2nd Sunday of Easter 2007

On the Way

Our mission statement proclaims that “we support each individual in their spiritual journey as they become a Disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Part of this statement is to acknowledge that we each have our own spiritual path. My spiritual life is not the same as yours. We also believe that the goal of the Christian spiritual journey is to grow deeper in our discipleship. That is, to grow in our life as a follower of the servant Messiah.

The path to Christ is not a singular moment in life, it is our whole life. If you were to create a timeline of your life, where would you say that you knew God was with you? Consider the formative events in your life, childhood events in your family, your discoveries in young adulthood, your adult life events. It is usually true in the tragic and in the joyful that those were the moments when we knew God was with us.

Our spiritual lives need attention. As we participate in prayer, worship, reading the bible we become more aware of the spiritual connections. The deepening of those connections leads to spiritual and emotional health. We can learn to not be afraid, we can learn to love the simple beauty of life, we can learn the joy of knowing that we are God’s children.

I have become particularly frustrated with American spirituality. The classic example for my life is September 16th 2001. That was the first Sunday after 9-11. Churches were full on that day, a little less full on September 23, and pretty much back to normal by September 30th. Seemingly saying, “we’ll turn to God when we need something.”

When we are “On the Way” we recognize that our spiritual life is not something we only want to pull out for emergencies, we realize that our relationship with Jesus Christ helps us to live fuller lives right now. It is my relationship with Jesus that encourages me to forgive my neighbors when we can’t agree. It is my relationship with Jesus that reminds me to serve others. It is my relationship with Jesus that helps me to become as healthy and happy a person as I can be.

Devotions for the 2nd week of Easter.

This week I will spend time with ______________________
to read scripture and pray with this week.

Monday Read Ezekiel 36:22-30

God promises to act on Israel’s behalf. Pray for God’s activity in the world today.

Tuesday Read Genesis 17:1-8

God makes a generous promise to Abraham. Pray for understanding God’s generosity in your life.

Wednesday Read Genesis 39:19-23

Joseph seems to be in a horrible situation, yet God makes use of it. Pray for God’s ability to show you how to make the most of your life right now.

Thursday Read Philippians 4:1-9

Rejoice is a holy word for Paul. Pray with Joy this day.

Friday Read Colossians 2:6-15

Paul encourages people to keep rooted in faith. Pray for those who struggle staying rooted in faith.

Saturday Read Acts 4:23-37

Facing a world of opposition the first believers act with radical faith. Pray for a faith of radical action.

Sunday LUMC worship 10:00 A.M.