|
Dear San Marco Church Family: I had the privilege this week to attend the final gathering of the “Flourishing Small Church” cohort that Bryan Amerling and I have participated in for the past year. We have learned from laypersons and pastors from small United Methodist churches throughout the country. There were churches from Nashville, Atlanta, Memphis, rural North Carolina and rural Oregon, and Colorado. The experience over the year has confirmed for me that small churches like ours offer great conditions to grow in our faith. We are grateful to the Texas Methodist Foundation which provided the funding for this project. In the world of church leadership, it is unfortunate that we often assume that “bigger is better.” The truth is that sometimes smaller church communities provide the flexibility, organizational nimbleness, and depth of relationships that allow discipleship to thrive. Typically, we grow in faith when we have the time to get to know people and to let others know us. We need time to share our questions, our traumas, and even our quirkiness with others who will not judge us. While this can happen in any size church, I think relationships grow more quickly in environments where one does not remain anonymous for long. I love the way San Marco Church shines as an example of a flourishing small church. The struggle that most small churches, including ours, face is the balancing of limited resources with a trust that God will provide all that we need to thrive. I know that I can be guilty of having a “scarcity” mentality that laments what we lack instead of celebrating what we have. In God’s economy, holding too tightly to what we think is “ours” can stifle the movement of God’s Spirit among us. God’s economy says that we can give away love, resources, time and energy without worrying about “running out.” If we remain faithful, the Spirit will provide everything we need. (And probably most of what we want). I need to remember this! On Sunday, we will continue our series entitled “Awakened to Grace.” The scripture passage will be Mark 1: 35-39. The message will explore how we are awakened to Grace through silence. I think silence, literally and figuratively, is a resource in short supply in today’s world. I think that silence is the fertile ground in which God’s Spirit nurtures us and heals us from the crazy pace of worldly activity. Without times for silence I can become anxious, irritable, and disconnected from the peace that God offers. Without this peace, I cannot live in a Christlike manner. Jesus clearly modeled solitude and silence in his habits of daily life, so we have an example to follow. Thank you for the ways you make San Marco Church a place where God’s love transforms hearts. I appreciate and depend upon your prayers, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday! Steve Hart
stevehart100@gmail.com
|
