In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! -Philippians 2:5-8
Preaching out of this passage convicted my soul of one thing: God wants me to love others now the way Jesus loved us then, and I found myself fascinated by what this might look like. What if instead of talking about the passage, explaining it, and going on, I really applied it to my life? So we were all challenged together to pick one of these things and, leaning on God for strength, actually do it for the sake of others.
Adopt a new friend into your family who is challengingly different from you
Get a pen pal through the church’s random pen pal program (more below)
Pray for church families or members deeply and regularly
Give above and beyond-sacrificing your own comfort for someone else
Other-follow God’s promptings to your unique loving service
Personally, I felt convicted on number 3. I have been praying for a while now, but I haven’t been intentionally praying for my church members regularly. I put a system together, and I want you to know, I am praying for you. One day, I will come to your name, and I will pray to the King of the universe on your behalf. It’s been so meaningful to me to make this a part of my spiritual practice.
I want to encourage you to take up one of these challenges to really invest yourself in the good of others and more deeply join the cause of Jesus in advancing the gospel, BUT I especially want to encourage you to join our pen pal program. Here’s how you do it:
Write a letter by hand to, “Dear Friend in Christ,” and respond to this prompt. "What have you been struggling with and what are you excited about?"
Aim for 1-2 pages and share at whatever depth you’re comfortable.
Mail it to me and be sure it arrives by Tuesday, February 16, 2021: Pastor Jonny Pen Pal Project, 11001 NE 189th St., Battle Ground, WA 98604
Wait for a letter to come to you, and then begin writing back.
Once we receive all the letters, we will prayerfully mix them up and pair them off. Then we will send them out, and voila! You have a pen pal. I got this idea from reading about the incredible blessing the Dear Stranger** program was to those who participated, especially in this time of isolation. It might sound scary, but the risk is worth it! Imagine how much more meaningful it could be for us who are already siblings in Christ.
So, just as I invited on Sabbath I invite you, let’s find purpose together. Jesus went through a difficult time for the sake of us; let’s move with Jesus and invest ourselves for the sake of others.
-Pastor Jonny Moor