We have just celebrated another wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Fresh in the minds of many of us is the amazing gathering that took place this past Sunday in the AV room at CEC. I did not get an exact count but there was somewhere in the vicinity of 900 people who came to worship and praise!
Sharing Our Story
There is something powerful about being in a large group of believers, singing and praying and sharing our story.
And those gathered said AMEN!!
Our moderator reminded us of the importance of telling our story – the good the bad and the ugly. It is in that telling that we grow and change and become and each part of the story has contributed to how we live and move and have our being. At times there is great celebration and at other times there is much sorrow. Sometimes we get things right and sometimes we have gone horribly wrong. In telling the whole story we learn from our mistakes and successes and move toward a more holistic living.
Shaped by the Potters Hands
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at what it means to be a believer, how we are shaped by the potters hands, and how we receive the strength for the journey.We have talked about telling the story and named that the story must empower us to move from words to action. I think that this is what the moderator also highlighted on Sunday. Author, Jan Phillips highlights this thought as well and I leave you this morning with her words:
What Does it Matter?
What does it matter
the myths of old
if they don’t feed the soul
and fire us up
when we take them in?What does it matter
If God exists or Jesus rose or
Eve ate an apple
If in our time we allow hungry children
Human trafficking,
The shunning of gays
By the “people of God”.What do I care about church or religion
When they don’t lead to justice
Or mercy
Or truth?I am here to live out the meaning of God,
Not to argue about what God means.Don’t make me laugh with that pompous talk
About true religion
Get up on your feet and do something.
show me what it looks like to be a believer.(by Jan Phillips, “There are Bushes Burning Everywhere”)
Blessings
Valerie
© 2016 Rev. Valerie Peyton Kingsbury