Dear friends,

Last year we learned what it means to be on a journey. In the first-half of last year, we explored the journey of faith that Abram began thousands of years ago; an old story that is a deep source of nourishment for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Then, at the end of last year, we studied what it means to follow Jesus on his journey, to live out his teachings through our everyday walk of faith.

We also spent time last year exploring our church’s values, hopes, and dreams, through a series of prayer meetings, brainstorming sessions, and visits to other churches, nonprofits, and businesses. Through these Mission Team travels, we explored what different forms of Christian mission could look like today.

Dear friends,

I’ve always loved road trips.

Early morning departures when the sky is still dark. Powdered Donettes, Nacho Doritos, and gas station coffee. Long stretches of the California desert, painted by the sunrise, scrolling past my window.

But the best part are the roadside attractions. Pop-up shops selling beads and moccasins. Burned-out husks of by-gone watering holes. Baker, California and the World’s Tallest Thermometer. Alien Beef Jerky.

Sometimes those stops-along-the-way are just what the doctor ordered. A chance to re-fuel, shake off the dust, and wake-up a bit from your road-slumber. Other times, especially at the end of a long trip, the compulsive stopping-and-starting become roadside distractions, a symptom of the weariness of travel that can actually drag out your trip far longer than necessary.

In December I wrote that with Advent we had begun the Christian New Year. Since then, we have experienced the power and drama of the gospel story through our celebrations of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and finally Pentecost – the birth of the church.

That is precisely what we are experiencing at First Christian Church: a kind of new birth.

I’ve officially been the Senior Pastor at First Christian Church for five months now and it has been a wonderful privilege!

So far, we have experienced Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter as a community of faith. Alongside these celebrations, we’ve journeyed together through a season of searching; asking God to reveal His plans for the future of FCC. That journey has followed the themes of the calendar: anticipation (Advent), joy (Christmas), seeking(Epiphany), preparation (Lent), and death and resurrection (Easter).

There’s only one more celebration left this year: Pentecost, the birth of the church. I believe the re-birth of FCC is where we are headed next….

At this time every year we all seem to be having our own private epiphanies about how we want our lives to be better. So we make resolutions; to eat better, to be more fit, to be more disciplined. To send our Christmas cards earlier next year.

It’s not hard to understand why. Thinking about the passing of another year, another season of life, naturally provokes the desire to be made new again.