Monday, April 16, 2012

As the Father has sent me, so I send you.

Sunday was a sacred day.  We were privileged to stand on Holy Ground and to observe the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I was nearly overwhelmed by the Spirit's presence in our worship.  Brent Kahler set the stage beautifully with his rendition of "Remind Me Who I Am".  The confirmands and those being Baptized were ready to hear the charge being made to them, to answer the sacred questions asked of them and to accept the challenge offered by Christ on that first Easter morn when he said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you".  What an awesome responsibility and challenge and privilege to know that you have been chosen by God; selected from the billions on earth to be appointed to the apostleship of Jesus Christ.

This was a bright and beautiful Confirmation Class and I charge the church with the important responsibility to continue to tutor them and grow them into the leaders that God calls them to be.  I do not know all that lies within them, but I know that they have been created with a plan and a purpose and if we help them to grow in the Power of the Holy Spirit and help them to discern the purpose for which God calls them, the Kingdom of God will draw near at hand.

I commend Tess Burroughs, Cooper Day, Carley Harris, Kyle Parkhurst, Kearston Thurmon, Kylee Thurman, Makella Coulson, Ally Bailey and Paige Forrester to you love and care.  The church will be well served by these young persons as they grow in their Faith and become the disciples that they dream of becoming.  My heart is filled with joy at the opportunity and blessing that I have had to spend the last 7 months with them instructing them of what I know about the awesome gift of the church and the marvel of the one who breathed it into being.  It has been my privilege to disciple them and now to send them, just as Jesus has instructed me.  My prayer is that we will not fail them now in their continuing growth and spiritual development.