September 20 Home Communicator – The streets were crowded on a sunny morning when I walked the streets of the farmer’s market. I didn’t have much on my list, just some red skin potatoes, sweet corn, and yellow beans. But as I wandered, I couldn’t help but admire the variety and abundance of fruits and vegetables neatly displayed on the tables in front of me. I started to think about how convenient and even fun it was for me to shop the market for food that would nourish my family. The abundance on the table was a reflection of much time and effort on behalf of farmers who toiled behind-the-scenes to get each plant from seed to harvest.
It doesn’t work that way in our spiritual lives. If we want to be fruitful, we don’t just show up and ask for a helping of love, peace, or self-control and find ourselves blessed with an abundance of it. It takes regular, ongoing behind-the-scenes work to be rooted in Christ to grow into the likeness of Him.
Today at the middle school, we launched our Student Chapel Team – a group of 50 students from the 7th and 8th grade who have chosen to help plan chapels, lead worship, run tech, and make HCMS a welcoming place for guests, staff, and students. Thanks be to God for these students who are taking that next step of faith and getting involved in the behind-the-scenes work of growing God’s Kingdom at HCS!
Please join me in praying this prayer from Ephesians 3 over our staff and students for the coming year.
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
In Christ alone, Katie VanTil , Nurturing Faith Coordinator
