Hands In Mission

This past Saturday, I got my first taste of Hands In Mission here at Manchester UMC. For those outside of MUMC, Hands In Mission is a twice per year event where persons from our church go out to a number of agencies in the St. Louis area and perform some much needed tasks. What a great group this Spring. There were approximately 140 persons who signed up to participate!

I had a tough assignment: driving our A/V person around to each site to get pictures of all the work. Yes, it was tough working our way through all of the pictures, but we made it. In all seriousness, going to all of the sites was a great blessing for me. I got to see so many people truly being the "hands and feet" of God. Young and old alike working side by side. There was so much good work accomplished. I truly believe that the efforts taken this Saturday will make a difference in people's lives. And isn't that what it's supposed to be about? It's nice to see a church actually being the church.

At the end of the day, it wasn't about how old you were, how skilled you were, how rich or poor you were, or even about how much that was accomplished. It was about a willingness to serve God and our fellow human beings. It was about, and should continue being about, the living out of our faith. I can envision a day when we have 500 people or more getting involved. And not just at our local agencies, but right here in our neighborhoods. We can make a difference!

Finally, Hands In Mission occurs twice per year, but our work shouldn't be limited to those two days. We can make a difference in so many ways each and every day. We just need to have a heart filled with the love of God and a willing ness to share that love. I close with words from an Audio Adrenaline song, "I want to be your hands, I want to be your feet; I'll go where you send me, go where you send me..."

Chris

Youth

I spent last evening working with the Sr HighYouth of our church. They were a great group. In differing ways, we talked about the importance of knowing our story and being able to share it with others. Included in that is how our faith is a part of our story. In particular, I talked to them about the many influences coming their way in life that will challenge them and what they believe.

As I listened to some of their converstions, I was reminded again about how insightful youth can be. I've said it before and I say it again: we don't give them enough credit. The church should be open to hearing their opinions about more than just "youth" stuff. Now, I don't want the youth to get toofull of themselves because they do still have a great deal to learn. However, we should all remember that they have more to offer the church than just lowering the average age of our membership.

Chris

First Time For Everything

The day started just a little bit earlier than normal today. At 4:37 am, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 hit about 130 miles east of St Louis. The effects were felt for quite a distance. Fortunately, there doesn't appear to have been any injuries and the damages were minor. This was a definite first for me. I awoke to the whole house shaking. I kept teling myself, "It can't be an earthquake." Surprise! In the end, it was no big deal, but even a small quake can be scary.

Ok... now the weird part. As I am writing this I just felt an aftershock. I don't know how Californians get used to it!

This must be the time for firsts. This past month, I experienced snow on Easter. Unbelievable! These two experiences are certainly ones that I will remember. I wonder how many more first time experiences await me.

What kind of new experiences does God have for us as we journey in faith? Some may be awe-inspiring like snow on Easter. Others may be a bit scary like having an earthquake shake your home. But whether they are scary, exciting, or inspiring, I look forward to them all. How about you?

Off and Blogging!

Ok, I know it's about time, but I have finally got my blog started. I have wanted to do this for some time, but there was always one thing or the other. Better late than never!

As I was thinking about the kinds of things I might blog about, a thought occurred to me: "Would Jesus have blogged?" I happen to think that he would have. I believe he has so much to say to us. I know that's one blog I would read often!

How about you? Do you think he would have blogged? If so, what do you think he would have blogged about?

Chris