Week of January 15, 2023
“Here I am, Lord. It is I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.” (UMH #593)
Listen up, everyone! God has given us work to do. God has called each of us before we were even born. It was God who named us. It is God who claims us. The light of God’s love shines in us. Let’s shine God’s love into all the world! (Martha Brunell, The Abingdon Women’s Preaching Annual, Series 2, Year A(Abingdon Press, 2001), 58).
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. (1 Corinthians 1:4-7)
All of this came out of yesterday’s worship service. If you really think about these words that we sang, repeated, and listened to, these are scary things. Telling God that you will go, if He will lead you. God has given us work to do. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. Turning ourselves over to him. God has given us everything we need to do this. We just need to trust him.
Sunday School and the children’s time centered around the story of Noah and the building of the ark. Can you picture God calling you to build a massive boat (or even a little boat) in the middle of a field? And you saying “Okay, yup, I got this God. No problem. I’ll get right on it”? That takes some trust in Him. And a strong belief.
He isn’t asking us to build a boat. He’s asking us to build a church. One person, one story at a time. He’s given us the tools we need to do this and he’ll support us all the way. Let’s get to it.
Have a blessed week.