Staying Connected

Pastor's  September Notes . . . .

I have discovered something about myself:  I can get so focused on where I am going that I completely miss what is happening around me.

I have a list.  A schedule. Somewhere I need to be.  Something I need to accomplish.  And if I'm not careful, I can move through an entire day without really noticing the people God has placed in my path.  Maybe you can relate.

September has a way of doing that to us.  School starts. Meetings return. Fall activities begin. Church calendars fill up. Harvest approaches. Suddenly, after the slower rhythm of summer, we are moving again.  And right in the middle of all that movement, Jesus asks us to notice our neighbor.

Throughout September, we will spend time in worship thinking about what it means to be neighbors - not just to the people we know, like, or agree with, but to the people God places around us.

Because here's the thing: loving our neighbor sounds really good until Jesus starts messing with our definition of "neighbor".

Sometimes our neighbor is the person we would rather avoid.

Sometimes our neighbor believes differently than we do.

Sometimes our neighbor needs more patience than we want to give.

And sometimes our neighbor is standing right in front of us while we are too busy looking at what comes next.

So I have a challenge for us this September:  Notice one person.

Each week, intentionally notice someone you might normally overlook. Learn their name. Start a conversation. Set beside them. Offer some help. Listen to their story. Pray for them Nothing extraordinary. Just pay attention.

Because I am convinced that God is already at work in our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, our farms, our grocery stores, and our communities.

Perhaps the question isn't, "Where is God?"

Perhaps the question is, "Am I paying attention?"

See you around the neighborhood!

Pastor Tiffany