No Services on December 30th

This summer God surprised me.

I felt like he said, “Thomas, you often dictate the terms of our relationship.” I’ve operated for years with regular appointments to pray, read my Bible, and hear from God. Those are the comfortable ways I connect with God.

But then I saw God and began connecting with him outside of my normal paths. Unexpected paths like listening, stillness, and tools like the Enneagram are leading me in new ways of following him.

This December 30, our church will again practice the rhythm of taking a Sabbath rest on Sunday morning.
This means no services or programs. The heart behind this is to give the gift of space and rest to all of our people, to help us be open to new ways God would like to connect with us.

So what could you do on this Sunday morning? Let me make three suggestions…

You could take a new path with God.

• Maybe you pour a cup of coffee and reflect back over the year with God.
• Maybe you go for a hike, or go skiing.
• Listen to music that moves you, or try out a new poet to read.
• Maybe you enjoy a slow morning or even just sleep in.

Whatever you do, go with Jesus and know that he delights in your delight.

You could take a new path with others.

• Sit around the table with those you love.
• Make a new recipe, or an old favorite.
• Tell some stories.
• Go shovel your neighbor’s sidewalk together or play a game.
• Sing a song of worship or favorite passage from the Bible.
• Parents, maybe this is a morning to reconnect with your kids, before life kicks back into high gear in 2019.
  What if you shared with them the story of how you met Jesus, or what you learned in the last year?

If you’re looking for some conversation tools, here’s our Second Table guide that we’ve been using over the last year.

You could take a new path with a neighbor.

• There are people all around where you live that you don’t normally see on Sundays when you’re at church.
  What about inviting some neighbors over for cinnamon rolls and coffee?
• Or perhaps there is someone nearby you could use something fresh from the oven, or a bundle of flowers and a good morning.

Whatever you choose to do with this gift of space and rest, lean into God. He enjoys spending some time with you and those around you. And we will look forward to gathering back in January as we continue to journey with God.

Written by Thomas Thompson