A Word from Wendy: Abundance
A number of years ago, I accompanied a group of confirmands (youth who were participating in confirmation classes so they could make their public profession of faith and join the church as professing members) on a trip to Washington DC where we studied aspects of our faith, visited United Methodist sites, and participated in a mission project with our host congregation. On one of the nights of the trip, we would provide and serve the meal for the persons living in their homeless shelter.
The youth were diligent in understanding how many we could expect to serve and how much food they would need to serve them a simple dinner of salad and spaghetti. The afternoon came and we began to prepare the meal… and it was a “loaves and fishes” moment. It seemed that our provisions were too few, that there would not be enough to feed our guests. I had a new appreciation for the disciples who presented Jesus with 5 loaves and 2 fish when the need was to feed five thousand.
And yet, our God is a God of abundance. God has created all that we could want or need, and charged us with being stewards of creation that all might have enough. Jesus lived out this theology of abundance and taught the disciples to be generous stewards. So it is fitting that when the apostle Paul writes to the young Christians in Ephesus, part of his teaching and part of his prayer for them is of the abundance of God’s provision:
Now to the One who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21
It is easy to look around us and get caught in a scarcity mindset – both personally and as a church. Our figurative loaves and fishes – our finances, our resources, our people, our children/youth – seem to few. There seems not enough to do ministry the way we think we should or we did. Yes, still, our God is a God of abundance.
As we embark on this journey of ministry together, I invite you to join me in praying a new breakthrough prayer for this season. A breakthrough prayer is focused on asking God’s Spirit to break through anything that holds us captive, so that we can boldly move forward and fulfill God’s intention for why we exist as Christ’s church, right now and beyond. This particular prayer is inspired by God’s call to Abram in Genesis 12:1-4 and Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 3:20-21. I have set a reminder for 12:01pm each day to pause and pray for Sulphur Grove Church and God’s glorious grace in and among us. Will you join me?
Glorious, all-powerful God,
Bless us with your transforming grace, that we might be and do abundantly far more than we can ask or imagine.
Remake us anew that we may be a blessing to others as the heart, head, hands, and feet of Jesus in our community and for the world.
Amen.
(photo credit to Wendy Lybarger)
Oh, and by the way, we not only had enough spaghetti to feed all of our guests and all of the confirmands that night, there was enough left over for another meal for them at the shelter, which we packaged up and sent home with them. God is able to do abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine!
Blessings, Pastor Wendy