May 26 2009
A Parting Thought for the Summer From Pastor Kent
Dear CV Friends and Family,
I want to thank you for allowing me this Sabbatical time to refresh, renew, and re-energize for the sake of my own growth in faith and understanding, and for the future ministry and mission of Jesus Christ in and through our church. You can keep up with my discoveries and reflections on my blog http://www.pastorontheloose.com.
In 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul points out that every Christian has been given different gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the Body of Christ/the Church, for the purpose of making disciples, serving the world in His name, and for building up the Kingdom of God. We are each uniquely created and uniquely gifted. In Corrine Wares book, Discover Your Spiritual Type, she reminds us that we also have our own unique spirituality, how we experience and come to God, as well as how we live out our faith. The four basic spiritual types are: the Head (Thinkers), the Heart (Feelers), Mystics (Being), and Kingdom (Doers). There isnt just one way of being spiritual, both experiencing and expressing our faith in God.
Congregations have dominant spiritual types as well, a reflection of the individual spiritual types. Our tendency is to think of one spiritual type as being better or worse than another, just like we tend to judge churches by their size and whether we like their music and programs. Instead, I am challenged to look at how God has uniquely created and blessed each of us, and has brought us together for the purpose of working together to grow in faith through Christs love, serve our neighbors with open arms, all of which helps to grow the Kingdom. That’s who we are and what we do: “Serving Christ and Community with Faith, Love, and Open Arms.” Keep that in your mind this summer, wherever you go, and whatever you do. And remember, wherever you go, Christ goes with you! See you after the garage sale!
In Christ,
Pastor Kent Claussen Gubrud
