Weekly Update - January 22

Introducing our Desert Cross 2021 Word Cloud! These are the words you sent me after I invited you last week to share your “Guiding word” for 2021.

The top two words were “tranquility” and “joy.” We are looking to have a purposeful, peaceful, and open future. We can learn from each other and our approaches, foci, and hopes for the new year. Our community can be an example and a picture of positive faith and a loving Savior when we frame our words and actions with the beautiful words from our Word Cloud.

The spoken word and the written word are very powerful. The very world was created with God’s word. God’s word accomplishes what it purposes. One of the most powerful verses in scripture that made a deep impression upon me in seminary was from Isaiah 55:11 when God declares:

“My word that goes out from my mouth
  will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
 and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

The rest of the passage outlines God’s purpose for us: joy, peace, faith, love, mercy, forgiveness. I made an Isaiah 55 Word Cloud:



Look at how God’s desires for us compare to our desires for 2021! There is a remarkable symmetry. The big question for us is this: How will we apply God’s purpose for us to our 2021 context of the pandemic, racial injustice, and political division to be a part of the healing process?

It is my prayer that we will merge God’s word with our Guiding words to put our faith into action, as we seek to live and serve in Jesus’ way of love. Together we will figure out how that will look in 2021.

God be with you,
Pastor Andrea