We will enjoy the preaching of the Rev. Diana Dewitt for our days of spiritual renewal beginning at 7 p.m. Sept. 21. Diana is associate pastor at Hermitage UMC. I look forward to the fresh perspectives she will bring to how we may serve as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
I urge you to make the evenings of Sept. 21-23 your top priority!
Then on Sept. 28 Tennessee Conference Bishop Dick Wills preach at the morning service. There will be only the 11 .m. service on Sept. 28. Bishop Wills is beginning his fifth year as our bishop.
As you know, I have been emphasizing in recent weeks two things. One is responding to the altar call for prayer during the closing hymn at our worship services. I have been deeply moved at your prayer devotion in recent weeks. Let us never be self-conscious about coming forward as you are able to pray for oneself, others and our church.
The other thing I have been emphasizing is our twin charges from Christ to carry out both his Great Commission and his Great Commandment. As I have said before, the people of Sango UMC take a back seat to no one in loving one another and our neighbors in fulfilling the Great Commandment. “By this shall people know you are my disciples” said Jesus, “that you love one another.”
Yet we are not so strong in carrying out the Great Commission, to “go and make disciples.” We warmly welcome all who come, but on the whole do not seek out people specifically to bring the Gospel to them. Yet Jesus’ command was not “wait for people to come to you,” but “go” to the world in his name.
Wouldn’t it be great to become the Go United Methodist Church? Think about what it would take to become the Church of Go!
The best way to begin is for us to continue to study and learn our Spiritual gifts. Discovering one’s spiritual gifts is the most liberating and most empowering things a Christian can do! I will lead a single-meeting discovery session on Sept. 14 from 2-5 p.m. We will meet in Fellowship Hall.
A deacon in a Baptist church recently wrote something both simple and profound. He said, “God is preparing us for what God is preparing for us.” Read that again, slow. God is preparing a wonderful future for any congregation that will follow where he leads.
Jeremiah prophesied, “ For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11-13).
Let us seek God with the whole heart of our congregation! God is preparing us for what God is preparing for us!
So as we try to discern anew how to carry out the commandments of Christ, here is a theme that I use to focus my prayer life and pastoral ministry:
No plan but prayer.We should commit ourselves to a period of preparation by God before we try to plan projects for the church. I think God is “tilling the soil” of Sango UMC at this time, and will plant our Spirit-led future in a time to come.
No agenda but Jesus.
No desire but the Kingdom.
But we must be willing to be tilled! Let us then open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, be devoted in worship, ceaseless in prayer and earnest in our desire, individually and congregationally, to call upon God, to seek him with all our hearts. For we have his promise that we will find him then.
But only then.
