Several years ago I preached a sermon series entitled “Church On Sunday/Work on Monday”. My purpose was to invite the members of the congregation I was serving at the time to think about connections between their worship experience on Sunday and what they did the rest of the week.
I think it is always useful for Disciples of Jesus to ponder how we can best live out the faith we profess and the gratitude we express in worship. What are the choices we make and the choices we avoid all the week long because we allow Jesus to guide our thinking? Is there any difference in how we treat our neighbors in the pew on Sunday morning, and our co-workers and classmates and all the other people with whom we connect each and every day? Does one sense of ethics guide us on the sabbath, and another approach to ethics direct our Monday-Saturday actions?
I am interested in the things you all do to live out your faith and practice your discipleship. What are the habits you have worked hard over the years to practice…that allow worship to infuse your actions all week long? How do you keep a sense of Jesus’ priorities for life before you each day? Where do you experience the most difficulty being a person of faith in a world that generally marches to the beat of different priorities?
I hope that you will be willing to share your thoughts and ideas via the comment section at the end of this page. My sense is that we have much to learn from each other, and that by sharing our “best practices” with each other, we can all be more faithful!
The new Central Vision & Strategic Plan document reminds us that as disciples it is our privilege and responsibility to join Jesus in changing hearts to change the world. Let us help each other do this!
This Sunday we celebrate World Communion with sisters and brothers all around the globe, and begin a new sermon series ‘Disciples Are…Prepared’. Who can you bring with you?
See you in worship!!
I have found that most people like to develop relationships. I have spent the past 42 years developing relationships in this Church and encouraging others to do the same. I have tried to use Jesus as my model in developing relationships and in helping others do the same. I have found most of the visitors to our church wanting and looking for ways to connect into this Church.
I used to keep track of every visitor to Central and make sure they were reported to the session. The last I heard, we have about 225 visitors a year at Central. Think of what may happen if we could get 50% of them involved. Most of them want to be treated like we find Jesus treating others. They especially like it when their children are treated as Jesus treated children. I think this practice is the most useful practice I have developed and I pray that it may be useful in our Church.