Rita Ramblings, Part 2
If ever you doubted God’s providence, surely you are a believer after the past week!
Less than one week after focusing worship on Jesus’ parable of the Talents and what it means to live in the Kingdom of God, we received an incredible opportunity to put it into practice.
I remember preaching that the Kingdom of God is here, on earth, but its appearance is dependent upon us, as citizens of the Kingdom, to make it visible. We made it visible, beginning last Thursday evening.
After what must have seemed an interminable drive out of the Houston area, over 50 people arrived at our Family Life Center for shelter. Before I returned that evening, you all had opened the building, set up sleeping arrangements, planned and organized meals, and already began to make that place feel more like home than anyone expected.
Many of you have expressed to me that you felt like you received more from stepping up and acting than you could have given to others. That is EXACTLY the point of living the Kingdom; of living in a relationship with God here and now.
All who opened their hearts to our guests quickly realized that we were blessed to be able to do so: not that we are so well off we should help others, but that as recipients of God’s grace, we cannot help but pass it on to others!
I asked in a Monday morning email: “How can we repay our guests, the evacuees, for what they have done for us?” I understand some of you may not have thought of the question this way. I encourage you to consider it too.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find one church member’s answer to this question. I received this reply within hours of sending out the email. I encourage you all to answer the question, from your heart. Please write, call, or email me with your answer!
Less than one week after focusing worship on Jesus’ parable of the Talents and what it means to live in the Kingdom of God, we received an incredible opportunity to put it into practice.
I remember preaching that the Kingdom of God is here, on earth, but its appearance is dependent upon us, as citizens of the Kingdom, to make it visible. We made it visible, beginning last Thursday evening.
After what must have seemed an interminable drive out of the Houston area, over 50 people arrived at our Family Life Center for shelter. Before I returned that evening, you all had opened the building, set up sleeping arrangements, planned and organized meals, and already began to make that place feel more like home than anyone expected.
Many of you have expressed to me that you felt like you received more from stepping up and acting than you could have given to others. That is EXACTLY the point of living the Kingdom; of living in a relationship with God here and now.
All who opened their hearts to our guests quickly realized that we were blessed to be able to do so: not that we are so well off we should help others, but that as recipients of God’s grace, we cannot help but pass it on to others!
I asked in a Monday morning email: “How can we repay our guests, the evacuees, for what they have done for us?” I understand some of you may not have thought of the question this way. I encourage you to consider it too.
Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find one church member’s answer to this question. I received this reply within hours of sending out the email. I encourage you all to answer the question, from your heart. Please write, call, or email me with your answer!
posted by Steve Heyduck at 1:47 PM
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