What a great morning MABC family!
The rains continue and thankfully without any severe weather. While the rain has been good, for the Wichita metro area much more is needed to restore Cheney Lake. It looks like we will get a short break for a day or two and then the rain chances increase again later in the week. I have seen a forecast that predicts above normal precipitation for our area this winter which is good news. We are thankful for the rain!
Last night in my small group the conversation turned to the “big topic” of the week – tomorrow’s election. We were all discussing the pros and cons, ramifications, what are the possible reactions depending on who wins and our responsibility to vote. In the midst of all our discussion, which had turned to a little bit doom and gloom, the one man who has really only been following after Jesus for about 2 years now interrupted the conversation. He said, “I know we are all worried about the election but there is one thing we are forgetting. We still have so much to be thankful for.” Wow! It was a mic drop moment for the group because he has been hesitant to share his thoughts with the group. He feels like he doesn’t have the knowledge or faith background to offer anything of value. These are the moments that Sherry and I live for, when someone we have been investing in finally turns the corner and “gets it.”
We also had another great moment in our group last night. One of our men has been battling kidney cancer for quite a while now. I think he has finished chemo session #10 now and it is wiping him out. Last week he got a “kick in the gut” as he called it and 3 spots of cancer have shown up on his prostrate. He will meet with his oncologist later this week and hear the recommended course of action. Right now they seem to be leaning towards radiation every day and hormone treatment. He broke down and said he is just tired and not sure he wants to keep fighting any more. Of course, his wife was not having any of that!
I tell you this because yesterday’s message took issue with people not wanting to be a part of a faith- based community and/or a church family. Yes, organized religion gets a bad rap but when you see community like this coming together, I don’t know why you wouldn’t be a part of it. Like any relationship dealing with humans there are good and bad moments but for us, the good far outweighs the bad and is worth enduring. If you don’t have a small group that you are intimate with, I urge you to find one. Maybe it means you stepping out of your comfort zone and getting the ball rolling. You don’t have to be a theologian or a pastor to do that, just willing.
Sherry and I will most likely step out of this group when we move to Andover in a couple of months but the group will continue and probably add another couple or two. That’s a good thing because small groups were meant to multiply. Sherry and I will get to know our neighbors and will begin to form a new group in Andover hoping to have a mix of faith experiences in it. It be a little “weird” at first but if we can find another “young in the faith” or “new to the faith” couple that we can help walk through this life as they “get it,” it will all be worth it.
This week, if you are not in a small group doing life together, please pray about finding one or starting one. Be a blessing. And, pray and then get out get out and vote!
Pastor Rick
