This Sunday we started a new message series, Inside Out. It’s all about the story of our community--where we are and where we’re going. It’s about stopping everything to ask the “why” question--why do we exist as a Church?--and then starting over, and allowing God to transform us from the inside out. This is such an important conversation for our community to have. (If you couldn’t be with us last Sunday, we invite you to watch the message video.) Spend five minutes right now considering where you are with all of this, so you can be part of the conversation.

Why do you think our parish exists? What would you say is the purpose of our church? Take just a couple of minutes right now, and answer that question honestly and thoughtfully for yourself. Maybe even write it down. We have to know our “why” as a church, but the “why” question doesn’t end there. We also have to ask ourselves the “why” question: “Why do I go to church?” Try to answer that question honestly for yourself. Maybe write down your response. Then invite God into that conversation in prayer. Ask God for the wisdom and courage to grow as a disciple.

We’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below to share your thoughts about these two questions.  

​At some level, we all know this, but maybe it’s not something we’ve thought about much: relationships are so important to our happiness that the quality of our relationships affects our quality of life. This is especially true of relationships with the people we love the most and spend the most time with. If we want to have better lives, one of the surest ways to do this is to work to improve the quality of even one or two of our most important relationships. This week we’ve been looking at St. Paul’s advice on love and relationships, which comes down to one simple principle: focus on what you can do, what you can control--take responsibility for what depends on you in the relationship. If we want a relationship to get better, we need to stop thinking about what the other person should or shouldn’t have said, about how they should change, about what they should do differently. Love doesn’t keep lists of all the ways I’ve been wronged, all the times the other person hurt me. Love doesn’t rush to point out the other person’s faults. Instead of brooding over injuries and keeping lists, instead of seeking its own interests and protecting itself, love tries to find ways to give more. Our relationships get better when we stop trying to change them, and start trying to change us.

If you want to take a next step with this week’s message, here are three ideas:

1. Think about one relationship that makes your life better. What do you value and appreciate about that person and that relationship?
   
2. Think about one relationship in your life that’s difficult right now. What is one thing you can do this week to take responsibility for what depends on you in the relationship?
   
3. Think about a relationship where you wish the other person would do something differently--put more effort in, be more grateful, etc. Then, instead of asking or telling the other person to change, try to make that change in you instead.