Weekly Update

Psalm 37:2-7
3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.

Are we in a place where we can be amazed by God at work in our midst? I don't know about you but I find that at times I am more dazzled by the spot light and the chance for notoriety, than perhaps what God is actually doing in my life and in those networks that God seems to create for me rather than those I attempt to create.

I am perhaps talking about being open to God and the movement of the Spirit, but I hesitate to use that language because who doesn't say that, and how often is that language simply a call to expect the dramatic and the obvious. We want large things we want impacting things. I want to be remembered.

As I finished with seminary and was beginning the interview process for placement in a Covenant church, I came to dislike the questions from the conference superintendents that would "ask what do you expect to do in your first church?", "what do you expect from a church?", or "what do you expect your ministry to be?". I answered I didn't know. I said I couldn't expect anything so that I could be open to what was already at work in a church. I didn't want to expect anything. What I am finding now is that there is something to expect and that is God at work, God doing what I cannot plan. There isn't anything in my life right now that I planned for when I was conferred my M. Div. 5 years ago. Yet what God has brought to me is far more incredible (and more difficult) than what I had imagined for myself and for being a pastor.

As we move forward as a church in our search for an Episcopal pastor, as we continue to plan for things we believe God is calling us to, I encourage us to be open and expectant for what God might bring us that is beyond our own ideas and imagination. This has already been the experience of Reconciler, as we did not expect to be worshiping in a traditional church space. We did not expect the majority of our members to come from traditions outside our three traditions, we did not expect that Immanuel Lutheran church would want to be in relationship with us beyond tenant renter relationship.

Announcements-
We had a council meeting this past week, and Kate our treasurer is looking for someone to join her as a finance committee. If you are interested talk to Kate. Also we elected Jeremy as the chair of our Social Action Committee. For those of you who might be interested in working with Jeremy in exploring various volunteer service opportunities for Reconciler there is a brief meeting after church this Sunday to establish a time for the meeting of the committee.

Rev. Cynthia Hallas will be with us again this week as our guest preacher this Sunday.

We are looking at possibly having a 1/2 day church retreat on the 26th of August.

It may seem far away, but keep September 10th free! Reconciler will be worshiping with the Community Church of Wilmette that evening as they install Tripp Hudgins as their pastor.

In Christ,
Larry