Thursday, July 7, 2016

July 10

Today we start a new sermon series, “Great Speeches of the Bible.”  These speeches, from Old and New Testament characters, get to the heart of timeless issues.

Today’s speech from Joshua is a reaffirmation of God as center and guide of the life of a people.  One of the distinctives of the Bible is that people were much more communally oriented.  A leader would affirm the intent for all the people in matters of spiritual direction.  Joshua 24:15, claims, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
This is a statement of belonging and identity as well as “service.”  In our world belonging and identity are grey areas to many.  Anxiety, loss, aimlessness, and emptiness result from a lack of grounding in a “tribe.”

On the 4th of July we had over 800 people on our grounds, about 500 of which were able to get into our sanctuary to see the excellent Festival Choir and Melbourne Municipal Band concert.  As the crowd was filtering in and a buzz was in the air, I met a person in grief who I had been praying for.  She shared some about her day and said, “You are my people.”

What a blessing and what a responsibility, to be “my people” for one another!
As a church, we have chosen to follow Jesus Christ.  In the coming months we will explore what that means and sharpen our vision and recommit to God our future.  As we do so, my prayer is that we deepen relationships among the body, that we lovingly meet the needs of all who enter here, and that we glimpse the future God would have us travel and do it well… together.

I am glad to say with the person I met on the 4th of July, “You are my people!”  I trust you, identify with you, and belong with you in the bond of the Spirit.

Blessings,
Tim