by Beny Krisbianto, Nations Worship (with Emily Ralph)
God sent His only SON, HIS BEST to come to this earth to save us. He never intended to send the second or third best from heaven to redeem us. He didn’t send angels or prophets to die for us—he sent his son! God ALWAYS gives us THE BEST.
What about us? How do we respond to God’s gift? Are we committed to follow Christ in life? We are not left to live this way alone—just as Christ was raised from the dead, we, too, have the power of the resurrected Christ in us.
These are just some of the ways that Franconia Conference congregations have given God their best, witnessing to the power of the resurrection in the last year:
- Turning an old church building into a community center
- Providing nutrition to millions of children around the world through the distribution of de-worming tablets.
- Going with teams from Mennonite Disaster Service to help clean up after Superstorm Sandy.
- Building intercultural relationships with organizations and congregations who live in different realities, learning and sharing.
- Offering free coffee in the name of God’s free grace
- Taking prayer walks as symbols of God’s peace in the midst of a culture of violence.
- Opening Sunday School to community preschoolers
- Using business to provide living wages, hope, and solidarity
- Protesting injustices like rampant gun violence and the death penalty
- Providing a Thanksgiving feast for first responders.
- Offering voter ID clinics to promote justice
- Teaching strategies for peace to children of all ages and backgrounds
- Partnering across denominational lines to show the unity of Christ
- Providing work and homes for ex-offenders and advocating for restorative justice
- Doing “church” in unusual places and unusual ways: around tables, on the beach, in the garden, at the park
“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10, NRSV)
On this great Easter weekend, as we celebrate the triumph of Christ’s resurrection, I want to encourage every single one of us to always give our best to God in everything that we do. Christ is Risen!