pat loughery

For the last 6 weeks or so we’ve had a new person to share our lives with, minister to, challenge, love.

She’s dealing with some pretty nasty addictions and pain. She’s in a 12-step program. She stumbles, falls, slips. She’s lost her jobs. She’s turning to God, seetting aside her own will for His. And like a little lamb learning how to walk in the hours after birth, she’s trying to find her way.

She came to home group tonight. After worship we normally spend a few minutes listening to God and sharing what we hear, and we did that as usual tonight. I would with certainty say that worship was powerful; the thick sense of God’s presence was there.

During that reflective time she told us in a very beautiful manner what it has meant to her to be able to have love, support, grace, generosity lavished on her. It was so touching. We spent a while praying for her, ministering to her, loving on her.

That’s why we do this church thing. That’s why I left software and entered the ministry. That’s why I followed God’s lead to plant and lead a new community of faith.

This is the story we find ourselves in.