This week's update...

Greetings in Christ! 

 

Announcements

• Our Sunday Discipleship Group (9:45AM) will finish our two week discussion on Lutheran theology, sexuality, and practice this Sunday. Join us!
  
  
• The Congregational Meeting will be on July 12th right after worship.
  
  
• The next ATS is Sunday, July 19th, at 3pm at the Fairview Home in Dublin. Our theme will be Celebrating Others.
  
  
• Pastor Andrew will be on vacation from July 13th-20th and in Pittsburgh at the ELCA Appalachian Ministry Task Force meeting July 22nd-23rd.
  
  

Devotional

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.