Dear Glen Mar friends,

The letter sign in front of the traffic circle reads, “Summer: Let the Son Shine In!” And this Sunday marks the start of our August Family Worship, a time when we have families helping serve in various ways throughout the month and special activities for families to share together. Our theme is called “Drawn In: Living the Creative Life with God.” And the two messages really go together in my mind… As created beings, made in the image of a creating and creative God, we are made to use our gifts in creative ways. Even if you don’t think of yourself as particularly “creative,” we all have dreams and plans to shape and to act upon. Every conversation, every act, every choice, is really about “creating” a world—whether it’s a world that looks more like the Kingdom of God or less like it.

So, I want to invite you to “invite God” into your hopes, dreams, plans and decisions this week. What has been weighing on you? What are you “creating” in this season? Can you invite God into it? Ask God to show Godself in that problem or situation and to lead you in your decision, or even ask God to lead you in your daily life…

This week, we’ll look at what it means to “dream” about what the world could be like, and what our life could be…and how to invite God into that process. When we align our desires to God’s desires, and our dreams to God’s dreams, amazing things happen—and we find that we are the most fulfilled we can be!

This August, let yourself be “drawn in” to God’s presence in worship! And this week, we’ll celebrate Holy Communion, with the “creations” of bread and wine, and the presence of the Holy Spirit—a perfect example of what God can do when we offer our gifts to God… transformation, healing, and new life spring up… (No wonder they call the Communion liturgy “The Great Thanksgiving!”

See you in church,

Pastor Mandy