From the Second Chair
Summer is Here!
Sunday, June 20th is the first day of summer. It is my oldest son; Jon’s birthday and it is Father’s Day too. We are still three weeks away and I am already excited about what is to come.
But that was not the way we thought about June last year, was it? Last June there was confusion, anxiety, and a little fear mixed in for good measure. In different ways and measures we all suffered just a little bit, didn’t we?
I have had a note in one of my Bibles for years, that says, “Suffer Well.”
That phrase means when I go through suffering, not to give up. If I am called to suffer, I should suffer with self-respect and poise. “Suffer well” means accepting and embracing the common suffering that every life has. In certain ways, maybe even enjoy it and make the best of any suffering.
James 1:2 – “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials.”
To suffer poorly would be to be filled with self-pity, to give up, to whine, to fall apart.
But maybe ‘suffering well’ is really a test of character, and as we look over the last year, Lincoln Community Church has suffered well.
The message of Jesus Christ has never faltered. Our outreach to the community has never slowed down, and our missions giving have even increased. There are projects in and around our facilities that have been completed. While others have complained and spoken bitter words in their suffering we have not.
God Be Praised!
While suffering well is important, it is not the last word. There is a caution to our church, we must finish strong!
First, we have to recommit to our goals. Sharing the Joy of Christ with seniors.
This will only come when we take unwavering action. Joy is a natural outcome of coming to Christ, but sharing is the action verb.
We may have gotten away from this during the last year, but now, we are slowly moving forward, we may have stalled, but we are not stopped. Our actions do not always have to go big and fast; we just have to have a couple of small wins to get on track.
We have struggled well and now it is time for us to finish strong.
That is what I think anyway.
Jody <><
