Presence

We had Doulos, our Sunday night worship service last night. We at Corridors are right in the middle of a transition, with Sam/Christy/me leaving at the end of May and new leadership coming in. The leadership is coming from Marina Christian Fellowship, and Kevin is the pastor who is in charge of overseeing Corridors as well until a new pastor is appointed. I was reminded last night of how much will change at Corridors. Not that change is bad, but it is usually uncomfortable. I can see that a ton of work needs to be done and many hurdles need to be overcome. Throughout the evening, though, I was reminded again and again that if this church is going to thrive, God needs to do it. Each and every person needs a living, vibrant relationship with Jesus. And despite the apparent difficulties and storms, I'm confident that God will carry through with the work he's been doing here in Pasadena. We just need more of God. A true and vibrant relationship, open and willing to seek and believe.

It's all about love. Love God, love each other, love yourself. I am reading in 1 Timothy 1 and Paul says that the goal of his command/encouragment is love. Love is at the core, the crux of who God is. God has attributes of strength, omnipotence, compassion, etc, but God IS love. Everything is rooted in that. In that same verse, Paul encourages Timothy to have love based upon a pure heart. What is a pure heart? I taught on this a few months ago in Jesus' sermon on the mount. Matthew 5 says "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." When I read verses that speak on purity of heart, my first inclination is to think about purity in terms of guys and girls, lust, and so on. But God's trying to expand my viewpoint to something a little bigger. God's telling me to check my motivation in all that I do, and make it pure. That I would desire to act and live out of a love for God and to glorify God. Those are pure intentions, coming from a pure heart. God wants to transform my motives for doing what I do. I am definitely not there yet, and I don't even know what that looks like or how it will change. But I do know that if God's calling me to do it, then I just need to believe and ask and seek and he will answer.

Lastly, I am officially going to Greece this summer!!! The plan is to drive up to Spokane in early June, stay for a week, then fly out around June 10th. Then I will come back August 18th or so in time for Ky-Eazy's wedding extravaganza. Good things.