Pastor Lee
September 3, 2021
Several years ago, I had a few members of the church I was serving tell me about how the Pastor I had followed invited people in the congregation to share their story by writing about it. They were to do so by using their story within or as a means of sharing a short devotion, which the Pastor would collect and compile into a devotional booklet similar to the Upper Room Daily Devotional. Some described it as a little intimidating at first, but when it was completed, they were grateful to have had the opportunity to share how God had been at work in their lives. What I heard from those who shared with me about this experience was that it was a tool which brought them closer to God and to one another. It really got some of them thinking about, and to see in printed form, how God was interacting within and through the lives of fellow church members. How God is at work in the lives of others is probably something we might not ever know or hear about. How often do we share our story with others around us?
On November 21st, our charge conference will be held in the Sanctuary. This is a once a year gathering in which we tend to the business of the church. In the past I have often heard that charge conference should be a time when we celebrate our story, the story of God working in and through us, his people. So, what is the story of our congregation we should recall at charge conference if the opportunity were to present itself? Would there be anything that would stand out? Anything we would celebrate or be excited about? Or has it simply been a time of nothing notable happening? As children of God and disciples of Jesus we are called to be a part of his unfolding story in carrying out the ministry he has entrusted to us. If we are faithful in doing so, then there will always be something worth remembering and sharing. Like the apostles in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Mark who were sent out in pairs by Jesus to do his work. When the apostles returned to Jesus, we read in Mark 6:30 that they “gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.” In reading the whole passage I get the feeling that they could not wait to tell Jesus and one another about all they had experienced, witnessed, seen of God at work in the lives of people they had met. What about you and me?
What is your story? How is God at work in and through you? As we continue to live out the story of these lives, let us seek, search, and look for God and what He is doing in and through our lives. Let us remember each day that our lives, our story should be bound up in the greater story of God and his love for the world. I look forward to hearing and learning more about your story and the story of Grace UMC. I pray that our charge conference will be a time of encouragement and sharing how God is at work in us. Pastor Lee
