I saw a human interest story last week that touched my heart. A series of winter storms had buried a Wisconsin town in snow and one of the parks in town had become impassible. Two of the park's maintenance crew had shoveled a path to a park bench that was inaccessible prior to their labor. Now shoveling snow does not touch my heart; but rather it was the reason that they cleared the solitary path to the park bench that stirred my soul.
 
The bench had been donated by one of the park's patrons in honor of his deceased wife. Each and every day following the installation of the park bench the bereaved husband would walk the trail to place flowers on her bench and say a prayer. The snow was so deep that the husband couldn't come to her bench and share his love as had become his ritual in her absence.
 
The park's crew sprang into action and they cleared the path so that this loving husband could come and place flowers on the bench and say his prayers. This was the only path that was shoveled for several days; an act of service that wasn't solicited, but rather was freely given.  Think of the passion in this story. The entire story ignites the passions of the heart.
 
At our Session retreat, we talked about re-igniting our passion for God. As a group, we shared intimate thoughts regarding our passion for God and its role in our leadership at JCPC.  As I listened to our elders open their hearts to each other, I noticed four interrelated dynamics that relate to re-igniting our passion for God. Over the next four weeks, I will be exploring these dynamics with you in the hopes that your hearts will be touched in such a way that your passion will be re-ignited.
 
Here are the 4 dynamics:
            invitation, service, commitment, and worship
 
See if you can identify how they are part of the story above. 

Prayer for Today
 
Grant us a passion for ministry, O Loving God, so that how we love you will be reflected in our love for neighbor and how we love our neighbor will bring glory to your name. Amen.