Do you remember those summer days from your childhood where you were enjoying the warmer weather outside
playing with your friends? It didn’t matter how far away from your house you were, somehow you were always able
to hear mom, dad, or even grandma’s voice calling out your name, letting you know it was time to come in to eat.
Those summer dinners were always the best, complete with fresh vegetables from the garden. Pintos, cornbread, fried
squash, and tomatoes were enough to get me to stop playing and come in to eat. I have many fond memories of
sitting around the dinner table with family enjoying good food and conversation. It is good to be called in.
There have been other occasions that I was called in from playing that I did not really enjoy. Those times when I
failed to do a chore, or “forgot” to get all my homework done before I went out to play, I was called in to be
disciplined. As a child, I did not like to be called in for this reason, but as I grew older I realized it was an important
part of our family’s relationship. We need to keep each other accountable, especially as children, we need the structure and discipline to help us learn and grow from our mistakes.
Proverbs 3 asks us not to despise God’s discipline, as it is a sign of love for us. “But don’t, dear friend, resent
GOD’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father’s delight
is behind all this.” (Proverbs 3:11-12 MSG) There are signs of God’s love for us all around. Sometimes we find
them in moments where were are called out because of an action or behavior. Other signs of God’s love for us are
when we are called in —inviting us back into right relationship with God. There is a difference between calling
someone out (forcefully challenging someone’s words or actions) and calling someone in (inviting someone, through
conversation and relationship, to consider a better way.) There may be times in our faith journey, where we need to
be called out on a behavior or destructive action. Most of us, however, would prefer our discipline to come from
being called in.
In our summer sermon series, we will explore ways in which God calls us in to community and a right relationship
with Him. Sometimes being called in means being called away from areas where we have clearly done wrong, caused
harm, or fallen short. In other times, God may simply be working to refine us further, encouraging us to continue on
our faith journey towards maturity. In every instance, God is inviting us into something better, fuller, and more holy.
Called In—How God can use our mistakes, weaknesses, and experiences to help us grow.
June 12— “Called to Repentance”- 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10
June 19— “Called to Self Care” – 1 Kings 19:1-4, 5-7, 8-15
June 26— “Called to Connection” – 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
July 3— “Called to Comfort” -Isaiah 66:10-14
July 10- “Called to Humility” -Amos 7:7-17
July 17— “Called to Transformation” – Colossians 1:15-28
July 24— “Called to Belonging” – Colossians 2:6-15
