Last Sunday we considered Jesus’ call to the first disciples, and this coming Sunday we will look at the very next gospel story about their going forth and joining Jesus in his healing ministry. The call to the disciples is immediately followed by their joining Jesus to spread the good news of God’s Kingdom. Discipleship is about both – responding to the call of Christ and doing the work of God in the world.
When the congregation pauses to elect leaders, we are enacting the life of discipleship in practical ways. This coming Sunday’s Congregational Meeting after the 10:00 a.m. worship service is for the purpose of acting on changes in the Pastor’s Terms of Call and to elect persons to serve in important leadership roles. The Nominating Committee will put before the congregation names of persons who have agreed to serve as Ruling Elders, Deacons, Trustees and at-large members of the 2018 Nominating Committee. We will also elect the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to search for a new Associate for Youth and their Families.
This kind of meeting following worship may appear to be simply the routine business of church administration. However, it is anything but routine. It is an extension of our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ who join his work in the world through the ministry of this church. When viewed through the eyes of faith, a congregational meeting testifies to the extraordinary presence of God in our midst calling particular individuals for new work in leading the whole congregation to a deepened sense of discipleship.
So on Sunday, when the closing hymn is sung and the benediction is pronounced, I humbly invite you to stay and participate in a moment in the life of the church that is Spirit-filled, holy, promising and exciting as together we move forward in the footsteps of Jesus who calls us all to be his disciples.
