Transformations

​As I write this article, I am listening to the demolition of our old kitchen and the rebuilding of our new kitchen. It is coming along nicely . It is an exciting time, we are seeing changes taking place and we can make it a wonderful experience. Change is not easy and it is scary for some and disappointing for others to see the old go away, but with that we have wonderful opportunities to use the new kitchen for wonderful things in the future. It is also a metaphor for the changes that we have in our congregation and our lives, we can look at them and decide that we are not going to do anything in the future because things are not the same or we can see the opportunities that we have been given and grow with them. God knows exactly what we are feeling and going through. He has promised to be with us every step of the way. Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life,.. What you will eat or wear…. I will be with you always.”

Change is a very hard thing to deal with in life. The older we get the harder it is to adapt  to change. But know that God invites us and strengthens us through change. Look back over the last year and see how many changes you have gone through in your own life. Aren’t you amazed that God was present and involved? As we go through the daily challenges that show up at every turn, we need to always be measuring our success against this back drop-- Where am I in my journey to move into His spiritual world? It is only through baby steps, that we make any progress, but God wants us to always be growing closer to him. How this is accomplished is different each time ~ it is through our worship together, our individual prayer lives, and the way that we treat one another.

May we collectively, as well as individually, look at ways that God is inviting us into this relationship. It is a life-giving relationship. One that transforms us and our lives into a living and growing relationship in which we are all working together to be the body of Christ to one another. So how are we going to reach out to those around us and show them the love of Christ? How is God active in the events of my daily life? “Christians should note in the Scriptures and throughout history that God rarely worked the same way twice. God’s activity was always unique to the people with whom he was dealing and the time in which he was working. God’s activity cannot be re- duced to a specific task or program.” (Blackaby pg.89) Our relationship with God is a living organ- ism that needs to be fed and nurtured just like all living organisms.

May each one of us seize the opportunities that God has prepared for us and may we capitalize on them and grow closer to him each and everyday. I want to personally thank each of  you for your influence on my spiritual journey.

In Christ Love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch