Virtue #3: Flourishing Churches Love the Local – Nehemiah 2, 4, and 6

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Virtue #3: Flourishing Churches Love the Local – Nehemiah 2, 4, and 6

Our buildings and our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with each other require regular maintenance. While the ancient Israelites needed to build walls to ensure their safety, today we need to continue the Methodist tradition of social justice work that tears down walls of prejudice and phobias that lead to fear, exclusion, and oppression.

If we look at the success of our own HOPE Food Pantry as well as how that success has led to new connections, new relationships, and new opportunities, I think you can all agree, “Only one possible conclusion can be drawn... God has been working beside us all along.” God continues miraculously working beside us as we share with others what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God, part of the family we love, the family we call our church.

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Jonah 1:1-17 – Jonah’s Call Story

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Jonah 1:1-17 – Jonah’s Call Story

The questions to us today – individually and as a faith community – are ones of critical (analytical) self-reflection:

  • Are we somehow resisting God’s leading? If so, how? Why?
    The answers to those questions are the beginning of healthy discussions and prayers.

  • Is God calling us to do or say something that, for whatever reason, forces us outside our comfort zones? Are we willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of helping others connect with a God who dearly loves them?

  • When we look at Jesus’ life of reaching out to the outcasts, of touching the untouchables, of sharing meals with society’s rejects, do we say, “Sorry Lord, that’s not for me.” If that’s the case, what are we willing to do for God? Our loving Creator will journey with us wherever we are willing to go.

Where is God leading you? Consider starting each day telling God, “Help me see where you’re leading me today, and give me the faith and strength to follow.” As we follow, God will provide and blessings will come.

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Psalm 4 – Passionate Prayers, Peaceful Sleep

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Psalm 4 – Passionate Prayers, Peaceful Sleep

We can and should be God’s compassionate, loving, caring presence to everyone – especially those in need. We can be shoulders to cry on. We can offer the psalmist’s advice to not let anger drive any of us to sin, but rather let God work on our anger and worries overnight. We can remind ourselves and each other that the greatest joys come from our relationships with God and each other, not from our accumulations of material goods and wealth.

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Mark 7:24-30 – The Power of Persistence and Compassion

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Mark 7:24-30 – The Power of Persistence and Compassion

From the Torah through the Gospels, our faith is rich with stories of an infinitely wise and powerful God who loves us so much that we can argue for mercy and blessings. These stories show, time and again, that our persistence draws out God’s compassion. That’s a powerful connection.

The question to us today is how can each of us invite others into God’s loving, welcoming presence – regardless of their circumstances? Every time we make an effort to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we answer that question – one person at a time. And that, my friends, is how we grow the Kingdom of God!

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