Trying Patience

Before kids, we'd eat anytime we wanted.
Anything we wanted. And we'd skip meals.

Now... kids don't just eat every day,
they need regular meals.

And they need healthy, balanced nutrition.
Oh, my!

It seems every moment of our 'free time' is spent
preparing, consuming or being interrupted by meals.

And that tries my patience!

But, of course, it's better to limit my schedule
and see our kids grow into all they can be.

If I let them (and myself!) just eat and do
what they want... we'd never reach our potential.

So it is with starting a new congregation.

We intentionally seek to partner with others.
Our motto is: We're Better Together.

And we're going to pursue that vision.
Even if it takes a little longer.

But many people tell us to focus on ourselves.
They want to see results...
'Get your members. Get your numbers.'

But if we start this congregation focusing on ourselves,
we'll never grow into a congregation that focuses on others.

Our relationships with neighbors and partners,
even those that never think they can 'help' us
must be fed and nourished.

Even if we'd rather just 'get on' with our own agenda.
Even if they'd rather we just 'get on' with our own stuff!

As we develop relationships, we're hopefully modelling
the kind of bloom-where-you're-planted creative mission
we hope our future congregation will embody.

So, we take the time to get to know other churches.
We take the time to find out their passions and gifts.
Not to use those gifts for ourselves but to see them succeed!

My goal is not to discover how they can meet 'our needs'
but what they most enjoy so we can help them to achieve.

Or at least cheer them on.
I want to be proud of my brothers and sisters in Christ!

Because we really are better together.

If we start this new congregation by only focusing on ourselves,
we will create yet another church primarily focused on itself.

Frankly, there are too many of our congregations
that ignore Jesus' clear command that we must
die to ourselves to give birth to our true seeds.

People tell me to wait until we're set to try cooperation.
But the time to cooperate is from the very beginning.

When we intentionally support another group's dreams,
many people ask me, 'What's in it for you?'

The answer is both 'nothing' and 'everything.'

By living out self-giving partnerships, we gain much.
It is our mission to support the mission of others.

That's the self-giving love Jesus demonstrates,
and it's the kind of mission -- from Day 1 --
that Jesus asks us to do here today.

God knows we need to gather people and find a place
to develop partnerships and create our own programs.
But our mission is to demonstrate loving support
among God's family... including other denominations.

That's why I spend so much time learning about the
Episcopals and Catholics, Baptists and Charismatics,
Pentecostals and Independents... and, yes, even
the Missouri Synod Lutherans!

Not to duplicate their work. Quite the opposite.
I don't want to do what they are doing but to
do what they are not doing.

But I want to encourage them to fulfill their dreams.
Every part of Christ's body has an important role to fill!

Encouraging those gifts in others is all this
little new congregation in rural Cecil County can do.

But it is a gift we give gladly!

Even if waiting to understand our neighbors
and to support our partners
and to wait on our friends
takes a little longer or
goes a little slower

... and tries my patience!

We will try patience.

And we will grow together : )