Teary on the Prairie

If you saw me get weepy-eyed before Communion at last Sunday’s 9:00am service, you probably know what I’m gonna write here:

I was deeply moved by the Holy Spirit during our first Sunday worship in the new building. Part of it was just exhausted exhilaration: we’re finally here! (Although the person who had the most right to be teary-eyed was our really exhausted and exhilarated Operations Manager Dick Frohardt—who led the Building Leadership Oversight Team, affectionately known as BLOT, throughout the last year’s building process!) He’s a sensitive lug just like me!

But part of my emotionality was the looming foreshadow of large responsibility: God really did make this marvelous dream of a building come true for us. And, as Jesus said, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Luke 12:48 NLT). Through the generosity of our Presbyterian partners specifically, God has given us—a 5-year-old young sapling of a church—a mighty-oak-sized location for ministry. And since we know God longs to change lives with Jesus’ love, we know He’s eager for us to do even more creative and challenging ministry now that our “toolbox” is open and increasingly full of tools.

What are some of those things we as Kaw Prairie Christ-followers can do right away to help realize some of God’s vision for our new toolbox?

• Thank God. When your family sits down for meals, when you tuck in your children for bed, when you start your devotional time, or when you and your spouse, or you and your friends, are sitting up late talking—offer a prayer of thanksgiving for what God has honored us to do in His name as a church.
• Ask God. And then ask God to make our church—and you in particular—instruments of the Gospel. Ask God to tell you whom He want you to invite to worship?
• Serve God. Look for God pointing where He wants you to serve in His new house. Homeowners know that there’s a lot more to do to keep up with the responsibilities than there was when you were renting. But I don’t just mean in a physical sort of way—our ability to serve God, and our obligation to be available to God’s people—has increased now that we’ve opened our doors! But to a joyful Jesus-follower, that’s not more work, it’s more fun!
• Seek God. One our three missional sub-purposes is “to cultivate hearts like Christ.” What about this exciting time in our church’s history can make your personal walk with Christ more exciting, too? What learnings will He show you about yourself—and about your heart, mind and soul—that will be gifts for a lifetime?

So yeah, one of the reasons I was all weepy on Sunday was my sense of thankfulness and impending responsibility. But the other was simply joy: Knowing and serving Jesus in the fun-loving, Jesus-loving company of servants like you has been the thrill of my life! And like a marriage that only gets better with time, I had a realization all of a sudden as I looked over the roomful of excited faces: we are a family of God, starting to grow up—and I was, and am, in awe of what God will let our future hold!