Reconnecting With God: Summer 2021 Sermon takeaways
Growing in our faith during the Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenge. With so many supports, activities, freedoms etc. having been temporarily taken away, many of us have felt distanced from God and each other. Isolation is tough and over time it can eat away at our faith. Our theme for worship this summer has been “Reconnecting with God.” During worship this summer we have been reminded repeatedly that although we feel alone, God does not abandon us. Jesus was never alone, even when he was being tempted in the wilderness. Learning to sense how God is always present in our lives – despite the feelings of isolation that can overwhelm us – has been a big part of what we have learned this summer. Staying connected to God helps to nurture and grow our faith. Here are some more of our takeaways (remember takeaways are the Biblical truths we discover in worship that we can hook our faith on, take home with us, and put into practice throughout the week).
- Reconnecting with God involves letting go of false beliefs that imprison us.
- Reconnecting with God involves focusing on who we are called to be and not allowing other’s jealousy or resentment to distract us.
- Reconnecting with God involves trusting God to build a new family around us.
- In your desperation… Focus on Jesus. Ignore the voices that tell you it’s foolish
- Find a way to touch Jesus. Encountering Jesus melts away the barriers between you and God.
- Reconnecting with God involves choosing to trust Jesus and not the stories the world tells us.
- Building trust in Jesus and others increases our experience of God.
- Reconnecting with God involves speaking out against injustice and abuse.
- MLK quote: “A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.” An appropriate addendum is, “A person dies when they are silent about the things that matter to God.”
- Being a shepherd connects us to God
- Sharing the hope we have, connects us to God
- Reconnecting with God means reconnecting with God’s people.
- Look for people who are feeling isolated like you and invite them to connect.
- Receiving Communion connects us to Jesus.
- Allowing our personal fictions to be dismantled as we follow Jesus, connects us to God.
- Remaining loyal to Jesus – keeps us connected to God.