A New Creation is Everything!

“One last thing!” That’s what I imagine Paul saying as he was finishing his letter to the Galatians. “I can’t forget this one last thing! Oh, and I need to make it big: SO THEN, WHENEVER WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, LET US WORK FOR THE GOOD OF ALL AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF THE FAMILY OF FAITH.” Yes, I like to think the apostle Paul “shouted” these words to the Galatians—and to us. Because this is the point of all of it. All that Paul has been trying to say in this letter and beyond—work for the good of all and take care of one another so we can keep doing God’s good work together.

If you’ve been using emojis as visual elements throughout this series, think about what you might use to depict this idea of doing good and caring for one another. Are there other symbols in your community that communicate this message? Are there organizations your church partners with? Upcoming mission projects? Perhaps this is a Sunday to highlight the work of Stephen Ministers, the pastoral care team, or volunteers who help visit and take Communion to homebound members. Consider asking a couple of members to talk about how the congregation has come together to support one another in the last year. Part of building a new creation of mutual care is incorporating the stories and voices of the community into worship.

Since many congregations celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of the month, consider how you might incorporate the themes of communal care and God’s new creation into the Communion liturgy. You might sing “For Everyone Born” (Worship and Song 3149) or “I Come with Joy” (United Methodist Hymnal 617), emphasizing how we come to the table as individuals so that we may be made into a community, the Body of Christ. If you typically pass the peace earlier in the service, consider waiting to include it after the confession and before the Great Thanksgiving to highlight that we are reconciled to God so that we can also be reconciled to one another. Find ways to emphasize how your congregation already acts as a community of care and how God is calling all of us into deeper and wider expressions of love and care for one another and our world.