ROOTED - Friday, July 25, 2025

Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice

Reflection: Roots to Fruit Friday, Celebrate
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
We returned from our mission trip Saturday at 6:15 as people were leaving the Saturday Roots to Fruit Celebration. I hated to miss it, but I was there Sunday. It was, indeed, a celebration.
Many years ago, I read Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I recommend this book if you have never read it. In the book Foster goes through twelve spiritual disciplines we should practice. Some are personal disciplines and some are corporate. Of the corporate disciplines, he highlights one in particular: celebration. Foster says this: “Celebration is central to all the spiritual disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hands of modern pharisees.” Well said! The challenge is scheduling times of celebration. I am not sure that I do that very well or often. And I suspect none of us intentionally celebrate all that God has done often enough!
I have thought about this often as it relates to our celebration weekend as it relates to the Roots to Fruit Campaign. It occurs to me that it is good and healthy that we take the ample time to actually celebrate what God has done. God has blessed this church immensely, and he intends to do so in our bright future. Through his faithful people (you) we are gathering the means to do all that God has put on our hearts to reach, feed and release! God is good. We serve a great God in a wonderful church! Celebrate! I for one am glad we had a celebration service, and I hope that we do more in the future. To God be the glory!

Prayer
Gracious God, we celebrate all that you are doing in our midst and we look with expectation for you to accomplish great things.