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Greetings in Christ!
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In John 6, this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we hear a word of promise and comfort from Jesus. “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Since last week’s sermon was about the Feeding of the 5000, a passage that appears earlier in John 6, a theme appears to arise before us, one of sustenance at the hands of God. At many points in history, people have tried to separate these two commitments, the spiritual promise of Jesus as the bread of eternal life and the physical promise of feeding all who hunger and thirst. But if John’s Gospel has anything to say, it’s that these themes are inextricably linked. Simply put, Jesus first ensures immediate thriving before teaching about eternal life. The bread of heaven and the bread of the world come hand in hand in the hands of God. Practically speaking, any teaching about eternity that ignores the immediate needs of people who face food scarcity and homelessness is disingenuous to the God who feeds not only our spirits, but our bodies as well. As we continue to grow in ministry at CLC, let’s help one another to keep this in mind. We’re called to provide both physical and spiritual sustenance, to feed our minds, bodies, and spirits with the blessings of God in Jesus. I’d love to hear your ideas on how do that!
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Greetings in Christ!
Announcements
Devotional Last Sunday’s sermon explored how the Holy Spirit comes to make us storytellers, to make each of us witnesses that tell others about God’s work in our lives and in the world. If you missed it or want to hear that again, it’s available on our website. Isaiah received a similar commission in a vision. So overcome with the gravity of this call, he cried out, “Mourn for me; I'm ruined! I'm a man with unclean lips, and I live among a people with unclean lips. Yet I've seen the king, the LORD Almighty!” In the midst of his dream, an angel, one of God’s messengers, came to him and touched his lips with a burning coal. Yikes! This burning coal reflects images of purification. Much like the process of separating precious metals from rock requires massive amounts of heat, so the process of preparing us to tell God’s story requires preparation and purification. Of course, we also remember that on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came in tongues of fire upon the entire church. Soon after, they spoke languages of the world as they shared the story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. When the Holy Spirit dwells within us, when that tongue of fire takes up residence in our bodies, a constant burning coal remains at work preparing and purifying us for the work of sharing the Gospel. Though we must take this call seriously, we need not fear our uncleanliness, for God chose each of us for this task. God gave us each stories to tell, and more so, prepared us through the Holy Spirit to share those stories faithfully. This week, share a God story, one of those stories where God is an actor, where you must name God as an active part of your daily life. Share that story with someone you care about, who might need to hear it, who God might bless through that story. Greetings in Christ!
Announcements
This Sunday’s reading from Ephesians offers us an invaluable reminder. “God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love.” So many of us struggle with feelings of belonging, of importance, of value. As the world changes around us, our identities feel challenged. As our theologies shift in light of God’s continued work in our world, we wonder whether there’s any ground left for us to stand upon. Yet, this promise of God rings true. We not only stand upon the solid rock of Christ over against the sinking sand of all other things, but the God in Christ adopted us as children out of a deep love for us. Though we fear the violence raging in the world, we’re God’s beloved children. Though change occurs in our communities and our congregations at a ludicrous speed, we’re God’s adopted children. As the aches and pains of life remind us we’re growing older, we’re still God’s adopted children. This Sunday at our congregational meeting, we’re discussing changes to our mission statement and budget, as well as what’s next for the pews and pulpit. These may feel like marks of change, but they’re also marks that we’re God’s beloved children. God’s given us a council who helped clarify our mission. God’s given us the financial flexibility to address the immediate ministry and building needs without going underwater. God’s led us into a revitalized sanctuary that’s seen growth in our worship attendance, our giving, and our outreach ministries. In our conversations, remember that, as the beloved children of God, we each bear the image of Christ as we seek to press into the future that God’s got in store for CLC. Hold on to this promise, that you’re God’s beloved child. Hold on to that same promise that God’s made us all beloved children, despite our differences and disagreements. Beloved by God. That’s what we are. |
Devotional & NewsHere's where you'll find weekly updates and devotional material from within our community. Archives
July 2016
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Worship 10am Fellowship 11am "A fellowship living and sharing the love of God through worship, service, wellness, and hospitality." 
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