Jan 02-03, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Pastor Karen Quan
(Eph. 3:17-19) NIV “….so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, BEING ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and how high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Since Sept. 2020, all the children from Nursery – Gr. 6 have been focusing weekly on this one phrase “Being Rooted and Established”. While we are apart physically, our desire was to grow in maturity in this theme together as a ministry. Reminding and pointing one another to Christ’s love. Here are some thoughts related to this growing theme.
“BEING” – We are human beings and not human doings. Prior to COVID, we’ve all been guilty of trying to fit in too much activity. The focus on doing or achieving often leads us to believe that we only have value when we produce. This current time of being apart focuses us on doing less outside our homes but are we aware of our sense of being or the state of our souls? Taking time to be still in God’s presence and revel in His being allows all people, younger and older, to wonder at His magnificence.
“Rooted” – What are we rooted in? Do we have deepening roots in God’s word or prayer? Prior to COVID, our excuse was that we do not have time. But now that we do have it, how do we spend it? What are we consumed with? Even the babies as young as 18 months are responding in the Zoom Nursery by hand motions of reaching deep into the pretend soil. We’ve been encouraging the older kids that as they spend time memorizing for Awana, they are actually rooting themselves in scripture. And as they are reciting to their parents at home, we pray that it is rooting the whole family in truth. Maybe this is the time to read the bible on a regular basis? Perhaps consider committing to a Bible Reading Plan or even another translation of the bible over 2021?
“Established” – As the roots dig deep and stabilize a tree, so is our hope as believers to mature & flourish. From upside down hands to outward stretching motions, we’ve been encouraging the kids to live out the love of Christ that has been so generously given to us. Stemming from the deep love that Christ gives, acts of love can overflow from us into the world. Some of the ways that this has been expressed by kids has been drawing pictures, sending messages, calling those who are isolated, expressing love to grandparents from a distance…. What about ourselves? Have we been still enough to hear God through scripture? And being transformed by His word, do we move to live it out? Are we obedient to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to respond in order to experience true transformation?
I’m struck by the little word “AND” in this phrase. We’re called to a combination of grounding ourselves in scripture and expressing His love for all to see. The hidden work of the roots underground works in partnership with the growth that is above ground for all to experience. They work hand in hand. God is using this time in our kids in many ways and there’s still more to come. As 2021 begins, we will focus on vs. 18 (Jan-March) and vs. 19 (April-June). I look forward to what the Lord will show us as a community and how it will allow us to grow deeper in God’s love.
Pastor Karen Quan