Last summer, I spent six weeks doing some rehabilitation on my right knee. It had been pestering me every once in a while since a bicycle wreck a few years ago, but the pain and swelling increasingly grew and began to limit my mobility. A central part of my physical therapy was stretching. Working the knee, as well as the adjacent muscles and tissue, was the best path to health. I stretched to restore and strengthen. I stretched for flexibility in the future.
Micah 6:8 reminds us that the Great Physician has prescribed a series of movements to restore us to health, too. Doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God don’t always come naturally to us, but they are the path to helping us love God and our neighbors with our whole being. The Micah mandate requires us to move, serve, and bend in ways that activate our entire being.
Part of these stretches are restorative. We all yearn for a deeper relationship with God and long to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us, inviting us into God’s compassion even as we care for others and creation. Another part of our stretching is future focused, preparing us for where we hope to be. Flexibility in our heart and mind opens pathways for motions and activities we haven’t yet considered.
Doing justice is a stretch. It pushes us beyond a static yearning and hope. What would it look like for God to activate our hearts and minds to pray, speak, and act in the ways of justice? How can we invite and empower others to do the same?
Loving kindness is a stretch. Kindness is good, but all too often we are reluctant to fully embrace it. Imagine how we would be transformed—how the world would be changed—if we actually loved kindness! What would it look like for God to open our hearts and minds to celebrating moments of kindness?
Walking humbly with God is a stretch. When we do justice and love kindness, we begin to think that we are self-sufficient. Our hubris takes over. What would it look like for us to recognize that there are always more ways for us to stretch, learn, and grow and let curious humility lead us?
I’m grateful that Lord of Life is a healthy and resilient community and hope that stretching of the heart, soul, mind, and strength continues to be part of the rhythm of our lives together. As I look at our calendar for the coming month, there are many opportunities to stretch us. Have you considered welcoming Family Promise guests, donating food for Reach Out Lakota’s Fill the Gap, or serving at Matthew 25? How would you be stretched if you served in worship on a Sunday morning or helped with children or youth?
Looking at the proposed Mission Spending Plan for 2026, I see us positioning ourselves for a vibrant future as we consider an additional pastor, upgrade our main restrooms, care for our campus, and continue to grow our generosity in our community and around the world.
Centering ourselves in God’s promises, let’s stretch so we can be a healthy body of Christ. I pray that our lives can bring more justice, kindness, and humility to the world in Jesus’ name.
Stretching toward a future with Hope,
Pastor Lowell Michelson
Be sure to join us for Celebration Sunday – November 16! We’ll give thanks for where we’ve been in 2025 and gear up for 2026 as we select new leaders, vote for our 2026 Mission Spending Plan, and share a meal together.