July 21, 2021 Weekly Update
Greetings friends!
For the last two weeks, Valerie and I have had ten friends in our home. Now their visits were staggered and overlapping, so not all ten were there at once, but that’s still a lot of people. At once point we had six little girls age five and under one roof! We enjoyed taking people to different lakes, trails, and restaurants. We got to share with our friends just what makes the Flathead Valley so special. After a long, pandemic induced hiatus from seeing friends and family, this is the summer of travel! Many of you are traveling or receiving guests. As one of our friends graciously put it, “You all have been great hosts!”
And that got me thinking. We aren’t just hosting when we receive visitors. We are hosts everyday of our lives because we are God’s ambassadors for God’s church. God has invited us – imperfect, distracted, and overconfident – to be the hands, feet, and voice of the new kingdom God is creating. When we greet our neighbors, when we graciously receive enemies, or when we offer ourselves to one another, we are the avenue through which God seeks to heal, include, and love other people. As the saying goes, “Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.” So, as you play “host” or travel to visit family and friends this summer, remember that God is using you to introduce another to God’s abundant kingdom.
Blessings,
Pastor Jared
