So far this week I have taken some time to really downshift. Been able to blog a bit more, converted my calendar and email to Google exclusively, started a Facebook account to check out that medium a bit, and run about 26 miles over the past week. That mileage has only “offset” the holiday consumption however. It has been a good time of unplugging.

Getting ready for a two week sermon series that takes a look at where the new service at Andover has been the past three months and where God might be leading us for the next year. It has been an amazing year to see God move in the lives of people throughout our community. The “buzz” about what is going on at Andover is palpable in our community. But most importantly, God has been worshiped and praised. Lives are being touched through music. Scripture, fellowship and the spoken Word. My prayer is that we will remain focused on the essentials of our mission “making disciples” and not get distracted.

I will post the full manuscript of the sermon for tomorrow both here and the Andover site as soon as I am comfortable with it. My prayer is that we will be able to see and celebrate what God has done in our midst. God has been faithful in the face of overwhelming odds to remodel, find a group of people who wanted to worship with us, and move toward building community. We have a long way to go, but each week brings us closer. Not that we will ever arrive, but it is encouraging to me to see the journey unfolding before us.

Thank you for all your prayers and concerns and commitments this past year. Let’s hold on and see where God is leading in 2008.