From the Pastor’s Desk – April 2023

During this season of Lent, we have explored many themes designed to bring us closer in our relationship with Christ. We are called to follow him in our journey straight to the cross. Some of the Lenten disciplines we explored are:

Evangelism-Sharing God’s word to others with love and compassion
Stewardship-Sharing our gifts to those in need out of God’s abundance to us.
Taking care of our physical health-Understanding God gift of our body and mind, as God’s instruments to do good in the world.
Reading/studying God’s Word-How important it is, as people who are loved, to learn all we can about the one who loves us.
At our final Wednesday night service we discovered that all scripture is “God breathed/inspired,” and worthy of our study.
Can this “breath of God” bring us to inspired status? If not, what will?

Some years ago, a new pastor was called to a spiritually dead church in a small Oklahoma town. The pastor spent the first week calling on as many members as possible, inviting them to the first Sunday service. But the effort failed. In spite of many calls, not a single member showed up for worship! So, the pastor placed a notice in the local paper stating that since the church was dead, the pastor was going to give it a decent, Christian burial. The funeral for the church would be held at 2 p.m. on the following Sunday.

Morbidly curious, the whole town turned out for the “funeral.” In front of the pulpit, there was a large casket, smothered in flowers. After the eulogy was given, the pastor invited the congregation to come forward and pay their respects to the dead church. The long line of mourners filed by. Each one peered curiously into the open casket, and then quickly turned away with a guilty, sheepish look. For inside the casket, tilted at just the right angle was a large mirror. Each one saw his own reflection in the mirror as perhaps never before!

That is still what happens when human beings allow the Living Christ to confront them in their sinful brokenness. During Lent, we are called us to make a choice to receive God’s Christ, and
to let our lives be made whole again by the power of God. As you begin this Holy Week, can you truly say in your heart, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” The choice is up to you!

As always, I invite your comments.
Pastor Cory