A Voice in the Wilderness

2020-01-01

Follow the leader    

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading." (Oswald Chambers)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

As each year draws to a close, may of us reflect on the past year and seek to follow God's lead in the year to come.

My hope and my prayer for St. John's is that as we reflect, we will REMEMBER God's work in the past, REMAIN open to God's work in the present, and willingly RISK with expectant hearts and faithful lives as we follow our Lord into the new year.

REMEMBER

I look forward to this New Year and all that it holds because I can look back and see how God has acted in the past. God has a proven track record. He is faithful and trustworthy, these are His character traits. "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." (Exodus 34:6)

I am convinced that the more we know the story...both sides of the story: ours and God's the easier this becomes. The Story as it unfolds in scripture reminds us that God is faithful even when we are not and that he has our best interest in mind. "If we are faithless, he remains faithful-- for he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:13) He is always working for His AND our greater good.

REMAIN

When life is difficult or painful, it helps to look back and see God's work in our lives. But as we remember the past we need to avoid the temptation to live there... no matter how good (or how bad) the memories. Instead, we are challenged to remain open to God's work in the present.

And remaining doesn't mean standing still. To remain open requires an intentional pursuit of our Lord as we spend time in his word, in prayer, in study, and in fellowship with other believers. In that sense, we are either moving forward in faith or we are moving in some other direction. We are moving towards glory or away from it. Are we willing to remain open to God's work in the present, to trust that God is acting, even though we might not see or sense that He is? Are we willing to take the risk?  

RISK

What is so risky that we can't accomplish it without God's grace and help? St. John's has a history of risking with an expectancy and willingness, open to what God is doing. The risk taking of faith is nothing new; there is ample evidence in both OT and NT of this type of faith. The "Roll call of faith" in the 11th chapter of Hebrews reads like a catalog of risky ventures that would never have been undertaken by people who were concerned with their own personal safety. We look at Abraham as the poster-child for risk because he acted without any prior evidence that God would keep his end of the deal. The rest of us can look back and trace God's track record.

There is always a cost in taking risks. This "risky faith" is true of us here at St. John's. All those who have gone before us in faith have done exactly this. Inviting family, friends and neighbors to church is risky. Talking to a co-worker about your faith is risky. Calling a new full-time priest was risky. In fact, everything from here on out is a risk. Yet faith continually calls us forward.

So, I invite you in this new year to join me in stepping out in faith. Let this be a year of expectancy and willingness, growing in our knowledge and love of the One who is leading and in so doing, to find that we are known and loved by Him.

Blessings,

Matthew+

Coming up...

Cranmer Dinners

Our next Cranmer Dinner is January 3rd. You can volunteer to help serve form 4-6 or from 6-8. You can also sign up to help provide our side dishes: green beans, potatoes, and brownies.

Epiphany Celebration

Come bring the Christmas season to a close at 10:00 AM on Sunday, January 5^th as we celebrate Epiphany together with at Trinity in Kremmling.  Communion, fellowship, fun, and King’s cake… a partnership event not to be missed. Mark your calendar and make plans to join the celebration!

If you want to carpool or share a ride, meet at St. John's at 9:15 Sunday morning.

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