“We exist to glorify God through lives that are transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ, and through living in authentic community, so that all may know Him”. The Vision Team (our Board) at Sanctuary Covenant Church has been working hard over the past months on that language. It expresses in succinct terms why Sanctuary exists…why we meet together every Sunday morning. I think it is exciting on so many levels. I have a question though: had you thought before that one of the reasons you attend church is to glorify God? That is such a lofty kind of concept. I love that it’s part of our nuts & bolts mission at Sanctuary. God’s great love for us is so unique. He sent His one and only son to live here on Earth, explain the good news of salvation – that if anyone believes in Him they will have eternal life, and then to die to pay the price for the sins of the world. This is one unique kind of love. It isn’t like any other love we have ever experienced…it is truly unconditional – given without expectation, knowing that many won’t choose to believe Him, and won’t return that love. It’s this great love that has transformed my life. I think it is perfect that as a part of our mission, we set ourselves to intentionally glorify God by living like we have been transformed. How cool is it that we don’t have to “do” something special or have some incredible talent to glorify Him, just that our very transformed lives scream the good news to the people we encounter every day? Whatever pressure you might have been putting on yourself to do, say, or be the right thing…you can end that now! Instead, live a life transformed…and when people want to know why you are different, tell them the truth. Living transformed lives translates into living in authentic, honest community. I want to be a church where people know who I am and they love me anyway and I think that many of the amazing people at Sanctuary are so good at that. I love my life group for that reason. They don’t make faces when I say something during a discussion that might be off the mark. They forgive me when I am difficult. They trust my motives (I can’t tell you how much I value that). As God’s sanctification of our lives transforms us, He is faithful to take our story and use it to strengthen the community of believers – and to spark an interest in the people we interact with and love who haven’t decided to trust Christ yet. So that all may know Him.
In Christ,
Laurie
