From the Pastor’s Desk
If you’ve been paying attention in church, you’ll have noticed that our Old Testament readings are tracing a rather long journey. From the first promises God made to Abraham, through the sagas of Jacob, Isaac, and Joseph, and onto Moses we’ve been following the story of the Hebrew people’s journey to the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey, the land of peace and plenty. Fast forward to present day Israel and God’s people still seem to be on the road. There is perpetual fighting rather than peace and just as in the stories of our ancestors in faith, identifying the “good guys” from the “bad guys” can be an exercise in ambiguity.
The unrest in the Middle East aside, the truth is that as people of faith we are all still journeying to that “Promised Land” and as much as we might wish it, our churches are not always the bright shining beacons of hope and representatives of the Kingdom of God that we would desire them to be. We can wring our hands or complain about the place that we find ourselves in, or we can continue trusting in God to show us the way forward. That way forward isn’t always clear, we must pray and study to discern God’s call to action, but as Paulo Freire writes, “We make the road by walking.” The only way to get where we are meant to be is to start moving.
So where are we headed as a church? What visions of the “Promised Land” have you had AND what steps are you willing to take to get us there? How can we as a congregation journey this road together? I invite your feedback this month as we prayerfully discern the direction our church is headed. For the entire month of October there will be a large poster and post-it notes out in the fellowship hall. I would ask and invite each of you to take a few moments throughout the month to write down what steps we can take to become the community of faith God is calling us to be…and then share how YOU are willing to help us journey down that road (please include your name so you may be contacted to help or participate with the activity/initiative you are recommending). These might be ideas for mission, educational opportunities, new small groups, fellowship activities/events. The church is not a building, nor is the work of the church what the pastor does…its what WE do together as a community in the name of Jesus Christ. I look forward to seeing your comments and ideas.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Tara
