Fruit Bearing

This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  John 15:8

Are you living into your full fruit-bearing potential?  This is a question I have been pondering this week as we are on the precipice of another fall season together (my 15th fall here at PCC).

Jesus seems to communicate to His apprentices in John 15 that the key to reaching your maximum fruit-bearing potential is abiding in Him.  I want you to read a story of one of our fruit-bearers who last Sunday obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
-------
My First PCC Shuttle Ride:
I knew it was my duty to sign up for the shuttle...my youngest is finally out of a carseat!  Woo-hoo!!  I signed up, and this past weekend we did it -- we finally used the Shuttle -- oops, I mean the Committment-Based Alternative Parking Solution.

We parked in the McGarvey Lot and the Shuttle was waiting.  The kids loved it: A/C blasting on a hot, Indian summer day, praise tunes out of the speakers.  We met Luis the driver.  Someone from PCC we'd never met! It was already worth the trip.

We got dropped off right in front of PCC and went over to the Children's Center to sign-in my youngest for Sunday School.  Waiting in the sign-in line, the women in front of me said, "Hi, I'm new and not sure what to do."  It was great to be able to show a new family the drill.

After exchanging greetings and serving her, my family headed to worship.

We found some seats on the aisle.  In the same row, just across the aisle was a dad, his mom and his two kids.  Don't you know: the new mom I had just met outside soon joined them!  After worship, I helped them find the Guest Welcome Table and the Choir Room to find our kids.

I was so stoked that God generously gave me the opportunity to connect with this new family.  And then it hit me.  His whole divine appointment transpired because there was a parking space available for these first time "PCCers" on campus, the one my family used to use!
--------
Did you catch it?  God prompts an abiding PCCer to sacrifice convenience for Him and then rewards her by having her minister to a first-time guest who used the parking space she vacated when she took the shuttle!  You will be hearing about needing to expand the shuttle service for our gatherings this fall and I want all of us to be asking God, "What conveniences can I sacrifice for You on Sundays to serve the guests that You are entrusting to us?"

This Sunday we will take time to remember.  Where were you on 9/11/01?  What has God done in your life in the ensuing decade since that disaster?  There will be a moving, hope-filled Sunday waiting for us all at PCC.  Don't come alone and please be sensitive to all the guests who will be with us on Sunday.

I love being your pastor!