The 18th Sunday After Pentecost:
Scriptures: Psalm 111; Luke 17:11-19
Key Verse: “Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1)
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Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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Do we always notice when and how God shows up in our life, gives us a hand, nudges us to focus on hope, shows us the path of healing, or opens new doors of opportunities for us? When our desperate thoughts and heavy hearts seem to take over our lives, we might fight a good fight of faith or hide to see if the dreadful things will disappear. Once we notice that we can breathe better, and our smiles are broader, we wonder if God has been with us all the way. Do we take time to give thanks to God for God’s blessings like the leper does in Luke 17:15?
Last Sunday after worship, I was honored to spend one and half hours with twelve siblings in Christ. It was an intentionally designed fellowship over a light lunch to connect new people and long-term church members. I call the gathering ‘Reconnecting Blessers’ which is inspiration taken from the verse in Genesis 12:2, “And I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you should be a blessing.” God has blessed us to be blessings. Therefore, each child of God is a blesser whether or not they recognize and embrace the fact.
Reconnecting Blessers is a well planted ministry by many churches that has been around for at least over a decade. Some churches call it B.L.E.S.S. ministry. B stands for beginning with a prayer, L stands for listening actively to stories, E stands for eating a meal together, S stands for serving their needs, and the last S stands for sharing faith stories. Such a ministry works best when it is done intentionally on a regular basis. It is a wonderful way to reach out to those who normally wouldn’t venture out to make new friends and build connections. It also works well for all to create stronger bonds.
Since our gathering on Sunday, the joy of being blessed still stays very real and fresh to me. We all set time to gather and enjoy the food. We gave thanks to God for all we have in worship, for our choir, our pianist, and our media team. We also thanked God for protecting our health, our homes, our lives, and for providing our daily food and many job opportunities in the pacific northwest. Lastly, we gave thanks to God for all the relationships that we had with our children, our spouses, and our neighbors. Since this was a remarkably diverse group with four Asian and one Latina immigrants, and six members/allies of the LGBTQI+ community, inclusion matters to us very much. And we gave thanks to God for choosing us first before we choose God and for loving all equally.
Each faith story shared is like a burning charcoal that rekindled our lives and re-affirmed the importance of belonging to a welcoming faith community. We have a past that we want to let go. We are ready to replace our regrets with the hope that only God can give. We admit that some challenges still affect our minds and souls but trust that God is guiding each step of reconciliation that we take. We hear testimonies reminding us that we are capable of loving and forgiving. And we give thanks to God for knowing each other on this faith journey as the Psalmist says in 111:1, “Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.”
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May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
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