‘I want to get dusty.’

There’s an ancient Jewish blessing that goes something like this: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.” This is our hope – not just that we would follow Jesus – but that we would follow Him so closely that we are covered in the dust of His footsteps. And He is much more than a rabbi. He is our Savior. He is our God. And the dustier we are, the easier it is to embody the rest of our core values.

‘I want to believe the best and forgive the worst’

When we give someone the benefit of the doubt, we're really the ones who benefit. We see the potential good in people, even people who annoy us. Our relationships become stronger. It takes a lot less energy and produces a lot less stress to assume that other people's motives are good, or at least benign, until definitively proved otherwise.

And if another person does something wrong or wrongs us? We remember the prayer Jesus has taught us: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

‘I am glad to be with you’

1 Thessalonians 2:19 “After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!”

Just as Jesus was and is, we want to be glad to be with each other at all times, not just the good times.

I want to see the one who needs care and to be the one who cares’

In the times we are in now, many are speaking and too few are listening. Many are looking to their own interests and don’t see the needs of others. To love our neighbor, we must see our neighbor and respond when they need care. Because we have “seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13) and have received His care, our eyes are opened to others. See the one, be the one. (Luke 10:25-37)

‘I want to give my all to make all of us better.’

Try playing Silent Night in the key of C without using the note, G. Just leave the space empty. It’s incomplete. It doesn’t sound right. It’s not the same song. All the notes are needed for melody and harmony. Your note is needed for the ministry at Hosanna. Or if you’re not a music person, try to imagine a car engine running when a spark plug is missing or not functioning well. Or a sports team missing a player – you get the idea. But we also want to get the truth – we are the body of Christ together. All of us are needed and blessed to be a blessing. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)