As I sit here writing this devotional piece today, I find myself running through all of the emotions that go with being a person of faith, as I sort out the events of the last few days. Foremost on my mind is the fact that in the course of twelve hours I have been informed of two deaths within the Body of Christ, one in each church, one sudden and unexpected, and the other expected and yet still difficult, both pillars of faith and models of Christian living. Yet just two days before, we were celebrating the birth of the church on Pentecost Sunday, our Wesleyan roots on Heritage Sunday, and the confirmation of three young people into full membership in the New Bloomfield United Methodist Church. It is humbling to think that in the midst of life, death, and new beginnings, the Body of Christ continues to march forward as it has for hundreds and hundreds of years. The work of the church requires that all of us participate, but it is so much larger than any one of us. Generations come and go, they leave their mark on us all, and yet we must be constantly ready to pass the mantle on to the next generation. We live our lives in celebration of the exemplary lives of those who have shown us the way, while at the same we celebrate the ascension of those who will become the leaders of the church of tomorrow.
To live a life of faith means that we are called to be visionaries, dreamers, and prophets. We live according to the vision of what the church can be and what Christ calls us to be. We dream of a day when God’s work will come to fruition, just as those who have finished their journey of faith now rest from their labors and become part of that great cloud of witnesses – the saints that watch over us and continue to inspire us through the lives they have lived. Our lives are a constant time of prophesy as we live our faith through our actions, words, and deeds; proclaiming the risen savior in all that we do. We are not the first, and we will not be the last; but while we are here we are the church, and the success of Christ’s mission and ministry are in our hands. With the privilege of salvation granted through our faith in Jesus Christ comes the awesome responsibility of being the vision of Christ for those who do not yet know him. As it is said, of those who have been given much, much is expected.
So let us make this time one of celebration: a celebration of the assurances and promises of God, a celebration of the examples of Christian lives well lived by those who have shown us the way, and a celebration of the promises and possibilities that lie before us and those who will become the church of tomorrow. Let us continue to be a people who live in the world of visions, dreams, and prophesy; all the while celebrating not only our past and our future, but also the one who makes it all possible.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Dave
