Dear Friends in Christ,

Not long ago, I watched my son practice a simple but powerful sentence: “There are two of us, and I would like to sit in the front row.”

He whispered it over and over as we waited in line for a roller coaster, preparing himself to speak confidently, past his autism, to the ride attendant. It was just one sentence, but it was a mountain he was climbing, word by careful word (you can see him practicing in the picture attached).

Perseverance isn’t always loud or dramatic.

Sometimes it looks like quietly rehearsing your lines, preparing your heart, steadying your nerves for the next moment. It’s one of the most Christian of virtues—not because we’re told to grit our teeth and push through—but because we follow a Savior who, for the joy set before us, endured the cross.

Jesus didn’t avoid struggle. Neither he nor we are made for that.

We are made for more – made for discipleship.

What I saw in my son wasn’t just practice—it was courage. It was character. And it was hope that he could and would do it.

This is the opportunity of the Christian life—to look at the distance between us and Christ and to more deeply, day by day, move forward as a disciple. That’s where the perseverance comes in. We commit to follow with greater fidelity and study what it will mean when we arrive at moments of decision where we’re called to offer, by our life and witness, the Good News.

Your struggle this week might not involve roller coasters or spoken sentences. Maybe it’s showing up for a hard conversation, making it through another day of grief, or just choosing kindness in the middle of stress. These are the little ways discipleship becomes who we are not what we do.

It’s why Cedar is here, at this moment in the life of the Church, to help people longing to follow Jesus find encouragement and hope in the midst of so much that seems unmoored and uncertain.

A Church that perseveres in following Christ is a Church of disciples. We’ll walk the way together. We hope you’ll reach out with resources you’d love to see or offerings you hope we’ll have. We’re here to equip your journey and we hope you’ll let us know how to best support you.

So take heart. Your perseverance matters. Your discipleship matters. And that’s why we’re here–for you, for love of our neighbor, for the hope of the Church, and for the sake of Christ.

We’re in line together.

Let’s practice and persevere along the way and let’s be brave no matter where the ride takes us!

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Robert Hendrickson

Chief of Discipleship Initiatives at Forward Movement