What Makes Us Strong
I lamented to a teacher once during a group project that it would be easier “if everyone was like me.” My teacher politely pointed out that I would be equally frustrated with them if they were, and that the world would be quite a boring place if we all held the same gifts and interests.
Last summer we asked some hard questions of one another during our “I’ve been meaning to ask...” sermon series. One of those questions was “What do you need?”
This summer we’re asking a different question. One that invites us to look at what we have and build a stronger community. Our series “What Makes Us Strong” will help us to look at what we already have, from life experiences to physical assets to talents and hobbies, and push us to become better together.
Have you ever considered the first group of Jesus’ followers? It was a smattering of people from a variety of different backgrounds. Tax collectors, fishermen, woodworkers. Together they made a group that survived – even thrived – together. They had people who could make things, people who were good at math, people who could catch the food they would then eat.
Strength in the Kingdom of God is not measured by the resources we lack, but by the gifts we recognize, relationships we cultivate, and trust we practice. God builds with what is already here. This series is grounded in prevenient grace: the conviction that God is already at work in people, neighborhoods, and communities before the church organizes anything.
“What Makes Us Strong” invites us to look at the beauty in the ways we are UNLIKE one another. What gifts make us unique? What gifts do we have that we want to share?
This Sunday we will ask you four questions:
What could you teach?
What life experiences do you carry?
What do you love?
How do you care for others?
We will reflect on these prompts, then ask you to fill out a Post-It note and place it on the wall.
As you prepare for Sunday, think of those gifts you hold. Are you good at cooking? Are you a creator of art? Do you know how to change the oil in your car? Each week we will ask you to look at your gifts and resources from a different perspective. We will look at the gifts that you as individuals hold as well as the gifts that are held in our community.
The book Having Nothing, Possessing Everything by Michael Mather tells the story of a community who shared their assets with an interviewer, who then shared these assets with a developer who was looking to make a shift in the neighborhood. When the assets – not just the financial and property ones – were presented to a development corporation, Mather writes that they didn’t know what to do with the information. “They were so used to building a strategic plan based on the needs of the neighborhood that they couldn’t figure out how to build a plan focused on the gifts of the neighbors,” writes Mather.
Together we will look at the gifts that we have and the gifts of those sitting beside us in the pews or on the other side of our screen if we are worshiping online. We will ask, “What Makes Us Strong” with intent to learn about and from one another. We will build our pride around those gifts we have. We will begin to synchronize what we have, what we need, and our spiritual gifts to move closer to the beloved community that God has called us to be.
Yours in Community,
Rev. Rachel
Just a note: This series has activities built in, and you will get more out of it if you come ready to participate. We will have everything we need for you to do this well – you just have to show up and be willing!
And, a reminder: Sunday, July 19 we will have coffee hour at 9:30 and worship at 10:00, both in Collins Hall. We hope to see you there!