As a child, I loved to play with Legos. The name “LEGO” is derived from the Danish words “leg godt,” which means “play well.” They were invented in 1932 and since then, these colorful bricks have brought many hours of joy to children (and adults!). And they have evolved over the years, from simple structures to these complex, intricate, masterpieces of art.
The thing about Legos is, they are part of a set. If you see (or step on!) one Lego, you know that it’s lost. Legos don’t exist on their own. No child plays with one Lego. They don’t sell one Lego. They come as a set because they are meant to be connected. And as you add to it, it grows and grows into whatever shape it was meant to be, or the one you want it to be. That’s the beauty of imagination.
Well, if I were making a Lego kit for discipleship, it would come with more than one person. In Matthew 28 it came with eleven people, the eleven disciples. And they were to “play well” with others by following Jesus’ command:
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
This text is known as the Great Commission. Jesus has appeared to the Eleven several times by now. And He had asked them to meet Him in Galilee at a mountain. Maybe it was the same mountain on which Jesus was transfigured. Or maybe it was one where Jesus went to pray. In any event, they knew where to go. And this time, they did the right thing and went.
You know, if you look in the Lego aisle in 2022, you will see that the selection of Lego sets has increased exponentially! From Star Wars to working robots, they have truly advanced. And if we look at where those eleven disciples have taken the message of the Gospel, you will see that what started with very humble beginnings, has advanced the kingdom of God exponentially! From a handful of believers to 2.38 billion professing Christians around the world as of 2021! And it all came about because of one commission, on a mountain, given by the Great Commissioner, Jesus. And because of those eleven “Legos” who were willing to connect with others, giving of themselves to one another, sharing all things and sharing their faith, something miraculous happened:
“And the Lord added to their number
daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:47
Church, this is the work of the vine! Just as Legos were made for the shapes in which we form them, as disciples of Christ, we were made to make other disciples. And if we come together and “play well,” the vine, the church, will continue to grow!
Join us this Sunday as we continue with the sermon series based on the study The Trellis and the Vine. This Sunday is: Made for This. You can worship in-house at 10:00am (masks optional), or you can also join us online. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
Organ Update. Have you heard? The fundraising goal for the new organ has been met! What a blessing! And what a testament to the legacy of organ music that has come forth from the Music Ministry at Green Trails. We thank you for your generous giving and look forward to sharing with future generations the worshipful sound of the organ for many years to come.
Next Leadership Board Meeting will be held in-house on Monday, May 23, 6:30 pm. The congregation is invited to attend.
Trauma Healing. The next topic of the Social Justice Ministry is Mental Wellness. May is Mental Wellness Month, so what a fitting time to talk about it. We’ve all experienced trauma on some level, and it is so helpful to talk about it with others who have also gone through trauma. Look for the latest podcast on Coffee & Conversations with Amanda Hughes, which can be found on Spotify or wherever you get podcasts. Also, I am leading a trauma healing group that is open to all, in-house at 6:30 pm, on Thursdays for the next 6-8 weeks. I encourage the entire church to come out and let the Lord minister healing to your soul! Our book is: Healing Waters and you can pick up a copy in the church office, at no cost.
Breakthrough Prayer will kick off on Pentecost Sunday, June 5! What is it? It is a prayer movement in which we will elevate prayer in everything that we do, worship, meetings, small groups, children, youth, and adults. There will be a prayer that we will pray together in worship, but also we encourage you to pray every day as a church. We will have prayer request cards, moments of spontaneous prayer, whatever the Holy Spirit asks us to do, we will do. Let’s bombard the church, and our lives, with prayer. Remember, the church that prays together, stays together!
Blessings,
Pastor Linda