Happy Monday Liberty Vineyard! Each week I am going to try to send out a brief-ish email (um, this week doesn’t fit that description so brace yourself) with a couple thoughts and push to keep us engaged with each other, the message from Sunday, and God’s mission in our community/world. I am going to call these little weekly check-ins “Everyone Gets to Play” followed by the number of the week. Since this is the second time I have done this we will call this Everyone Gets to Play #2. 😊 I called the first one Continuing the Conversation but we continue the conversation already (lol). So Everyone Gets to Play it is!
If you were out this week, we had a pretty beautiful, hopeful time together. Joel Balin installed me as pastor and then I had the honor of doing a brief ordination ceremony service for Karen Scully. I asked Karen and Nancy Penton to officially be recognized as associate pastors at LVC and they were installed to those roles this Sunday. From what the Pastoral Care Team and many people in the church are saying, this was a recognition of what God has been doing over many years. These are times of new beginnings and I am glad we get to do this.
So here are the things spinning around in my head to internalize the message from Hebrews 11. Over and over again God has had specific places, times, monuments, river crossings that have marked the lives of His people. I think it could be meaningful to look back over the years and remember the times that have been monumental. We can’t stay here though. Jacob did not put his wrestling shoes on for the next several years following that crazy night when he wrestled with God. Daniel likely didn’t try to walk up to lions to relive his dramatic lion’s den experience. Monuments serve a purpose of remembrance to propel us forward. We have a task and a mission and we must diligently, faithfully move forward to that end. Here are a couple questions that could move us into action this week:
- What have been some of the landmarks and monuments in your walk of faith? What makes them stand out?
- How have these landmarks pushed you forward in your faith?
- What is God saying to you right now in this time and place? Are there any specific steps or actions God wants you to take in faith to move forward?
- Who can I invite to join with me on this discovery of faith, either from LVC or elsewhere?
I encourage you to share these with someone from Liberty or someone in the community this week. On Thursday at 2pm and Friday at 2pm I will flip on Zoom on my computer and be available to talk through these questions with you and pray together. I will log on for 30 or 45 minutes just to give any of us a chance that would like someone to process and pray through things. I get that some people work normal jobs (lol) so a 2pm time will not fly. Please text or call anytime and I’d love to chat or pray with you on this. My cell is below. If your schedule allows and you want to chat/pray during the Zoom Thurs. or Fri. times, come on in.
Hands in the pile together all. I am thankful for what God is doing but we can’t stay here. We have seas to cross, relationships to build, wounds that need healed. I am with you on the journey.
Everyone Gets to Play,
John
John D. Trotter
Sunday’s sermon: A Faithlift (guest speaker – Joel Balin)