“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” – Ephesians 3:17
Our summer continues, but a new school year and ministry programs are just around the corner. And August is that time when many parents and grandparents are beginning preparations for school to start back up.
It’s a time filled with newness. A new school year is about to begin, our Confirmation students will begin a new year studying the Catechism, and new opportunities for all of God’s children to learn and grow.
The Synod’s Cultivating Love focus in August is “Cultivating New…”
But as we enter this time of newness, there’s a couple of questions that come to mind:
What might God be cultivating new in you? For you? With you? Paul writes, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NRSV).
Consider this month a “Choose Your Own Adventure” of sorts. You fill in the blank, “Cultivating New __________.”
Think outside the box. What might God be cultivating new in your life? Or here at First? What might God be cultivating in this community?
And then consider…what new things will you try?
Pray with me as you ponder on how we can become new together:
O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I look forward to sharing this theme of Cultivating Love with all of you.
– Pastor Patti