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 Benedictions are prayers of blessing. Here is one that will help us find, and live in, one of God's best gifts.  

 Even when it is imperfect (which it always is), there is value in the community of believers that we call the church.  

                 Richard Griffin, who for many years served as the Queen’s Personal Protection Officer, told this story about her.                The Queen spent the summers in Scotland at Balmoral Castle where she enjoyed hiking in the nearby hills.    One day, she and Richard met a couple from America.   They exchanged greetings and the tourists began to talk about their trip and how much they were enjoying Scotland.   Eventually, one of them asked the Queen, “Where do you live?”   She replied, “In London.   However, I have a holiday home just over the hills”.   One of the tourists then said, “Well, if you come up here in the summer, you must have met the Queen”.   Elizabeth...

 Teaching is great. Sometimes an example is better.  

 Finding - and living in - the blessings of God. The good news, you have what you need.  

                   I heard an interview with comedian Jeff Foxworthy in which he said (and I am paraphrasing here), “I wish I had been a singer.   My singer friends can write three good songs and then get paid to sing them for the next 40 years.   People love hearing their old songs.   That is not true with comedians.   I can write the best joke ever and it has a lifespan of three months.   After that, no one laughs, and they never want to hear that joke again”.                Why is that true?                In part, it has to do with the fact that comedy relies on surprise.   We laugh because ...

 Saying, "Things should be different!" does not help! We must deal with the situation we are in. Here is one way the church must adjust.