I’m not sure how to put into words what happened at the MV campus last weekend. The church was bound together in a common bond of uncommon generosity. Throughout the course of this week, people were still finding ways to participate: signing up to volunteer, contributing financially to the 50 projects, and sharing stories of God’s abundance. So many of you commented to me, as I stood by the door, that there was a fresh kind of electricity — a buzz of God-at-work among us. Maybe, for some of us, we got our first glimpse of what it means to be more than merely a believer in the truths about Jesus. This past weekend at Mariners MV, we lived out the generosity of Jesus together as a group of His followers.

Last week we looked at the idea that while the term “Christian” was an imposed title on the followers of Jesus, the disciples embraced a phrase that spoke to the very core of their identity: followers of the way. T‪his peculiar way was marked, among other things, by a shocking dedication to the needs of the people among them AND to those that clearly did not belong to the group of disciples. Jesus referred to these people (both insiders and outsiders) as “neighbors” in need of our attention and love.

As a community, we gave to projects that will never directly benefit us. And yet, somehow all of us felt as though, in the outpouring of unselfishness, it was us who received an abundance. Because of your overwhelming response, we’re going to give those of you who weren’t able to make it last weekend, or who still would like to contribute, another chance to join in what God is doing this weekend at Mariners MV.

This week, we’ll continue in our Christian? series as Doug Fields will challenge us to continue reframing what it means to belong to Jesus as disciples, apprentices, and “followers of the way.”

Looking forward to another great weekend at MV,

Jeff