When God Does Something New - 9/11/05

Although Isaiah is addressing the Jewish people of his day the passage that we read earlier says several important things to us as well:

It is God who forms us as a people

The purpose is to proclaim God’s praise

Instead of looking back to what God has done in the past, let us be looking ahead to what God

wants to do for us in the present.

Paul teaches that it is not the outward form that’s important, its what is in our hearts.  We are called to be a new creation.  We are in the process of being created, of becoming the people God wants us to be.  We aren’t there yet.  This means that we are to be continually growing, which means change is inevitable.

Our Diaconate and leaders have been praying and wrestling with what this means for our congregation now.  What does God want to do for us today?  What does God want us to do?  How can we be most effective in helping people become new and proclaim God’s praise?  Offering two worship services of different styles is part of the answer to these questions.  Of course, many questions remain. 

What activities can help us preserve our sense of family?

What kind of program or topic?