Of Grief and Hope – from Lent to Easter
Sickness, dying, and death seem to be all around these past days and weeks. You can probably fill in the names and faces of those you know and love in your various circles of family and friends who suffer, who wait anxiously, and who grieve, or are preparing to grieve. These things seem to come and go in waves, but perhaps it is not coincidental that this is happening during the season of Lent, with patches of snow still clinging to the earth in contrast to bare trees and brown, lifeless, grass and plants. The cold of winter has sapped our inner reserves; we are empty, and we yearn for spring, for new life, for Resurrection.
C. S. Lewis wrote these words at the beginning of his book, “A Grief Observed”:
No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning…. At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in.
We are not the first, and we are not alone when we cry out to God. “My soul is cast down within me…my tears have been my food day and night. How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (from Psalm 42, 13, & 22) “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. For my life is spent in sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away” (Psalm 31: 9&10).
Yet in the midst of grief, of numbness and shock, of sadness and weariness, there arise many and various signs of hope and love. Signs of spring, life, and yes, the hope of the Resurrection! To one, a profound peace is given, and anxiety is taken away. Where people thought they were alone and unloved, there are family, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers offering comfort, help, and a loving presence. To another there is release from long suffering and pain; death can be a gift. “I am at peace with God. I am ready to go home,” said with a smile of knowing and expectation derived from years of living in faith and hope.
Grieving and healing both take time. There are no short-cuts, no quick fixes. Yet as surely as the snow melts, shoots appear through the dead ground and buds on a lifeless branch, so too will our hearts be healed and our hope restored. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, the continuing mystery of His presence with us through grace, we will be able to proclaim with confidence out of our lived experience of faith, “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!” (Psalm 30: 11&12)
This is our life-long journey from Lent to Easter.
Confession = Telling the Truth
Why did you sing that song? What does “Little Lion Man” have to do with church or the Christian faith?
Our music group for Wednesday night Recharge sang a song from Mumford and Sons called, “Little Lion Man.” For those of you who know it, we did the “clean” version. Afterward a couple kids came up and asked about the song. They liked it, but wanted to know why we sang it. Good questions! I love our kids when they are thinking deeply, critically, and (while they may be surprised they are doing this) THEOLOGICALLY.
To give you a hint, here are the words from the chorus: But it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line, I really MESSED it up this time, didn’t I my dear?
Figure it out? It’s about confession: telling the truth that we are at fault, we messed up, we are responsible for our mess!
Have you noticed any messes in your life, in our community, state, country, and world? Have you noticed that no one is taking responsibility for the messes? “Not my fault!“ And have you noticed that our leaders at every level and from every side are experts at blaming everyone else but themselves? The “boogie men” we blame for all of the messes, and the so-called solutions we heap on the backs of others, really reveals our own blind spots and our own faults.
So, as we enter into the season of Lent, when Christians have traditionally thought of giving things up as part of their discipline of faith and focusing on our need for Christ, I want to suggest that we try giving up blaming others for all of the messes and look at how we contribute to the mess. Then maybe, once we have told the truth about ourselves, that we are to blame, we are at fault, we have contributed to the mess, maybe then we will realize and do our part to clean up the mess; to fix, to sacrifice, to heal, to build up instead of tear down.
“If we say we have no sin, we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 8&9
Sanctified and Called to be Saints
“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 1: 2-3
I used to think that to be “holy” was to be perfect. Trying to sit still during Sunday School, we were told solemnly, “you must be holy, just as the Lord is holy.” Those Sunday school teachers and church leaders, and especially the pastors, were people I looked up to (literally and figuratively). But they always seemed so serious, and (no offense intended), made being “holy” seem boring. Very serious, very boring. To my young mind and perception, to be “holy” meant you had to be serious and boring, or in the case of some, seriously boring. Even to myself, Mr. Goody-two-shoes, this was something to be avoided at all costs!
Oh, I definitely wanted to experience the love of God in Jesus, and to love God and then try to love others. When I was a kid, I did experience God’s love, a lot, and I did try and show God’s love to others. I even tried to love my little sister, except when she messed with my stuff. I had to learn to ask forgiveness pretty early on. (That Barbie doll I ruined because you moved my plastic army men, sorry Lori!).
I never wanted to be “holy,” and I most definitely never wanted to be a “saint.” Did you ever see a picture or a statue of a saint? These were serious, boring people who looked either very mad at something or kind of had a dazed look on their faces! I remember a picture of a statue of Martin Luther in our Wednesday School (Sunday was too full, imagine that!) classroom. He looked like one serious and mean dude!! Again, as a kid, becoming a “holy saint” was as appealing as having all of the blood sucked out of you by leeches (which really happened to a kid the week before we went to the Shores of St. Andrew’s for a week of church camp! At least that was what one of the counselors told us, and church camp counselors never tell scary stories to campers!). The picture that was painted in my mind of “holy saints” did not fit with my understanding of Jesus and my experience of God’s presence in my life. And I know I wasn’t the only one!
It has taken me a long time, but I’m finally beginning to understand that it is not that I have to be “holy,” but that through Jesus Christ I have been made holy; sanctified by the Holy Spirit. It is not what I do, it is what Christ Jesus has already done for me, and continues to do in me! Through his death and resurrection, he has made me right with God, and this is a gift of grace and love to be received by faith and trust. And Jesus does call me to be a saint, to be a person that lives out of this new, right relationship with God, to live by grace through faith and grow in trust and love of the Lord, and yes, love of my neighbors too. My understanding of what it means to be “holy” and to be a “saint” has changed radically since I was a kid, thanks to the example and teaching of so many “holy saints” who continue to show me that following Jesus is not seriously boring, but is the most exciting, challenging, and fulfilling adventure of all! I am so thankful that Christ has made me holy and calls me to be one of his saints; a sometimes serious, sometimes boring, sometimes mad and mean person, who lives by God’s grace through faith.
What are the “Big Rocks”? Change or die?
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the professor who placed a big jar in front of class, and then started filling it up with some big rocks. He asked the class was the jar full? They said, “yes.” Then he put in medium sized rocks that fell between the big rocks. Again he asked the class was the jar full? Again, most of the class said, “yes,” but some hesitated. Then he poured in some sand which fell between the cracks of the big and medium sized rocks. He asked the class again, was the jar full? Now most of the class hesitated. Then he took out a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar. Now, he said, the jar is full. “The hard part is,” he went on to explain, “figuring out which are the big rocks (the most important things in life), from those that are of medium importance, and those many small things that distract us and take up most of our time, attention, and energy. Always put the BIG ROCKS in first!” The necessary challenge is to set priorities!
When John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near,” he was calling us to change our thinking/attitudes and to change our living/actions, so that our whole lives may be aligned to welcome in God’s Kingdom. John is calling us to answer the question: in God’s Kingdom, what are the BIG ROCKS? And, are we putting the BIG ROCKS in first, through our attitudes, actions, and the use of our time, talents, and treasures? Or have we filled our lives and our church with medium sized rocks and small pebbles, pouring water over it (blessing it) and calling it good enough?
As we address another budget deficit for 2011, we will need to again ask the question: WHAT are the BIG ROCKS, and are we putting those things first, before those medium and small priority things; and, HOW are we going to put in those BIG ROCKS first in terms of the time and effort of our committees, lay leaders, the church members, and the staff? Honest reflection and feedback, evaluation and prioritizing, and finding the tools and resources will help us on the way.
A Task Force already met last week to start brainstorming ideas to help us address our budget deficit for 2011. Our first step was to clarify what the current situation really is, not just in terms of the budget, but in terms of the “why” we are in this situation. So, what’s going on? 1) Many people are unemployed, or significantly underemployed, as well as facing other financial difficulties because of health issues; 2) Some families have moved or withheld giving because of the ELCA vote to allow congregations to bless same-sex relationships and call gay clergy in committed relationships; 3) We have seen stagnant growth for the past four to five years; 4) We have ministry areas that are not as healthy, vibrant, or effective as they should or need to be.
We then quickly developed a list of budget priorities and identified areas that could be reduced or cut, and then funded or accomplished in other ways, while keeping focused on our CORE MINISTRY and MISSION. Some ministries will need to figure out how to fund themselves, for instance: all costs for adult education (books, DVD’s, speakers, etc.) will need to be paid for by the participants, or through donations. We need to decrease postage expenses by increasing and improving our use of website and internet technology to better connect with our members and the community to increase participation. We also need those that can to increase their giving for 2011, even if just a small amount a week. Through budget adjustments, deferring expenses to 2012, small but widespread increases in giving, and reducing a variety of line items across the budget, we will reduce the deficit to a reasonable and manageable level for 2011. But what about the BIG ROCKS of our ministry and mission?
Well, the BIG ROCKS are not: specific programs or activities, committees, groups, staff, or people in the church.
The BIG ROCKS are the following 8 quality characteristics of healthy, growing congregations:
- EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP
- GIFT ORIENTED MINISTRY
- PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY
- FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES
- INSPIRING WORSHIP SERVICES
- HOLISTIC SMALL GROUPS
- NEED-ORIENTED EVANGELISM
- LOVING RELATIONSHIPS
Notice that these 8 quality characteristics describe practices, habits, and attitudes that are reflected in the programs, activities, groups, staff, and members of the congregation, not the other way around. The organization, “Natural Church Development,” has been doing research and working with over 45,000 churches around the world on improving these 8 quality characteristics of their congregations, and the results have been impressive. This is not a program, but a way of reflecting, evaluating, and prioritizing the ministry and mission of the church. It is not a quick fix, but a way of seeking on-going growth, improvement, and health for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the spiritual growth to maturity of Christ’s disciples.
Change is hard. Change is natural and unavoidable. Yet, we do avoid it at almost any cost, even given the ultimatum, “Change or die!” So God sends us prophets like John the Baptist, to prepare the way, “Repent (CHANGE), for the kingdom of heaven is near!” Or we are confronted with another budget deficit, which I believe God is using to wake us up for the need to change, to re-evaluate, to re-commit ourselves to improving our ministry and mission that God has given us, because for Christus Victor, if we don’t change, it will probably not be immediate “death,” but a slow progression unto “death” by having to cut staff and cut ministries because we didn’t change what we needed to change for the growth and health of the ministry, mission, and most importantly, the spiritual growth of the disciples of our church and community.
I much prefer playing around with “small rocks,” because it gives me the illusion that I am in control, that what I want to focus my time, talents, and treasures on is ultimately important. But when circumstances make me focus on the BIG ROCKS, I realize I’m not in control, and that I need to pray, a lot, and to give control over to God, and then follow where He leads, even if that means “repenting/changing” for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, there you have it, we’ve got to change, we’ve got to repent, for the Kingdom of God has come near! Repent/change, and believe the Good News!
Expectation in Advent: searching for hope in anxious times
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12: 12
In the 12th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans, he gives the Roman Christians encouragement and directions for living out the Christian faith. Paul is no pollyanna, ignoring the difficulties of life and the challenges of living as disciples of Jesus Christ. He knows first hand the power of faith in Jesus Christ to overcome and face the pain and suffering of persecutions and the struggles of following his Lord and Savior. There are internal and external threats and temptations to sin and commit evil. There are constant temptations to fall away, to not use one’s God-given gifts for the building up of the church or in service toward others, and to give in to pride and anger.
Looking for hope in anxious times
In the midst of Advent, the preparation and waiting for the celebration of Christ’s mass, comes the haggard, wild figure of John the Baptist. Not preparing the way for a baby, but for an unknown adult, a yet to be revealed, expected Messiah. The Anointed One of God, bringing judgment, an ax to cut down trees that do not bear fruit, a winnowing fork to clear the wheat from the chaff, and then burn the chaff with unquenchable fire! Oh, my! He’s no jolly old St. Nick.
John’s urgent message, his divine prescription to prepare for the coming Messiah is for us to REPENT and BEAR FRUIT worthy of repentance. But like the Sadducees and the Pharisees of long ago, we have half-hearted, impure intentions, hoping that some sort of superficial sign of repentance and change will be enough. We want change and we want it now, but only if others have to bear the burden and the cost instead of us, because we don’t want to be the ones who have to change. We give lip service to faithful stewardship, discipleship, and service, and act surprised when there isn’t enough money or enough people to support and equip the ministries and mission of the church. It isn’t good enough that our children and kids serve and learn and grow in knowledge and understanding in faith in God. We’re the ones who need to REPENT (change our way of thinking=growing in our knowledge of God and the Word) and BEAR FRUIT (be a blessing to others=serve, lead, help)! Unfortunately for we are a sneaky brood of vipers, avoiding the only real change and deep change that will do the job.
We do need to cut down and cut out those things in our lives that keep us from growing in our relationship with God. Keep us from living fruitful lives of blessing, grace, love, and forgiveness for the sake of our neighbors and the world. We do need to get beyond the chaff, the outward image, the “flesh” and the trappings of the world; we need a spiritual winnowing fork to remove the thin facade of chaff that hides our true selves. The “Chaff” is not our true self, it is the external stuff that matters to us but not to God. It is the wheat, the seed, the kernel underneath that is the most important to God, because that is our true self that God loves and cares about.
John the Baptist does point us to hope, by changing our thinking about what is really important and matters and lasts, and then live our lives accordingly, which results in bearing fruit, not for ourselves, but for others. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is coming near! Hope is on the way!
Passionate Worship, Passionate Faith
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one Body. And be thankful! Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3: 15-17
I am extremely grateful to my friend and colleague, Rev. Bill Smith, who preached one of the best Stewardship/Passionate Faith sermons I think I have ever had the pleasure of hearing! With his excellent preaching, the wonderful music from the Senior Choir at 8:30am, and JIFY at 11:00am, the moving Gratitude Moment/Faith Story from Sandy T. and the excellent call to action for the Thanksgiving Baskets by Alana T., at both services, even after cutting many elements out of the worship, both went and hour and a half, something that is highly unusual here at Christus Victor Lutheran Church. And yet, the overwhelming response from those who attended worship on Nov. 7 was enthusiasm and gratitude! Both worship services were very moving and powerful, touching people’s minds, hearts, and souls with the Gospel of Christ Jesus, stirring people’s faith.
As I’ve been processing the dizzying amount of emails and facebook postings about the worship services, what struck me was one question by a high school student, “Why can’t worship be like this all of the time?” That got me reflecting on what was it about yesterday’s worship that was so powerful to most people? What was different from our average worship services, which are typically not as long or always as moving as yesterday?
The seemingly obvious answer was Pastor Bill, our guest preacher. And while he is an incredibly gifted and passionate preacher, there were also a lot of people who knew he was coming and were, therefore, filled with great expectation. They were looking forward to the sermon! Added to that expectation, the choir changed their anthem in honor of Pastor Bill and with special musicans gave a passionate, spirit-filled performance. Added to that were the excellent talks by both Sandy T. and Alana T.; passionate, moving, faith-filled, and very well done. Do you see a pattern? There was a critical mass of people who had expectant hearts and who had been preparing diligently for worship.
Take a second look at the Colossians text and notice the word “LET.” “LET the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…LET the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” In other words, be open and welcome Christ into your hearts and lives. Jesus promised, that wherever two or three are gathered together in his name, he is there among them and with them. The issue is not, as a few have suggested, that Christ was more present this past Sunday than on any other Sunday, because Christ promises to be present always through the Word and Sacraments in our worship. Perhaps the lesson for us is to be open to Christ, be expectant for Christ, be prepared to do our part well, whatever it may be. So that, as the peace and word of Christ dwells in us richly, we may proclaim Christ in our words, in music and singing, in our prayers, in our confessions of sin and faith, in our passing of the peace of Christ, in the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine. The result of which is GRATITUDE – hearts and lives filled and renewed through faith in Christ Jesus.
May we come every week expectant and with diligent preparation, especially of our hearts and minds, to worship our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Gratitude amidst the mess
I’ve been trying to catch up on all of the administrative and management tasks I have to do as a Senior Pastor of a mid-to-large size congregation. One of those tasks has been writing the annual Stewardship letter to the congregation. This year’s theme is GRATITUDE. We’ve planned a series of speakers from the congregation to talk about Gratitude, Faith, and Giving, and how those things connect in their own lives.
So first thing Monday morning I open up WORD to start writing, when I notice the red light on the phone. It’s our wonderful Church Administrator, Deanna, she’s sick and won’t be in. STRIKE ONE against an attitude of gratitude!
Refocus on Colossians 3: 15b-17 – “And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” A HIT for gratitude!
Oops, forgot to check email. Two items stick out: (1) CV committees need to get their 2011 budget requests in, and (2) “new organizational design” at the ELCA, also known as staff cuts, 65 people to lose their jobs. STRIKE TWO against an attitude of gratitude!
After answering all of the emails, time to meet a council member for lunch to talk over church stuff. Good lunch, great conversation! Talking things out gives one a better perspective. Another HIT for gratitude!
Back to church. Gotta get that letter done! The phone starts ringing with issues, items, questions, “feedback” for one thing and another, as well as leaving messages for people. “Fires” to put out. Trying to find time and make time to meet with people in need for listening, pastoral care, and prayer. Schedules are tight, everyone is overly busy, including me, and the needs are so great. But I’ve got to get that letter on grattitude for stewardship done! Oh no, THANKLESSNESS gets a DOUBLE against GRATITUDE!
That’s how it goes in the life of faith, fluxuating between an attitude of GRATITUDE and an attitude of INGRATITUDE. How easy to lose sight of our blessings. How quickly we are brought down low by all of the negative things and the realities of the “glass is half empty and still leaking.” But then…
A reminder of gratitude. In preparing to share stories from the mission trip to Tanzania, I needed to take a look at a video interview with Kelvin Nzilano, one of the first students sponsored by a family from Christus Victor. Kelvin not only graduated from Moshi University, he is now a lecturer in Economics and Cooperative Management at Moshi University! In the midst of my own messes, I had forgotten that Kelvin rode the bus for over 12 hours to come to personally say “Asante sana/THANK YOU” to the members of Christus Victor, who have not only supported him in his education, but have helped to transform and bless his life, and the lives of his family, church, and those he teaches. “I thank God every day for you people in Minnesota!” he said. The next morning he got back on the bus for the 12 hour dusty, bumpy ride to get back to work. Now that’s a HOME RUN for GRATITUDE!
YES, GRATITUDE AMIDST THE MESS!!! ASANTE SANA YESU/THANK YOU, LORD JESUS!
Getting back to practice!
It is time to get back to some serious practice!
Kids, coaches, and parents alike are getting back into the swing of things as school has begun. New schedules and routines with classes, homework, and all of the sports and extracurricular activities get going. Actually for a lot of our youth and families, there were the practices before the practices – the infamous Captian’s practice! Football, cheerleading, dance squad, and marching band started practicing before the regular practices began. On lesson to learn, is that you can never get in enough practice!
But what about the practices of faith?
I’ve been wondering where we developed the idea that showing up to practice our faith for an hour, maybe two or three a week, (at the most, I mean, let’s be reasonable here!), was sufficient to grow and develop our faith and relationship to God through Jesus Christ? Added to the problem is that we just need to show up. We don’t have to be focused, engaged, or do anything to practice our faith. Can you imagine what would happen if the star quarterback of the football team just showed up to practice, but didn’t actually practice? “Hey, I showed up! What more do you want?”
The Good News about practices…
Jesus Christ always takes us back and has a place for us on his team. Not only that, but no matter how little or how much practice you’ve had in this thing we call the life of faith (a.k.a. discipleship), we are never done practicing, learning, and growing. So, whether you’ve been practicing all summer, or have taken some time off, welcome to the on-going practice of the faith going on here at Christus Victor, and at a church near you!
What Are You Striving For?
“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing…Instead, strive for God’s kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12: 22-23, 31)
What are you striving for?
Maybe it would help if we knew what it meant to strive for something.
STRIVE means: to exert oneself vigorously; to try hard.
By that definition, a lot of people at CV have been striving to enjoy summer to its fullest! And that’s not all bad. People are striving at work. Others are striving to raise kids; which means striving to get kids to all of their activities on time, with food in their stomach (or bag) and clean clothes on their bodies. There are others who are striving to cheer on the Twins, improve their golf game, catch a bigger fish, help their team win the tournament, or make VBS and the Garage Sale both big successes.
We all strive for a lot of things, but Jesus tells us that the most important thing is striving for God’s kingdom! Striving for the kingdom of God is not primarily about deeds and actions, but about having a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus.
Here’s a true story that illustrates how, with a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus, golfing can become a striving for the kingdom of God! A group of guys go golfing together. They invite a friend from church to be a substitute. While golfing they start talking about some events coming up at church, specifically the pancake breakfast after a Sunday Worship Service. “Hey, why don’t you come and help us with the pancake breakfast, we’d love to have you!” Their friend agrees and not only is a great helper, but has a good time serving the community of faith, and shows some interest in getting involved with the Men’s Ministry of the church.
With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus your softball team becomes a small group ministry of the church striving for the kingdom of God, even if you don’t make it to the playoffs. With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus your work at the office and at home raising kids and nurturing your family becomes a striving for the kingdom of God. With a Christ-centered attitude, intention, and focus the Garage Sale becomes more than just selling stuff for the church, it becomes an opportunity for building friendships, new relationships, and serving our neighbors from near and far.
What are you going to strive for this fall? As for me, I am going to strive for the kingdom of God. Let’s strive together!
It’s All About Relationships
“Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’” – Luke 10: 25-28
It’s all about relationships, relationship with God and relationships with our neighbors. Relationships that are grounded in love, love of God, and love of our neighbors. 1 John 4: 10-11 puts it this way, “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sing. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.”
When we have a relationship with God, grounded in love and growing in love, we have life. When we have a relationship with our neighbors, flowing from our love of God, we have life. Notice that the lawyer was concerned about life after death (eternal life), but Jesus says that eternal life begins now with a loving relationship with God that shapes our relationships with our neighbors. “You have given the right answer,” Jesus replied, “do this, and you will live.”
Church Camp at WAPO was all about our kids building their relationship with God and with other campers and counselors (aka “neighbors”). VBS, the Church Garage Sale, the Youth Mission Trip, and the Mission Trip to Tanzania are all about building relationships with God and neighbor, even when those neighbors live far away, or in the case of the Garage Sale come from far away.
As you are reflecting on your summer, so quickly flying by, and pondering the fall, I want you to make a commitment this fall to growing in your relationship with God and with your neighbor.
- You may commit to more regular worship attendance on Sunday morning and the new Wednesday evening RECHARGE.
- You may choose to join a small group this fall, for fellowship, Bible study, or mix and match your own.
- Check out the Sunday morning Adult forums.
- Perhaps service is your thing, so you may want to join a committee or ministry serving the church and our community.
The main thing is to get connected and focus on growing your relationship with God and your neighbors. Love God and love your neighbor, do this and you will have life and have it abundantly!