Faith in Action

Growing up is hard…

My two little boys are ages two and six, and they are both a ton of fun.  However, the age difference between them is such that it can be really hard to find things for them to do together.  The six year old wants to climb a mountain, and the two year old wants to throw his pancakes on the floor.  Then when the two year old is ready to go to the park, the six year old is busy with his legos. (And two year olds really struggle with legos…) Besides all of this, both boys are trying to assert their own independence, and that means they love to say:  NO!  Getting out of the house can feel impossible with all of this going on.  

However, the weather in Las Vegas has been pretty amazing recently.  The temperature has been perfect, and aside from a few windy days, I couldn’t ask for anything better.  My wife and I have really been feeling the urge to take the kids exploring, so we made the extra effort to take the kids to the mountains.  For a while, it seemed like no one was going to be happy, but when we arrived at a nice picnic spot near a patch of leftover snow, the kids started to have a blast.  They were excited to play with each other and laugh and enjoy the moment.  Sometimes it takes quite a bit of extra effort, but it is always so amazing to see their relationship deepen.

This week we are taking time to think about our identity in the Church.  Here at CLC, we have lifted up six words that pertain to our ideals:  REAL PEOPLE, INCLUSIVE GOD, and RADICAL GRACE.  As a church, we believe these six words describe what we believe.  In addition to a statement of faith, they are also part of our mission.  We are called to go forth and share these gifts as the very ministry of Christ.  Putting our faith into action isn’t always easy.  In fact, we can find countless reasons why it’s easier to give up in the face of the chaos in the world.  

In some ways, we all have to grow up in our faith and put our words into action.  This is going to be difficult, but if we believe the words of Christ, it is always worth it.  Personally I have made plenty of mistakes in my ministry and in parenting, but God shows up in the mistakes.  I’ve seen growth in my own family and I’ve seen the church accomplish great things.   We can’t be afraid of falling on our faces at times.  We are called to live out our faith with love.

Blessings!

Brian