SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Spray United Methodist Church podcast.
SPEAKER_00: My name is Hoyt, and I am grateful you are here today.
SPEAKER_00: Let us take a moment to slow down, breathe, and rest in the presence of God.
SPEAKER_00: Today I want to talk about something I call the ministry of showing up.
SPEAKER_00: Most of the Christian life is not lived in extraordinary moments, it is lived in ordinary faithfulness.
SPEAKER_00: One prayer at a time, one act of kindness at a time, one faithful step after another.
SPEAKER_00: When Jesus called his disciples, he did not hand them a ministry manual.
SPEAKER_00: He simply said, Follow me.
SPEAKER_00: They followed, they listened, they learned, they failed, they were forgiven, and they kept showing up.
SPEAKER_00: That encourages me because the disciples were ordinary people.
SPEAKER_00: Over time, by the grace of God, they were transformed because they stayed close to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: There are days when showing up is easy.
SPEAKER_00: There are other days when the body hurts, the schedule is heavy, and our strength feels small.
SPEAKER_00: On those days, faithfulness may not look impressive to anyone else, but God sees it.
SPEAKER_00: God sees the caregiver who keeps caring, the volunteer who keeps serving, the church member who keeps praying, the person who comes to worship after a difficult week.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes wisdom tells us to rest.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes wisdom tells us to ask for help.
SPEAKER_00: But there is also a holy perseverance that says, Lord, if you give me strength for this day, I will use that strength to serve you.
SPEAKER_00: I think about this in the community table.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the food goes quickly, sometimes there is more need than we can meet, but sometimes something important happens when the church shows up.
SPEAKER_00: A family is greeted, a neighbor is seen, a person who feels forgotten is treated with dignity.
SPEAKER_00: Food is placed into hands, but something more is offered.
SPEAKER_00: We offer the love of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest example of showing up is Jesus Himself.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus shows up for the sick, the weary, the outcast, and the sinner.
SPEAKER_00: He walked among people.
SPEAKER_00: He listened.
SPEAKER_00: He cared.
SPEAKER_00: He loved.
SPEAKER_00: And ultimately he showed up to the cross for us.
SPEAKER_00: We do not show up to earn God's love.
SPEAKER_00: We show up because Jesus first showed up for us.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone listening today feels that what they do is small, their service is quiet, their work is mostly unseen.
SPEAKER_00: Do not underestimate small faithfulness, a prayer, a visit, a meal, a ride, a kind word, a moment of patience.
SPEAKER_00: God can use these ordinary acts in extraordinary ways.
SPEAKER_00: The kingdom of God is built through many small acts of obedience offered to a great and holy God.
SPEAKER_00: So today, do not underestimate the ministry of showing up.
SPEAKER_00: Show up with humility, show up with patience, show up with love.
SPEAKER_00: You do not have to have all the answers.
SPEAKER_00: You do not have to have to change the world today.
SPEAKER_00: You simply need to be faithful where God has placed you.
SPEAKER_00: And when you are tired, ask God for strength.
SPEAKER_00: Then take the next faithful step.
SPEAKER_00: Let us pray.
SPEAKER_00: Gracious and holy God, thank you for faithfulness to us.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for showing up in our lives to Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to not overlook the ordinary places where you call us to be faithful.
SPEAKER_00: Strengthen those who are tired.
SPEAKER_00: Encourage those who feel unnoticed.
SPEAKER_00: Comfort those who carry heavy burdens.
SPEAKER_00: Teach us that ministry is not always dramatic.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it begins with simply being present.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to show up with the love of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me on the Spray United Methodist Church podcast.
SPEAKER_00: If you do not have a church home, we invite you to worship with us at Spray United Methodist Church, 803 Morgan Road, Eden, North Carolina.
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, may God bless you, keep you, and remind you that faithfulness often begins with simply showing up.