To My Church, Whom I Love.

For a man who spends an inordinate amount of time studying scripture, digging in to the church fathers and the newest theological concepts alike, I am continually lovestruck when I encounter in the stories of our community real demonstrations that the God and Father of All is at work among us and through us in such tangible ways. I know the temptation all too well that prompted Karl Barth to comment, "The Word became flesh — and then through theologians it became words again”, yet it is seeing the word-made-flesh in the lives of those whom I love and am loved by that make the message of Jesus so true for me.

We are just beginning the third month of 2017, yet already so much has happened. It can be personally disorienting for me to step back and see the flurry of activity in my personal life, the life of our community, or even the buzz in our national discourse recently. I recognize now more than ever I need a True Story to stand upon, one that grounds me in an ever-changing world that at times seems like it’s only speeding up. Perhaps this is why the Lord called us as community to begin our exploration of loving community by coupling ourselves to the gospel of John through our “In Search of the Beloved” series. Seeing Jesus break open the earthly assumptions of his day with heavenly perspective time and again challenges us all to rethink how we perceive the world around us, and where we draw our confidence from. John’s telling of the story enables us to see a God who is actively pursuing us today, and how we are invited to response with our own pursuit of Him.

And yet all this biblical language would remain merely words on a page if not for you. What I have seen, particularly over the past several months, is a community of believers choosing to be the place where the Word is incarnated through actions of love. I have watched you love one another with a new depth that can only be forged from first being loved by God, and I have been the eager recipient of that love in more ways than I can count. I want to personally thank you for being an inspiration to me every day. You give me great hope for what the Lord wants to accomplish through us in the months and years ahead.

My prayer for us all in this season is that we may recognize how we are bound together in God’s love for us, that from His love we may become the loving community we are called to be, and as a community of love we are equipped for bold exploration of the grace He has granted us. God is strengthening the core of this church.

In Christ,
Ryan