Vital Signs of Faith: GOD

Dear friends,

Over the next four weeks, we are going to look at four vital signs of our faith or four indicators to help us gauge our spiritual health. The sermons at St. John’s will focus on these vital signs, and when Rally Day arrives, you will be invited to develop a plan to strengthen your spiritual life within a framework of these four vital signs: God, Give, Grow, and Group.

We are launching the series this Sunday by examining our relationship with God. Why is a relationship with God important? What can you do to grow in your relationship with God? How will you be changed as you grow closer to God?

The first sentence of the first book of the Bible identifies God as the subject: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the one who creates; God is the focus. God is at the core of our faith.

Just as God is at the heart of our faith, God is meant to stand at the heart of our lives. It is a beautiful paradox that we become more fully human by focusing more fully on God. It’s almost as though the power of God’s love crowds out the brokenness in our lives and in the world. As we read in John’s Gospel, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

As we foster a relationship with God, we can learn to worry less about societal pressures, cultural expectations, and social comparison. As we focus our attention on God, the distractions that diminish the best of our nature fade away: hatred, fear, condemnation, and prejudice. Irenaeus, a bishop and mystic in the 2nd century, eloquently expressed this principle when he said, “the glory of God is a person fully alive.”

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we consider how we can become more fully alive by growing in a relationship with God!

In Christ,

Mark+