This autumn, we are reflecting in worship on the same stories the youngest among us are discussing in Church School, going through the Bible from the beginning.
From our series, Living the Word:
God created humans to be in relationship with their Creator and blessed them with all they would need. Desiring the best for us, God regularly calls us back into relationship and invites imperfect people to be part of God’s beautiful story of redemption. This relationship with God requires trust, and often challenges us to step out in this trust. When God calls, God also provides all that is needed to live faithfully as a blessing to others.
“A new world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day I can hear her breathing.” – Arundhati Roy
When was the last time that you slowed down enough to really listen to the world around you? To a loved one? To yourself?
It’s hard to be present. I know I feel a little whiplash on days when I rush from church to campus to childcare and back. Maybe some of you feel this way, too?
Last week, Kent encouraged us to think about the manna that we are feasting on. What are we feasting on? Does it sustain us? (Reminder from Kent’s sermon: most news is not manna!) Each day we make choices about where to feast our attention. It’s a precious resource we have.
If we take the time to slow down, be present, and listen, we might discover that God has been right there all along, calling to us.
On Sunday, we’re going to slow things down, in order to listen deeply to the voice of God. The last several weeks, we have explored how “God provides blessings” through the stories of Creation, Abraham and Sarah, the binding of Isaac, Jacob and Esau, Moses in the wilderness, and most recently, manna and quail in the wilderness.
For the next few weeks, we’ll move through the Old Testament and hear stories about how, “God calls.” We start this Sunday with the call of Samuel.
For those of you at Fall Fellowship Weekend — I hope you have a wonderful time of connecting! For those joining on Sunday, you can expect a more low-key, intimate worship setting led by Susan, Matisse and myself. (Remember: no church choir, church school, or nursery!)
Peace,
Anna
