Our Spiritual Walk

Have you taken time to consider your spiritual needs?

We may be faithful people who go to church regularly. We may spend a lot of time considering the way of Jesus Christ. However, there are still times when our lives can become a mess spiritually. It may be that we are going through a really difficult season, and we are getting run down by the world. Sometimes it is in our busiest moments that we need to stop and take a breath. We may feel like we don't have time. We may feel overwhelmed by our worries, but Jesus reminds us all to pause in these moments and remember that we have to leave space for our spiritual needs.

I know I am guilty of rushing through life. I am rushing to get kids to school, band, cross country, piano, and soccer practice. I am rushing to take care of my own responsibilities at church. There are a hundred different things that I can worry about. However, there are also plenty of reasons to slow down. There are so many reasons to stop and consider what God is doing today... I just have to stop, reflect, and reprioritize my life.

At the moment I am really loving learning different spiritual practices from my one-year-old son. He loves to just be in the moment. He doesn't want to look at a phone. He wants to stop and have me read a book to him. He wants to explore the world. He wants to say, "Hi!" to the people and dogs he meets on the street. These are the things that bring him joy. He has also really started to love putting his hands together and saying, "Amen!" Sometimes he will want to stop a meal and just have us pray.

He also paused the other day to talk about church with my wife and me:

Kian (My 1-year-old): "Mama, church?"
Me: "Yes, Mama went to church."
Kian: "Brothers, church?"
Me: "Yes, your brothers went to church."
Kian: "Kian, church?"
Me: "Yes, you went to church."
Kian (with a smile): "Socks, church?"
Me: "Yes, your socks went to church too..."

He is figuring this world out. He is discovering there are people that offer hope. He is discovering where he can find love. He makes time for this every day. Today, I hope you can all make time for your own spiritual well-being. We are going to be starting a sermon series this week all about the deeper questions of faith. I hope we can all reflect a little in this season to experience God in a new way!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian

A song for the brokenhearted

Music has the ability to transform our hearts and minds. Much of the Bible was originally written to be sung and offered in worship. There was something about the music that brought people into a deeper connection with God.

If we pause for a moment, we can look around and find that music still surrounds us. It fills our movies, our media, and almost every part of our daily lives. In our sermon series, we are taking a look at modern music and some of the biblical themes lifted up today. Sometimes we don't know how to solve a problem, but music is able to open us up to a new perspective.

This week we are going back to a song from 1984, and we are looking for a deeper understanding of how God shows up in times of pain and grief. 

Grief, loneliness, and heartbreak are all themes that show up in Biblical poetry, and they are themes that are present in modern music and poetry. There is a longing in the human condition that we all strive to fill with something.

Today I hope we can all recognize that God is with us. In the ups and downs of life, we have a Savior who loves us. There are people dealing with unimaginable loss today. There are also people just feeling overwhelmed. However, God is with you. You are loved. It is my hope and prayer that everyone would be able to experience that love today.

Blessings,

Pastor Brian