INSIDE EVERGREEN—August 27, 2025

I’ve recently been spending more time with John Chrysostom. More than 1600 years after his death, he remains insightful and relevant. This past week, I learned from his homilies on marriage and family as I prepared to unfold Paul’s teaching on those topics in Colossians. A couple weeks ago, I came across his “Homily to Those Who Had Not Attended the Assembly.”

The title is more punchy than we may typically think appropriate today, or feel comfortable hearing, but it’s timely for us. Chrysostom notes (with some concern) that the onset of summer often brings a season of busyness that distracts from church life, including worship. This book tells a similar story about 16-17th century Germans. Apparently, even across such a gulf of time and culture, we bear a lot in common with previous generations.

Chrysostom also celebrates that the end of summer often returns us to the rhythms that we all need for gaining spiritual maturity. Sounds familiar!

(1) FALL LAUNCH.

At Evergreen, our Fall Launch is close, and I’ll mention just one piece for now:

Next Wednesday, September 3, we begin another season of Life Together. Dinner is at 5:30. At 6:25, younger kids will stay in the basement for fun discipleship, and adults and older kids will gather in the sanctuary for a congregational meeting to:

  • debrief summer programming

  • meet new church interns

  • learn about Fall events

  • get updates on Building Grace 2025

  • refresh our congregational vision

  • and more

As we look forward to all that God has in store for us, here is a prayer that I invite you to join me in offering to God on behalf of our mutual discipleship at Evergreen. (It’s especially written for this week, the 20th in Ordinary Time.)

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(2) OPPORTUNITIES.

Our mission at Evergreen is to energize the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world, starting in our own backyard.

One of the ways we pursue this mission is by offering opportunities for service. After all, the whole gospel includes the truth that Jesus gives us the ability to imitate his own active generosity. I know this is hard to remember. We sometimes see service at church as a burden, a duty, a box to check. So we need regular reminder that it’s actually a gift: Jesus extends it to us so that we may discover more of his life, which is the genuinely human life.  

  • Would you be willing to help provide food for Life Together periodically? Currently we have no volunteers signed up to join Alida Plante in this important part of church life.

  • Would you be willing to share yourself with pre-teens? We’re launching a middle school youth group, and we need eager volunteers to share their joy with the children Jesus loves. Pastor Ian is the one to see about this.

  • Talk to him also about spots in our growing Women’s Ministry Team, our hopes for Men’s Ministry, and the Children’s Ministry portion of Life Together.

Every week, I pray through a list of the entire congregation: I pray for you. If there are specific things you’d like me to remember in confidence before the Lord, please let me know. As your pastor, I’m bound by God to care for your souls, and as imperfectly as I do that, I count it a privilege to walk with you en route to the new creation.

Yours in Jesus,

Pastor Christopher