A Moment of Stillness
I hope you’re finding our Lenten series Formed in Christ; Invitations to Grow in Jesus to be helpful. I’m committed to doing my best to provide instruction but also clear, concrete steps to try these, if you feel God leading you. I expect you’ve heard of some of them before, you may regularly practice some of them already, but I expect one or two might be brand new. I’m particularly excited to explore these next few together – there’s a few surprises coming, including this Sunday.
The operative word though is, together.
While some of these practices or invitations can be done alone (fasting, prayer & journaling) some of these are done together, or require the further commitment of the community to be successful (sabbath rest, service & fellowship). That invitation to serve included 11 different opportunities at CUPC as well as 5 other organizations in our wider community that we support. And they didn’t even include the opportunity to help prepare VBS crafts that many of you took us up on yesterday and today – thank you!
I want you to know, I’m doing this right alongside you. I want to grow more and more like Jesus, by doing the things he did, which includes serving, and also includes stretching myself from time to time – and I did that yesterday. I sat down with the Director of Resurrection Power to hear more about their ministry and see… maybe… if God might be inviting me to participate in some way. And what a meeting! I came away so very encouraged and committed to finding some ways that we can get more resources into your hands and our community’s hands about this and other recovery ministries and resources.
Our church has supported the work of Rez Power for longer than I’ve been here, but honestly, I didn’t have much of a knowledge or connection. I had a ton of reasons why – the chief of them being “I don’t have enough time to get involved in one more thing…” Which is true, but also an excuse. There have been more than enough touch points over the years where God was leading me to connect with them… and I just didn’t.
Anything like that in your life?
I really want you to consider stepping out to serve in some way over the coming weeks. It does NOT have to be here! This is not a plug to fill slots at CUPC! We’ll always have need for people to serve, and always make room if someone wants to serve. That’s not what this is about. This is about exposing all of us to use our gifts and talents to bless others, and be blessed in return in the process! I could honestly care less where you serve, if you’re just stepping up and stepping out – you’re going to grow – which is what we’re all about!
By the way – yesterday our team of 8 landed in Honduras and are, right now, connecting and re-connecting with sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ – and four of them are doing it for the very first time! That’s a HUGE deal to get on a plane, fly five hours away into a developing country you’ve never been to, where they speak a language that’s you’re not fluent in… and try to love and serve. Kudos to them for doing it! Please pray for the continued safety, strength, stamina, spiritual vitality, growth and encouragement over this week.
But hey – you don’t have to go to that length to serve – to bless others in Jesus name and to be blessed in return. There are a ton of opportunities right outside your front door (and some you can do from inside too!)
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – serving one moment at a time,
Pastor Don