A Pastor Reflection on Spiritual Gifts

“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, Serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (I Peter 4:10)

Dear FPC faithful,

Summer is here and so the brighter, warmer days arrive and hopefully with them some time to down-shift for time with friends and family to reflect on the transitions of life. My prayer for each of you this summer is that you get to carve out a bit of time for yourself, doing those things that bring you joy and sustain you through the year. With the goal of some intentional Sabbath time for myself, I will be reading the book that our Christian Education Coordinator Eric Hearst is inviting us all to read this summer, Wrestling with Rest, by Nathan T. Stucky. On the evening of August 26, the author will then come to FPC to talk about his book.

Summer is a wonderful time to drink in all that God has blessed us with, holding onto it in a spirit of gratitude. Logically, we may also consider reallocating our time and energy once the fall rolls around. I try to actively ask myself: how can I balance all the things I care about in a way that honors each of them and still keep me, at the very least, intact, and even better, thriving?

Here are some questions I offer to you for consideration this summer as they relate to your participation in the life of the church:

• What do I know how to do/do well?
• What do I enjoy doing? How do I enjoy serving?
• What would I like to help make better?
• What gives me energy?
• What sort of help may God be calling me to do for our faith community?

Throughout the summer my preaching will focus on spiritual gifts, some of these abilities are given to us by God and some of them we can work on to shape within ourselves through spiritual discipline. Amid the hazy, lazy days of summer, don’t forget to come and worship with us so that your spirit is fed, and you are connected to those who care for you.

Blessings and Peace,

Rev. Amy Lincoln

Hope for the New Year: Epiphany Star Words 2019

You may have heard that last week in worship on Epiphany Sunday each person in the congregation was invited to choose a yellow paper star out of the offering plate with one word written on it as a gift for the new year.

The congregation is encouraged to read your word, think about its meaning, reflect on what that word has meant for you in the past and what it might mean in your life going forward.

Explore how your word connects to who you are and how you live.

Look it up in the dictionary to get a fuller sense of its meaning.

Search for it in the Bible, as part of a story in Scripture, and pray about what God might be telling you through it.

Put it someplace you may see every day – on your mirror, on the fridge, at your desk – so that you can revisit it over time and let it work in you.

My star word last year was “friendship.” What I found through the year is this word helped me to be more intentional about nurturing my important and life-giving friendships. I reached out more often with calls, emails, and texts to my good friends and the blessing that came is the renewal of connections with dear ones in my life.

Perhaps your star word in 2019 will help jump start a blessing for you? Maybe it will challenge you to grow or to begin a new spiritual discipline? Perhaps it will bring a moment of insight or realization? My prayer is that you find some meaning in your Epiphany star word and that it helps lead you towards renewed connection loving God and loving others in 2019. Next year in worship on Epiphany Sunday there will be a chance for volunteers in the congregation to share how their star word connected with and blessed them this year.

{If you were not in worship on Sunday and you would like a star word, please let me know and I will get one to you as there are extras in my office. Email Rev. Amy at pastor@flemingtonpres.org}