Eph 1:1,2

1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians will be the next Bible book I'll be going through.  This one is written by Paul, the man who used to persecute and kill Christians because he believed Jesus was an imposter, until the day God met him on the road to Damascus and gave him a makeover.  Paul is writing this book to the believers in Ephesus, but since we're also believers, he writes to us today too.  

Verse 2 has the words that appear so often through out the Bible, telling us that God is near and with us, that the words that follow are His Words, which means they are from Jesus, THE WORD.  Do you ever think about these words when the minister says them off the pulpit on Sunday?  To truly feel that when we worship Him together as a Church that God is with us, and that His Words will be coming through the words of the minister.  Too often I look at the minister as a man, saying his own words, and I can get so frustrated sometimes because I don't think he says what should be said, or twists God's Words to make them say things he wants them to say.  And yet, through all that, God does speak to us through His Word and the songs that we sing.  I guess I need to keep reminding myself to look beyond the man in the pulpit to the One who stands behind him and gives us His grace and peace!