LIVING LETTERS

By September 15, 2021Weekly Update

Hello, Gather friends and family.

 

About a decade ago, the United Church of Christ launched a print and TV campaign with this message: Never put a period where God has placed a comma, reflecting the UCC’s tagline: God is still speaking. Some of us UCC vets may have heard this so often we don’t pay it much mind. But together, the two slogans pack quite a punch.

We can’t ever put God in a box. Thinking we’ve got God all figured out and know exactly what God wants or plans to do will find us sipping a toxic cocktail of foolishness and arrogance. Scripture repeatedly shows this, both in word and example—none more explicitly than Isaiah 55:8-9, where God flat-out says, “My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.”

  1. Got it. But if it’s not all signed, sealed, and delivered in the Bible and tradition, how is God continuing to speak? We’ve not had any reports of booming declarations from the sky. Not even a still small voice whispering from a windy cave. No divine social media presence, either. If God really is still speaking, how’s that supposed to work? A few questions are in order.

Might God speak through us? It could be we’re the living, breathing, walking, talking media that embody God’s word and will and way in the world. That’s a pretty radical idea. But it’s hardly new. Paul told his friends in Corinth, “You are like a letter written by Christ… not written with pen and ink or on tablets made of stone. You are written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God” (2 Cor. 3:3).

What kind of mail are we delivering to the world? When folks open us up, what do they read? How do we become these living letters that spill out good news of unconditional love and grace? That’s the focus of this Thursday’s Bible study. Our virtual pastor, Shea Watts (fresh off his and Kat’s trip to Scotland) will have a lot to share with us on this topic. Don’t miss it!

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84710869833

Meeting ID: 847 1086 9833

Or dial 1-312-626-6799 using the same meeting ID.

See you this Thursday at 7:30p CDT!

 

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

We need your help!

As we think about the future of Gather, please let us know what gifts you bring and would like to share with the community. There are many roles that have to come together to make Gather happen every week. This includes setup, technical support, worship, managing handouts and information, coordinating drinks, and teardown. We need your help. Please let us know what type of service you’d be interested in!

Watch God Work,
Tim & Shea

As we prepare to become a vibrant worshipping community, we invite you to enjoy a Spotify playlist that captures the kind of worship we hope to embrace. Give it a spin while you’re driving. Make it your workout jam. Add it to your devotional time. Most of all, feel yourself becoming part of a sacred village of believers who love their God and one another!
Check out the Gather Worship Playlist here.