Community News from Dr. Bob – 02/21/24
As we continue to talk about practicing the way of Jesus, what we’re really zeroing in on in our current sermon series is what gets in the way of that. What hinders us from living and loving like Jesus? And what shifts do we need to make in order to know and live like Jesus?
Intimacy with God means engaging in a close and interactive relationship with God, proactively experiencing him through prayer and scripture, and actively seeking his voice and direction. Intimacy means opening ourselves to the unknown, to risk, and to hearing the voice of God. It means having the courage to step forward into a relationship… that’s the only way to get true intimacy. It means wanting more and pursuing God in search of more.
Some of you have asked for a copy of the written prayer at the close of the message this past Sunday. I am including it below. The first line is a reference to C.S. Lewis’ thoughts on complacency from The Weight of Glory. It’s an excellent book if you’d like to go deeper into this topic.
God, we recognize that we are far too easily pleased. You have much more for us than what we are now experiencing. Please give us the courage to take our next steps toward you, even when it feels risky to us. We acknowledge that we prefer safety over intimacy, comfort over challenge, and reliance on the status quo over stepping forward into the unknown. Please grant us the strength and courage of conviction to move from being a church attender to a true disciple of Jesus. And may you grant us the joy of one day hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master’s happiness.”
After Pastor Brett’s sermon (you can listen HERE), I reflected on some of the ways I personally take God for granted, going to him like an ATM machine when I need something. In response to my reflections, I took some concrete steps toward inviting God into my daily experience more regularly as I ride my bike—something I am doing anyway. I am also following up on reaching out to an old acquaintance I felt God prompting me toward.
To avoid complacency, we need to connect with God every day on a short adventure together: God, what are you doing? Give me the eyes to see it. Give me the will to become a part of it. In this way, we connect our ears to God and our eyes to the world around us. And—very often—in doing this we find we come to a place of acknowledgement and repentance; it’s a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior.
As we continue to embark on this journey together, join us at Worship and Prayer Night next Monday at 6:30pm. We’ll worship through singing and focused times of prayer so that we respond to God, seeking to live and love like Jesus, serve and reach others, and make disciples. It’s sure to be a powerful time during which we can attune our hearts to listen to and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Sincerely –
Dr. Bob
