Go, Going, Gone!
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Growing up in the South (Nashville, TN to be exact) was not easy. Mostly, all the country music really wears on you. On the other hand, the weather is always sunny, so that helps balance things out. Okay, okay, forgive me for being sarcastic. But why would Laura and I leave such a beautiful home state with the familiarity of family and friends? In short, because of a sense of calling in line with Christ’s command to “Go…. make disciples.” No matter if you go across the street to reach a neighbor, across the globe to reach the unreached, or simply move from the comforts of your hometown to a new state, God is eager to use your life to impact others. Laura and I have seen this to be true in the 18 years of shared experience, ministry, and marriage. And that is why we have chosen to go.
Going disrupts but going reconstructs. Going unhinges our norms but brings new norms. Going humbles but brings humility. Going weakens but going can then strengthen. In addition to God’s command to go at the end of the book of Matthew, He matches this commission with a promise to be with us. Where is your faith needing this reminder of God’s presence? Do you, like the Hayes family, remember a time where you felt lost but God’s simple nearness was your anchor? As much as we want to throw off the confusion, the isolation, the fears, etc, it is in those challenges we can find our great strength by taking hold of the Father’s promise.
For me, listening to Michael’s sermon on covenant friendship last week only helped highlight the many ways Laura, the kids, and I have been welcomed by the congregation. Invitations, meals, gift cards, move-in helpers, etc. We cannot express enough gratitude for God wrapping his arms around us through His people, the church. And we have been reminded of the great importance of being a committed, active member of the church. Laura and I often ask ourselves, “How do people make it apart from Christ?” Christ’s grace alone gives us all that we need and He has used many of you to pour out that strength. So, again, thank you.
We also eagerly await the coming years of service here at Christ Church. Please join with us in beckoning our God to pour out his Spirit and grace into the lives of many young people as we seek to leave a dent in Grand Rapids for His glory. May God raise up many new disciples and disciplemakers who will carry the gospel-baton onto the next generation. Psalm 71:18 compels me towards this end, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”
Photo by Charlota Blunarova on Unsplash