This is Us

We are the church, whether we are gathered or scattered--each one of us, a part of the body of Christ, wherever we go, whatever we do.

So, where can you find us, and what are we doing? 

Here's one of the 8th-grade girls small groups (including their leaders and parent drivers) last week shopping for gifts for a couple of the Kids Hope mentees. All the Student Ministry small groups went out shopping for the mentees. Katie Talk (bottom left) and Sarah Chevalier (I think she's taking the picture) lead this group. 

Five Oaker Chad Peterson is Associate Director of Teens for Christ and leads one of our 6th-grade boys small groups. Here he and his group are working a Salvation Army shift at Jerry's Foods. 

Here's a follow-up on Legend Rutledge's trip to Haiti to work with our ministry partners there. You have to read this!

(Legend in her own words.) "I’m sitting next to a gentleman named Johnny on my last flight back to Minnesota from Atlanta/Haiti. He asked me where I was coming from, I told him about my heart and my mission for Haiti, what I do and where I go while I’m there. He asked how one would get involved to go and do such a thing. I told him that I found my way through my church. He said he didn’t belong to a church. He told me about how his mom is Christian, his grandmother is Buddhist, and he himself is Atheist. He asked if I was judging him for that, I told him that I wasn’t in any way. He asked what the name of the organization I work with in Haiti is called, I told him it was GVCM. Next thing I know I hear him saying 'I’m going to do it.' This stranger named Johnny, a man I have never seen or met before in my life, after having a 3 minute conversation about the heart God gave me for Haiti, is now looking into living in Haiti to serve in GVCM and do any work that needs to be done in the school, orphanage, or clinic for A WHOLE YEAR. 'I’ve never met someone as giving as you. I want to make a difference and make change, I want to help, I’m so selfish,' he said, he continued to say 'Maybe I should look into a church too. I’m not sure what I believe, but I know that there is something up there and after talking to you I have faith, and I think that’s cool. I will have to do some research on Christian church, too.' I had to try and hold back tears. I told him the kids who live in GVCM have a way of changing lives. 'My life has never been changed. That’s something I’ve never had before. I’m going to do it.'"

God's Orchestration of Events and the Hope of Christmas

Christmas begins to give meaning to the long struggle of God’s people and the ultimate good and surprising plans of God for the world. 

Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash

I love movies where, when you get to the end, something happens that changes the meaning of the movie, it calls into question everything you saw up to that point and gives you a new vantage point. Many of these movies offer flashbacks where you see what you missed or see what you saw through new lenses.

Maybe the most famous movie of this kind is The Sixth Sense. Most of the early M. Night Shyamalan movies were like that.

Another is Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close with Sandra Bullock. I don’t think a lot of people saw this movie. Her son in the movie is having a really hard time with the loss of his dad on 9/11. His dad was in the Twin Towers and leaves a message on the phone machine when he knows he’ll die. The son is going through this hard time and his mom, Sandra Bullock, seems distant and neglectful. Then you get to the end of the movie and you find out she was letting him go on this important journey, but she is actually involved, actually orchestrating every step of her son’s journy. It’s an incredible ending. 

The first Christmas and what ensued through Jesus has that kind of effect the rest of the story. Once Jesus arrives on the scene, it gives new meaning to the rest of the story and the journey of God’s people, as well as God’s orchestration of events all along the way.

It gives us great hope, too, because the same God is at work today in the lives of his people and for his people. 

That’s what this weekend’s sermon is about. Hope to see you there.