Pastor Dick Hurd: Richard Hurd
|
The Mid-week message is an On-line Ministry Of Pastor Dick Hurd and the “Caton Church” A Global Methodist Community of Faith April 30, 2025 “God is in control but he doesn’t expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole!” I saw that little statement and I knew I had to share it with you, because sometimes I think that is what we do as Christian disciples? We lean on, or brandish or brag about all the tools that God has given us and then we sit by and wait for God to accomplish that which he has sent and equipped us to do? We pray “God send us those who can provide what our little church needs to grow and flourish and become the church that you want us to be. Certainly, that is a valid prayer concern and we understand by scripture that “we don’t have because we don’t ask.” James 4:2 But I can’t help but wonder, when we pray that prayer, does God see us as those people who are leaning on their shovels rather than digging holes for a solid foundation on which to build His church? When Jesus charged Peter to be the rock upon which the church would be built, do we think he intended Peter to just be that rock, or did he want him to be the builder? I understand that for many, sometimes including myself we long for the church we grew up in and we are tired, and we are waiting for the younger people to take over and do the hard work of building God’s church. But look around friends where are the young people? Maybe they saw us leaning on our shovels and decided that is not for me. Or maybe we have hoped that the church would last long enough so we can have our funeral here and beyond that it is just not our concern. But friends we have been given a wonderful and blessed gift in the church and we are not the owners, we are simply the caretakers for a season and we are charged, as Peter was charged, to build the church so that future generations can receive the blessing from us! So, regardless of our age, regardless of our abilities or our inabilities, regardless of all other things God is not done with us as disciples for this age until we breath our last breath. God does not call us to come and sit, he calls us to go and do! Yours in the love of Christ \ Pastor Dick Breath Prayer: Lord may I not be a leaner. but make me a builder. Amen |
