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While visiting the island of Aruba, our tour guide invited us to create a tower of rocks on a beach. He explained that after assembling it we could make a wish. I carefully began choosing my rocks and placing them on top of each other. Despite my focus, my stack still fell. I began the process of rebuilding it knowing I had to use different placements and sometimes different stones all together to achieve perfect balance. Finally my tower stood successfully allowing me to then make a wish. While I do not remember what I wished that day, I do remember the act of stacking the rocks. The careful placement of each stone, the disappointment of it falling, and the repeated process of rebuilding it in a different way.   Today I reflect on this moment as a symbol of our faith journeys. We stack the stones of our faith teachings and experiences, carefully placing them with hope. Then when something doesn't fit or we begin questioning what we have always believed our tower shakes and comes crashing down. With a demolished stack we are confused and hurt over the experience asking what is the point. I hope that in the midst of the confusion we eventually find ourselves in a place of understanding, recognizing that all of our stones help build our path. Our experiences have a place in our journey, but they do not define it. So with a fresh, clean surface we begin to rebuild a structure, hoping to find balance with both old and new stones. Finally the rocks stand alone and we are able to reflect on the path we have taken thus far on our faith journey. Where are you at on your faith journey? Are you building your first tower? Are you discouraged after dismantling and deconstructing your original faith? Or are you in the process of rebuilding and reconfiguring something new? Wherever you find yourself on your personal journey please share with us. Know you are not alone and others have walked similar paths from which we all can learn.
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Seventy Craig Hidy
AuthorCraig Hidy like the majority of ministers in Community of Christ is a bi-vocational, self sustaining ordained minister. He is a member of the Midlands Mission Center Emporia Team and an ordained Seventy. He and his family, live in Topeka, Kansas. What is a Seventy?
The Seventy carry out missionary work for the church in close association with other missionary leaders. They represent Christ primarily as ministers of evangelism through witnessing, inviting, and church planting. They especially proclaim and promote Jesus Christ’s invitation to faithful discipleship through vibrant witness, and train individuals and congregations in witness and invitation. They particularly minister with seekers, individually and in groups, to share the gospel in relevant ways and to invite response. They support sacramental ministries by preparing people for baptism and/or confirmation, presiding at sacramental services, and performing most sacraments. They promote community by inviting individuals, households, and families to respond to Christ’s call to discipleship. They promote justice and peacemaking by inviting people to experience all aspects of Christ’s peace through active discipleship. They create ministry partnerships with mission center officers, apostles, elders, and evangelists. Please Note
The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Community of Christ or Midlands Mission Center. We believe individuals should be allowed to have their own opinions and be at different places in their faith journey.
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