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Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all managing OK in the snow this week. Snow can be a real nuisance, especially here in the Lower Mainland where we’re poorly equipped for it. I’m glad many of you played it safe and stayed home this past Sunday. Though we missed your smiling faces (and you missed a wonderful Chinese New Years party!), it was pretty slippy and sloppy out there. I trust you’ve been able to keep warm and safe over this past few days.  Just this morning, Fiona tells me that between the time I came to the church and the time she arrived, someone managed to flip their car upside down on the Taylor Way off-ramp. So, things haven’t entirely settled yet. We’ll pray for good roads for this next Sunday.

All the same, everywhere I turn these days I’m amazed at the beauty that comes with that frozen white stuff. Who but our Lord would ever have thought of making water fall from the sky in delicate, frozen crystals that float down and gather in a blanket of sparkling fluff? How creative is that?! I look out my window at the forest, or take a walk down a favorite trail, and the trees which are always beautiful have an extra-special coating that somehow turns them into something magical. Even the rather dull parking lot with its collection of cars looks bright and beautiful first thing in the morning after being snowed on. For a few days, it seems like everything around us is lighter, cleaner, decked out with a gorgeous and artistic coat of white that makes me stop, look, and smile. And praise.

It’s been a good reminder of our Father’s creativity, and of His ability to turn what feels cold and inhospitable into something wonderful. He also has a way of forcing us to slow down, to set aside our crowded agendas for a few moments, and to look around. I know that’s a good thing for me. So, I’m doing my best to embrace it, even though it means traffic runs a bit slower.

I also can’t help but think of a few select passages of Scripture that talk about snow. They don’t get a lot of snow in Israel, so the Bible is sparing in its snow-references. But you’ll all reminder this one:  “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). God’s artistry not only covers the trees and cars and parking lots with a clean, white blanket, but He can also wash the stains on our lives clean and fresh and turn them into something beautiful. That’s great news on any day, whether it’s warm or cold!

We’ll gather to sing again of God’s goodness this weekend, Lord willing. We’ll also return to 1 Corinthians 8-10. Two weeks ago, our plan was to look at the “aside” in this section of Paul’s letter, where he raises some important cautions in the middle of his lesson on disagreeing well. But I was sick, and so we went elsewhere that morning. Hopefully we’ll be able to get back on track this week. If you’re wanting to review the passage again in preparation, the main section we’ll talk about is 1 Corinthians 9:24 through 10:22, though for full context it’s worth looking at the full section from 8:1 through 11:1.

In the meanwhile, have a wonderful week. Stay safe, keep warm, and God bless you richly!

Pastor Ken