Dear Friends of Longview Chapel,
Sunday’s sermon theme of “our hope being in God” seemed to resonate with several of you that have chosen to share. Carrying hope for each other is one of the things we as church can do really well together. When I think of the people who help me hope, some of them look like:
• People who share a smile or a hug.
• People who choose to focus on building what is working and fixing what is not yet working.
• People who realize all is not well, yet keep shining God’s light.
• People who share peanut butter cookies, chocolate, and food in general.
• People who notice when others are struggling.
• People who make an extra call or visit just to check in, or just sit with us in the pews.
• People who pray for others.
• People who show up and listen as well as speak, share as well as receive, and hold others as well as being held.
• People who willingly share their resources and talents and time.
People who look like so many of you!
I was reading a piece by Brian McClaren on Monday, in which he wrote: “According to the ancient stories of Genesis, God is up to something surprising and amazing in our world. While we’re busy plotting evil, God is plotting goodness…. While we plot ways to use God to get blessings for ourselves, God stays focused on the big picture of blessing the world—which includes blessing us in the process.”
How will you and I stay focused on being a part of blessing the whole world with God, a world that includes us and goes far beyond us this week?
Pastor Donna