He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!
Jane and Tripp each have been encouraging us in their sermons to see God at work in the midst of the intangable and when things don't seem to quite add up. Resurection needs to make a difference, and yet how do we live into the reality of the Resurection? We are often like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, unable to recognize God, the Risen Christ with us on the Journey. May we truely encouter the Risen Christ this Easter season, and my we be converted.
We have much good news to share. Jane is back with us and she is to be ordained a Deacon this Friday, April 15th. Larry now has an interim ministers license from the Evangelical Covenant Church and goes for his first license interview on April 27th. Keep him and the interview in your prayers. Things continue to move ahead, even if slowly. But that seems to be the way of things for planting a church.
Tripp and Larry met last week with a colleague, Nannette Sawyer, who is planting a church in Wicker Park (visit the churh's web site). It was an encouragement to talk and compare and share experiences. We have differing approaches for a variety of reasons, one glaring reason is that it was a committee of the Chicago Presbytery that had the idea for the church plant and called her to be the church planter while we are still trying to get the institutional support we need.
Another thing that came from the meeting is how we might think of an intermediate space between interest in the church and actually coming to worship. The idea here seems to be how to find ways to allow church to be a safe place. Worship can be daunting to those who have never been or who are disenchanted with Christianity and church. They may be interested in coming back or in coming the first time but there is a need to create space where people can come that is not a worship service, and get to know people and the church.
I guess one could put it like this, coming to worship feels like committing to something or at least being fairly certain that church is safe. Knowing the person who invites you to a worship service is not enough to make it safe, the church itself needs to have a place where people can wade in the waters of Christianity. Some things to think about as we follow God's call as a church.
and he shall give you your heart's desire.
commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him,
and he will bring it to pass.
He will make your righteousness as clear as the light
and your jsut dealing as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:4-7
The Pastoral Team
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