FAITH CONNECTION – FARMERSVILLE UMC
Ministry Updates for Thursday, September 24th, 2020
Scripture – 1 Chronicles 22:9 (God speaks to David)
See, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.
Reflection – Importance are Calling
A friend of mine who coaches youth basketball told me about a conversation with a friend of his who teaches martial arts to youth. He told his martial arts friend, ‘You are lucky. Most American parents don’t know anything about martial arts, so they don’t tell you how to coach the kids.’
One of the great challenges in our lives is knowing the difference between what is important, and what we are called to do. The role that coaches and teachers play in the lives of our youth is important. But not all of us are called to do those things.
David knew building a temple to the Lord was important and so as king he took it on. But God told David this would be Solomon’s calling. I am sure it was hard for David to back off, but he did. However, he still worked ‘around the edges’ so to speak, stockpiling materials to give Solomon a head start when his time came.
As Christians, we know there are many important jobs. And we can ‘work around the edges’. As you heard during the Confirmation Service on Sunday, we support the ministries of the church with our prayers, our presence, our (financial) gifts, our service, and our witness. In general, we are expected to and can support all of them. But specifically, there may be an area where we feel called to more specific action.
Knowing what is important in church is about sensing the heart of God, the heart of the church, or the heart of the community. Knowing what you are called to do is about listening to your own heart. We are each uniquely gifted in ways which seem to move our hearts, minds and hands to action and to do more than work around the edges.
What ministries of the church are important to you? What can you do to ‘work around the edges’?
And, on the other hand, what do you feel God is most directly calling you to do?
Prayer:
God of all people, God of our hearts, God who opens our eyes to what is important in this life. We give you thanks for the opportunities we get to support our Christian brothers and sisters in their ministries. We also give you thanks that you give us a place that moves our hearts and hands to action. Help us grow in our ability to support others. And help clarify our callings daily, so we may receive the abundant life you call us to. Amen.