These weeks of our stewardship campaign are a bit different, and there is no sermon per se. As we are learning to wade in the waters of Christian life, we are doing some different things in worship. This morning, Oct. 29, instead of my expounding on a Scripture text in a traditional sermon, the congregation divided into small groups to explore a text with each other. The text they dealt with was Micah 6:6-8. I began by reading the passage aloud. Then the groups worked on their own. You might want to do this on your own or with your family or a group of friends.

After hearing the passage read aloud, take a minute to reflect silently on what word or phrase from the text seemed to stand out for you. If you are with a group, go around and have each person share what that word or text was. If you are doing this alone, just jot it down. You don't need explanations about why...just note what the word or phrase was.

Next listen to the text aloud again. If you have a group, have a different person read it. This time think about how you think this applies to your life, our church, our nation, or our world. Either have members of the group share, or write it down for yourself.

Now read the text aloud one more time...with a different person reading if you have that option. The different voices will let you hear the text in a different way each time. If you are by yourself, you might want to read the text in several different translations. After this reading, discuss what you think God might be asking you to do or be in this coming week. How can you put this text into practice this week? What is God asking of you?

The last step is prayer. If you are in a group, pray for one another. If you are by yourself, pray that way. The important thing is to lift up to God your concerns and ask for God's help in living out the message of the text.

One or two folks this morning said they missed having a sermon. Maybe some of you have missed having a sermon on the website. But I believe it is important to realize that our Christian growth happens in many ways, and most of those ways are not passive. There is a time to listen to teaching. But there is also a time to wrestle with Scripture yourself and let God teach you directly through the text and a time to listen and learn from the struggles and experiences of others. Church is as much about this as it is about sermons. We tried to embody that this morning.

May God bless you as you wade into Scripture's waters. They are living waters, full of grace and truth.

Love, Anne

(c) 2000, Anne Robertson