We Found Treasure!
I am sorry if you could not make our "Friends & Family Funday Sunday." It was a delight, and in the midst of it we discovered hidden treasures if we looked for them. Here is just a sampling:
Good food made by good chefs and bakers
Good fun in conversations around the table
Good games to get us talking to one another
Good prizes if your table won a round of our version of "Password"
Good stories of how we met spouses, memorable moments of our childhood, etc.
Hidden treasures in our jars of clay! Thank you to our Congregational Care Ministry for making this day possible. What if we took a little bit more time in our lives, as individuals and as a community of faith, to get to know one another more intimately? What would happen if we spent the time telling and listening to one another's stories? What would happen if you got to know your neighbor in the seat next to you in the Fireside Room or in the sanctuary? Whose story do you not know here at Spring Creek?
Well, we have been "panning for gold" so to speak! First, we shared our stories with one another at our "Pie with the Pastor" gatherings. Then our Congregational Care, under the leadership of Jane Austin, invited us to be "Pew Pals" to connect better with our neighbor in the "pew." Then we had a church-wide "Listening Session" where we were able to share stories and listen to stories of how some have been angered or saddened or disconnected in the separation of pastors with our congregation. All of these have been examples of our search for the hidden treasures in each of us. All of us have had the chance to find the empowerment of God in one another if we chose to do so.
Whether it was any of the above events, we have been on a journey to find the hidden treasure of Christ in each one of us so that we can reclaim our image of Jesus at Spring Creek, in Rockford, and beyond. Are you willing to join that journey? How important is that for strengthening your faith, pursuing your passions in ministry, and how will it make a difference in your life and in your neighbor's life.
Our Moderator-Elect, Barb Mugavero, gave everyone the opportunity to make that journey a reality last Sunday in worship as she called on this community of faith to commit their "earthen vessels" to Christ's service at this time. She asked us to get in our "quiet spots" to pray for God's guidance, and she challenged us to use our gifts, those treasures within each of us, to be the Body of Christ in the here and now.
Good things happen when good people make them happen. Great things happen when we follow our great God's direction in our lives.
Pastor Steve