Based on today’s scripture reading from Joshua, the call to worship is…
“God leads us into the new day!”
Joshua 23:1-3, 24: 14-30
We are most alive when we choose; it’s the way God created us. And the very act of choosing calls us to take ownership of what happens next.
Think about the simple choices that you make in a day… what to wear, what to eat, what activities with which to engage. Even in the simplest moments these choices give us a chance to own our experiences; to create the day.
Let us ready ourselves to own what we will choose to create in the next 50 years of our church life and say together…
“God leads us into the new day!”
Here is the key to making choices— The level of awareness at the point of our choice is everything to quality of what we create. If we choose out of a reflex, we likely choose what’s closest, easiest, or most convenient. Nothing wrong with choosing the white shirt & black pants, the cold milk & cereal, and to scan the headlines on the front page of the paper that’s conveniently lying on the counter. But notice how our environment plays a big part in choices that come out of reflex.
Add a little more awareness and we might choose out of our habits, which are environments. And the best habits are ones that we have created with intention. The fact that we attend church with some regularity is likely a habit that we have created out of an intentional choice to make this place, this faith community, a piece of how we are close to God.
Let us raise our awareness beyond our reflexes and be grateful for our intention to live Christ-centered lives and say together…
“God leads us into the new day!”
At this point in our 50-year church history, let us pause and raise our awareness of how we will choose to create the next 50 years. Let us reaffirm of choice to serve the Lord. Let us intentionally listen for God’s guidance, and with open-minds and willing hearts, let us own the choice to manifest the Will of God, in this place, for the world, in Christ name and say together….
“God leads us into the new day!”
