A Friend in Need
My friend, Cynthia MacPhee, has been going through quite a trial lately: a serious bout with cancer. We thought she had licked it a few months ago but it has returned with a vengeance. Fortunately, she was diagnosed quickly again and has seen some of the finest doctors in the world to address the issue. I hope you’ll join me for praying for her, her husband and my former colleague Bill, and their family. Silk and I have the greatest respect for them and we have journeyed through some difficult seasons in life and ministry together.
As Cynthia has been recovering from the recent surgeries, she and Bill have been able to play together in the hospital. Recently the reported playing Hangman (see the picture posted here). Do you remember this game? It’s a game that I love playing with my kids.
Well, Cynthia is brilliant. She chose a phrase that is one of Bill’s oft quoted lines:
“You don’t go to church. You Are the Church!”
Ok, call me biased toward my friends, but I love that! It’s so true. The bible talks about church not as a place, a location or a building. Rather we are the people of God, on journey with him. It is our life with him displayed to those around us in community that the church is at her best. It’s when we rally around our friends like Silk and I are as best we can from afar fighting for Cynthia’s health and life. We pray diligently trusting the Lord for her healing!
Living Out the Value
And for A3, we seek to live this out in our common life. We say “We LIVE Community”. As we live out this core value together, we embody what it means to practice the great command: “to love our neighbor as ourselves”. It’s our life together in community, in motion and in Christ that we are all that God has called us to be.
Join Us in Prayer
Would you join me in praying for my friend Cynthia and her family? And, in these days where our world is desperately in need of the “one anothers”, would you join me in stepping up to the plate to “Be the Church”. The world is hungry for people to authentically live this out with one another and in Jesus.
In Jesus love and in community together… And, we’re praying for you Cynthia!
Joe Handley
@jwhandley
More Information
Bill MacPhee, Teaching Pastor | Twitter: @billmacphee
website: https://billmacphee.com/
The River Church of the South Bay
3525 Lomita Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505
http://riversouthbay.org
