Living Our Call in Community
“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them.” – Acts 6:3
Dear Friends,
Tomorrow is July 4, Independence Day. Amid the parade, the parties and all the associated pageantry, we’re not just celebrating what has happened, but what still could be. America is certainly a beautiful and blessed land for so, so many people – it’s part of the reason I ended up here myself! But it’s more than that. It’s also an idea. A concept, a hope, a project that under the right circumstances and situations, under the right nurture and care of its people, can either falter or flourish.
No, it’s not the Kingdom of God. But it certainly can be an attempt by flawed humans to work towards that, to embody in community and character, the invitation to live differently as we follow Jesus Christ.
I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced it, but one of my Dad’s favorite attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom is The Hall of Presidents. It’s a 20+ minute presentation of the history of the United States and celebration of the idea and the actual men who endured that glorious burden of the Presidency. It’s current rendition, focuses on three of the Presidents whose faces were carved into Mt. Rushmore – Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt… and his cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the monumental moments each faced during their presidencies and the strength of character and service that helped see them through.
The presentation is voiced by Joy Vandervort-Cobb, and it also includes a stirring introduction to this idea of a President, which honestly, reminded me so much of the ideals that we are invited to embody as followers of Christ, no matter our circumstance or status.
I’ve found that I often need to be reminded of the great ideals, to spur me on toward them. It’s easy to get caught up in the mud and the muck of the current state of affairs around me. Disappointments and distractions, people – myself included – falling short of what I want, what I hope for, what I profess. And I need to be reminded of what the goal is, what I’m actually shoot for. Something more, something better than this moment of missteps – mine or others.
And so today, I want to invite you to meditate on a few paragraphs from that great presentation (in fact, if you’ve never been, you can watch the whole show, from the comfort of your own home, right here and hear the echo of Christ’s call to service, and our attempts at living it out in community, today. Whether we’re President of the PTA, President of the USA, or just pushing pencils in obscurity, I hope you find this inspirational and encouraging!
Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus,
Pastor Don
Disney’s Hall of Presidents
Narrated by Joy Vandervort-Cobb
It is 1783 and the smoke is clearing in the wake of the revolutionary war.
Over the course of 8 grinding years, General George Washington has led a force of shop keepers, farmers and Native American allies to victory over the greatest military power in the world.
A new nation has been born, independent and free.
The founders must form a national government. In 1787, through months of passionate debate, they create a written constitution. For the country’s highest Office they imagine something new in the history of the world. A leader not born to power like a king or queen. A leader who has not seized power through conquest. A leader not separate from the people but elected by the people, from among the people, We the People.
This is a new idea, an American idea, the idea of a President.
The people don’t know exactly what the president will be, but there’s little doubt who it will be. George Washington’s stature and bearing have marked him as a leader. His integrity has made him a great one. Washington knows that many generals who have led successful revolutions have made themselves dictators or kings. Instead, he steps down from power and retires to his home in Mount Vernon. The world takes note and George Washington becomes the symbol of American ideals.
In the first Presidential election, it’s Washington by a landslide. The only doubt seems to be his own. He writes, “Integrity and firmness is all I can promise.” Integrity and firmness is exactly what we need. Everything he does as President will set a model for his successors. His final act may be the most important of all. After two terms with no term limit in the constitution and amid overwhelming support to stay in office, he steps down once again and hands power back to the people…