August Jottings...

Jottings…

As some of you know, missions has been central in my life. From my junior year in college until a few years ago I focused my life on serving the missions cause by either going myself or mobilizing others. I have spent significant time in Haiti, the Navajo reservation, Kenya and France. I have spent shorter periods in Boston, Canada, Cambodia and India. I try to keep up with what is happening in missions by reading journals and receiving newsletters from missionary friends and colleagues.

I think part of my focus is because I am the type of person who likes to travel and experience new things. I am encouraged and challenged when I see Jesus Christ changing lives and even cultures as the gospel message takes root. I deepen my own walk with God as I see examples of faith from people not like me or from trying to read and understand the Bible in another language. Probably the most exciting thing is to observe the Christians and churches in other cultures who understand what Jesus said and did and realize they need to start taking the Bible not just to friends and family but across cultures. Christians from Latin America are going to the Muslim world. Korean Christians are serving well in Cambodia and Africa.

I always tried to focus on missions but do it with a pastoral heart. Now God has led me to focus on being a pastor. I hope I can do it with a missionary heart. Whether our role is to give, pray or go, there are lots of reasons to have a missions focus - not just for professional Christians like pastors and missionaries but everyone. One reason are all the teachings in the Bible about taking the gospel to others and God’s grace for everyone. (e.g. Matt. 28: Go and make Disciples of all nations … Acts 1: You will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, to Judea and to the ends of the earth, etc.) A second reason is allocation of resources. Yes there is much to be done to make an impact for the gospel here in the USA, but we have so many resources - multiple churches in almost every community; Christian radio and TV; the Bible in multiple versions and Christian bookstores, both actual ones and online. Some places and people still need the church planted. Others have the church and the Bible but desperately need help to grow as disciples.

I hope as your pastor to expose us to what God is doing in places not like us and to point us to resources that will help us learn more and to pray better. I also hope to help lead us to grow stronger in our own faith and to make a difference in the lives of people near to Cole Memorial UMC. Our next sermon series will start August 30. It’s called “Coloring Outside the Lines” and will focus on the fact that God’s love is for people often quite different than what we are used to and that His call to express His love often means crossing lines.

- Pastor Brian