Scripture Reading
Genesis 12:1-9
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot and all the possessions that they had gathered and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran, and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
Story of Belonging
One of the throughlines in my life has been the church. I grew up in a pastor’s home, and I’m grateful my parents modeled for me their belief that even an imperfect group has great merit.
I have now been a member of five churches. None has been perfect, and each has had caring members who were perfectly suited to my needs at the time.
The church of my childhood had faithful people who taught me Bible stories, led our activities, and encouraged me and my young faith to grow. They loved and cared for my parents in their later years and still welcome me when I return.
At my large college church, I first learned the impact an excellent choir has on worship. Kind people invited me into their homes, remembered my name, taught our classes, and helped my faith to grow.
My next church challenged me to look beyond my comfort zone into the “real” world, helping me try to respond to all issues as Christ would. It was there that I discovered I loved teaching children in Sunday School.
My fourth church in Indiana gave this uprooted Southern transplant a much-needed place to serve by supporting youth, mission projects, and an active Sunday School class.
My years at SRBC have been an incredible gift to me. Here I have found others who share my joy of teaching children, the gift of singing with an amazing choir, and challenges that help me grow in my faith by listening and doing. I think God might have saved the very best for now! I am so grateful.
– Dorothy Swindle
Wondering Question
God sent Abraham and Sarah, and Dorothy to many new places of community.
I wonder: where has God sent you?
How have your choices to follow God’s call shaped you into the person you are today?
Prayer
God of the journey, lead us to new towns, new cities, and even new places just around the corner where we might meet your people and do your work. Help us to grow and learn through all of our journeys along the path. And may we be quick to see how listening to your call has changed us along the way. Amen.