Cruise Ship Christianity

"Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit...” (Acts 8:17

There once was a widowed woman who more than anything wanted to experience the enjoyment of just one, single cruise aboard a luxury cruise ship before she died. So, she saved up her hard-earned savings and finally bought a ticket for a trip on a famous cruise line.

The day arrived for her departure, so she got on board and the ship set sail. Once seaborne, however, the woman never left her cabin. She ate food that she had smuggled aboard, and entertained herself in the cabin with games she had brought. All of this she did thinking that because she’d spent all she had on the cruise ticket, she wouldn’t be able to afford the high cost of the ship's meals or entertainment. What the woman didn't understand was that the price of her cruise package already included all these things. Consequently, she was living like a miser when she could have been “living-it-up” like a queen.

All too often, we Christians are like this: living life in our OWN strength and power, all because we aren't aware that when we “purchased our ticket to heaven” by accepting Jesus, the Holy Spirit was already included “in the package.” The Spirit is imparted to each and every Christian in order to give us the strength and power and wisdom to actually help us to LIVE our Christian lives.

Sometimes we need special experiences to help us understand, acknowledge, or “actualize” His presence, but it’s not like he’s never been within all the time -- when we become a Christian, we automatically receive the Holy Spirit. The question then becomes NOT “Do we have the Holy Spirit?” but “Does the Holy Spirit have us?” That is: have you allowed the power and presence of God’s Spirit to have free reign and access in your life? Or are you just skimping along, trying to live your Christian life and faith in your own strength and ability (and most often failing)?

Well, this past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate that part God’s Holy Trinity who we all too often hear little about, but who is absolutely indispensable to our spiritual life. He is, after all, that part of God’s being whose constant presence helps and empowers us to be God's people. So, my prayer is that each day, you’ll remember and celebrate His power and presence within you and within each of us! Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

New Mission/Purpose for Cornerstone U.M.C.

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” (Psalms 138:8)

I am pleased to announce that our church’s top leadership group (Church Council) recently received and adopted a recommendation from our new Vision Team for a newly articulated Mission/Purpose for Cornerstone UMC, which is as follows: 

Creating a community that reflects the love of Jesus by

 

1) Nurturing individuals through healing and spiritual growth;

 

2) Connecting groups through relationships; and

 

3) Impacting our diverse world through acts of service

 

The mission we’ve adopted above describes what we feel to be our church’s DNA and “reason for being” -- it captures the essence of Cornerstone’s current ministry and work as a congregation of Jesus Christ.  Our members and friends will start seeing and hearing more about this new mission (and perhaps even some further renditions of it that are shorter and more “marketable”) in future church communications.

 

However, I wanted to share its adoption with you today as a new articulation of the foundation out of which – over the next few months -- our church’s Vision Team will be prayerfully discerning God’s Vision together for the next 2-5 years of our future.

 

Remember that God loves you and I do, too!