Church Family,
It is good to be back in Texas after the Revive Women’s retreat. I was asked to be the Spiritual Director for the retreat and enjoyed leading times of prayer and reflection. Revive is the organization we use for our Kids and Youth Camps! I am excited to be with each of you on Sunday as we begin to talk about the early church.
William Pilkenton was one month away from turning eight years old. His family had traveled from Bellingham, Washington, to Tofino, British Columbia, for a vacation. He and his father were walking up from the beach when his father turned to look for him and realized he was gone.
When children go missing, parents start looking. And so did this one. Before long, the entire community was helping him search for this missing child. Search and rescue crews scoured the area. Search coordinator Garth Cameron said, “I don’t think there’s a square foot in this town that doesn’t have footprints.”
When children go missing, parents go looking. And that’s what God has done. There’s not a square foot on earth that doesn’t have his footprints. He began searching for them the moment Adam and Eve made a choice and lost their way. He sent the nation of Israel looking. He sent his Son to “seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Jesus sent the disciples into the middle of Jerusalem and told them to wait. While they were waiting, a crowd gathered for Pentecost. Some estimate Jerusalem swelled to over 1 million people during this time. The Holy Spirit came on them, Peter preached, and the church swelled from 120 to over 300,000.
It didn’t stop there. The devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). That first church in Jerusalem grounded its people in the Word, in deep community, to sharing meals and sharing Christ, and to prayer. They had to. The task at hand was too big for them to accomplish on their own. They needed each other. Mostly they needed God.
That hasn’t changed, has it? We still have the same commission to be witnesses for Jesus in our Jerusalems and in our world. We are still called to the Word, to love each other, to share life, and to pray. And we are still searching for those who have lost their way.
We are still searching because the Father still has children who are missing. So go to your Jerusalem and wait. God will bring you power as you serve him there. Let’s not leave a square foot without our foot- prints.
Who are you inviting to church this week?
Blessings,
Pastor Hayley