Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Jamie Butcher
One of my mentors in ministry answered every direct question with a rambling story:
Pastor, what new education initiative should we take on this year?
Well, this one time in late July.…
Pastor, what strategy would improve turnout on Sunday mornings for children?
Once a mom came to church with her son….
Pastor, how should I approach prayer with Mr. Jones who has advanced Alzheimer’s?
Well, let me just tell you, when he used to work with the Finance Committee….
In the beginning, I read his responses as evasive and even uninformed. But by the end of my internship, I understood the great care in his replies. Instead of dictating a way forward for me, his open ended “answers” encouraged me to explore solutions of my own. He didn’t tell me how to be a minister; he told me stories that I might discover the minister I would become.
And of course, my mentor wasn’t the only person to teach this way. Jesus’s parables illustrate parts of a whole, aspects of an idea, pieces of a puzzle. When the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed but also like leaven, or like a poor woman but also a farmer, it opens your mind to consider your own ideas about God’s good world. Jesus teaches in parables to show us that there are many ways to think about God, to talk about the kingdom, to love the one who loved us first. Someday, tell me your story about how it is that you’ve come to know the Lord.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
