Ordinary Time after Pentecost
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.
– Acts 1:8
From his throne, God says, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5). Our conviction at First Presbyterian Church is that this glorious, all-encompassing mission of our Creator, Redeemer, and King is worked out and makes a difference on the ground, in specific and ordinary places. We believe, in particular, that here in the communities of East Central Minnesota, forgiven by the blood of the Lamb and raised to new life with Christ, we are being drawn into God’s great mission of making all things new.
Through weekly Lord’s Day worship, we are regularly renewed as the covenant people of God, enjoying the privilege, wholly undeserved, of feasting with our risen King. Through the preaching and teaching of God’s word publicly and from house to house, we seek the renewal of our minds so that we might discern what is good and acceptable and perfect. Through everyday vocational activities guided by the Spirit, we seek renewed cultural labor that wisely serves neighbor and stewards the land for the glory of Jesus. Through practical works of love and humble interdependence as brothers and sisters in Christ, we seek the renewal of human fellowship and community. Through thoughtful and patient witness to our neighbors, we seek new guests who might join the King’s feast.
With a mission big enough to fire our imaginations for long years, and a focus small enough (our little town of Hinckley and surrounding communities) to free us for deep, committed, everyday, embodied engagement with God and neighbor, our prayer and aim is to experience God making all things new through Christ’s blood. It would be our joy to have you join us to taste and see that the Lord is good.
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.
– Acts 1:8