There’s an old analogy to a cup of tea. If you want to drink new tea you have to get rid of the old tea that’s in your cup, otherwise your cup just overflows and you get a wet mess. Your head is like that cup. It has a limited capacity and if you want to learn something about the world you should keep your head empty in order to learn it. It’s very easy to spend your whole life swishing old tea around in your cup thinking it’s great stuff because you’ve never really tried anything new, because you could never get it in, because the old stuff prevented its entry, because you were so sure the old stuff was so good, because you never really tried anything new. By Robert Pirsig  

Our comfort zones tend to shrink as we get older — but if we can keep expanding them, we’ll open ourselves up to greater fulfillment and improved well-being as we age. 

Did you know there are situations in the Bible that moved people out of their comfort zone? Jesus taught Simon to step out of that zone. We see this in Luke 5:4-6: after stepping into Simon’s boat and addressing the crowd, Jesus asks Simon to pull out to the deep water, away from the shore, and begin to fish. Simon begins to make excuses, answering that they had worked hard and had not caught anything. But he gives in by, basically, saying, if you insist. 

When he pulled out to the deep and cast his nets to the sides of the boat, the blessings began to come, filling the nets. The blessings were so abundant that help was needed. Indeed, the nets were breaking, and the boat began to sink. 

Simon was a fisherman, so we have to assume that he knew what he was doing. Many times, like Simon, we think we know what is best for us. We build this knowledge by setting patterns, patterns that keep us comfortable. We build comfort in tangible things, such as money, food, clothing, education, family, and friends. 

These things give us a sense of safety. There’s nothing wrong with these things—but there is more in life to experience. And we are poorer if we never stop and ask God to show us if there is more for us to do or experience. 

When Jesus called on the first disciples, he was asking them to leave everything behind, everything that had made them who they were up to that specific moment. Do you ever wonder if they pondered first whether or not to take the leap that bound them in Christ, the leap away from their comfort zone?

I am not saying that being in a comfort zone is a negative aspect of life. I am not saying that we should take risks just to leave our comfort zones. We should never do so without prayer and conversation with God. Ask him to show you what he wants for your life. You may be surprised. By Chris Witts

Hi All,

I am surprised daily here at MF by what God is telling me, He pushes me constantly, and I feel he walks with all of us here at Mission First. I am hoping that during the summer we will be able to move on to a couple ministries that we had to put on hold during Covid.

Please continue to support Ministries at Main Street Housing Ministry. People are still being housed in the hotel because of the weather.  Your continued donations are making this possible. MF needs men’s size medium sweatpants. 

If you are planning to give/donate money to Mission First, please make the check payable to CUMC, and make a note that it is for MF in the memo line.

Hope you all have a Blessed Holy Week and try to move a little out of your comfort zones.

Peace & Kindness,

Clare