Hey church whanau!
First up: Christmas Dinner Sunday 18th, don’t forget, this is a pivotal time in Blue print’s year when we acknowledge, encourage, share and delight in each other. Good food and live entertainment! Please get $$ to Jeremy ASAP, just $25. It’s going to be amazing!
Need to confirm by Monday the 12th.
Where: Zeal
When: Sunday 18th, 5:30pm
Cost: $25
Secondly I wanted to write about some of the things I have been pondering in relation to Dalton’s message, some of the themes running through the year – unity, worship, surrender, and time I’ve spent with God and learning about God recently. My hope is that we don’t lose our daily disciplines or space with God as we join the joyful madness of our glorious families, wrapping paper, and sunburn.
I was really challenged by the call to know God with depth and longevity, how would it look to be so connected to God that we proclaimed as Paul “to live is Christ to, die is gain” (Philippians1:21). Paul’s depth of connection is clear. Overwhelmed by the hugeness of this call I found (thanks Monica), a list of 12 ways in which we can know God. One of the reasons it appeals is because often when I have felt disconnected from God, I have been told simply to read the Bible and pray; whereas this list sheds light on complementing avenues to seek God within.
This in mind I came across a youtube clip by Kim walker in which she speaks of worship as ‘our connection to God’ and all the methods we use – music, art, dance, are simply expressions of this. She speaks of the way I often feel, the need to build a worshipful connection at a Sunday service. But how would it be if no building was needed as we had spent the whole week nurturing ourconnection to God. My challenge and prayer for you, as well as myself is that we would nurture ourconnection with God daily. I wonder if then like Peter, would our shadow bring healing, like Jesus so connected to his father (he does nothing without his father saying it) a woman is healed by reaching out to touch him.
May you be blessed this Christmas as we remember the gift of Christ, a baby in a barn, the word as flesh, and rejoice. I praise God for the connection made possible, and for you my church family.
Blessing, Abby Shaw
