Three Years in the Pulpit

I wrote this for the upcoming church newsletter and I thought it was worth sharing here.

April 2014

Dear friends,

Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Can you believe that this April will make it three years that I have had the pleasure of serving this congregation?

It is amazing to consider where and how God has been at work in the time that I have been here. As I was reading Psalm 23 today, because it’s the Psalm for this upcoming Sunday, I considered the ways in which God has been involved in our church and our lives over the last three years.

“The Lord is my shepherd…” Think about all the things that God, the Good Shepherd, has led us to do over the past three years. “He leads me in right paths, for his namesake…” Think about the right paths God has led us down in order that we may bring glory to His name. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit has moved through us and encouraged us to work on the many outreach projects that we have been so fortunate to be a part of. When I think about the Chicken Dinner fundraiser, the monthly Bread of Life meal, the monthly Bryant Community Meal, the Angel Tree, the Stockings for Soldiers, the “Faith, Family, and Football” event, the Lord’s Table Food Pantry, the Comforters given to families, etc. I cannot help but believe that God equipped us to serve those around us by pouring out the Holy Spirit upon us.

I think of these things, and I am optimistic for the future.

But, there is another part of Psalm 23 that we must consider as well. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me…” Though we have had so many good times over the past three years, I (and others) know that we are still traversing the valley of the shadow of death. These last four months have been hard on all of us, for we have discovered how deep and dark that valley can be. But, if I truly believe that the Holy Spirit has prepared and sent us to serve our neighbors, then I must also confess that I believe it is that same Holy Spirit that has kept and sustained us during these dark days. The Psalmist beckons us to remember this most crucial part about the valley of the shadow of death, “THOU ART WITH ME.”

God is with us, in the good times and the bad. God is with us, in serving and in sorrow. God is with us, and He will see us through.

I thank God everyday for our congregation; I thank God everyday for you. Let’s continue to watch for the new thing that God is doing in our lives. And, let’s continue to lean on God and one another.

Yours in Christ,

Vicar Robert