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Good morning, everyone!  I trust you’re having a good day and a pleasant week, whatever it looks like for you as we move into September.

I have a couple of pieces of news to share this week.

First, I’m delight to say (and you’ll be happy to hear) that today the lines in our parking lot are being repainted! It’s been a long time coming, and I’m grateful for everyone’s patience. I’m also grateful for the good work Fiona and our Facilities Committee have done on this project, and on so many other things. Thanks to everyone who does so much to keep our facility working so well.

Second, let me add yet another reminder that this Sunday we have our fall BBQ after church. I know there will be other announcements posted on the website, in the newsletter, and around the church, so I’m sure everyone remembers. Still, life gets busy. So don’t forget to wear comfortable clothes, and to block off some extra time after the service to join us as we eat and fellowship together. Let’s pray for nice weather (though we’ll go ahead regardless). And thanks again to all those who’ve indicated their willingness to help with set-up, food prep, cleanup, etc.  I know others will join in as well. You’re all appreciated. And even if you’re not able to help this time around, please come and participate. And by all means bring a friend or family member if the opportunity presents itself.

Third, this week we’ll continue in our new study of 1 Peter. We’ll be looking at Peter’s opening prayer in 1:3-12. Many New Testament letters begin with a prayer or an expression of praise, and Peter follows that same pattern. It’s a joy-filled celebration of God’s goodness. It is also an excellent summary of the gospel Peter preached, the good news of God’s plan to set us free from sin and give us new life in Jesus. So this will be a chance for us to review the gospel, with a special focus on the way our salvation unfolds both in history and in our personal lives. It’s always good to think about that message and its implications. It will also lay the foundation for the rest of our study in 1 Peter. I said last week that this letter is designed to help God’s people experience His grace and peace in a world full of worries and troubles. Having a clear understanding of the gospel is essential to that grace and peace.

By all means, take a little time to read through the passage in anticipation of Sunday, as you’re able. You may find it helpful to think of it in 3 main sections: describing key elements of the gospel (3-5), describing faith in a world where faith is tested and where we can’t always see what we’re believing in (6-9), and describing the way the OT prophets predicted the gospel, though they didn’t have the full message as we do today (10-12).

Fourth and finally, a word about these newsletters this fall.

I enjoy writing my weekly blurbs for the newsletter. I can’t arrange to have coffee with everyone in the church each week, so I hope this serves as one more way in which we can feel somewhat connected as a community. And there is often news to share, prayer requests to present, etc.

At the same time, I confess that sometimes I get to mid-week and I wonder what I should write on this time around. There aren’t always big things to share, and sometimes I find myself scratching my head and wondering what else to say other than “Hey, now it’s September!”  You understand, I’m sure.

So at least for a while this year I’d like to try something entirely different. Several years ago, before I started into this pastoral role, I did quite a bit of preliminary work on a book project that was never finished. It was a book on one of my favorite research topics: spiritual gifts. And the book was designed to take the form of a study guide that individuals or groups could use to explore the subject.

I’d like to get back into that project, finishing the book and getting it ready for publication. This summer it occurred to me that if I worked on sections of the book, and posted them for our community as part of the newsletter, it would achieve several goals at once:  (a) I’d make more progress on the book; (b) this would make another study resource available for anyone who might be interested to explore the subject; and (c) I’d have something substantial to offer in these newsletter pieces. 

So that’s what I’m going to try to do, at least for a while.  I won’t try to post sections of the study every week—which would take too much time on my schedule and would get in the way of other sharing that ought to happen. I’ll probably settle into an every-other-week rhythm if I’m able.

I’m not doing this to put pressure on anyone to launch into an immediate study of spiritual gifts.  It is an important subject, and I hope the resource will prove useful in the coming days. But I’m happy to let our various study groups continue to pursue the topics that are on your agenda. At the same time, I suspect there may be some individuals who find the study stimulating. And if some of you would like to meet occasionally to talk about what I’m posting in more of a “class” format, I’m happy to find a way to make that happen too.  The goal is simply to make another resource available.  (It will also be a way for me to work at some things that I feel are part of my own calling.)

That’s what I’m hoping to do for the next few months. We’ll have to see how it unfolds—lots of questions that still need to be answered. If you have suggestions for me, by all means pass them along, too, and they will help me to make good plans as we go.  I pray that the study will prove useful for the right people at the right time. It has certainly enriched me own walk with the Lord.

Well, that’s my news for this week. Have a wonderful week, and hopefully we’ll see many of you on Sunday, ready to worship and then to eat and visit together! Richest blessings until then.

—Pastor Ken