Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
~ Jeremiah 17:7-8
Welcome to 2017. It’s been a long time coming.
Dear friends,
Last year we learned what it means to be on a journey. In the first-half of last year, we explored the journey of faith that Abram began thousands of years ago; an old story that is a deep source of nourishment for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Then, at the end of last year, we studied what it means to follow Jesus on his journey, to live out his teachings through our everyday walk of faith.
We also spent time last year exploring our church’s values, hopes, and dreams, through a series of prayer meetings, brainstorming sessions, and visits to other churches, nonprofits, and businesses. Through these Mission Team travels, we explored what different forms of Christian mission could look like today.
We also discovered that long journeys can be difficult.
Indeed, not every road is smooth. Throughout scripture, the road of faith is described as one littered with obstacles and hardship. We learned that enduring those difficulties can teach us faith, perseverance, and (if we are willing) forgiveness. As your pastor, I pray every day that we continue to learn those lessons.
But now we have entered a new year, and this year I believe God will teach us what it means to put down roots.
That might seem strange to you. Not many people would talk about the need for a 141-year-old congregation to learn how to “put down roots.” But, as we’ll discover, there are many different aspects of being rooted – there is being rooted in our faith in Christ, in our relationships with each other, in our mission, in our tradition, and, finally, in our community.
We will take time this year to learn about each of these forms of rootedness.
At the risk of spoiling the plot, I’ll give you a preview: Being rooted doesn’t mean merely enduring hardship, it means learning to stay green and bear fruit, even in times of drought.
Enduring is not enough; we must learn to bear fruit.
And we will. In fact, like me, you’ve probably noticed we have already produced some rather good fruit this year. But I believe that is just the beginning. As we learn these lessons more deeply this year, we will branch out into new areas of ministry and produce even more fruit – yes, by God’s grace, even in the middle of drought.
Blessings to each of you,
Jason Coker
Senior Pastor