Did you miss me last week? On Wednesday, when there was no Midweek Message? On Sunday? Please say yes!
Seriously, I missed you. Each of you.
Luana and I attended the Berean National Convention in Kearney last week, and then Sunday we were in the Gregory Berean Church in Gregory, SD. That’s where we began pastoral ministry 37 years ago, planting a church with just 1 and ½ families. There’re been more than a few of our friends who are now in Glory, but it was great to renew old relationships and create some new ones. It was “Roundup Sunday,” and about 15 rode their horses to church. Cowboy poet R.P. Smith from Broken Bow delivered more than a few of his excellent poems, and I had the privilege of preaching. It was sort of a dubious honor, coming as it did after that spell-binding rendering of verse, but we made the best of it. The fellowship meal afterwards was superb.
I wish you all could have joined us in Gregory, and I really wish you all could have attended the Convention. Dr. Tony Beckett did an excellent job of challenging us from Ephesians 3 and 4 on the subject of “Some Assembly Required.” One of the phrases he used more than once was “Don’t just grow old in Christ – grow to be more like Christ.”
What a challenge that is, right? What a challenge to grow to be more and more like Jesus as the years pass. I saw that in Gregory, because the folks we began ministry with almost 4 decades ago are now retirement age. They’ve grown old, or, at least older, in Christ to be sure. But, it was obvious that many of them have also grown to be more like Jesus. I hope it was evident to them that this is what has happened with me.
Being with those folks was a reminder of how quickly this life passes. Being with Dr. Beckett and others at Kearney was a reminder that yes, no matter what stage of life we’re in, some assembly is still required.
So, let’s keep on growing up in Jesus as we grow older, “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature person, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
It’s good to be home. See you Sunday!
