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A few weeks ago, I preached on Genesis 18 and how we welcome God when we welcome others. I see this truth most clearly in our young adult small group, the YAMs (Young Adults at Mulberry). When Mallory and I bought our first house here in Macon, we knew we wanted to use it to bless others and for it to be a place of rest and healing. Over the last 8 months, we’ve made lots of new friends, welcoming several strangers along the way. In opening our home to others, we've not only found laughter, good food, and good conversations; we’ve found God in our midst. Our Tuesday night discussions have been a balm to many, myself included. I hear God speaking through the words, the testimony, the laughter, and the tears of this group. I feel God’s presence drawing us closer together, helping grow our spiritual lives in the process, bringing the healing presence of God.
Currently, our group is making a focused effort to live into Mulberry’s new missional focus of “fostering healing for the broken places of life.” For our group, we are fostering healing through conversations about our habits and daily routines with the help of Tish Harrison Warren’s Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life. The book has helped us relate everyday practices (like brushing teeth, waiting in traffic, and sending emails) to Christian worship and consider how our faith and worship shapes the way we approach the mundane parts of life. We are also having conversations about what fostering healing in our community looks like, as we hope to commit ourselves to volunteering with Mulberry’s ministries and partnering with other ministries of healing here in Macon. And while we center ourselves on this healing work, we also make space for joy through backyard cookouts, playing trivia, and going to Macon Bacon games!
If you are a young adult and reading this, we’d love for you to join us! Just reach out to me and I’ll get you connected to our group. For other age group, I’d also encourage you to consider joining one of our Sunday school classes, Mulberry’s other new small group hosted by the Hornes, or perhaps starting your own group!
– Payton
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