• Men’s ministry tomorrow at 8:00am. Join us for good food and fellowship in the Word. Gatherings like Men’s Ministry or small groups may seem like luxuries, or trivialities, but they are not. I’ve watched good men go from leadership in Christ to spiritual ruin in a matter of years, usually because they lost the presence of “many witnesses” (1 Tim 6:12) and the natural accountability that comes with being woven into the body of Christ. There’s safety here.
• We may feel our concern over the opinions of others in Christ is simply a weakness, or that responsibilities we fulfill in the Body of Christ are inconsequential to who we are. But in fact our peers in Christ (unchosen by us!) and our responsibilities in Christ’s Church serve to shape, uphold and strengthen us. The fact that those forces are not working according to our private plans and desires is why they are good. Left to our own devices we typically structure our lives around ourselves rather than Christ, which is to say, we orchestrate our own spiritual decline. We are rarely the authors of our own spiritual maturity. To know and love Christ is to be in submission not only to him, but to the circumstances he has arranged for us.
• One other item. I’ll speak more to this in person, but again this Sunday we will be without Communion since I’m away in Chattanooga for General Assembly. There will likely be more Sundays without Communion scattered throughout the Summer due to my being the only celebrant in the congregation. The good news is that you are in a denomination that places significant demands (long preparation and written and oral exams) on those who preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. The down side is the ordained men in the presbytery are busy at their own churches each week and (usually) unavailable to serve us if I’m away.
• While we regret this, it’s a matter of integrity that we stick to our vows and not just plug someone into the role of celebrant. Thanks for bearing with us.
• One last thought. Whenever I’m away from CPC I remember how grateful I am for your tenderness toward Christ, your love for each other, and your faithfulness in service. For me, “the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places” (Ps 16:6). I am grateful for my flock, and that I have been called to serve you. You people are awesome.