Faithful in the Waiting
With Andrew on his way to Israel and Roger preparing to preach this Sunday on 1 Samuel 14, we thought it would be good for me to give you an update on how Jenn and I are adjusting to life in Grand Rapids and ministry at Christ Church. I’m a pastor who enjoys structure and wordplay, so I figured I’d write this using 4 alliterative points:
The Welcome - Jenn and I are so grateful for the way that Christ Church has welcomed us! All of the kindness and encouragement that we experienced during the search process has been on even fuller display as we’ve moved to Michigan and become part of Christ Church. Thank you for all the generous gifts and meals, hospitality in inviting us over, help with moving, and friendship you’ve extended to us. We’ve seen the heart of Christ and the welcome of God so powerfully in this community already and it has been a true blessing.
The Waiting - Theologians like to use the term “already but not yet” to describe our life in the Kingdom of God this side of eternity. It’s the idea that heaven is a confirmed reality for believers that we get to experience glimpses of now while we wait until the day when we will experience it fully. That’s a lot like what the last month and half has felt like for us. Today we close on our new home here (which is a huge answer to prayer)! And yet it will be another month or so until we get possession and are able to move in. Until then we’ll continue living out of boxes with most of our things still in storage. We look forward to the day when Jenn will get to use her gift of hospitality to welcome many of you into our home. Yet God is faithful in the waiting.
The Weekend - My parents and Jenn’s parents were able to visit this past weekend for my installation service (from Washington and California, respectively). It was so great to have them here and show them around our new home at Christ Church. We even took a trip to Lake Michigan in Holland and our dog, Ollie, got to dip his paws in the water before we realized on our way out that there was a “no animals” sign on the beach. Whoops! But just as special as having our parents visit was getting to see God’s faithfulness on full display in my installation service. Hearing Christ Church sing songs that each represented important moments in my life of faith and God’s calling me to this point brought me to tears. It was a rich blessing to see God’s hand at work in such a powerful way. He truly is a God who restores all things.
The Way Forward - All this leads me to a heart filled with gratitude and hope. I’m grateful for Christ Church. I’m grateful for God’s provision. I’m grateful for his sustaining hand in the waiting. And I’m hopeful for all the ways that God will use me and Jenn at Christ Church. We’re looking forward to getting to know so many more of you and to know others more deeply.