What Could Be Going On? Joining Mountainview - April 14, 2021

I will admit it, there was a lot of material in last week’s sermon. And what you heard was not even all of it. I was going to suggest that just like at one time it was popular to wear a bracelet with the letters WWJD on it to remind us to wonder “What would Jesus do?” before acting, perhaps we could start a trend of wearing a bracelet with IDiC on it, for “Identity in Christ”. What if we regularly could look at our wrist and be reminded that we are a new creation in Christ, the old is gone and the new is come? Hopefully that would transform the way we think of ourselves and move us away from focussing on what is not yet renewed to instead look at what is promised and guaranteed to be renewed. (By the way, if you want to run with this wristband idea please use recycle-able materials and give all the profit to some missional organization).

Now, as people who have our identity in Christ, one of the ways we express that is by participating in his body which is the church. And to really identify with the body of Christ known as the church, involves membership. Now church membership is generally not seen as that exciting of a topic, and so we often now talk about “full participation.” Whatever term you want to use, I am wondering if there are people out there who want to take the next step in becoming fully engaged followers of Jesus at Mountainview (aka members). Perhaps you have grown up here and participated in all kinds of kids and youth ministry to the point where you are ready to own this faith thing as your own. Or maybe you have been attending worship services or other ministries but have never formalized your connection. Or maybe you have officially been a member for some time but recognize that it is time to re-engage with your relationship with Jesus and his church. Or maybe (final maybe here) you just have a lot of questions about the whole church-faith-Jesus deal. Whatever your story, I would love to meet with you and talk about whatever would help you connect in a more complete way to Jesus and this segment of his body known as Mountainview. Traditionally this has been a class, but we will figure out the format when we know who is on the journey.

If this is for you, please connect with me by phone/text 416-689-8721 or email ericks@mountainviewcrc.org. And for that time in the future when you meet me in person (if you haven’t already), be prepared for the fact that apparently I am taller than I appear on screen. A number of people have commented on this when meeting me. It is said that the camera adds pounds; it seems that it subtracts inches as well.

Pastor Erick Schuringa, weighing in at about 6’4”