Vigilantes of Love"Who Knows When the Sunrise Will Be"
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Note: No Christian Formation this Sunday!
Sunday worship at 10:15 AM (childcare thru 2nd grade available)
In-person worship and live stream
Dear Grace Family,
There are so many ways we can get taken advantage of in life. Sadly, the church is not a context that is immune from manipulation and harm. I remember times from my own life when I loved Jesus but I was scared to death of his followers (and with good reason!).
Last week, I said that my desire and prayer for our congregation is that we would have an experience of God’s love. I don't want us to just know about God's love in our heads. I want us to feel it in our hearts.
To hear a pastor talk about powerful spiritual experiences can set off alarm bells. Maybe you’ve been part of Christian communities that chased spiritual highs and even pressured people to feel in a certain way. None of us want any part of that.
Yet, in an effort to protect ourselves from potential harm, we can wind up closing off significant parts of ourselves to God's presence. God can just become a collection of ideas or insights instead of a living and personal reality in our lives.
To know God more fully requires risk. This is the way many things in life are. After all, there are dangers to shopping on-line, but most of us still do it because the benefits outweigh the risks.
Paul knew full well about manipulative and harmful pastors. Yet at the same time, he also deeply desired and prayed for people like us to experience the love of God. Not that we would have some cheap imitation of the real thing that does more harm than good, but that we would have a genuine encounter with the living God who loves us. In fact, as we will see, following this desire will bring is right into one of the primary ministries of the Holy Spirit.
I hope to worship with you Sunday!
This Sunday: Ephesians 1:7-14 (NIV) “Redemption & Sealing”Here is the Order of Worship.Warmly in Christ,John