Covenant Church

Laila and I continue on our journey seeking a little rest and refreshment. We are praying for perspective about how to be most effective for Our Lord Jesus.


We came down from Lake Erie into Pennsylvania. One thought was to meet with a young pastor and his wife. They have accepted a new challenge with a church that was struggling. We wanted to treat them to a meal, encourage them, and assure them others would be cheering for them. It was a nice time.

We continued on to Northwestern Virginia. A kind lady opened her gracious home to us while she was away in Florida. After two days there, near the West Virginia border, we passed on quietly through Charlottesville and then to Williamsburg. In 1975 I completed a graduate degree from The College of William and Mary. Friday night we walked the historic streets, nostalgic, remembering days when we could not afford to eat a meal in the public restaurants, remembering the grace that had been bestowed upon our lives in the time of our daughter’s birth and the loss of her twin brother. Remembering the two weeks we spent before my absolute final thesis deadline. Days and nights so intense that my committee awarded an honorary Master’s degree to Laila!

Kind parishioners provided a timeshare week on the ocean in Virginia Beach. By whatever fortune it is not just a complete apartment, but two. Thus, our daughter and her family, including two grandsons, spent the weekend in the adjoining apartment.

We visited different churches on Sunday. Laila went with the grandchildren. I went to visit the church of a friend. He has persevered almost twenty years to break through to a strong ministry reaching youth and young families. We reconnected for Sunday dinner and had a delightful time remembering how God has brought us through challenging times in our lives as pastors.

Weather was perfect for the weekend at the beach. Not too cold. Not too hot -- just right for people to wear clothes. Oh, there were lots of people. We walked the boardwalk. A band was playing. I asked Laila what foreign language they were singing. She wryly responded, “English,” though I still cannot certify that was true. Whatever happened to songs where you can understand the words?

A contest was held on the beach. Different groups built statues made of sand. One of them was of three men holding the body of someone they loved. A young woman passing by was trying to interpret the different sand creations to her friends. Of one she said, “I think that one is men pulling a mermaid from the sea.” The actual truth that it depicted disciples weeping over the body of Jesus seemed not to be part of her world.

An evangelism station was set up on the boardwalk. A group of people, well-dressed, discreet, friendly, were available with Christian literature and a sign: “Prayer Station.” I stopped by to thank them.

One might readily judge that they did not have many persons stopping by. However, Laila and I talked about the power of presence. They were salt. They were light. One could not pass by the Prayer Station unawares. Who knows what God thoughts were brought to the minds of those who walked by? Who knows what evil thoughts were repressed and repelled by their presence?

Of this I am sure. The best proof of our religion is not what we do in church, but out of church. Our testimony is not most impressive by how we dress for church, sing in the choir, or carry our Bible on a Sunday. Our testimony is best told when we go into our homes, our communities, and our work places. Our presence is a Prayer Station. Our demeanor and deportment as disciples is an influence that restrains evil and guides others to the Cross, to Christ, to Hope, to Life, and to Peace.

The more evidence we see of a Fallen World, the more proof that a Christ-life defeats hell’s most powerful demons. Faithfulness is a more powerful weapon against hell than occasional spurts of spiritual energy that make a lot of noise, get a lot of attention, but soon diminish to a dismal swamp of spiritual poverty.

Time off? There is no such thing as “time off.” The clock keeps ticking. However, there is retreat. Laila and I are spending a lot of time talking about how we can team together with staff, church leaders, and other dear Christian soldiers to maximize benefit for Christ’s Church. Reflection. Instrospection. Cost counting. Assessing. Determining what is worth carrying into the future.

Of this we are sure: Christ is Our Hope. All to Him we owe. All to Him we want to give.
Look forward to seeing you Sunday,
Pastor Bare