Love from the Center

VIM Costa Rica ArrivalThis past Sunday, the Costa Rica VIM team shared their witness in church about their recent trip to Costa Rica Mission Projects. We had an amazing time serving at the Mission Center itself which will become a launching pad/host facility for other US volunteer teams as they work with churches and communities throughout southern Costa Rica. The compound also includes a daycare facility for local residents, a residence for young women attending college, and apartments for future short-term missionaries and mission interns. We spent the week moving literally tons of rocks for drainage channels throughout the property, mixing and pouring concrete, painting, doing stucco work and a whole host of other projects. It was back-breaking, sweat-producing joyful work! You can see some of the pictures and read more about our week on SPUMC’s Facebook Page

We grounded ourselves in Romans 12 for the week and it was also our scripture text for this past Sunday. As you read what it looks like to “love from the center of who you are”(v. 9), what parts of this text particularly speak to you as you offer your “everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life” to God (v.1)?

I closed my remarks on Sunday with a quote from N.D. Wilson’s book, Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent.

“Rule 1 for Mortals: Love the Lord your God (with every bit of you).
Rule 2 for Mortals: Love your neighbor as yourself.
Tip 1 for Mortals: Ask God to call your bluffs.”

It’s never enough for us to just say we love God or our neighbor. We need to live into those core convictions in practical, compassionate, and creative ways. How do you sense God “calling your bluff” to love from the center of who you are this week?