Scripture: Ephesians 6:18
Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers.
Thought for the Day: Last night was the sixth and final Congregational Conversation. Actually, that was the last of the Bruce-led conversations for now, but I pray that the conversations are just beginning. It was my intention to lay out a number of ideas, dreams, essential practices, expectations, hopes, alongside some questions and unknowns. It is clear that it stirred up some folks…in a good way. I have received emails for clarification, encouragement, excitement, hope and a few, “What’s next?” The answer to this question comes back to you – What will be next for us?
The other night, we had a first time visitor show up for one of our sessions. She was just driving by, stuck her head in and asked what was going on. She was in her late 20’s or early 30’s, and after the session, she talked about how much she learned and how excited she was about the church. This was an outsider with no knowledge of this place, but she said very convincingly, “I’ll be back!”
Churches are notorious for sparking interest, building some excitement, beginning the movement, and then finding itself distracted as the dream is lost amidst the knee-deep muck of the trivial or even idolatrous. What was set out in the Congregational Conversations hopefully brought a few more folks onto the path of vision and mission. The final destination was not clearly defined for a couple of reasons – 1. I’m not too sure exactly what it will look like; 2. There needs to be more input from the entire congregation; 3. God might be moving us in this direction now only as preparation for a dramatic move in a different direction.
I make some simple requests of you: Don’t let the buzz die! Please continue to be persistent in your prayers! Ask questions that encourage us to dig deep and explore what faithfulness should look like within our current cultural context. And of course, continue to love one another as Christ loves us.
Prayer: Continue to give us reason to buzz with excitement. You are the source of all that is good and wonderful, O Mighty God, and as we find ourselves in tune with you, the path of faithfulness will be made more clear. Amen.
SUNDAY’S SERMON:
Three Weeks on Jeremiah
