Pastor’s Corner

Dear Friends of Longview Chapel, 

I mentioned in Sunday’s sermon the ideas of a GROWTH MINDSET – one where people are willing to take chances, enjoy learning something new, and are okay experimenting and failing and learning as they go. And a FIXED MINDSET – one where people do not like to be challenged. They perceive experimenting, and especially failure, as a bad thing, not as a growing thing. There can be a tendency to be scared of learning new things, particularly if what they learn disrupts their current worldview.

Jesus had a way of pushing and pulling people to live in a way that more often than not called them to have a Growth Mindset, even when that was hard – really hard. I think about Jesus’ mother and his father. We would assume by the lack of mention of Joseph in later stories that at some point Mary became a widow. Mary had to stretch to understand that her eldest son was not destined to make a home for her and ensure she was taken care of well. He would not give her grandchildren to bounce on her knee. He would not come and visit on a regular basis. He would not seek safety and security for himself, which meant she had to live with the dangers she feared would take him – ones that could potentially fall on her and the family by association.

It was a stretch to believe this son of hers had a greater destiny, even though she knew this in her heart and held on to precious memories. It was a stretch for her to believe that anything that could come from a cross and brutal suffering could lead to the resurrection. That was a stretch for all the disciples.

She and all those who would follow Jesus, and even those following him today, are often asked to stretch and ponder new possibilities, as well as new acts of love, grace, and justice that we are called to make. Think of those believers who worked to welcome the Gentiles – non-Jews – into their community. About those believers who insisted that even Roman soldiers could be worthy of saving. Those who throughout the centuries who have stood up for the poor. Or those who demanded (and still demand) slavery be stopped in all its ugly forms. Those that insisted that the communion table should be open to all, when others were sure it should not be.

I could list many more ways that following Jesus can and does stretch our mindset. Perhaps other ideas and experiences come to your mind. How is God stretching you, stretching me, and stretching our congregation right now? What kind of mindset will we bring as we seek to follow Jesus faithfully?

Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Donna

• How has God been generous with you? How does God’s generosity flow through you to others?
• Read Psalm 78:1-8