From the Pastor's Pen

​It was certainly a nice break from the daily routines to be able to spend a week at the beach with Lynn, Rachael, Bonnie and Claira.  The hurricane had passed and had not lashed the coast as some had feared, the campground saved from its wrath, and as we arrived the sun was shining and the busy town of Myrtle Beach was busy getting back to work as it prepared to cater to the next wave of tourists who provide so much to their local economy.

     But as with all vacations, they are temporal, and inevitably we are faced with the reality that upon their conclusion, we must return to the afore-mentioned daily routine.  We are in a very real way, governed by an unwritten code that decries; “back to work”!

     Now I certainly understand that for many, getting back to work is really not something that is looked forward too.  Jobs are called jobs for a reason, if they were anything other than that, then they wouldn’t be called a job.  Even the word “job”, carries with it a negative connotation as opposed to the word “vacation”.  I consider myself very fortunate that after most of my life, I have been called into a job that brings more spiritual satisfaction and enjoyment than I could have ever thought possible.  But in spite of my personal enjoyment of being your Pastor, it does not exclude me from the necessity of “getting back to work”.

     From a perspective of serving the church, too many Christians treat the church in the same manner as that of their secular responsibilities.  Summer provides the opportunity to lay low, take a few weeks off, take a break from worshiping God, and so forth and so on.  But summer always has a shelf life, and once it has expired, we come face to face with our God who lovingly (yet firmly), calls us to “get to work”.

     So how are we to respond, or perhaps more aptly, how do we find the time, talents, energy and desire to respond?  This could very well be the greatest conundrum facing the Christian in today’s world, and thankfully, while it is normal and quite okay to ask it of ourselves, we don’t have search very far for the answer.

     Joshua!  That’s right, Joshua.  Now, before you start searching the area for some wizened guru named Joshua, let me save you the trouble.  The 6th book of the Old Testament, Joshua.  My return from my self-imposed vacation found me meditating on these ancient words, and in them the answer to our pressing question; “how do I find the time, talent, energy and desire to respond”, was revealed. 
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     There is, of course on caveat.  I am presenting Joshua on Sunday mornings as a primer for you, to understand what your role in the service of our Lord looks like, how you can get there, and how you can obtain victory once you have entered into your Canaan land.  Will you meet with us every Sunday to hear what the Lord is asking of you?  I pray that I see you soon, and often!