Rector’s Update: He is here!
Happy New Year Friends!
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17
Perhaps you read it this morning? I am so grateful for our Resto Daily Prayer Guide and the way it keeps us together during the week. We still have hard copies in the upper narthex at church. Make sure you grab the bookmark as well so that you can pray for one of our outreach partners each day. We have GREAT news to share: God has come and will come again. He desires to rescue and not condemn. He invites us to join Him in the telling: He is here!
Are you new to Restoration?
We’d like to have you join us for dinner in Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, January 17th at 7pm. We call it, “Living God’s Story at Restoration”. It’s an opportunity to hear the story of our church and to find your place in it. Come hear what’s important to us and how you can join us in serving God’s people and worshiping Him. Dinner starts right at 7. The program starts at 7:45 and we get you out by 8:45. Childcare is available at the church as well. Please let us know that you are coming by registering for the dinner, here. I look forward to seeing you there!
Vocation in the Light: a sermon series for Epiphany
I am so excited about our forthcoming sermon series as we spend the season of Epiphany talking about the contours of our labor and lament: the call of God to do the work He has given us to do. I will preach four times in January on ‘The interruption of God’, ‘The calling of God’, ‘The discernment of God’, and ‘The work of God’. Then in February, we will have three friends who are close to Restoration speak on vocation and discernment as followers of Jesus. All of us think about our labor all the time. Sometimes we wonder, ‘Is this what God really wants me to do?’ Sometimes we acknowledge, ‘Thank you God for the meaningful work you have given.’
We want to know that we are not alone in it. (Small groups open for registration on Sunday!)
We want to hear from our Good Shepherd who invites us to join Him in His work and who calls us to our work on behalf of the world He loves.
Along the way, we have two special events that you will not want to miss.
- January 10: An Evening on Spiritual Discernment. Have you ever wondered what God is doing in your life? How can you tell if it is His voice leading and not your own? What is God’s will for you? Those are all questions of spiritual discernment. Come to Restoration on Tuesday, Jan 10 from 7:30pm – 9pm for an event with Dr. Steve Macchia, author of The Discerning Life, to discuss discernment and how to notice God in all areas of your life. Watch this trailer for a preview of our conversation on January 10!
- February 5: Our own Isaac Wardell and The Porter’s Gate will be releasing a new album of ‘work’ songs. We will be singing them throughout this series as a part of our worship. On February 5th at 7:30pm, The Porter’s Gate will sing all of them… in our sanctuary. It’s gonna be good.
I hope you can worship with us on all the Sundays of Epiphany, that you gather each week with a small group for discussion and prayer, and that you join us for these two special evenings of teaching and worship. I’m really looking forward to it all!
Want to hear more?
This Sunday, January 8th, at 12:45, we will have a parish meeting to introduce our new vestry members, to chat about The Evening Service (starts Jan 22!), to outline my sabbatical this year (2 months! Feb 1 to March 30), and to update you on our ‘End of 2022’ finances. These gatherings of our parish are important opportunities for you to ask questions, to hear things in greater detail, and to know our leadership. Hope you can be there.
We have such good news to tell: God loves the world and He made a way for us to not die but to have life with Him. He is here!
See you on Sunday,
David
