Because I’m Not Perfect

Visiting with new people to our church is the favorite part of my job. I love getting to know them and hearing their “story”. No two stories are the same but a few themes emerge. One I hear often is “I stayed away from church because I’m not perfect and I didn’t want to be a phony Christian.”

It makes me sad to think that a person would stay away from church because they thought they weren’t good enough. Church is where we go because we are not perfect. Church is where we receive hope and encouragement straight from the Word of God. Worship, holy communion, Christian fellowship and connecting around God’s Word is where we receive strength to live for Jesus and forgiveness when we fail. I can’t fix all my imperfections and countless failures, but through the grace of God I am changed into something new and beautiful. Jesus’ sacrificial death for me makes me perfect in God’s eyes.

This Lenten season, let’s make a point to invite someone who has been away from church for awhile. Let’s encourage them to look to the cross for forgiveness, come to God’s altar, hear His Word, and get to know a whole lot of other imperfect people at Peace. Because we are not perfect, we all need Jesus.

Polly Wegner

Dir. of Discipleship

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

303-424-4454

The Slower Group

As I write this note many people at Peace are nearing the end of a month-long study entitled “Simple Abundant Life.” It is a spiritual growth study that looks at our relationships with God, Time, Money and Others. I lead two of these groups and, as usual, the teacher is convicted by the subject matter. For me personally, the subject of honoring God with my time has convicted me the most.

It reminds me of the guy who comes home with a big pile of work he needs to finish. His little kindergarten daughter looks at the pile and asks him why he’s working so hard and why he always has to bring work home. The father answers, “The problem is, I just don’t get it all finished at work so I need to bring it home and get it done here.” The daughter looks up at him and says, “Daddy, I think they should put you in the slower group.”

Why is it we keep every moment of every day busy? Why do we have the mind-set that everything has to be done right now, and wherever we’re going, we have to get there quickly? The truth is, life’s not a race, it’s a journey. I don’t think I am the only one who struggles with having no white space on my calendar. It’s absolutely crammed with meetings, reminders and a task list. We’ve left no margin in life, no place for rest, and I think God would say, “This is not good. This is not how I intended you to live.”

Another great quote comes from Elizabeth Elliot, “You have just the amount of time to do what God wants you to do. If you run out of time you must be doing something else.”

Focus is hard but so necessary. Choosing the simple, abundant life means eliminating some things in life in order to elevate those things that are most important. Are our priorities God’s priorities? We have to focus on what God wants of our day and let the rest go. It isn’t how fast we live that’s important, it’s how well we live. Some of us just need someone to give us permission to slow down. Why not consider this your permission? “Be still and know that I am God”. (Psalm 46:10)

Polly Wegner

Dir. of Discipleship

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

303-424-4454