The Thursday Update

Warmly,
Vince

Despite this, we live in a day where so many people want the glory for what they do.  It’s another clear sign that so few people really know who God really is.  We see it prominently in sports, in entertainment, and in politics, but it isn’t confined there.  People seek all kinds of glory for themselves through social media and in personal achievement.  Whenever we seek our own glory, we start to center everything around ourselves.  We become the center of our own universe and we will gradually become narcissistic.  When that happens, we get upset at people who don’t recognize how great we are.  It’s not the best way to live because when life is all about ourselves, we will end up being stressed out.  That’s what happens when we’re always thinking about getting people to see us the way we want to be seen… gloriously.  It’s a formula for certain failure.

Maybe that’s why God reminds us in Isaiah 42:8 that He will not share His glory with anyone else.  He says this because He is the only One who is truly glorious, but I’m sure that He also did so because when we try to claim any of His glory for ourselves, it hurts our life.

On Sunday, I’ll talk more about the glory of God, but in the meantime let’s all try to make sure that we are much more concerned with enjoying and appreciating God’s glory than we are our own.  If we do, God will be honored, we won’t be stressed, and others will still like us— even more so than they would if we tried to hijack some of God’s glory for ourselves.

Warmly,
Vince

Something always seems to change after Labor Day weekend.  We hear that it’s the “unofficial end of summer” (sorry, I’m waiting for the official end, aren’t you?).  We also hear it’s the “back to” season.  How would you finish this sentence: “It’s now back to _______”?

• "It’s now back to school for our kids.”  I hear some people shouting, “Yippee!”
• "It’s now back to work after the long weekend.”  I hear absolutely no one shouting, “Yippee!”
• “It’s now back to cooler weather and shorter days.”  See comment above :)

Whatever you may be thinking, I will tell you what I and most other pastors are thinking this week: “It’s now back to church for people.” 

I wish that was true.  While it is true that after Labor Day some people who were not at church very much during the summer start to come back to church, others won’t come back until later in the year…. sometimes it’s not until Christmas Eve.  It’s also true that some people never get back into the rhythm of church attendance after the summer and stay away for a long time.  That’s a tragedy I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

So how about you?  Is this the time you need to reevaluate your church attendance habits?  Could this be an inflection point that you use to say that your life will now revolve around Sunday mornings with God first, and the rest of the demands and opportunities in life second? (Matthew 6:33)  Maybe you’re already a consistent attender and nothing changes for you because you have never left.

My hope (and the hope of every church leader this week) is that it’s the start of “back to church” for all of you who are reading this. 

When you’re ready, we’re here to help you grow.

Warmly,
Vince