Hi Church,

Thanks so much for your generosity this past week! We were able to send $2000 to The Immigration Coalition for their work serving asylum-seekers along the border. I'm grateful to God for this opportunity and y'all's generous participation. Way to go!

This week I've been taking a course on the church's worship. The class has covered metaphysics, Christian platonism, the interpretation of Scripture, and different views on the Eucharist. Heady stuff. I've learned a fair bit, and been humbled by how much I don't know!

A particular focus has been the link between our actions in worship and God's own action. Through Jesus our worship is caught up in the life of God. God's gift of Himself is the basis upon which we bless His name and act with generosity. There is mystery here, but the idea is in the church's worship each Sunday and beyond we are participating with God in a profound way. There is nothing more important or greater than this.

Applying this notion to the gift we as a church were able to give this week, our small act of generosity in some way participates in God's own great generosity. He is always and every generously giving good gifts, and we have the privilege and delight of participating in that glorious reality. God is the true giver and we are always partakers of His grace. Out of the abundance we are receiving from Him, it is our joy to give. This is the logic of our humble gifts given in worship. Praise God for all that we have received and praise God for the gift of sharing in Him.

I'm looking forward to worshipping with you this Sunday. Together we'll participate in these heavenly mysteries. Corey Tabor will be joining us and preaching from Romans ch. 6 as we continue our sermon series. I hope you can be there!

Grace and peace,

Peter+