First Christian Church, Flora, Indiana

September, 2010

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

None of us likes to wait. Not in line at stores, on phone calls, or in doctors’ offices. We tend to want things instantly. And so when God says, “not yet,” we don’t like the words. When he says “not ever” we tend to disagree.

Jesus had been ministering to the people for more than three years and when he told the Disciples he was going to die on a cross and then be resurrected, they must  have thought to themselves, “really?” But it happened, and the wait began. An hour. Two hours. A day. Still the resurrection didn’t happen. The Disciples were impatient, not unlike us today. The people of the day were told to sit around Jerusalem and to wait. Some walked away. Others complained. Others lost their belief. But some were patient and trusted in the promise made by God’s Son. So they waited.

Someone wrote that certain conditions cannot be accomplished in a moment. The breaking of the ground is the spring takes time. The frosts of winter are necessary as are the rains of spring to prepare the soil for fertility. The anticipation of a child being born actually lasts only 9 months. But it can seem like years. Wanting to be closer and more personal with God, as he speaks, is a process that might take us many months or years. But the wait is worth it.

So it is that we come to September 2010. I have promoted “Spirit Month” on Sundays and you have received a booklet with a map, Biblical readings and suggestions of activities. We have prayer partners assigned, and some fun activities as well. In the long run, when the month is over, we will have given God several opportunities to share His spirit with us. Be patient, and wait for him. He will be there and he will come to you in ways you never imagined.

As we wait for the Lord, we get new perspectives. If we back off from rushing things and not insist on moving too quickly, we can gain wisdom. If we look, we can see marvelous things never seen before. If we pray, perhaps God will speak to us in new ways.

The last activity of the month will be an opportunity for you to take a”gifts” test. This is a personalized inventory to what God has placed in your life as a gift. Personal, in that no one else will know the results unless you choose to share them.  But you will know, and this knowledge will open new doors and bring about new opportunities for the church.

Pray for the activities will will be involved in during September. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.

Pastor Woody