SHORT SUBJECTS – August 30, 2010

Last week, I had the privilege of representing the Presbytery on the occasion of the evaluation of the pastor, session, and congregation of the Franklin Presbyterian Church, after the first 6 months of the new designated pastor’s arrival.  Kent Leydens has been a Godsend to the Franklin church, and I have high hopes that this will turn out to be a match truly made in Heaven.

Their clerk, Ken Raybuck, had a particularly insightful devotional, which I plan on sharing with our staff this morning, and would like to share with you now.  It is written by Kate Tristram, and is found in Celtic Daily Prayer, published by Harper Collins Publishers, 2000.

"There has probably never been a time in history

when the majority of people were seriously seeking God. 

Our Bible sets before us the idea that God may use a minority to serve the majority. 

Church history says the same. 

It is because of the faithfulness of the few, not the many,

that the Christian faith has come down the ages to us

and we have the chance to know God in this way. 

It has always been so. 

If God has called us and we want to respond to Him,

then we must be faithful to our own vision,

whatever they many think. 

But we must do it with open hearts and open arms,

not safeguarding our fewness, our specialness. 

And we must do it in healthy laughter directed at ourselves,

because really it is so ridiculous to think that God has chosen us for anything at all,

even though it is true."

I hope you have a great last week of summer.

Richard