Dreamers

Dream

My call into ministry started with a dream. Some of you may have heard this story before. But let me tell you again.

Every time God has called me to go somewhere or do something big, life has tried to get in the way. However, I know that God is faithful. The roadblocks and the detours have all led me right on the path that God has laid out for me. Even in the stormiest of times and the roughest of travels, God has been faithful.

Pray and Read Psalm 126

“A Song of Ascents. When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” (Psalm 126, NRSV)

This psalm was likely written by someone who was in that first group of exiles who got to reenter what we now call Palestine. They were home. The first half of this psalm reminds me of an elder telling the younger generation what Israel was like when it was flourishing. Seventy years was about as long as one of our generations. The stories of Israel before the exile would have had to be passed down from one generation to the next.

Maybe that is what we need more of in this church. Our older generations telling their faith stories, sharing what God has done through them and for them. But we also should hear our younger generation tell their hopes and their dreams as well.

This is what the second half of this psalm says. It is a prayer that God would do great things for Zion once again as they has seen in the past. Also, the the pain and the struggles would produce something positive. There are lessons in the struggle. There is a harvest to celebrate, but the harvest itself is a time of hard work that must be done in order to have the time of peace and fellowship.

This past week I began my doctoral studies. I am not doing this for me, especially to gain some sort of title. I don’t care if I am ever called “Doctor.” All I want out of these next few years is to learn and grow. We are in such a unique and pivotal time as a church. We need to learn and grow together. I am taking all of you on this journey with me and in the end, we will be the better for it. Our struggles, failures and hard work will produce a harvest, in the name of Jesus. Our times of successes, trying new things, and see God work will bring us unspeakable joy.

Legacy Group, we are all put in a group of 4 or 5 others and we are a kind of Frog, I am a Chorus Frog. FROG stands for Fully Relying On God!

I got to hear from other students in my program. On the last day, I heard to stories that fully made me realize how faithful God is to each of us. I also realize that you can learn a lot from different people and their stories.

Before I we left we were each give a verse that was given to those who were praying over each of us students by name. Mine was 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NRSV

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

This verse means a lot to me and is absolutely perfect as I reflect on my own story of this past year and the dreams that I have for the future.

My health

Church disaffiliation.

My hopes and dreams for this church.

Nancy’s poem about our history.

What are your stories of God’s grace for you? What has God done for you? Where has God called you to serve? How has God worked in your life? What stories can you tell the younger generations about our church or even about your faith? Young people, what are you hopes and dreams? What do you like about this church? What would you do as church leaders? What ministries do you think we should carry out? What are our hopes and our dreams?

In the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.