June 3rd, 2020

June 3rd, 2020

by | Jun 3, 2020 | PS from PS

What’s your statement?  Your mission statement you might say.  With all that is going on in our culture right now, what statement does God need you to make?

It’s a fairly profound question to ask yourself seriously.  Last night, we started to do just that.  I met in our Zoom discussion with folks from St. Paul’s.



The topic of “how are you doing” quickly turned to what can we do as individuals and the church to speak to the injustice and pain happening around us?  And we remembered that, despite not being able to gather inside our church right now, we do still have space in a prominent location on Main St to be able to make a statement to the community about God’s love, grace and hope.  

So we are all praying about the next “statements” that we need to make using our church property.  At the end of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus sends the disciples and the church to: Go, make a statement by baptizing, teaching, leading and pointing to God, remembering the Holy Spirit will be with us as we do it.  It’s called the Great Commission.  So, how do we point to God right now?

I would ask you to join in the discernment and contemplation.  Maybe your statement is firmly planted and rooted already and that is awesome.  Or maybe you’re just beginning to think about it.  If you are, join with others trying to figure out what we can do to bring healing and hope to all who are hurting, victims of racism/abuse and a system that is inherently broken right now.  We’re meeting again next Tuesday (St. Paul’s), Wednesday (Parkside) and Thursday (Zion).  Join us.  Zoom links will go out again on Monday for all those gatherings.

But until then, keep asking: what is the statement that God needs you to make to live into the Great Commission?  Where are you being sent to?  And how can you help point toward God?Lord, help me hear clearly the statement you need me to make.  Amen

Still in One Peace,
PS
May 27th, 2020

May 27th, 2020

by | May 27, 2020 | PS from PS

Good morning! My coach reminded me this morning that today I could live into being great. He didn’t say perfect. He didn’t say mistake free. He said great. Better than good. Using all the talents. Pouring myself into the run, the day, to make it better than it was before I hit the starting line.He asked me to think about the people in my life now or in the past that pushed me to be great. It was an interesting mile or so realizing that I didn’t/don’t have that many people that have done/do that. A couple great volleyball coaches/teammates that worked with me.  Pretty short list. (Doesn’t mean there wasn’t/isn’t a ton of support/love, but being pushed is something totally different.) And now my work in “church life” seems to too often confuse humility, peace and meekness with mediocrity, lazy and too easily satisfied. Good is too often accepted where great is needed.But everything I read in Scripture and have experienced with living into my faith says that we are created by a Creator to be great in the world. To show greatness, compassion, vision, love, forgiveness great-fully. Full of greatness. Better than good. I think this is why I love to run. There’s always a new chance to be great. One mile can feel like you just dropped the tree into the wrong spot but the next one give you a chance to do it better. To be great. Even for 200 meters. For a half mile. For a half marathon. Whatever distance you can do it for.As we all figure out the new normal and re-open our selves and our lives, this seems like a awesome opportunity to be great today. For whatever distance you can do it for. There will be so many new chances to do it as we recreate life and cultural norms.So if no one has pushed and encouraged you yet today, let me tell you that you can be great today. You can love a little more deeply. You can forgive a little more boldly. You can dream a little bigger. You can risk a bit more. You can be more honest with your own prejudices. You can change one life which might change the world. You can be great. Take that starting line today and for whatever distance you can, run with greatness. You are designed for it.
Lord, help me run your race of greatness today.  Amen

Still in One Peace,
PS

(Photo creds to Chief Billy Major, official photog for Fire Church)