Grace to you, and peace, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Abraham and Sarah hear the voice of God and go, trusting that the God who speaks is trustworthy. The call of God and our faithful response is the essence of faith. I am filled with joy each time I think of all the ways this congregation discerns the call in our own time, and follows in faith.
It was hard not to think about the most recent example from within our church of this call and response during the commissioning service for the Living Waters for the World mission trip to Haiti. A group of ten members of our church will lead Vacation Bible School and install a clean water filtration system in that decimated country over the next ten days. I hope you will take time in the next ten days to be in prayer for all the trip participants – Chandler Joiner, Kim Joiner, Kris McCain, Cathy McCall, Matthew McCall, Jessica Queen, Alex Quintana, Sharon Roumen, John Wade, and Tom Wilhoite.
We also are coming to the end of another season of Room in the Inn. Once again we were able to provide a warm bed and great food for our guests, but even more importantly we were able to show them hospitality around the tables in Wilson Hall, sharing in conversation. Thanks to Sue Banner and the dozens of volunteers who make this ministry possible.
Over the next several weeks of spring and on into the summer we will be hosting Presbyterian Disaster Assistance work teams who are coming to the area to do flood relief work. We are providing food, beds, and hospitality as they work in the Nashville and Williamson County area. I hope you will take time to get to know our guests and thank them for their service to our community.
These are just a few of the many ways our congregation engages in and helps facilitate the mission of God locally and globally. The call of Abraham and Sarah still echoes in our own time – trust in the promise of God, and go into the world, blessed to be a blessing.
christopherjoiner 