A DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT by Pastor Scott
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14
Moses stood at a crossroads. The Red Sea was ahead of him blocking the way. Surrounding him were the grumbling children of Israel. And behind them the Egyptians were hot on their heels to recapture them. What to do? Could things look much bleaker?
Moses settled the Israelites down with words of comfort, courage and faith.
“Stand and watch God at work!”
We may not have faced the Red Sea, but all of us have come up against obstructions that seem impossible to navigate and found ourselves immobilized without a clear pathway forward.
Or we may be surrounded by doubters, worriers and nay-sayers that weigh us down and sap our hopes.
Beyond that, there likely are times when we feel the enemy breathing down our backs— the enemies of our shortcomings, failings and past.
What to do? Listen again to Moses words: “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring…”
This year has brought challenges galore! I don’t think any of us at the beginning of 2020 imagined what we were in for. If we had, we might have folded up shop. We might have thought the obstacles impassable, or listened to nay-sayers, or succumbed to potential disasters. However, what I saw happen was just the opposite and, I think, quite remarkable.
Our church family, took on the roadblocks, took to creating new pathways to communicate, set out to discover innovative ways to stay connected as a community, and learned to navigate unfamiliar technological territory.
Through this year, we have seen God show up among us in unexpected and unprecedented ways. The challenges pushed us to ask how we can best meet needs given the circumstances. And with those questions came inventive, creative thinking and novel approaches to ministry that allowed us to continue to be the church in action.
We took a creative and loving approach that allowed us to celebrate the faithful lives of our people who have graduated to heaven this year. The All Saints Day service was such a blessing.
We found new ways to connect to each other. We took the church online. We found resourceful ways to do Bible studies by learning to “Zoom.” The Care Team redevised their role in doing their ministry and brought remarkable hope to all of us. We launched a new prayer outreach to the community.
God’s hand was also on us this year to hire Pastor Joe and launch a new ministry to young families even in the midst of the pandemic.
When finances fell short, like almost all church’s during this pandemic, you stepped up and met the need. Remarkable!
I could go on and on.
As I look to our future I am exhilarated. I see so many ways to continue to strengthen our Core ministry, to expand ministry to the next generation of “Boomers,” and to assist and advance in reaching the new community!
We are leaving a mark on our community for Christ! We are providing spiritual health and growth for all who are part of the PGCC family, and we are investing in the future as well.
This is an all-out effort that, as members of the body of Christ, we are all a part of, and as we continue to serve, worship and pray, God continues to brings us closer together.
I cannot thank you enough for your faithful partnership, your overwhelming generosity, and your heart to have PGCC be a church with a dynamic future!
When there are obstacles in front of us, enemies breathing down our back, and nay-sayers around us, we say…“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring!”
