Joe's Journal
September 26, 2008
Friends,
God blesses welcoming hearts.
God blessed Abraham and Sarah, who prepared a feast for three strangers and received heavenly news that through them all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
God blessed Mary and Joseph, who trusted God’s vision and welcomed a child who changed the world.
God has blessed First Presbyterian Church as we extended our embrace to…
… Leontine Bailey’s family in 1902, leading to Presbyterian Children’s Home & Services,
… children living in poverty, creating a clinic in 1921 that is part of Children’s Hospital today,
… World War II servicemen, who called our gymnasium “home” while travelling through Dallas,
… the city’s hungry, starting the Stewpot in 1975 and now serving over 2,000 meals a day,
… the children of City Park, beginning our Saturday School ministry in 1977, still thriving today.
God blesses welcoming hearts.
May God bless us as we continue the work of welcoming those God brings our way.
May God bless our church family as we make our building more inviting by…
… creating a new “front door,”
… growing a beautiful garden by the chapel,
… removing barriers to accessibility,
… reinventing our youth area to welcome the next generation,
… opening spaces to meet and greet one another in loving fellowship.
May God bless our community, as we make this neighborhood a more welcoming place to live, learn, serve, and worship, investing in this corner of the city and inviting others to join us here.
Most of all, may God bless our minds and hearts, as we open ourselves to God’s guidance, rejecting fear and familiarity to embrace faith that God has abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine in store for the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.
May God bless us all with an Open Heart. Open Arms.
Grace and peace,
Joe