One of the questions that I have asked in the past couple of sermons is "Are we truly seeking after God?" Of course it sounds like a stupid question on the surface, for we are all coming to church which suggests some desire to know something about God. And yet, it's an important question for there are many reasons for being a part of a church that have nothing to do with God, from maintaining the family traditions to needing a quiet hour each week to meditate and sleep (yes, I see you out there! :)  ) It's very easy to attend church regularly and be completely disconnected from seeking after God. 

One of the ways that we can begin to answer the question is to examine how we are spending our time and energy. Are we making an effort to grow in the grace and knowledge of God, or do we simply show up to things that don't require much thought and simply make us feel good? Don't get me wrong -- I like to feel good as much as the next person! But being on the path to finding God takes the discipline to talk about hard things as much as easy ones. It takes effort on our part to read and think and learn. We get what we pay for, and we pay with our time, attention, and energy. When we aren't willing to give those things to God . . . well let's just say our faith generally doesn't go very deep as well. 

That is why you will hear me pushing experiences like the Manthano program, which you can still be a part of. Yes, there are expectations with a program like this. Yes, there will be some reading outside of the class sessions. Yes, it requires a couple of hours each week in a group session. But in the long run, that time invested most folks would say is time well spent. It takes us to new places in our understanding of God, places that root us and help us in life. By the way, Manthano is going to meet on Sunday evenings starting Sept. 19.

There is another class coming up that I am going to and I want to invite you to join me. On Saturday, September 25 there will be a training on starting Wesley Covenant Groups held at the Blackman UMC in Murfreesboro. Wesley groups go back to the earliest days of our tradition, when Methodists would meet in small classes or bands to hold one another accountable in love. Basically they were groups that would meet to talk about how they were doing in their faith journey, with each member sharing about their own relationship with God. These groups would have a class leader who would be concerned with the physical and spiritual needs of the members, assisting the pastor in caring for the group members. There has been a revival of these groups in Methodism today, and congregations that are recovering this important part of our heritage are seeing growth spiritually and numerically. 

It's a lot to give up a Saturday to come to a training on a new ministry opportunity, but just like it takes time to grow in our faith, it takes time to grow the ministries of our church. I hope that you will consider joining me so that together we can think about where God is leading our church, and if starting Wesley Groups here is something that will help us in our search for God. 

Let me know if you would like to come. 

See you on Sunday,

--Jay