Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’  
– Matthew 28:19-20

This Sunday we’ll be exploring what it means to live the verbs of faith. Our scripture, Matthew 28:16–20, records Jesus’ final words to his disciples and they are words filled with movement: Go… make… baptize… teach… remember.

As preachers Karoline Lewis and Anna Carter Florence remind us, faith is not just what we believe, it’s what we do. The verbs of our lives: how we love, serve, listen, care, and share, become the way God’s story continues in the world through us.

Living the verbs draws us into the energy of our faith story. Focusing on the verbs makes faith a living response rather than a static belief. When we do so, we see ourselves as participants in God’s ongoing story.

Viewing ourselves as an active presence changes how we see church. Instead of defining who we are by what we have (buildings, programs, endowments), we define ourselves by what we do in Christ’s name, love, welcome, serve, pray, grow, forgive, share.

After worship, we’ll gather around tables for a special meal and conversation lead by our Thriving Ministry Team. Together we’ll name the verbs that describe who we are as a congregation and who God is calling us to become. Are we a welcoming, serving, growing, encouraging church? What actions define our shared calling?

Come ready to worship, to move, and to dream together, because the verbs of our faith are still being written in us. I look forward to worshipping with you on YouTube or in the sanctuary this Sunday! 

Brett