
God bless, Dan
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