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Last weekend Ruth and I and our family headed to western PA for her family reunion. On Friday, Ruth, Molly and I left from Harrisburg, stopped in Martinsburg, PA to have lunch with some old friends. We also visited the Martinsburg Church of God, the very first church I served as pastor. The church was locked we walked around the building and reminded Molly that this was where she was born. As we were preparing to leave, the current pastor showed up and gave us a tour inside the bethel. A flood of memories came back as I remembered my first days as pastor, preaching in that sanctuary. While some things have changed, much remains the same. Pastor Jim showed up the new building that was built after I left but one I dreamed about while I served there. It was great to be back where my ministry began nearly 30 years ago.
 

The reunion happened on Saturday in Butler, PA despite the smoke and threat of storms. It turned out to be a very nice day with over 50 in attendance. Ruth saw both of her sisters and her brother as well as aunts and uncles and numerous cousins. We stayed into Sunday, just visiting with her Aunt Alice and Uncle Ron and Ruth’s sisters before returning home. It was a lot of driving over three days but a great weekend.

It sounds like last Sunday went well at Mechanic Grove too. My thanks to Pastor Mary Etta for filling the pulpit and continuing the series in Genesis. This Sunday we will be in Genesis 25 for a message entitled “The Rivalry” as we look at the beginning of the story of Jacob and Esau. Looking forward to this Sunday, as well as my daughter Molly and our dear friend Bob Metka will be providing special music. 

We often hear the phrase “Christmas in July” and that seems to be the case for the staff at Mechanic Grove. We have been busy looking ahead to Advent and planning the preaching series and Sunday School material in coordination with the Journey to the Nativity. This year, we will be living in John 3:16 for a sermon series entitled, “A John 3:16 Christmas.” I know that seems far away, but I am a strong believer in good planning provides for a better ministry. 

We had our staff meeting this week and Janae shared in her Monday column some insight as we continue to engage as a staff a resource entitled, “Doing Church as a Team.” This book was written years ago but has been updated and provides some great reminders of how the staff and the volunteers of the church function best when everyone finds their place in ministry. I am looking forward to some more engaging conversations with the staff over the coming months as we continue with this resource.

Last night the Strategic Vision Committee met and we are hoping to finalize our work next month. The Committee has identified four key initiatives that were derived from the cottage meetings and are drafting a strategic vision that will help solve some of the growth restrictive problems in the coming years. It has been challenging work, but we are confident we can bring the process to a close in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday this week, I was fulfilling pastor’s hours at Solanco Neighborhood Ministries. I had one person stop in and tell me her story of the many challenges she was facing. She was a person of faith but was struggling with relationships and her own health challenges. I listened, encouraged her with Scripture, and prayed over her and promised that I would continue to pray for her. Often the best way to help someone is to simply listen, encourage, and pray with them.

In addition to praying for the needs in the church and our community in my daily quiet time, I have begun to pray for my fellow pastors and churches in the southern end. In a few weeks, our Solanco Pastor’s Fellowship will resume, and I miss being with my fellow kingdom workers as we don’t meet over the summer months. I am praying for revival to come to every church in our community as together we seek to further God’s kingdom in our beloved Solanco community.

Let me leave you with this thought for the weekend. In my devotions this week, I was reading in Leviticus 19-21 and those are tough chapters. Pages of “Do not do this” this and rules for priests. In Leviticus 19 there are 26 “Do not” statements in just 37 verses. Chapter 20 sets our punishment for numerous sins and Chapter 21 details the rules for priests in terms of dress and behavior. As I am trudging my way through these long chapters, I kept asking the Lord, “Lord, why must I learn about the rules for priests thousands of years ago and punishments for sins which I will never commit?” And the Lord impressed on me just how intentional he was in establishing a code of conduct for the people of Israel as they were becoming a nation. God wanted his people to have order and to live appropriately or should I say righteously. The sins that are mentioned were a problem and so God said, “Here are the consequences for those who commit these sins.”  Things haven’t changed much in three thousand years; sin still has consequences. We see it every day. But thanks be to God that we have a sin bearer in Jesus, the One who takes away the sin of the world. The punishment for our sin has already been given, and it is Jesus, and neither you nor I, that bears that punishment. 2 Cor. 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” That is why we gather each Sunday to worship God—He has given His Son to be our sin bearer—and that is worth celebrating!

Blessings to you this weekend, our last full July weekend. The dog days of summer are coming but be assured of this great news—you are loved by God, and you have a place on His team at Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren. Ruth and I look forward to being back with you, along with our daughters on this Lord’s Day. Remember it is Friday…but a joyous Sunday is coming!

Pastor Kevin