A Gentle Breeze
…blows so softly through the church office this AM...refreshing us. Doors and windows are open. This kind of weather feels like paradise.
As I sit in the pastor’s office thinking about you, my heart is captured. Never, not once, when Laila and our family moved into the church apartment 29+ years ago did we imagine being here in 2011! This was to be a stopping off point. We did not have another point in mind, but our inclination was that 2 or 3 years would complete our God Call to Covenant.
But then you stole our hearts. Your willingness to change what needs to be changed. Your resolve to roll up your sleeves and do what needs to be done. Your love for the Bible. Your openness to serve. Your commitment to sharing the gospel in fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19,20). Your love for people that crosses cultural lines. Your love for our family, accepting our feet of clay, yet believing that our heart is devoted to Christ and His Church.
It was gradual. Not overnight. Not a “gotcha” moment. Just gentle and cheerful like a bubbling brook. You found ways into our hearts to become family. You loved us until Laila and I call this place home. It is naturally home for our children—they grew up here. We were not born here. Had no kin here. Did not grow up here. Did not know streets or lanes or very much about Charlottesville. Yet time has made this HOME!
Home has two sides. One is a place of rest. Indeed, God has given us rest here. Much like Isaac who dug wells and they were taken by herdsmen of Gerar on two occasions, finally Isaac dug a well and found “rest.” He called it Rehoboth.
Interestingly with the "rest" of Rehoboth the Lord put blessings and instructions to multiply and replenish. This is the blessing season at Covenant Church. We feel the gentle hand of God moving and refreshing us, calling us to that special place of refreshment and equipping. God is multiplying us. The Holy Spirit is making us more like Jesus. We are being taught to walk in trust and wisdom that only comes from God.
We see vast harvest fields---ripe---waiting much like Macedonians who called “Come and help us. Come and tell us of HOPE. Come and share with us the good news of life.” Acts 16:9 “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”
Jack and Jean Griffin and Patsy Dickinson are doing powerful prison ministry. Five pastors serve particular ethnic groups. We are initiating a new mentoring ministry by men for young boys. Children’s workers are ever diligent in sharing the gospel in powerful ways. Musicians and choir prepare long and hard and lead us in anointed music. Connections Ministry is ever in pursuit of new and innovative ways of serving our people. Ministry Action Teams pray, plan, and serve in all areas. Prayer is being made without ceasing for all ministries. Our hearts are turned outward in diligent pursuit of precious souls needing divine intervention in their lives.
This is our time. We do not intend to fail the Call. We have prepared for battle. We are committed to the front lines. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit. We march forward with a song of victory. The battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. It is His Church. We are His people. Winning is already written in the script.
I am convinced that many persons in America who call themselves “Christian” have atrophied---become spiritually weak---because of inactivity, because of selfish and carnal interest, and because of lack of commitment to serve.
But not the Covenant faithful. We are servants of the Most High God. We serve joyfully. The rewards of faithfulness far exceed the pleasures of this world.
We are Covenant. A gentle breeze from heaven is blowing.
Pastor Bare