Changing Seasons

As we move into fall, we spend the rest of the church year looking at how we are called to be Church. How we participate in being the Body of Christ here on earth. This is not a light calling. If someone were to look at our actions would they know that we are Christians? We do not live a double life. We are not Christians on Sunday and non-Christians the rest of the week. So, how does our faith journey call us to act and think differently during the week? All of the readings during the Pentecost season look at our calling. What does it mean to be the disciples that Jesus has called us to be?

It means to grow into our baptismal vows. These are not requirements that bog us down, but rather they are privileges that we get to participate in. We listen to stories about the disciples and the way they are called to live. We need to remember that we are called to live the same thing in our lives today. Jesus has given us everything that we need to live out our calling, and we just have to put it into action. Jesus wants us to experience his presence everyday. We do this by strengthening our awareness of his presence all around us. We need to spend time making that relationship important in our lives.

We can feed this relationship by being around other believers, going to Worship on Sunday and listening to God’s Word. And also by having a prayer life in which we spend some time everyday communicating with the God that loves us so much, that he gave his one and only Son for our Salvation.

Being a disciple is both a challenge, because we are called to live differently, and a privilege that we get to participate in all that God is doing in the world around us. Our faith life is really something worth putting our energy into. May we all grow in our discipleship.
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In Christ’s love,
Rev. Stephen W. Barch