A New Church Home

Thanks to all of you who wrote or called to encourage us on our "Church Search". Thanks for sharing your stories. They really were encouraging.

We did settle down at a church, Living Faith Alliance, part of the Christian Missionary Alliance. Our first official Sunday was last Sunday, the 3rd, the first Sunday of the year. I'd written in my journal on December 31, "So tomorrow's the new year and I didn't mean for this to be all introspective 2009 and new beginnings and whatever. Honestly, I think I'm too emotionally fragile right now for all that. But I am in my will choosing to believe he will be (is) faithful to me."

December was a hard month for us. A lot of things happened, and a lot of things didn't happen, and I was getting stressed and overwhelmed. I didn't, as I said in my journal, want to reflect on the past year. I wanted to continue living one day at a time, hoping to make it from morning to night, repeating to myself, "The Lord is faithful. The Lord is faithful."

But on Sunday, January 3rd, The Good and Faithful Lord had other plans for me. The talk Sunday morning was about reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the new year. The pastor, through Romans 12:2

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

and 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed in out hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers."

led us through and exercise of Biblical reflection.

He said, "The conclusions we draw from a given situation--and not the circumstance itself--determine our attitude and direction." And he showed us that God wants us to reflect and to make decisions as we are transformed and our minds are renewed. And he showed us how Paul did it: after having suffered he explaining that the suffering taught him to rely on God. And that what he needs to remember is that God does deliver and will continue to deliver. So he gave us a little worksheet and asked, "How has God blessed you this past year? And what challenges have you gone through? And what truths did God teach you?" And he gave us some time to think about it and he said, "And what conclusions are you going to draw, what attitude are you going to take on, what direction will you follow in this coming year?"

It felt good to be all introspective 2009 and new beginnings and whatever. And instead of repeating my little "The Lord is Faithful" mantra, I can re-enter relationship with a living God who loves me, guides me, teaches me, and leads me into his glory.

We're not entirely sure if Living Faith Alliance is Calvinist or not. But I think Sunday, January 3rd was pretty good confirmation that we found a church that loves God and loves people and wants to see people love God and love people. And that's good enough for us.