Liberty Vineyard,
Merry Christmas! Joy be happening here, there, and everywhere. . . .in gladness, in mourning, in the mundane. . . . the joy of God fills our hearts and races to the streets. It touches everything God touches which, in my best calculations, is A LOT! Celebrating with you this week.
We talked about joy on Sunday from Luke 2:8-14. I encourage you to go back and read it again, even put some of the passage to memory during your time alone with God. Here is the kids version of the text we listened to on Sunday.
Let’s remember to pause and reflect on the joy that only the salvation of Jesus can bring. This joy is truly grace felt and grace experienced.
Just a heads up that we will be having no Christmas Day service at LVC but we will gather at the church from 6-7pm for a Christmas Eve celebration. We will share some food, do a few games, share the story of Christ, and for those who are daring, go into the cold and Christmas carol at the homes nearby. New Year’s Day we will be meeting at Jim and Dawn Roberson’s place at 1pm for a relaxed kick off of the new year together. Please reach out to Jim and Dawn to let them know if you are coming if you have not already.
Holy Spirit Come – Relational, Real, Responsible, Reflective, Renewed
So I have been thinking quite a bit about 2023. I feel like I have gotten my bearings (at least a little bit) at LVC and I am dreaming about our future and imagining life after life after life that can be impacted with the love of Christ. I have been taken back to my teen and college years where God wonderfully poured out the Holy Spirit in several pockets of the United States. I am so thankful that I was able to be around to experience that. Even with all the confusion that an awakening of God’s Spirit can bring, it causes us to realize there is more, so much more to the God of the universe. I have been thinking about transformation quite a lot this week. As we head into 2023 may we be praying for an outpouring of God’s Spirit and that God would allow us to reflect His image in big and small ways.
Liberty Vineyard has a few words that we value that all start with R. They are Real, Relational, Responsible, Reflective, Renewed. I sat down and thought about what those words mean to me and when I invite someone into relationship with me or into relationship with LVC this is what I am thinking. As I was praying about God’s Spirit being poured out I couldn’t help but to connect it to these deeper core values we have as a church body. I took a minute to jot down what those words mean to me. Maybe those words mean something slightly different to you or you would add to this. When you have a moment to breathe, stop and consider what we are inviting others into as we engage our world.
When I say relational. . .
I serve a relational God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who shows perfect unity and interdependence in relationship. I want our church to reflect God’s image by being rooted in deep reciprocal relationships with one another and those in our community.
When I say real. . .
God has made Himself known, and moved into my neighborhood. He is involved in my life though He is far beyond my comprehension. I want the body of Christ at LVC to reflect this image of a real God by being authentic with the Lord and others. I don’t have it all together and I pray that Liberty be a people who are vulnerable and in the process of being transformed.
When I say responsible. . .
I desire for LVC to reflect God’s leading in being responsible to others by displaying Christlike love and actions. We are not responsible for others choices but we show integrity in our commitment to people, the tasks, the Lord has given, and to our own spiritual care and the spiritual care of others.
When I say reflective. . .
I think about and consider the ways and works of God in my life and the lives in our church. This oozes out into our community and world, ultimately reflecting God’s image. We pay attention to the signs God is showing in, through, and among us by pausing, listening, and responding.
When I say renewed. . .
We are a people who are continually being renewed and transformed by Christ. We were once totally oblivious to the reality of Christ but through the Holy Spirit we have been renewed and that renewal now transforms others.
These are just a few thoughts on some R words that we have on our website but man, I so want to enter into that life and invite others into that reality in this coming year. Can I get a really loud hands in the pile together, LVC? May the joy of Jesus fill you to overflowing this week and always.
Merry Christmas,
John
John D. Trotter
Senior Pastor, Liberty Vineyard Church
Sunday’s sermon: Advent with Joy (Pastor John Trotter)