Kindred in Christ,

Inspired by his faith, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” He talked of how we encounter half the world by the time we put on clothes, brushed our teeth, drunk our coffee and eaten our breakfast, as there are people near and far that make our lives possible every single day.

As our country celebrates the secular holiday of Independence Day, it is important to remember God has created us to live interdependently with one another. No one is self-made or independent. Indeed, the more we reject the myth of independence, the greater awareness we can have regarding how our lives affect others. Moreover, we can pray and discern how to use our agency towards lifting others up as we receive from them in the midst of our network of mutuality (or interdependence)!

This week we wrap up our God is Proud of You worship series. We will reflect upon the many ways that our human identities can be affirmed in the context of Christian community. We will consider the life of a man that was made a social outcast and forced to remain outside the temple gates. Yet, God utilizes Peter and the connections of the early church to empower him to “rise up and go” make a difference to the religious status quo (Acts 3:1-10).

Looking forward to worshiping with you on Facebook Live!

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz