*the map from Dec 17
isaiah 61:1-4 (paraphrased from the Message)
The Spirit of God, the Master,
is on me because God has picked and blessed me.He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn…
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes from house fires,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a sad and depressed spirit.Rename them "Huge Trees of Justice"
planted by God to display his glory.
How can you tell if the wind is blowing the leaves of the tree? The Spirit of God is like the wind. You can’t see her but you can see what she’s doing. Listen again to the verses and see if you can tell when the Spirit is near.
Now, who do you think is renamed “huge trees of justice”? We are. Look at the map. Do you remember who planted us here? Have you ever thought of yourself planted here to be a tree of God?
Do you know anyone who is sick or depressed or in jail? How do you think Jesus wants us to help those people or how is the Spirit of God helping these people? God has planted us here in our neighborhood to join the Spirit in helping these people.