Monthly Archives: January 2012

As our church moves towards the new year, the old year is remembered.

Our annual report looks over the highlights of the last year.  As I write my report I can see us moving from past years of hurt to health.  We have increased in our outlook and size.  We are in a period of thanksgiving.  Our spiritual momentum is forward looking.  We have financial health.

All that to say, my report is trying to put the future into the present. 

Now, you can never do that.  Only God knows the future.  We can only glimpse as through a foggy window what is to come.  Every once in a while the fog seems to lift.  Right now there is a sense of oil pouring out on the machinery of life.  Perhaps this is a spirit of goodness, grace and kindness that is so needed in any church?? 

I’m trusting God to place us on the path with assured footsteps and lighted sight.  Keep tuned – let’s see where this is headed.

I’m starting to get used to a day off.  Six days a week I work.  The job description is rather varied, from counseling to meetings to preaching to helping to . . .

So, today I did some banking, renewed a car license, watched TV, cleaned up some computer files, ate a great supper of steak and a lunch of newly made pea soup.  The time flies – quite literally it seems to pass by, even during the afternoon nap time!!

I’m not sure I totally understand the idea of sabbathing.  But I sense that there is a difference in a week when a day is off.

I’m not sure how to describe what is happening in our church.  By the church, I mean the people – not the building (although we are seeing things happen with the building – furnaces are working properly, walls taken down, sound systems possibly being reconfigured, etc.).

One way or the other, our Sunday services have increased from around 70 people last spring to around 110 today.  Some of this is transfer growth from other churches, but some is people who have not been related to a church lately.  They may have been in the past, but not until lately have they returned to a group of people that we call the “institutional” church.

What brings that about?  God!  Yes, that’s true.  Some of it is people with kids.  Other is a need for connection with people of like mind.  What else we will see!

For the moment, I’m trusting God to provide direction in knowing how to pastor these people.

It has been awhile. 

I used to help with our youth group up until this past summer.  At that point our associate pastor was able to step in – and I added one more evening to my week!

Actually, I missed that one evening a week!  So tonight I was together with the youth group.  We played old fashioned games.  Dodge-ball and old fashioned exercises and tug of war.  All just fun! 

I didn’t realize the shape I’m in.  Which, for my age, is not bad.  I kept up to the kids and hardly ran out of breath.

And now, I’m revitalized.  Ready for tomorrow’s church service.  Where we are not sure how many will attend.  We’ve been seeing increasing numbers, for a number of reasons.  We’ll see how tomorrow fares.

I’m speaking on Colossians 3:16 – on thankfulness.  Should be good!