Allen and Lynn bring their experience and heart to the subject of belonging. They are passionate about people getting connected and shared their wisdom about how we can experience the fullness God intented for us as individuals and for the community of Mosaic.

Allen and Lynn bring their experience and heart to the subject of belonging. They are passionate about people getting connected and shared their wisdom about how we can experience the fullness God intented for us as individuals and for the community of Mosaic.

This week we had an open conversation about what it means to belong to Mosaic and hear how people are feeling about it. Although it is our deep desire that people experience true community within Mosaic, we also recognize that it is not always easy to come by. We know that our way of doing church can make it feel like you have to "ask someone out" to get to know people. That can be very hard for some and we want to do what we can to improve our sense of belonging as a community.

Dr. Vander Griend was kind enough to share his thoughts about prayer and allow us to ask him some difficult questions. As someone with lots of experience and deep faith, his responses and encouragements were important for us to hear. When asked what he wanted to impart to us as a community, his response was, "You don't want to look back one day and wonder if you had not, because you asked not." (my paraphrase)

Dr. Vander Griend was kind enough to share his thoughts about prayer and allow us to ask him some difficult questions. As someone with lots of experience and deep faith, his responses and encouragements were important for us to hear. When asked what he wanted to impart to us as a community, his response was, "You don't want to look back one day and wonder if you had not, because you asked not." (my paraphrase)

Weaving times of individual and group prayer with music and thoughts from Paul's instructions to Timothy in 1 Timorth 2, we spent time bringing God the things that were on our hearts and the things that are going on in the world.It might be good to set aside 35 minutes and simply follow along with the podcast with your own prayers, petitions, thanksgivings and intercessions.

Donna VanderGriend's life/story have given her authority to lead, mentor and communicate in beautiful ways. Though she has seen her primary calling to be a wife, mother and grandmother, she has also responded to God's call to teach, lead, mentor, speak in large and small settings. This has not been an easy path, so it should come as no surprise that she has reluctantly agreed to share her thoughts with our community. It is instructive, beautiful and challenging, and we are so thankful to have her voice and life in our community!

We begin this week with the question, "Are Obligations Good"? So many people live with a deep sense of falling short, either with God or with the people around them. Their lives are ruled by the things they "should do" or "shouldn't do", with very little sense of "enough". Is this consistent with grace? Can we hold both a sense of responsibility and live in the grace of God? Check it out.

This week I introduce the new discussion series we are starting and why we are doing it. One of my over-arching concerns is that many of us either spend no real time in the Bible, feel its irrelevant, treat it as a textbook or see it as some magic potion to help me get through the day. All of these fail to remember that the Bible was written by real people, about real people and to real people. So, in order to let the Bible become part of our story, we need to get inside their story. In this season of our community, we are going to let the letter to the church in Ephesus and the first letter to Timothy (as the one Paul left in Ephesus to lead that community) become the source for discussing the issues raised in these letters and how they affect us today.