Tag: The Church

Celebration Sunday 2026

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Each year at my church we have a special day called Celebration Sunday. We take the whole day to do nothing but highlight and celebrate all the great things our God has done in our midst over the past year. It’s a ton of fun. We’ve done things in the past as big hanging streamers and balloons and batting beach balls around the room. We’ve handed out party hats. Everybody went home this Sunday with a cookie (and some of the kids left armed with several cookies to the…delight…of their parents). I’m not going to try and put the whole transcript for the service on here because I’m not the only one who spoke, but I do want to share some highlights and the video of the service with you because I think what’s going on right now in my church is pretty exciting. If you are local and don’t already have a church home, we would sure be glad to have you join us. Without further ado, then, here is Celebration Sunday.

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Morning Musing: Romans 15:13

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“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What is it that keeps you going each day? What sees you getting out of bed even on days you don’t feel like it? Perhaps it’s a sense of duty, and that can certainly do the trick. But there isn’t a lot of fun in that. And duty only works for so long. There’s a better way, but we can’t do it on our own. Let’s look at Paul’s next little blessing, talk about this better way, and how we can walk it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 15:8-12

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“For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praise to your name.’ Again it says, ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples praise him!’ And again, Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will appear, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in him.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

The Gospel is for everyone. No one is exempt from it. No one gets left out of its offer of life if they will receive it. But because of our natural tribalism, this broad availability hasn’t often been so easy for us to wrap our minds and especially our hearts around. We want the Gospel to be for us and people who are like us. Other people…not so much. And yet, as much as we might be inclined in this direction, the biggest obstacle to our walking this way is the New Testament itself and passages like this one. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 15:5-7

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“Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I have an awesome church. It’s filled with great people. They are not perfect people, but they love each other and bear with each other with graciousness and a pretty remarkable spirit of unity. Not every church is like that. But when they are, they bring glory to God in a way that falls right in line with a blessing Paul spoke (well…wrote) over the church in Rome. Let’s take a look at the church’s purpose and one significant way Paul pointed us to be able to fulfill it.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 15:1-3

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“Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Welcome back! After a lovely break to spend some time reflecting on the season of Advent together, and couple of weeks off from writing entirely, it’s time to turn our attention back to Romans and finish our journey there. Let’s get going! There is a personality type that is driven to please others. These folks think often about what the people around them might need, and are willing to bend over backwards in order to help them get it. Now, when these folks are out of balance, they can become doormats who let the world just walk all over them, but when their value is properly rooted in Christ, they can be powerful servants, extending the blessings of the love of Christ to those around them with near boundless energy and care. As much as this is a personality type, though, as followers of Jesus, all of us are called to this to a certain extent. Let’s talk about pleasing others and the example of Jesus.

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