This week we return to the fourth and final year of the Narrative Lectionary cycle, a schedule for reading the Bible that begins with the Old Testament in the Fall, Gospels in Lent and the New Testament until summer. The goal of this reading schedule is to help us connect the dots between our stories and the larger Story of God’s love for all of humanity. We begin at the very beginning this week: Genesis 1. Our creation story. Did you know there are actually two different creation stories? Three, if you count the introduction to the Gospel of John! We are going to consider what it means that God created everything we see, stood back and took time to rest and look at it all and call it all “good”. Also, what does it mean that this Genesis chapter talks about God creating in community (“let US make humankind in OUR image”)? Let’s dive back into the Bible together this Fall! All are welcome!

This also is such an exciting day for our church every year because it is the Sunday when many of our programs restart for the Fall season. In the coming weeks, look for more information about FUN-Day School for kids, nursery for little kids, Adult Sunday School and other small groups. Today we celebrate coming back together with an outside picnic after the worship service hosted by the Deacons and featuring our contemporary band playing music. Again ALL ARE WELCOME!!

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This week is very special and bittersweet for COA because it is the last day for Mike Jarjoura as Assistant Music Director after 21 years of wonderful work for our community. Included in this service is a special video tribute to him from various members of the congregation who love him so dearly. That can be found towards the end of the service.

Also this is the final week of our summer sermon series “Never Stop Growing”, and this week we come to the final Fruit of the Spirit of Self-Control. So many of us associate this with mundane, everyday things like weight loss, but it is much larger than that. What does it mean for us to order our choices, our energy, our emotions and our relationships such that our world around us most benefits? This last Fruit is intimately connected with the first Fruit of Love. It has been a wonderful journey with you all through all nine flavors of this Fruit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.

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This week we come to the most misunderstood Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness. Gentleness is not weakness or passivity. Gentleness is actually one of the greatest strengths we have, embodied by Jesus Himself who invited us all to come to Him because “I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. Doesn’t so much of our harshness and meanness come from carrying the pressures of life and feeling without help? Jesus offers us a different way of life. Let’s learn about this Fruit and pray to keep growing it together.

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This week, we come to a Fruit of the Spirit that we call faithfulness. We typically only hear that someone is “faithful” in reference to a romantic relationship, and it connotes the bare minimum of not straying outside the relationship. There is no sense of positive action or devotion or loyalty. And yet that is what Faithfulness can mean when we think about it in reference to our relationships with all other people (romantic as well as friends, families, coworkers, etc), our relationship with God and even our relationship with ourselves (who God created us to be). This week, ponder with me how God is calling us to grow in Faithfulness in everyday ways that make a big difference.

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This week, we come to a Fruit of the Spirit that has been translated one of two ways: one is “Goodness”. What a broad term! What do we mean when we say that someone or something is good? Is it just the absence of evil or is it playing by all the rules? Being trustworthy or having integrity? Perhaps, that is why more and more commentators are translating this Fruit as “Generosity”. How is generosity related to goodness, and how do both of these reflect the character of our God? How can we nurture more of this Fruit in our everyday lives in a world that encourages us to protect our own and look out for number one? Let us continue tilling this ground and growing together…

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