Who Are You?
Who are you? If I was to ask that question of you, how would you answer? Would you say a carpenter, plumber, office worker or whatever your profession is? Would you say, a husband, wife, grandpa or whatever biological position you enjoy? Would you say an athlete, an academic, developmentally delayed or some other physical characteristic you possess? Would you say rich, poor, minimalist, capitalist or some other descriptive word describing your station in life? As you can see, the question “Who are you?” is not that simple to answer. Often we put ourselves in boxes that others have carved out for us. We accept a position in life that may in fact not be who you really are.
Looking Within
Who we are is determined by a host of things. Just as nature which physiologists refer to as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors. And then who we are is also determined by “nurture” meaning the family of our origin’s influence on our life. Who we are is also predisposed by our culture, school we attended, and the events that happened to us along the way.
When we dig a little deeper, some of us may not like who we are, so we hid. I did not like the fact that I had the worst eyesight of anyone in my school. I developed amazing techniques to hide this part of who I was. I became the class clown, the one who fought other kids, and was always seeking for acceptance and recognition, I became the school bootlegger. (This was a time when booze was king, not drugs). If the question had been asked, “who is Jim Reimer?” during this time in my life, the response may have gotten a variety of less than flattering descriptives. Who I was, was not really me, but a box I built to hide who I thought I was, because I did not like what I saw. (no pun intended)
If we are going to start on the road to being emotionally healthy, a good place to start is to ask “who are you?” This may be a scary question, but it is less scary when we realize that God loves me exactly how I am. He sees through my veil, he sees past my perceptions of myself, and he sees the potential wholeness and freedom available to me. Emotionally healthy people can ask themselves the question “who am I?” and not be traumatized by the answer. When you come to this place, you can then truly experience spirituality and the love of God.
This Sunday, I will be exploring who we are. It could be the most freeing thing you have encountered. God doesn’t want us to be enslaved to a false perception of ourselves. When we look within and see who we are, God can then begin to heal us, so we can be who we were meant to be according to Ps 139: 11-18.
See you this Sunday.
S.H.A.R.E. Nelson
S.H.A.R.E. currently has great ministry opportunities. Consider volunteering at S.H.A.R.E. Nelson. Call the store at 250.352.1222 or stop by the store to inquire. Click on this link to check out S.H.A.R.E.’s new video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZX9v7gxdM
PART 12 (Pedal Along a Rail Trail)
IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO TAKE PART IN THIS EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU THIS WEEK.
This super fun bike ride with a purpose is set to happen on Saturday, June 24. Come and join us for this incredibly scenic 4 to 5 hour ride with trestles, tunnels and spectacular views from high above the Arrow Lake. It is a 54 km ride starting at Paulson Detour Road and concluding at the Celgar Mill parking lot. This is a fundraiser for Our Daily Bread. If you are planning to come, be sure to complete your registration form and submit it to the office in order to reserve your spot. With sponsorships of $200 or more, your entry fee will be waived. Registration forms are available at the Guest Table on Sunday, at the office during the week or at http://www.kootenaychristianfellowship.com. Register now and start accumulating sponsorships!
Canada Day at Lakeside Park
KCF, Our Daily Bread and S.H.A.R.E. Nelson will be joining in the festivities at Lakeside Park on Saturday, July 1st. There will be popcorn, games, fun for the kids and of course, great company. We hope to see you there. For volunteer opportunities, please contact the church office.
Family Camp at Dutch Harbour
Why not consider taking a part of your holidays to join us for family camp this year. This is an inexpensive opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, Kootenay Lake, beautiful mountains and beaches, plus be inspired and encouraged. This will all happen within the community of wonderful people. Pastor Glen Forsberg will be our guest speaker and Cliff Schneider will provide Children’s Ministry. Join us July 3 to 7. This is filling up quickly, so be sure to contact the office to register or visit kootenaychristianfellowship.com.
Church and Party in the Park!
On Sunday, July 16th we invite you to join us for our Sunday Celebration at the Lakeside Park Rotary Shelter. We will meet there for Church at 10:30am and all are welcome.
After the church gathering we will have games, enjoy a BBQ and some live entertainment and most of all enjoy the company of each other. If you are regular volunteer of KCF, S.H.A.R.E. Nelson or Our Daily Bread, you should be receiving an invitation to the BBQ. We would love it if all others would join us as well; however, if you are not a regular volunteer, you will need to donate $5 in advance to obtain a ticket. The deadline for RSVP’s and to obtain tickets is July 5th.
Calendar of Events
Visit our website at http://www.kootenaychristianfellowship.com for all the news, sermons, and places to donate.
Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Pastor Jim
June 8, 2017
E-transfers to office@kcfoffice.com
Kootenay Christian Fellowship520 Falls Street (1/2 Block up from Baker Street)Nelson, BC V1L 6B5