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To the friends of Congo-Pres,
Happy New Year! Are you the kind of person who does New Year’s resolutions? Honestly, if you are, good for you! I’m not going to be the person to critique or roll my eyes at people who do. I’m genuinely fascinated that there’s a moment in our culture where people at least give lip-service to introspection and being different, and many people aspire to follow those resolu-tions through! I think it speaks well of people- whatever their faith or lack thereof- that there is a hunger to be different, to get better or healthier, have more hobbies, and all the other way people want to be different.
In the Christian faith, we believe not that we’re trying to be different, but, using a variety of New Testament images, Christ is calling us into the Kingdom, into new life, and to receive the Holy Spirit. It’s less that we’re trying to be better, but that God is making us more into Christ’s likeness. I recently read something that read scripture in a fascinating way. 1 John 4, in talking about how Christians treat one another, famously says “God is love”. And Genesis 1, in telling about human origins, also classically says that humans are made in the image of God. While we could spend hours discussing what the Image of God means, one way to say is that we are made to be individual images of love. Jesus, the ultimate image of God (because he is God) shows us this love. In the Christian faith, we believe that in knowing God, we become transformed by God to become more like Christ, to not only share God’s love, but to become the kind of people who reflect God’s love.
Whether a New Year’s resolution, or a desire to be closer with God, the best way to do this is with a group of people. In particular a group we can share stories with- to both share stories of progress, and name the stories of backtracking or loss.
This is what church is supposed to be- a group of people who get together before this God, to worship and be changed by hearing the Word and receiving the sacraments, and then sent out share that with the world (and encounter God out there, too).
As your pastor, I’m not special or above this. God is working in my life in ways big and small, with the obvious way in how I’ve been called by you. So I’d love to invite you to lean into the story-sharing part of church. You hear from me so often, but I also want to hear from you: how are things going in this new season of ministry? Where have we been as a church before my time? Where do you hope we’re going? I’d love to hear from you, and if you’d like to meet for coffee, or stop in to visit the office, or invite me over, feel free to call the office, or reach out to me over email (adamo@congopres.org). For those who already have, thank you! It has been a blessing to get to know your individual stories as I learn about this church God has called
together.
Grace and peace,