Pastor's Message - November 2013

Dear Friends,

 

Fall is upon us and I am not liking the cold! However, I do like the fall of the year. As of the writing of this article, Judy and I made the trek to Benezette yesterday and spent the afternoon there hoping to see the elk, and we did see the elk. What a majestic animal and to think that they are basically in our own    backyard. It’s really a relaxing place to go.

 

We have a friend, Jenny Maze, from Sugar Grove, PA and almost every day she writes a devotional on Facebook. In fact, I look forward to reading the devotionals. She should really publish them.

 

I asked her for permission to put this on in our Church Newsletter and this is it:

There were no heated words. It was just a little discussion to get each other’s opinion. Denny and I were     discussing the words “obligation” and “commitment”. We didn’t open a dictionary or look up the words on line. We didn’t really care what the exact meaning of the words. We just wondered what each other’s interpretation of them was. Denny felt that the words meant the same thing. I, on the other hand thought that obligation meant that you “have to"  do it and commitment meant that you “get to"  do it. God’s love for us is beyond our realm of         comprehension. Check out this verse, Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Whether we “have to” do something or we “get to” do something, God tells us in I Corinthians 16:14 “Do   everything in love.” The definitions of Obligation and Commitment; commitment is found in the definition of    obligation and obligation is found in the definition of commitment. To settle our little discussion…..it’s not about obligation or commitment, have to” or get to”, we should do all things in love!

 

As Pastor’s we think about and talk about commitment a lot, probably more than our people want to hear it.

 

When I think about all the work that needs done in the life of the Church and how much of it gets done by a relatively small group of people, it is both amazing and frustrating. Our most important task concerns people. All that we do with respect to ministry should be centered people. It is motivated by God’s love for us and that “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” A love that is probably beyond our      comprehension, but none the less, a love that God has for mankind.

 

Our motivation to minister to one another then, would be motivated by the love that God demonstrated through Christ. We indeed should do all things out of love. The Scripture says, 1Co 13:13 ESV “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

 

Are our motives pure? Does our labor for the Lord reflect our love for God and others? Do we do the work because of our commitment or out of obligation, or both? Is there a difference between obligation and commitment? These are questions that challenge us and keep us focused on God’s purposes.

 

Along with the thoughts I just mentioned, we are entering in to the season of the year where much is    expected of us with respect to giving. Gift giving, ministry giving, and the demands on each one of us to make sure that we do our part as the church body to be benevolent. I want to encourage you to help where you can and where you feel led to help. I know we all can’t do everything, but if each one does their part we can indeed make a difference in the lives of those who need it.

 

Also, the wheels are turning with respect to the Trinity Point project. The steel for the structure is ordered and in process, we will be seeing some things happening in the not too distant future. Please continue to be faithful in praying for this project and the leaders of our congregation as we move forward. Thank you for your faithfulness in giving and thank you for the commitment that you have as a result of God’s love for us. It is truly an honor to serve God and do His will.

 

God bless you,

Pastor