Our Daily Bread | April 23
This Sunday, we come to a petition that provides a whole new way to live, especially in light of the toilet paper shortage a year ago...give us this day our daily bread. We’ll harken back to a story that Jesus would have learned before he even knew how to speak, the Exodus from Egypt. Finally free from Pharoah’s grasp, the Hebrew people were wandering in the wilderness, convinced they had left a dead end for death itself. Angry and hungry, they demanded Moses fix their lack. God rained down quail and manna for them to eat -- enough for each day. If they hoarded their provision, it rotted. In the desert, they learned to trust God for their daily bread.
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, these few words cast a new vision for life with Jesus. It is a life free from greed, free from lack, free from a need to control. Take a breath and imagine that with me! We don’t have to be anxious about tomorrow. We don’t have to store up treasures here on earth. We can trust the beautiful, faithful provision of a God who only seeks what is best for us.
This Sunday, we’ll come to the Communion Table together. Through the sacrament, we see this new life in full color. We come hungry -- we depart fed. We come trying harder -- we depart knowing that we are enough just as we are. We come weighed down by our shortcomings -- we depart lighter because of forgiveness. If you are worshipping with us from home, make plans for the Communion elements you will use. If you are a King’s Hawaiian and Welch’s fan, spring for it at the grocery store this weekend! If you are worshipping with us here in the sanctuary, we will continue to provide pre-packaged elements. Hold on with us, Faith. We’ll come forward and receive soon enough. For now, we want to keep all safe as we hopefully watch the infection numbers hold steady here in Tulsa County.
We are celebrating the sacrament of Holy Baptism on Sunday also. Our confirmands will stand before us -- just as we stand with them -- and make their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. One will be baptized. The other students will receive the sign of the cross to remind them of the power of baptism when it was given to them, probably before they have physical memory of it. We will be receiving all of our confirmands into membership. At least one other family will be joining as well.
Faith, I also need to share information that was given to our students and their families this week. We are preparing for staffing transitions in our youth ministry. A year and a half ago, Jonathon Garrett indicated that he was praying about what was next for him -- feeling that his season of leading our youth ministry might be coming to a close. After COVID changed every aspect of ministry for our staff, Jonathon jumped in with both feet to lead us in graphic design. He became a part of our communications team and was pivotal in the strong presence you experienced via email, social media, our website and Sunday mornings.
As Pastor Heather and I revisited that conversation with Jonathon this spring, he confirmed it is time for him to make a change. We invited him to remain on staff with us, leading in the areas of contemporary worship music, graphic design and a new small group ministry we hope to launch within the next six months.
After this conversation, we invited Wyatt Smith to step into the leadership role of Youth Director, but his calling is to play music with his band. We will not be able to continue the position he has held, Associate Youth Director, so he’ll be leaving our staff. We don’t know the exact timing on this, but it will likely be during the month of August.
We are immediately opening the position of Youth Director. Jonathon will remain in leadership here, with Wyatt’s support, until we hire our next Youth Director. If you know of anyone who you would want to lead your student and would fit well with our congregational vision, please connect me with them as soon as possible. It would be ideal to make this hire in June, but we will wait till we’ve found just the right person to step into leadership for our students.
