Greetings from your elder board!
Alright, I confess: I have a strong affection (read obsession) for egg nog. Starting before
Thanksgiving and all the way till the shelves run out the first week of January
I'm on the hunt for it. Regular or "Light" - is there really such a
thing, flavored or original - it's all the same to me; add a dash of nutmeg and
I'm hooked. Now I realize there are some among us who do not share my passion for this luxurious
beverage - my response: good, more for me! Now could there be a lesson
for us in egg nog? Perhaps it is found in the Psalms:
"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my
mouth!" Psalm 119:103
What if I chose to seek after and delight in God's word in my life as
much as my enjoyment of holiday treats? Well one thing is true, I wouldn't gain
as much weight, but I would gain direction, strength and peace, to name a few
benefits. By partaking of God's word in our lives, we will have a stable
foundation to move forward in 2013, no matter what the year holds for
us. I agree with Pastor John's statement this past Sunday that Hope Church
is heading in a good direction and that this year should be one of hope and
excitement. How encouraging to start the year united as one body of believers!
The desire of your elder board is that as individuals and as a church we will
grow in our level of spiritual maturity this year. We resonate with Paul's
words to the Ephesians:
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Eph. 1:17
As it says, knowing Christ better is made possible by the Spirit's
working in us - that is our personal prayer for ourselves every day and our
prayer for this church when the elders gather to pray every Sunday morning.
Would you be willing to join us in this prayer for yourself and for your church
this year? We would love to have you by our sides praying for His Spirit to do
His work in us!
We would also love to have you join us for our Business Meeting coming up on Sunday, January 27 at 7:00 PM. We are
excited to hear from the Pastoral Search Committee, to introduce the newly
formed Trustees Committee, and present the annual budget for 2013 for approval.
Please pick up a copy of the budget today for your review before the meeting
and feel free to contact an elder or finance committee member with questions.
We look forward to seeing you there and to serving and growing together
in 2013 - with or without the egg
nog!
Glenn Smith
