A Prayer for the New Year

Senior Pastor Steve Thulson

We thank you, Father,

…that our stories are not over,

and that you are not done;

…that you have an abundance of gifts,

and plenty of time to give them all;

…that you waste nothing,

can redeem anything,

and will fulfill everything.

May your kingdom come and will be done

on earth – and in our lives – even as in heaven.

In the name and presence of your reigning Son,   
Amen

   

Slowing Down to Run Well

Senior Pastor Steve Thulson

I once heard a Chinese proverb: 

When you walk, walk. 
          When you sit, sit. 
                    Whatever you do, do not wobble.

I suppose it means to do what you do clearly, intently and fully: whether it’s diving into work or pulling back into play.

I have a way of “wobbling.” My multitasking can end up fragmenting me more than fulfilling some focused purpose.  My breaks can land me in escapes like TV that barely cover-up a restless stewing about the tasks that didn’t get done. There’s neither fruitful labor nor peaceful rest. I could blame our driven, busy and hurried culture; except that culture is in me as much as I in it.

Yet all the more, I am in Christ. And he is in me.

I hear the still but strong voice of Jesus say “Come to me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:29). He gives a deep rest even as we also take up his “yoke” of actively working with him, and take up our “crosses” of sharing in his suffering that’s redemptive. He leads us into work and rest that’s not “wobbling.” As we hear the Apostle Paul say: “Whatever you do… do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Colossians 3:17). That’s a way of saying “Do all you do in the presence of Jesus – with him, not just for him, much less apart from him.

Part of our church family’s focus this Fall and beyond is slowing down to run well. That’s not about being slow because you don’t run well – even if that’s the literal case for some us now! It’s growing into a freedom to let God run the universe and find peace in the place you get within that – no more, no less. It’s finding a pace – sometimes moving fast, sometimes being absolutely still – that’s “in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). In the words of Eugene Peterson paraphrasing Jesus, it’s learning  “the unforced rhythms of grace” (Matthew 11:30 in The Message).  

By his grace, that’s the “run” Jesus has me on. How about you?

“Mary!”

Pastor of Worship and Staff, David Dillon

As a seasoned substitute teacher my wife Heather has learned, within five minutes of entering a new classroom, which students' names she needs to know. See, there is power in knowing a person’s name, which is easily observed when a disruptive student hears their name and now knows their cover has been blown and anonymity is no more!

Of course there is a positive side to this too. Knowing a person’s name is honoring to them and often the first step toward a relationship. Hearing your name lovingly spoken by a spouse or parent allows you to rest in the familiar and comfortable place of I belong and I am valued.

In John 20 a broken-hearted Mary unexpectedly hears her name called out by the risen Jesus. Confusion, joy, wonder, and amazement must have simultaneously bombarded her thoughts. Hadn’t she seen him dead on the cross? But now, just as real and palpable as the stone that no longer covers his tomb, she hears, “Mary!” Oswald Chambers notes that she immediately recognized a personal history with the one who spoke. Everything he had done and said to her suddenly became even more true.

Can you recall times when your heart’s ear has heard Jesus call your name? What was that like? What about now - do you hear Him lovingly speak it?

Sometimes, like Mary, I think he speaks our name after a time of silence to surprise us and remind us that we do have a history with Him. During those silent times we can have a well-founded hope of that coming surprise. Other times we may wonder if there is just too much earwax in the way of really hearing him and we doubt his unique love for us. Then there are those times when we experience an ongoing intimate connection with him. In God’s economy, all of these seasons can be used by him to deepen our love for Him.

No matter where you find yourself on the continuum, Scripture assures us of his love for each of us. As the perfect Father, there is nothing that he desires more than to be intimately involved in each of his children’s lives. Isaiah 49:15 puts it like this: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

Because he knows you by name.