Goodness Weekly 7.4.22
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
— Nelson Mandela
Good Work:
"Every hammer on the roof sounds like angels knocking" — Lena
Our teens spent the week serving Miss Lena through repairing and shingling the roof of her home. She continuously showed us love as she opened her home to us and shared stories of her family. Thanks to Blueprint Ministries for putting on this amazing camp where our team is able to give back to the community and spend time growing together in faith. A very special thanks to Chelsea Stirman, for all her hard work in making this week possible, and to all the parents & sponsors that gave their time to Blueprint Camp this week, we couldn't have done it without you!
Community Care Team:
Our heart’s desire is to partner with where God is already at work in our neighborhood and city. We believe that there are many ways to do this and one that is central to our work is caring for our neighbors.
We invite you to join our community care team. This is simply a group that will work together to provide tangible care to people in the community— like delivering meals, visiting people who are feeling isolated, providing rides to appointments, etc.
Sign up using this link:
What’s Good:
We are grateful for this beautiful group that came together Wednesday night at Blueprint Ministries to clean, cook and serve dinner to our youth group and other groups who worked hard to improve the lives of homeowners in our city.
Thank you for the way you radiated God’s love that night!
Message from Jess:
On August 28, 2007 at the break of the morning our first son Luca was born. We debated on a special song we wanted to have playing when he came into the world and landed on one of our favorites, Pearl Jam’s Given to Fly.
We chose this song because to us, it was a story of a man who was searching for freedom and when he found it he flew. He flew wide, he flew high, he flew whole. He came back down from the sky, as the song says “because he wanted to share the keys to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere.”
When Paul wrote to the Galatian church, he so deeply desired for these people to experience the true freedom given to them in Christ. As parents, this was one of the hopes for whom our son would be in the world, a person who is whole and free and uses that freedom to set others free too.
As we celebrate today, with our backyard picnics and fireworks, I pray that we are constantly reminded of the freedom that is available to each of us. And reminded that there is great hope for wholeness and goodness and kindness in our world because God is a giver of all good things.
Our freedom given by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit must lead us to bearing good fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It leads us to deep, loving relationships with those around us, it leads each of us to flourishing and points to the goodness of God.
May we all recognize that we were given to fly.
Join me this week in focusing on being kind over being right.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, July 10th, 4:30pm Chapel Worship & Liturgy
Tuesday, July 5th, 9:00am Story Time on the lawn
Wednesday, July 6th, 9:00am Coffee & Games at Rose Hip Coffee
Saturday, August 13th, 9am-1pm The Market at Sunset Ridge!!
Morning:
As I take a first, deep breath this morning God,
help me to remember that it is you who fills my lungs
and you who sustains my beating heart
While I celebrate freedom today, there are so many
around the world who are held in bondage
Give me the courage to use my freedom
for the freedom of those around me
Help me not to hold someone else
in captivity with my words, actions or judgments
May I work for the goodness and flourishing of all people,
in Jesus name,
Amen.
Evening:
My heart desires to do your will, God,
to be a living reminder of your great love and goodness
In some ways today, I remembered and other ways
I allowed my busyness and impatience
to drive my actions and words
God grant me the wisdom tomorrow
to live as one who is truly free
One who is not bound to proving and striving
but one who is wholly known and loved
and prepared to share that love with my small world.
Amen.
