I remember as a child watching the Wizard of Oz for the first time. Dorothy and her companions Scarecrow who wants a brain; Tin Man who wants a heart, and Cowardly Lion who wants courage, are on a quest to the Emerald City to see the great Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and her dog Toto just want to be back home in Kansas. I can still picture the fear and trembling the companions had as they finally stood in the presence of the flashes of fire and light, the billowing clouds of smoke, and the thunderous voice of the great Oz. And yet, this presence turned out to be a ruse, a mere projected image. That said, an encounter with the holiness of God is not a trick or hoax, as both the Prophet Isaiah and the Apostle Peter well know…
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Grace Notes 2025-02-05A highlight of the congregation workshop many of you attended on January 18 was to hear the stories of a special memory that stood out in each person's journey at Gift of Grace. They were stories of welcoming, affirmation, encouragement, and belonging. They extolled the caring, the standing firm on God’s Word, the singing, the substantial historical and Biblical patterns of worship, and the broad participation.
The basics matter. But being basic, it may not always seem exciting or exceptional. And yet, exciting or not, when we become exceptional at the basics it will at some point become exciting.
A Pastor colleague of mine in the South Wisconsin District shared with me some of the things his congregation has been trying in recent years to meet folks in their surrounding community. He believed their congregation’s recent numerical growth could be attributed to their success in ‘Meeting and Greeting’ more people. I love that expression: Meet and Greet.