January 2022 Pastor’s Letter
From the Desk of Pastor Melissa
Dear Friends,
Happy New Year!
A new year brings new beginnings and the time we may need to reflect and prepare for the days given to us. When I was a kid a year seemed like a pretty long time. A school year was an eternity waiting for the summer to begin. Now that I am smack dab in the middle of my 55th year of life, even in these troubling times, a year goes by so quickly. Maybe it’s the speed that we travel through this life. Perhaps it’s the amount of activities or accomplishments we try to stack up every day. Whatever the reason, each year passes before we know it.
At this point in my life I have come to realize that the real basis of life does not consist in how many jobs we get done, how many promotions we accumulate, how much money we save or how many things we possess. What gives our lives meaning is our spiritual identity in Christ Jesus. We’re created in God’s image. Christ has prepared a place for us when this life is over. Sharing the truth of God’s love and our purpose-filled life in Jesus. Loving God and neighbors near and far is what life is all about. Serving God, sharing Jesus, and being guided by the Holy Spirit are the means God has given us to be the church.
As the Lord’s church, if we’re not careful we can so easily lose focus on what is important to God. Our building is a great place to worship and study within. A comfortable building is a great place to share the Good News. If we are going to be intentional about sharing the Gospel and inviting folk to come and worship, come and study, come and be transformed by God’s love.
We need to reach out in effective and purposeful ways. We need to focus on our own spiritual need to be in worship in-person and when necessary- online. We need to pray for new friends and reach out to, our brothers and sisters in who either no longer attend or who attend sporadically.
We are at the beginning of another new year. Time is passing, getting shorter. We have work to do. Souls are at stake-perhaps even our own. As Reverend Mike Slaughter says, “We don’t have time to play church!” May we use this year wisely, filling it with good news, great love, and intentionality for Jesus. May we look back on each year and feel good about how we used our time to God’s glory…
In our first worship series of 2022, we are going to look at how our “Words Matter”. How we use our words can hurt or heal, pull life apart or draw folk together, they can build us up or pull us down. Our words are a strong foundation for spiritual strength and peace.
I look forward seeing you, your friends, and your family in worship, study, and mission!
Happy New Year!
Pastor Melissa