Healthy, Holy, and Whole

Well, July 1, begins and I am off to a new appointment. Crossroads District, thank you for welcoming me and thank you Bishop Keaton, for this great appointment, I pray. 
 
Healthy, Holy and Whole are three words that came to my mind as we begin our new conference year as United Methodists. Upon reflecting on the annual conference theme, “Imagine a World,” what if we can imagine ourselves being healthy, holy and whole and then our families becoming healthy, holy and whole and then our church? This year I have chosen these three words as a theme for the Crossroads District because, if we as people of God choose to live out this theme in our personal and professional lives we can make disciples for Jesus Christ. A theme where God desires each person to ask, “Am I choosing to become a more healthy, holy and whole person in my inner being?”
 
It was good to be present this year when the Detroit Annual Conference heard the invitation to help someone else be healthy, holy and whole and decided to raise $500,000 for Imagine No Malaria in the next four years. God is calling each of our churches to a place of healthiness, holiness and wholeness if we as a body actively desire to reach out to the community and the world, spreading the good news and God’s news.  Now, we are commissioned to strengthen our inner core which is each individual person, family and church body to a place where the Holy Spirit can reside and we can give abundantly so that others may experience the blessings of the Lord. 
 
This conference year try to set some goals that will enable you as an individual, a family and a church to become more healthy, holy and whole for the body of Christ. What if the scripture said, “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us?” (Philippians 4:13) Goals are good if we set a few and make them worth accomplishing.  Sometimes, it is difficult for us as human beings to be healthy, holy and whole because of the outside forces that continue to fight against us. Life can bring forth its own challenges that prevent us from completing our goals. But, the word says, “for though the righteous falls seven times, they rise again” (Proverbs 24:16a). All of us can fall down in reaching our goals, but God can put us back on track again.
 
Find new ways to be a blessing to the kingdom of God. During my appointment as pastor of Bethel church, ministry leaders were encouraged to set goals annually in order to advance God’s kingdom. Among their accomplishments this past conference year – a Food Outreach Ministry was established distributing over 150 boxes of food per month, a new treasurer was hired, a handicapped accessible lavatory was built, several members completed Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Classes and twenty-seven new members joined the church (twenty-three had never been a part of another church in their lives)! All of this occurred through much prayer. Also, the church strived to accomplish their goals and thrived on becoming healthy, holy and whole. A lot can happen when we make ourselves available to God’s Holy Spirit.
 
Striving to Be Healthy, Holy and Whole,
Dr. Tara Sutton

By: Rev. Dr. Tara Sutton On 7/11/2012
Topics: DS Speaks

Comments

1. Rev. Jan Brown wrote on 7/17/2012 2:13:10 PM
This is an excellent set of goals for the year. They are essentials for our journey. I pray that each one of us follow this direction.