I am working on the next message in our character series on integrity. Without even turning to a dictionary, I think about an opposite, about being dis-integrated. I find with all the many pieces of my life demanding attention that I am anything but integrated as a whole person most of the time. I think that as I reflect on what message I will be bringing this week I keep returning to the biblical image of shalom. We so often translate the word as “peace” but there is more to the word; it is more about wholeness, about being a whole person. Integrity to me is about being a whole person.
Jesus is the shalom-man to me, the one who came to bring wholeness to all of creation and to each one of us. I am still early in my musings about the texts and the character call to integrity. Interested in hearing thoughts and comments on integrity as part of our life of faith…
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1 Peter 5:5-6. Randi Mack “hit the ball out of the park” with this message. Now three weeks into the message series on character, we turned to one of members at Saint James to present this difficult topic. It would have been hard not to be moved by her message. Listen to it here.
Randi is bringing the message tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to eharing what she has to say about humility. SHe emailed me this week to say that my letting her preach is a sign of my own humility. However, it is generally when I hear the word brought by someone else that I am reminded and grounded in knowing that I am not the only bringer of God’s word in the faith community. In fact, there are others who bring it every day in ways I am not yet competent to bring it! I guess that brings us back around to the reality that humility is about being brought back to earth, being grounded since the root word of humility has to do with the dirt, with the ground!
I am praying Randi will open our eyes to how we all play a part in the work of God- that is the beginning of humility for me.
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Joshua 1:7-9. What does courage mean in everyday living? Listen to this sermon and see what you think.
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I thought it best as we launch the new Character Series that I ask the question, Why Bother? Looking at Luke 6:43-49 (wise man build house on rock, not-so wise builds on no foundation) and flying solo without a video clip, we as why it matters. Take a listen!
