After the events last week from Charleston and from two recent sermons I have had this thought. Yesterday I preached out of James about "hearing and doing." It was a sermon planned months ago as part of the series I am in right now, I Heart My Church. After the tragedy of a racist shooter killing Christians at their prayer and Bible study time, do you not mention that event while challenging your church to not only hear and absorb, but hear and put their faith into practice. Also, recently as part of this same series I spoke about children and their value to the church now, not just our future investment. Children came to Jesus and he would not deny them. In fact, what he did next was AMAZING!! (see what I did there) He blessed them. And by taking the time to bless them, he valued them and today children can teach us and bless us just as much if not more as we do them. You can find those sermons here.
Today I was reminded of something one of my 7 year old sons said back in February. He said, "God created us and created us to be friends." So here I find myself being taught, blessed, and reminded of a great truth. God created us to be friends. And when placing that thought up against murder, hate, abuse, neglect, addiction, greed, and just meanness I find truth in that we were created for more.
I think that is why it feels so empty to me to come to worship assembly on Sunday and get filled emotionally, spiritually, and if there is a potluck; physically. Later it just feels empty. It's not because I'm depressed. It's not because I have some God-sized hole in me. It's not because I have a terrible memory. It's not because Sunday is fake. It is because we were created for more.
We were created for more than just hearing.
We were created for more than critique and complaining.
We were created for more than political arguments.
We were created for more than survival.
My son is right. We were created to be friends. We were created for relationship. We were created to share in relationship with God and then to mirror his love to everyone else.
Living out our New Creation, our New Self is not an immediate change. It is a process or as I like to say a journey.
What "more" were you created to pursue?
Today I was reminded of something one of my 7 year old sons said back in February. He said, "God created us and created us to be friends." So here I find myself being taught, blessed, and reminded of a great truth. God created us to be friends. And when placing that thought up against murder, hate, abuse, neglect, addiction, greed, and just meanness I find truth in that we were created for more.
I think that is why it feels so empty to me to come to worship assembly on Sunday and get filled emotionally, spiritually, and if there is a potluck; physically. Later it just feels empty. It's not because I'm depressed. It's not because I have some God-sized hole in me. It's not because I have a terrible memory. It's not because Sunday is fake. It is because we were created for more.
We were created for more than just hearing.
We were created for more than critique and complaining.
We were created for more than political arguments.
We were created for more than survival.
My son is right. We were created to be friends. We were created for relationship. We were created to share in relationship with God and then to mirror his love to everyone else.
Living out our New Creation, our New Self is not an immediate change. It is a process or as I like to say a journey.
What "more" were you created to pursue?
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