Persons over People. I love the buzz of a room full of people on Sunday mornings; It was especially good yesterday as we had been apart for a week! But as I went through the morning and then returned last night for Community Group, I was reminded of the value of persons over people. One person at a time we like to say.. Like the one person who's name I botched.. (Sorry Austin!) Names matter, and it honors people even to make the attempt to remember! Persons over people.. Or the names of those new members who in many ways have already become dear friends! Brent, Beth, Jack, Harper, Ronnie, Vicki, David, Lindsay, Abbie, and Isaiah - WELCOME! We love you. Or that one young lady who came forward yesterday and expressed her desire to be baptized.. you matter!
Or the precious persons in our Community Group who caught up and shared what God has been doing in their lives in this last season.. thank you!
Or the individual who was led to Christ on his deathbed by one of our members recently.. praise the Lord - I'll meet you one day brother! Persons over people. One at a time..
Prayer - the core expression of our faith in the King. At the beginning of nearly anything some kind of faith is involved. We're trusting something. Our new sermon series We need a king reminds us of that and it invites us back to one of the simplest expressions of our faith: prayer. Simply asking God to guide us and lead us is placing a level of truth in him! I quoted one of the leaders who has shaped my prayer journey (and as a result, my soul) at different stops in life: John Eldridge. In fact, several things he said in a recent podcast both affirmed and shaped my thoughts as we begin this journey through Judges. I'd encourage you to give the podcast a listen: What needs to change this year, God? Pickles. But not just any pickles. Homemade pickles gifted to me! YUM!!! I had first tasted these pickles at a baptism celebration lunch and they were fabulous. We were handed a gift yesterday and after all the bustle of the Sunday was gone, and the kids were in bed, we opened it to find our very own jar of these beauties! They made for a great bedtime snack! They had me thinking about the process of pickling this morning.. Simple cucumbers that, if left to their own, would decompose. But once dipped in the vinegar and salt and tasty spices, chemically changed forever. Given a new purpose and new beauty... Yup. Pickles remind me of the gospel.
Especially homemade ones that were a great grace to us! Thank you.. And the next time you see a pickle.. you've got a conversation starter!
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