For this week’s summer invitation, we’re inviting you to create something new.
Really! It’s so easy—even in the summer months—to forget to slow down enough to make something that you love making. The truth is, creating is one of ways in which we bear the image of God—in fact, it’s one of the first things we learn about Him: In the beginning God created… (Gen 1:1). As leader Andy Crouch reminds us:
“I wonder what we Christians are known for in the world outside our churches. Are we known as critics, consumers, copiers, condemners of culture? I’m afraid so. Why aren’t we known as cultivators—people who tend and nourish what is best in human culture, who do the hard and painstaking work to preserve the best of what people before us have done? Why aren’t we known as creators—people who dare to think and do something that has never been thought or done before, something that makes the world more welcoming and thrilling and beautiful?”
It might seem like a big thing to create culture, but is it possible to get a small glimpse of God’s kingdom by tenderly caring for a creative gift you have? One step in the direction of participating in God’s redemptive work could be some time spent making or playing.
Next step: What is something you love making? Maybe it’s baking a cake, weaving a craft, or strumming a song. Consider it a spiritual practice to spend a few minutes creating something new this week. How do you feel as you create this new thing?
Welcome to summer invitations. As we disengage from formal ministry commitments, summer can be a time to build a reading list, seek new voices, and be refreshed. Especially as pandemic restrictions lift, our heart is to help you get out there and rediscover Canada as we continue in our mission of hopeful engagement with the church and our Canadian context. Each week we will be sharing a simple summer invitation to help you see Canada in a fresh way.
Encouraged by this prompt? Learn more about leaders who are dreaming of new things across Canada and find a New Venture to support.