MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!First, I want to say that the Thursday night crew has blessed my life so much this past year. It has been a joy to share life with everyone who has either stopped by or come more frequently. I can’t say thank you enough for allowing me to share in your life as well as that’d you’d be down to share in my life.
We started this group unsure of where it would go, if people would come, and with out any idea how it should really look. We just knew we wanted more of God, and wanted to journey with people in a search to reconcile Christ into all things in our life. It’s amazing to see where God has taken us as a community, a tribe, a family. How God has challenged some of us to seek Christ deeper and love others more selflessly. And for others God has encouraged us and spoken even deeper into being who he has made us to be. God has broke down walls for others and brought a deeper sense of peace and freedom to many of us.
My prayer for this next year is that we as individuals as well as a community would go deeper with God. That God would teach us how to lay down our wants for the needs of others. I pray that our lives would be a representation of our Awesome God. As we go deeper, I hope that the Holy Spirit would fill our lives more then we even thought possible, and that just maybe, the Holy Spirit would rub off on those around us, our friends, our family, people on septa with us, people dancing next to us, people passing us on the streets and even the people we don’t really like to much. I pray this year is better then the last, and I don’t mean with “cooler” events, and better jobs, more pay, nicer bikes, easier workload or more comfort, but what I mean is that in this new year we would have a deeper love for our brothers and sisters, the poor, the oppressed, and God. I pray that we will not tire of doing good but will be there for one another when we stumble, when we are tired, and when we come to the end of ourselves with nothing left to give. I thank God for all of you guys, and his grace and peace, and eagerly look forward to partnering with you and the Creator of the Universe in what he is doing in the city of Brotherly love, and the world in this new year.
Who knows what God will do this New Year. He did so much in 08, I’m Stoked! Who knows maybe some of will go to Africa, or Japan, maybe a crew of us will take a trip to South America. Who knows, some of us could start partnering with other churches or starting ministries of reconciliation and peace. God could also be opening doors for us to help and serve already existing organizations. Some of us might move else where in our journey with God. Who knows, God could be inviting us to join Him, in quietly loving those around us, by sitting with them and letting them know we are there for them. It is so exciting what God could do through in and in this group, with God leading anything could happen. So EPIC! But no matter what we do I think Mother Theresa said it best when she said,
“Many people mistake our work for our vocation. Our vocation is the love of Jesus.”
Looking forward to the New Year.
Until then
Grace and Peace,
Chris
