Liberty Fam,
My son Amos teaches me so much about creativity, taking life in stride, and making the most of the mundane. He has lived all around the world with us and can watch a short YouTube clip and then have many ideas that last throughout the morning. I can easily get stuck in my own head or find myself whining about small things; Amos, used by the Spirit, can often get me refocused. We have been discussing being “Together” in this series and Karen directed us yesterday to consider how Jesus redefines family and welcomes us into the together-ness of the family of God. I loved how she shared about interruptions and allowing the Lord to redirect in the midst of this. Without interruptions we just don’t have a lot of real family life. May we all continually learn to refocus, be interrupted, and have a renewed imagination about what it means to be the family of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Today is moving week in the Trotter home. We are moving from Clarkston to Tucker. If I told you how many times we have moved as missionaries over the years you may not believe me (lol). For me though, this move is significant in that it is thrusting our family into a community to which we have been sent by the Lord. When we made the decision to relocate at the Lord has sent us to. When we made the decision to relocate to Atlanta and teach at a missions school, it was the international hub of Clarkston that captured our minds. Our work primarily consisted of being in a classroom and not a whole lot of community engagement occurred. It felt a bit hypocritical to be teaching missions but not having the capacity to engage. Serving at Liberty and dropping back to part-time teaching has changed this dramatically. As we move on Wednesday, we are all eager to get to know the best places to walk around, where we may frequent, what relationships are yet to be had – this is a community close to our church and one where we really want to engage. Would you be praying for us that we enter well and that the Lord directs our church too as we reach out in the coming days? If I know one thing that missions has taught me, how you enter and define your identity in a community is critical to our future. As we look personally being a family and corporately being together as a church this transition of entering Tucker is fresh on my mind. Let’s pray together as we be family together.
Action steps to ponder this week:
- Where and with whom does the Lord want me to be the family of the Father, Son, and Spirit?
- What places or groups of people might I dare to “enter” and enter well? Who may I ask to help me in this if it seems too great?
- Who are the Amoses in my life – the people who help me get unstuck and recenter me on the things that are truly important? Consider spending time with them at some point this week to assist to reengage and reimagine what together means for you.
Packing is upon me. Wish me luck! 😊 Care for you guys and I look forward to seeing those of you helping out with the move and discussing Together in Community on Sunday. Hugs to you all.
John
John D. Trotter
Senior Pastor, Liberty Vineyard Church
Sunday’s sermon: Together in the Family (Pastor Karen Sculley)