Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook
there is too much anger rising, even in our own churches. She gave that boy love. We think of the rise of hate in our world throughout politics and throughout our com- munities, and instead of responding with hate in kind, she gave forgiveness. We think about wrath, rising voices and wrath going out into the night, and instead of wrath, she gave grace. We think about revenge that occurs so often in our secular political world, talk of revenge to their enemies on both sides of the aisles. And instead of revenge, she gave Jesus. You see Bishop Bigham-Tsai. She gave Healing, Out-Reaching, Peace-Seeking, Ever- lasting Grace because she realized what John said in his Gospel said was true when he spoke of Jesus: Jesus was the life. The life was the light of the world. The light has Gracious God, I thank you for all the churches here today. I thank you for the lay leaders. I thank you for the pastors. I praise you for the work that they have done. I ask for your Holy Spirit to infuse them and go into them. When people walk into the doors, they see it as truly a house of God and they feel the presence of God in each and every person there. I ask you to guide us. I ask you to raise up more pastors. I ask you to embolden us with this bold love to give people Jesus even in our darkest hours. Finally, gracious God, I ask you for everyone here, myself included, each and every day to make us more like you and less like us. This I pray in Jesus’ beautiful name and we all say together, Amen. entered into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. So we need pastors that we need to intensify giving people Jesus. Prayer:
226 Leadership Reports
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