From the Moderator

Easter; a time of bunnies, eggs, little children, and candy. Family gatherings, pictures, great food and laughter. We come together as one body. Church attendance swells as families gather to worship and praise God for being in their lives. Children sing special songs and stories of the risen Christ are portrayed. It is a very special season. What about the afternoons following Easter service and after the last meal is served? Each goes back to their own home and Easter begins to fade. What happens to that commonality of the Easter gathering? What happens to the unity felt of the earthly family and the church family that has been shared?

Why not continue to be drawn toward the unity of Easter? After all, didn’t Christ call us to learn, teach, and live as one in him? Do we forget and do we fall back into the daily lives as self. Do the mundane things of our daily lives create such a pattern that we forget to set God as first in our lives? Do we stop coming together as the church for a period of time? Do we cease to draw our daily strength from the one who is always willing to shoulder our burdens? The unity of the church can afford each of us the strength to overcome the burdens we face in our daily lives.

Webster’s defines unity as: being united; oneness, or harmony; agreement; finally, continuity of purpose or action. In the church, I believe that unity is the common purpose of learning, teaching, preaching and living Christ. Christ told us to go and tell the world that he is Lord. If we continue to do that together we are the true church.

The world is driven by Satan so that mankind will be drawn into a sense of self-ness. We must remember at all times that we are not of this world while we travel the life-journey through this world. We are God’s children and as such should feel the strength of God to choose a life that emulates our Savior Jesus Christ. Divisive issues within the church will always find their rise to attention. They should not divide us but serve to draw us closer to our walk with Jesus. Seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you. Our life experiences should make us seek God’s will and not man’s.

We should always live our lives to learn more about God’s inerrant Word and continue to teach others as we grow. Discussion and discernment should follow a prayerful attitude. Pastors should preach the truth of the Gospel so that the listeners may begin and continue to discern God’s will for them in their personal walk. We all should live Christ in our dealings with others. Christ should always be first. Speak to God about man before speaking to man about God.

We have come to the time of the year when Easter and its newness of the risen Christ is still fresh on our minds and the seasonal changes are showing their faces. As we breathe the fresh spring air we should also breathe the freshness Jesus Christ has placed upon our hearts. We see the world in a state of turmoil and some would say that the day of Christ’s return is imminent. While we do not know the hour of His coming we need to be prepared. I pray that the Lord sees our Church as united with Christ and learning continually, teaching always, preaching to those in need, and living as Christ to be that light of Jesus to the world.

Jesus Christ is the risen Lord and through that knowledge we can overcome many of the issues the world and the church face today. We probably will not agree on politics, polity, policy or practice but we can all muster the unity of living for Jesus Christ. Are these other issues of the world more important than our love for Jesus? We can become even stronger in our faith by leaning on Jesus more than ourselves. After all He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Unity in Jesus will make for a stronger church.

May we hold the leaders of the church, our country and the world always in prayer. We will become even stronger through prayer and drawing together in Jesus Christ. May his blessing rain down on each of you. Have a great, God-filled spring.

In Christ always,
Pastor Ellis