My bookshelf is lined with many different books. This means it is lined with many different authors, many different ideals, many different theologies, many different thoughts. Some of the books are fun and exciting, and some of them are boring. Some I will re-read, and some will just collect dust. Some of the books you will probably hear about in sermons, and some I will pass on to other people. No matter what the future holds for each of those books or what purpose was served by them in the past, they all have something in them that made them worth buying. The same thing can be said about you and me. There is something within each of us that was worth purchasing. There is something that was worth Jesus paying the price for on the cross. That something includes stories to tell, things to cry over, jokes to laugh about, lessons to learn. That something includes the hand of God, our Creator, which can be seen in the stories, the tears, the jokes, and the lessons. The important thing to do then is to spend some time this summer looking a little deeper beyond the cover and learning what exists inside.

July is the month where many of us will take a vacation or find ourselves going somewhere special for a day trip. It is the busiest travel month for airlines and busways. This also means July is the month in which we have the greatest opportunity to meet new people and spend some time with a stranger. I want to encourage you to pick your head up from your book, take your ear buds out, or put your phone down. Spend a little more time reading someone else’s story. The more we learn about others and the life they live, the more we gain in our understanding of who God is. God wants us to know all about our Creator and has placed pieces of God’s self within each of us so that with each interaction we have with another, not only will we learn more about God, but we will learn more about ourselves. As you are out on a great adventure this month, don’t be afraid of a little self-discovery.

If you are not one of the many travelers this month, do not worry. The church is one of God’s grand adventures that offers us opportunities to get to know more about God, each other, and ourselves. A great way to do that is through our small groups we offer. Starting July 11th, we will be hosting a class for further discovery that will help us understand what Spiritual Gifts are and if we have any. Spoiler alert: you do! Join us at 1 p.m. at the church for that six-week course. You also can still sign up for a Porch Party with the Pastor and her (my) family. That is another great adventure with more great discoveries! Wherever you go this month or if you are going nowhere at all, remember God is always right there with you!

From one Light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman

Photo by jpmatth