And the word that means the most to me is strives.

22Jun
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
- Psalm 100:1-4

From the Archives

I’ve been thinking lately about Trinity’s mission statement: “Inspired by Christ, Trinity Episcopal Church strives to love our neighbors, do justice, and walk humbly with God.”

I love these 18 words. Each one is clear, direct, instructive. The entire sentence is extraordinary in its preciseness and unambiguousness. And the word that means the most to me is strives. Because I strive, I know I am not there yet. I am moving towards some destination, some goal perhaps, but it’s still ahead of me. I am taking many steps. There’s no certainty or promise that I will arrive tomorrow or next week or ever, but I continue onward, day by day, hopefully getting closer and closer. Strives denotes action, purpose, direction, anticipation. In this mission statement, it is the perfect verb. As a Christian, my duty is to strive to be that person and do those things even if I die trying.

Today, I am still striving. Thank you, Trinity, for guiding me along this pathway. I have miles to go, and I think I’m making some progress, but I’m moving!

Musical Reflection - Psalm 100 (1st Version) Old 100th Scottish Metrical Psalter 1650

Gracious God, we know that it is you who made us, and not we, ourselves. Look with mercy upon us and help us to follow your path this day with good cheer and joyful hearts. Amen.
PsalmsHumilityArchivesLove Your NeighborJustice
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#missionstatement #inspired #strives #loveyourneighbor #dojustice #walkhumbly #archives

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