Queen Elizabeth II, on her twenty-first birthday, in 1947, made the following vow to her people, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service….” With a chuckle and a grin, I pick up particularly on the “long or short” part of the Queen’s pledge.
The news and blogs have been saturated with stories about Queen Elizabeth II. When I hear the news and watch the footage, I am stirred to think about loyalty and service. I am impressed with the importance of remaining faithful no matter the circumstances.
When we began this interim, we did not know if it would be “long on short”. And in January 2022, we had no idea what all would transpire in the months to come. Nevertheless, we are devoted to God’s service together.
The words of the Psalmist in Psalm 63:1-8 are somewhat biographical for us:
"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips, my mouth will praise you. On my bed, I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me."
As I follow Psalm 63, I am then led to Jesus’ admonition in John 15: 4-5 to remain in Him. I praise Him: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
I frequently confess to Jesus, that apart from Him I am nothing and can do nothing.
When Jesus was speaking, I wonder if He was thinking about Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.”
There is an unmistakable theme woven through these passages. We are dependent on God. We are bound together in Him and by Him. We are on mission with Him. We follow Him unconditionally.
Last January, I shared these values with the ECC to guide us through the interim: Communication. Coordination. Cooperation. Companionship. At the same time, I stated the following goals for the interim: Observe communion monthly. Deepen intentional prayer. Practice hospitality. Mentor leaders. Reach the community. Start home groups. Draw people to commitment and engagement. Plant new churches.
Interim or not, we do see God revealed. We do behold His power and glory. His love is better than life. We do praise Him with our whole lives. We do remember God - day and night. We do cling to Him and depend on Him to uphold us.
Ultimately, the length of the interim doesn’t matter as much as what we allow God to boldly accomplish through us every minute we are in it. I appreciate your support and commitment.
FBCA’ers often ask, “How can I help?” Here are some answers to that question: #1 Be here. #2 Be united. #3 Be positive. #4 Be generous. #5 Be kind. #6 Be patient. #7 Be grateful.
Thank you for being the best church on the planet. All praise to God for His steadfast love and mercy. See you Sunday.
#4Suchatimeasthis!
Wayne
The news and blogs have been saturated with stories about Queen Elizabeth II. When I hear the news and watch the footage, I am stirred to think about loyalty and service. I am impressed with the importance of remaining faithful no matter the circumstances.
When we began this interim, we did not know if it would be “long on short”. And in January 2022, we had no idea what all would transpire in the months to come. Nevertheless, we are devoted to God’s service together.
The words of the Psalmist in Psalm 63:1-8 are somewhat biographical for us:
"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips, my mouth will praise you. On my bed, I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me."
As I follow Psalm 63, I am then led to Jesus’ admonition in John 15: 4-5 to remain in Him. I praise Him: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
I frequently confess to Jesus, that apart from Him I am nothing and can do nothing.
When Jesus was speaking, I wonder if He was thinking about Isaiah 45:5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.”
There is an unmistakable theme woven through these passages. We are dependent on God. We are bound together in Him and by Him. We are on mission with Him. We follow Him unconditionally.
Last January, I shared these values with the ECC to guide us through the interim: Communication. Coordination. Cooperation. Companionship. At the same time, I stated the following goals for the interim: Observe communion monthly. Deepen intentional prayer. Practice hospitality. Mentor leaders. Reach the community. Start home groups. Draw people to commitment and engagement. Plant new churches.
Interim or not, we do see God revealed. We do behold His power and glory. His love is better than life. We do praise Him with our whole lives. We do remember God - day and night. We do cling to Him and depend on Him to uphold us.
Ultimately, the length of the interim doesn’t matter as much as what we allow God to boldly accomplish through us every minute we are in it. I appreciate your support and commitment.
FBCA’ers often ask, “How can I help?” Here are some answers to that question: #1 Be here. #2 Be united. #3 Be positive. #4 Be generous. #5 Be kind. #6 Be patient. #7 Be grateful.
Thank you for being the best church on the planet. All praise to God for His steadfast love and mercy. See you Sunday.
#4Suchatimeasthis!
Wayne
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