Our Savior's Shared Journey
“Summer Strong”
Do we even dare declare that it is summer? (The crew working on the Church Clean-up day May 4th put away the snow shovels and look what happened!) If we do, what then can we do to go into this warm season with warm hearts? What can we do to continue to strengthen our faith community and our prayer lives and our growth in grace?
(pause)
Any ideas?
(pause)
Worship!
As much as you can; worship! Don’t take the summer off; worship! Your lives of grace-filled, cross-and-empty-tomb-shaped love need the resources God supplies! It’s like this:
Gonna go fishin’? Gotta have gas; Jesus calls us to be fishers of people, so worship will strengthen you to do that wherever you go.
Gonna go campin’? Gotta have a shelter; Jesus offers us an eternal place to abide (in HIM) good for all seasons.
Gonna go travelin’? Gotta have a map; Jesus promises the Holy Spirit it guide and strengthen us all the time, ‘cause God is good!
“But Pastor, we are gone to __________ most every weekend (fill in the blank).” I know. But I also know that there are places near to wherever you will be that followers of Jesus gather to pray and sing and hear God’s Word. Those gatherings may not be familiar, and they may challenge your regular patterns, but Jesus promises to be there (“where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them…”). Go there. Pray there; be with other disciples there and come tell me what it was like and help me grow too.
I am going to challenge the notion that you can do this worship thing alone in the woods or the fishing boat. You can meditate on the wonders of God’s creation in solitude (I do that). You can pray alone (I do that too). You can sing by yourself (… Oh alright, I do that too…). The Holy Spirit can guide you individually. But what the Spirit does and what Jesus does and what your Creator does together in relationship with you and others together in worship together (the multiple “togethers” in this sentence are intentional) is vital to our lives of love. It is really hard to love people if you are not together with them! The love Jesus promises we can do in the power of the Holy Spirit is a verb; active, living, relational.
In worship we can together be Summer Strong!
I am on that journey with you!
Pastor Chris