For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Do not fear, I will help you."
Isaiah 41:13
Do you ever feel like you are working hard and going nowhere? Doing something that used to work, but doesn't seem to get the job done now? Many people of faith have had this experience, including Jesus! In Mark, Chapter 6, Jesus gets rejected in his hometown, sends out the twelve disciples as missionaries for the first time (doesn't go well), and finds out his cousin John the Baptist has been killed. Not a great time. He gets to heal the Gennesaret guy and feed 5000, but why does the stuff that doesn't work have a greater impact on us than our successes?
Many people in American churches today feel like they are working hard and getting nowhere. New people coming to our churches are few and far between, and we are barely keeping our doors open while feeling exhausted.
Do not fear! God is here! Question is: are we connecting to God? God may be ever present in our lives, but are we relying on our own resources and experience to find success and instead finding failure, or are we tapped into God's plan and power?
God is reaching out to hold our hand, but we are often too busy with our own plans to hold God's hand. If what we are doing is no longer bearing fruit, maybe it is time to rest and allow God to restore us. Then we can focus on God's plan, and perhaps by working with God we can start to make progress again.
There are American churches that are growing. There are church members who are not tired and frustrated, but strong and vital. This week I am attending Leadership Institute at Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City, Kansas. I will be surrounded by people turning to God for inspiration and power to lead God's people in new directions, to connect with new people, and to make a difference in our communities.
Fear not! Let's turn to prayer and reflection so we can let God's power flow through us. Let us receive new ideas from God that help us connect to the people around us to build new families of faith. Amen.
Pastor Anna-Lisa
September 27, 2023
Trying something new: People filling Gratitude Bags as a way to say "thank you" to our local firefighters and first responders, September 17, 2023. Next Gratitude Bag day is October 15.