Jesus Is Everywhere
With Labor Day behind us, and school well under way… it feels a bit like things are re-starting, right? We have plenty of activities upcoming and beginning again from our Fall New Member Class, Bible Studies, Choirs & Children’s Ministries – plus Youth Groups and various committees and teams working on upcoming projects. As we look to our Sunday worship, back to 2 services at 8:30a & 11a – which continue to grow (you really showed up this past Sunday for Eric Powell while I was away – 23% over last year’s Labor Day attendance!) – it’s time to set the course!
I’m going to try something… somewhat new.
Inspired by Jesus’ words to Nicodemus and a conversation I had with my good friend, I’m going to get a little personal. I want to take the next few Sundays and offer up, Where I’m seeing God or Where I’m seeing Jesus or Where I’m hearing the gospel. If we really believe that, as Paul says in Colossians (3:11) that “Christ is all, and is in all” – then we should, if we’re paying attention, find Jesus… everywhere. We should be able to see Jesus in nature and in a friend, in architecture and in a stranger, in art and music and poetry and movies and television. We should even be able to see Jesus in sports… although, I think I’ll leave that one for another day, seeing as Football season begins this week, and I don’t want to make any more enemies than I already have.
But I, for one, believe that we can see Jesus, everywhere. And for the next several weeks, I’m going to do my best to point Jesus out, where I’ve noticed him, personally. I offer this up as an encouragement – both for you to see some things from a different perspective (and maybe see Jesus where I see Jesus), but also to think more creatively about the world you experience, and where you may be seeing Jesus, but may not have quite noticed before.
I know we don’t all have the same experiences, or enjoy the same things, we don’t go to the same places. So it’s very possible that I’ll be bringing something up over the course of the next several weeks, or going somewhere, that you’re just not interested in going. That’s ok. My goal is not to make you fall in love with the Mingo Park Trails, 90’s Alternative Rock or perfectly crispy bacon. While I love them all, that’s not what matters. What I want to lift up is how I’ve seen Jesus, and ask you, where you’ve seen Jesus!
For starters this Sunday, I’m going to begin with… a movie. Secondhand Lions stars Robert Duvall, Michael Caine and Haley Joel Osment and it was released 23 years ago. If you’ve never seen it, and you don’t like spoilers, it’s very much worth a watch. You can rent it on Amazon Prime ($4), YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play or Fandango ($6). If you’ve already seen it, you may or may not have noticed what I noticed… but after Sunday, I hope you’ll be as encouraged as I am when I watch it.
Jesus is everywhere, if we have eyes to see him. I’m going to take time this Fall to point him out in… what might be some surprising places. I hope you’re willing to go there with me, and together we can grow in Jesus!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – as we look for him together,
Pastor Don