“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5
Today is, or would be, my father’s Birthday. If he were alive today, he’d be 93! Though he has ALWAYS been a part of my life, even after he died, I STILL find the number hard to believe! 93 is a LOT of YEARS! But today is not just significant because it’s HIS birthday! It is ALSO the Birthday of something He started…and then left behind.
Today is the 44th Birthday of the Congregational Church…a church He founded in 1977. I remember it well because I was there. Like most churches, it was not born out of joy or celebration, but in sorrow and pain. It came about when a small group of people, looking for a fellowship to learn and grow in Jesus Christ, met and decided to start their own. Yet I know it to be one of the most painful decisions my father ever made.
While it is true that wounds heal…scars last a lifetime. And while it isn’t beneficial to relive their cause, scars DO give the necessary ‘head of steam’ to move us onward. Having been there for the birth of my 4 children, I RARELY remember my wife discussing the pain and labor of their delivery. Only the joy of their births. So today is a celebration!
We all know ‘Church’ is HARD! It always has been. Like a ship, it is built for a mission. Made up of parts and people that often break down, and facing a continuing hostile environment, it’s a wonder that ships go anywhere! It would be safe if the Ship simply sat in Port! But like the saying goes, ‘that isn’t what ships are built for!’ Neither was I!
The world has developed an unfortunate saying that, like the harbor quote, goes against the very reason I was created. As people in a lost and dying world, “STAY SAFE” is probably the most ridiculous message I have ever heard! The Apostle Paul knew and lived dangerously and pressed people to get out there and do the same! The Church has a mission and a message. NEITHER is SAFE!
I have to admit chuckling at the thought of being upset with my earthly and Heavenly Fathers. For as long as I can remember, I KNEW I was made for a purpose. AND that living out that purpose would bring unwelcome pain. But I can’t really stay mad that both Fathers built and put me in the position for which I was created. Because deep inside I know, I was never meant to be ‘safe!’ If you love Jesus Christ…neither were YOU!
The very thing I didn’t want to hear was the very thing I needed the most! As a walking ‘dead’ person, I needed LIFE! But LIFE requires work, mission and cooperation! Working together creates friction. Going places is dangerous. There is ALWAYS the temptation to simply quit and be safe. But CHURCH is all about Birthdays! Which is WHY I am here in the first place!
Happy Birthday Dad… and to the Congregational Church of Laurel!
