Once per week or so, Fallon’s faith leaders offer their thoughts on faith and life. Any church or faith community of any kind is welcome and encouraged to participate. If you have ideas for topics we should write about, or if you or your pastor or faith leader would like to participate, please call Pastor Dawn Blundell at Epworth UMC, 775-423-4714.
If you’d like to talk more about anything you read here, or if you would like prayer or a listening ear, we hope you will reach out to one of us. If you don’t already have a church home, you are invited to join us for worship, too! You’ll find contact information and worship times below.
This month, we are focusing on hope and where we find it. We would love your feedback! Where do you find hope? What does your own faith or religious tradition tell you about where to look for it?
Chad Biar, St John’s Lutheran Church
Senior Pastor
In-person worship at 10:00am; parking lot drive-in service on 90.9FM
For more info, please call 775-423-4146, or visit www.rtgfallon.com
It may sound corny, but I’m getting hope from God’s gift of a child growing in my wife’s womb. While morning sickness hasn’t made things especially easy for her, by all accounts the baby is healthy. I know a lot of people have made comments on how the uncertainty of our present has scared people away from having kids, or wanting to put it off until things settle down, but the reality of the matter is that life on this side of glory is always uncertain. There have always been concerns about why the world wasn’t “just quite right” to have a child yet, but yet we keep being born, and humanity continues. God led His people through the wilderness, the exiles, Roman occupation, wars, famines, and despots, but has still faithfully given a new generation to know His Name. And while I know life won’t be perfect and there will be hardships for my little one, I’m confident that God will walk with and watch over him/her.
Nathan Dahl, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Bishop, Fallon Sheckler Ward
For more info, please call 775-742-9040 or visit www.churchofjesuschrist.org
These past months have, at times, felt overwhelming, full of contention, injustice, grief and fear. But through this season of collective pain I have also experienced moments of joy, love, laughter and thoughtfulness. It is in these moments that I have seen the hand of God working in my life. Some of these moments have been on a national level, like watching Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman risk his safety to protect and serve, or finding out that the scientific community has developed a vaccine for the Coronavirus. But most of these moments have been simple occurrences like receiving a supportive text from someone I admire, coming home to find that one of my kids has taken the trash to the curb when I have forgotten, or a phone call from a friend at just the right time. My experience has been that in difficult seasons I see God most clearly in the simple acts of kindness and service offered by others. We can each be the hands and feet of God as we serve and show compassion to all those around us.
Stephen Duarte, Parkside Bible Fellowship
Director of Student Ministries
Sunday School at 9:00am, worship services Sunday mornings at 10:15am and 6:00pm
For more info, please call 775-423-3855 or visit www.parksidebible.com
Christians can have hope because God “… works all things according to the counsel of his will…” (Eph 1: 11) Political turmoil, persecution, disease, nothing stops God from accomplishing his will. Even if the Christian’s worst fears are realized, God has ordained them for good. God uses suffering to make the Christian more like Christ; God uses death to bring the Christian to Christ. What does the Christian have to fear in light of sovereign God? God is accomplishing all his perfect will, even now. However, only those who cling to Jesus’ work on the cross for salvation from the wrath their sins deserve can have this hope. If your hope is not in Christ, you have no lasting foundation for hope. You need Christ.
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