First Steps – July 19, 2021

Very early on Sunday mornings, one can find me on the sanctuary balcony.  Often, I will retreat there before services when the sanctuary is empty.  I like it when the church is quiet and still.  It is peaceful.  Normally, I think of the people who will enter the sanctuary, sit in the pews, and worship.  I pray for the encounter that all will have as they worship.  

On a recent trip to the balcony, I noticed some little nameplates on the outer end of each pew.  I’m sure this was part of a building or renovation project from the past.  There were gifts given to meet a need and the plaques honor those gifts.  However, they are part of a larger story, a legacy of faith with a connection to a particular community.  Larger still, they are part of a meta-narrative of a universal Church that rests under the feet of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes people forget the connection they have with Christ and each other.  That connection transcends a particular time or a particular place. It is eternal.  Our individual story is part of a larger narrative, a collective story of faith.  I’m certain there will be a day when my name will only be a name listed in a journal or maybe on a plaque—granted, I want that to be a long time from now, but I’m sure that day will come.  I’m comforted by the knowledge that I’m part of a larger story, a narrative that is unending and sits in the palm of God’s hand. 

I hope you know you are part of that story as well.  This week, I hope you will reflect on the vastness of The Gospel of Jesus.  See with the eyes of faith your part in the narrative.  You are not alone.  God has invited you to be a part of the story of faith.  

• Families in crisis.
• Loved ones battling illness.
• Those seeking to find their way.
• The St. Paul Church family.
• The United Methodist Church.
• Our leaders, our country, and our world.