Distant Religion or Close Relationship?
Growing up, God was such a distant being in my mind. Although I went to church with my family and even believed that God existed, I didn’t see how he could be part of my life.
When I went to college, a friend at work, Cassie, invited me to come with her to an event on OSU campus. I knew it was religious but I did not know what to expect. I was not prepared for what I encountered!
I was assaulted with an exuberant welcome from Scott, who did not know the meaning of personal space, but I was still drawn in by his sheer care for me. The message, delivered by Pastor Darryl, was relatable and I believed he knew where I was coming from. That was a first for me at a “churchy” event.
After the event, a kind gal, Sally, took it upon herself to make sure I felt comfortable as she introduced me to more people. Then a group of us went to Arabica afterwards and a guy named Joel was patient with me as he answered some of the challenging questions that I had.
Over time, many others showed care for me as I went to a small group led by Tom. I met for coffee with Joel. I processed some challenges with Sally and Tom. Honestly, it didn’t take long to see how God could be part of my everyday life because of how they lived out their faith. They shared how Jesus had changed their life and they also lived like Him.
This is what made Jesus, the cross, and amazing grace real to me! God moved from a distant religion to a close relationship because of the people in my life that displayed His love. And I want everyone to experience His love too!
Jesus wants to use His people to share His message of love and redemption! I am thankful for Cassie, Scott, Darryl, Sally, Joel, and Tom. Their willingness to be used by God changed my life. These men and women were faithful as instructed in Matthew 28:18-20 (I was even baptized a few weeks later):
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I am also thankful for New Life too! Just like my story involved a half dozen other people that God used for me to truly find Him, I have see that happen time and time again at New Life. We are not a perfect church, but we are a church that loves Jesus and loves people… and we want to see other people’s lives transformed by the Good News!
Let us as a church commit to two things… let’s invite as many people as we can to hear the love-filled truth of the Gospel… and let’s always be ready as a community to receive people with love, patience, and hospitality. I believe that if we continue to do this more, then we will see more and more people transformed, renewed, and reborn by the Gospel!