Welcome to our website.  UPC is a community church situated in the town of Fort Fairfield, Maine.  We further welcome you to visit our church community on Sunday mornings at 10 AM, and for our Simple Worship service Tuesdays at 6:00 PM *(resuming this fall 9/16). Give us a try. Come discover what is missing, or, perhaps, Who is missing in your life.

United Parish Church, 4 Church Street, Fort Fairfield, ME 04742.

Rev. Diane Langworthy, Pastor

Church Office: 207-472-1552  parsonage:  207-473-7950 

email: dlangwor@maine.rr.com

to submit website material(news or images for consideration) email jreynold@maine.rr.com

Grace For the Moment --- Max Lucado

"God longs to speak as clearly in the workplace as he does in the sanctuary....You may go days without thinking of him, but there's never a moment when he's not thinking of you." 

Week of November 21

A Forever Home
by Max Lucado

For the last twenty years, I've wanted a dog. A big dog. But there were always problems. The apartment was too small. The budget was too tight. The girls were too young. But most of all, Denalyn was unenthusiastic. Her logic? She'd already married one slobbering, shedding beast, why put up with a second? So we compromised and got a small dog.

I like Salty, but small dogs aren't really dogs. They don't bark; they yelp. They don't eat; they nibble. They don't lick you; they sniff you. I like Salty, but I wanted a real dog. A man's-best-friend type of dog. A fat-pawed, big-eating, slurp-you-on-the-face type of dog you could saddle or wrestle or both.

I was alone in my passion until Sara was born. She loves dogs. And the two of us were able to sway the household vote. Denalyn gave in, and Sara and I began the search. We discovered a woman in South Carolina who breeds golden retrievers in a Christian environment. From birth the dogs are surrounded by inspirational music and prayers. (No, I don't know if they tithe with dog biscuits.) When the trainer told me that she had read my books, I got on board. A woman with such good taste is bound to be a good breeder, right?

So we ordered a pup. We mailed the check, selected the name Molly, and cleared a corner for her dog pillow. The dog hadn't even been born, and she was named, claimed, and given a place in the house.

Can't the same be said about you? Long before your first whimper, your Master claimed you, named you, and hung a reserved sign on your room. You and Molly have more in common than odor and eating habits. (Just teasing.)

You're both being groomed for a trip. We prefer the terms maturation and sanctification to weaning and training, but it's all the same. You're being prepared for your Master's house. You don't know the departure date or flight number, but you can bet your puppy chow that you'll be seeing your Owner someday. Isn't this the concluding promise of David?

"And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6 nkjv).

Where will you live forever? In the house of the Lord. If his house is your "forever house," what does that make this earthly house? You got it! Short-term housing. This is not our home. "Our homeland is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20).

We, like Molly, are being prepared for another house.

Don't quench, but rather, stir this longing for heaven.

God's home is a forever home. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps. 23:6 nkjv).

From
Traveling Light
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

John 17:18

Too often, people fall into a belief that they have no real purpose in life. They get up, go to work, come home, and zone out in front of the TV. Then it's time to go to sleep and start all over. Where in this routine are they making time to fulfill their true purpose? This isn't the model that Jesus set for us.

When we look at the life of Christ, we can clearly see His coming was no accident. His time was not wasted. He lived His life "on target."

Scripture shows without a doubt Jesus was sent to serve. Many times in the Gospels, Jesus refers to having been "sent" by the Father. That word implies focus and intent. Our Savior didn't stumble upon the earthly scene. His coming wasn't an accident or a happy coincidence. The idea is not that Jesus just "appeared". He was sent and to the world for a purpose.

Matthew chapter 20:28 reveals Jesus came not to conquer, but to serve. His life reveals a clear mission. Everything He does in the Gospels points back to a four-part purpose: to reveal the Father, die for sin, save the lost, and provide abundant life.

No matter where He was, who He was with, or what He was doing, the Lord always kept His eye on His purpose. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, so we are sent by Christ to carry His message of hope throughout the world. Is this purpose evident in your daily routine? Pray for clarity and focus as you serve the Lord today.