June 6, 2024
Dear Central Church,
I love Sunday mornings, but not for the same reason as Lionel Richie, who famously sang about how “easy” they are. Clearly, he was not a pastor. In fact, I hate that song.
But I LOVE Sunday morning, not because they are easy, but because it’s the day the people of God gather for worship. Psalm 122 says, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” That’s probably one of the first things I think of when I wake up early on Sunday morning.
What is it that happens in the house of the Lord that makes this day so special? Sunday morning is a microcosm of our core values. We worship as a whole-life response to who God is. We are equipped for Christ-like living as we engage in life groups and hear the Word proclaimed. We experience life-giving community as we share cups of coffee and conversation with new, old, and not-yet friends. We invest in the mission of God through by being abundantly generous in tithes and offerings. Finally, we are sent on a purposeful mission, being breathed out by the Holy Spirit to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.
Every Sunday, we practice and rehearse these core values as reminders of how we are to live in the world. I encourage you to take inventory of the rhythms in your life. How does your week reflect these values? These aren’t just for Sunday morning but for every morning.
Please continue to keep our kids and student ministries in your prayers. Our High School students are at camp this week, and Pastor David has reported good things of all that God is doing in their lives. Our pre-teens are with Pastor Bethany Acre and Pastor Bethany Tibbs on a mission trip helping some of our youngest disciples discover how God can use their gifts and abilities to bless others.
Vacation Bible School begins on Tuesday, June 18. Let’s pray for this event, asking God to use it to draw kids and families closer to Him. One of the easiest ways to introduce a family to Central is inviting them to VBS. Who is the Lord leading you to invite? One day, they might just say, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”
Until He’s Finished,
Pastor Mark