Greeting Holy People of God,
I hope you are as excited as I am to hear our youth share their experience and pictures of the youth gathering on Sunday. I wrote them an email reminding them that you were praying for them and I encouraged them to enter into conversation with God as they prepared what they would share with you about God’s good news through Jesus that they experienced at the gathering.
I reminded them that there was a lot of preparation with the youth gathering and encouraged them to prepare as well. Then I came across this article from Tim Brown, the Director of Congregational Stewardship Support for the ELCA. Here is his article.
Living That July Life
Images from the ELCA Youth Gathering are flooding social media these days, and hopefully pictures of youth engaged in service, prayer and learning are popping up on the phones and iPads of parents, grandparents and guardians.
These images, along with those of blooming gardens, long-awaited vacations and other mission trips, paint a picture of “that July life” that seems exciting and somewhat easy.
It certainly is exciting. But it’s not easy.
The key, of course, to a July life that looks easy is early planning. Dotting out the details slowly but steadily throughout the months leading up to July takes some foresight and vision. Though last-minute individual vacations can be adventurous, things like mission trips, the ELCA Youth Gathering and even larger family excursions require thought-maps, action plans and execution strategies.
I hear from many congregational leaders that they’d love to focus all their community’s energy on living out the gospel, loving neighbors, and worshiping with intention and vigor. As well they should! This is the calling, right? We all want our communities and congregations to live “that July life,” singing God’s new world into being one memory, one picture-perfect moment, one life changed at a time.
But remember, “that July life” takes some planning, work and scaffolding. It takes well-stewarded resources and relationships built slowly, steadily and toward one cross-centered goal. (Here he offers a list of steward tools) None are quick fixes, but utilizing these tools, putting into practice these stewardship concepts slowly, steadily, with intention … well, it can certainly make a huge difference when the time comes to live out your community’s God-given mission.
It's not always easy, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming either. Slowly, surely, start small and dream big with what God is calling you to do. Start even now in the midst of easy July life. Those vacations, the Gathering, those mission trips — they all started early.
Living that July life can be sweet, meaningful and world-changing. It’s not always easy — it takes careful, thoughtful planning. But it’s worth it, by God.
Tim Brown is right. We will see that in our National Night Out Event and blood drive on Tuesday, August 6. My hand therapist, Brad, agrees. He seemed surprised when I reported back that I did my therapy exercises 5 times a day, every day as he instructed me to do. It showed, as I increased the range of motion in my wrist. I was rewarded with once-a-week therapy rather than twice a week. I can’t play pickleball yet but I could play ping pong. Anyone up for a match? There is something about hitting a ball that is good therapy for me.
Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,
Pastor Connie Spitzack
