Dear Blog Reader,

We are resurrection people! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!!

 It is a time to plant. God’s kingdom is advancing, in ways we normally do not perceive. His Church will stand, but he still partners with us as laborers in the vineyard. The fields of our world, our nation, are ripe for harvest. In our self-satisfied culture, we wonder if these kingdom seeds stand a chance of bearing fruit. We live in, but not of, the kingdom of this world. Embrace how Jesus is in the world, yet not of it. Picture him accompanying you in your daily errands and travels. Imagine him lovingly nudging you in a particular direction, encouraging you to engage in cultivating relationships. I am falling more in love with that word, “cultivating”. The parables of Jesus that might seem irrelevant to us – mustard seeds, pearls, yeast (unless you still bake from scratch). When we are toting our own baggage, we can’t embrace His kingdom. Let go of it so that Jesus can introduce you into his world, which we know is without material cumber.

We are moving again, but three miles closer to our church. I hate the process; who doesn’t? The “silver lining” is the good riddance of cumber, like the stuff that never left the box from the last move. Down-sizing can be quite exhilarating! We are giving up about 600 square feet of house, but I am certain that once we are settled in, we won’t even know the difference. Now that I have gotten off-topic, I now return to the path where seeds are to be sown. The kingdom of God is alive and growing. He partners with us sowers as we labor. New, resurrected life springs up around us; do you not perceive it? It may be celebrating with joy that we are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Speak, proclaim, and model the new life we have in Christ Jesus. Be the doorway for someone to experience His kingdom, where unconditional love abounds.  

Pastor Art