Dear Fellow Children of God,
As I look out my office window and I am surrounded by a
beautiful view of majestic mountains.
Lazy Mountain and Beyers’ Peak bring beauty matching any painting into
my office from the right or east side of my desk. Pioneer Peak, and also Twin Peaks, fill my
office windows with beauty behind me, on the south side. We are truly blessed to live in such a
beautiful setting!
Now, if while you were admiring the beauty of Pioneer
Peak someone told you that you had to climb this mountain, how would you
respond? Pioneer Peak, after all, is
almost 6400 feet in elevation. The train
depot in Palmer says that, only 10 miles away, downtown Palmer sits at only 242
feet above sea level. That is a steep
ascent! How would you react if climbing
this mountain was something you were required to do? For those of us who are older, climbing this
mountain might present a challenge. For others
who have trouble getting around, the task of climbing this mountain might seem
an impossible problem. But, for the
younger and healthier among us, climbing Pioneer Peak could simply be an opportunity
for some enjoyable outdoor recreation, or an even adventure. How would you face the task before you?
Last week St. John celebrated our 80th
anniversary as a Christian congregation in Palmer. God has been good to the people of this
congregation over the years, and we have worked to serve the Lord. We have sought to share the love of Jesus
with our lives and our witness. But
doing God’s work and being His people in the 1930’s, and 40’s, and 50’s, is
different than living as children of God today.
As our preacher for our anniversary celebration, Hunter Richards, said last
Sunday, “The world around us no longer supports God’s church.”
So, the task before St. John, and the task before all
Christian Churches, is “How do we live as God’s children, sharing God’s love,
in a culture that is apathetic or even antagonistic to God’s church and His message
of saving love?”
A big part of facing this calling from God is
attitude. Do we, on the one hand, see
sharing the love of God as a challenge,
or even as a problem? Does God’s call seem too big? Does sharing Jesus today seem too dangerous
or uncomfortable?
Or, on the other hand, do we see the call to share God’s
love in Jesus with those around us as an opportunity
to serve the one who died and rose for us?
Do we perhaps even see God’s calling as an adventure in faith? Perhaps like
St. George, we fight dragons, foes that are larger and stronger than we are.
After
Jesus’ ministry, and his crucifixion and death and His rising, He sent His
disciples into mission work. Most Christians
have memorized Matthew 28:19-20, “19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you." This is not only an
overwhelming call today. “Going and
making disciples of all nations” was also overwhelming to Jesus’ followers in
their day as Jesus left this world.
Imagine a small band of followers being called to make disciples of the
whole world! That is indeed a challenge!
But,
many times when we look at Jesus’ “Great Commission” we start our consideration
with the word, “go.” So, we miss the “therefore.” You see, before
Jesus gave this “Great Commission” or this overwhelming calling, he first spoke
a word of truth. "All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. Therefore, go . . .” The one who lived for us and died for us and rose for us, as the Son of God,
has all authority and power. Because of his
power and authority, and because of His love for all people, “therefore” he
sends us. This authority of Jesus can
change how we see His calling and sending, the opportunity to serve that lies
before us. It is the all-powerful Lord
of the universe who is sending us.
And, Jesus not only shares the truth of His power
and authority before sending His disciples, He also makes a promise after His
sending. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The Son of God who has all authority is with
us as we go baptizing and teaching so that God can use us to make disciples.
St. John and many of the churches in the Mat-Su
Valley have been here for 80 years, mostly in a culture that supported God’s
Church. Today the world is
different. So, now what? The one who sent the 12 apostles still has “all authority in heaven and on earth.” He still promises, “ . . . surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” So, we have the challenge, and the
opportunity, and the adventure of living as beloved children of God and sharing
His love. Yes, this can seem an
overwhelming challenge, a problem even.
But, the one with all power is with us.
Let’s accept the adventure. Let’s
go share God’s love and let Him work through us to make disciples.
A Child of
God, Looking forward to the Adventure of Faith before us,
Pastor Jonathan
****
P.S. Here is a link to some pictures of the
mountains around us. https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/ValleyMountainsAndBeauty
ABOUT
‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages,
hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I
have. (I am always adding new names of friends and members – in case you
are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t
want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your
name off my list for this message.
****
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