This week I finished a two part message (that is code words for...."it was my first time in three months to preach so I over did it a bit!) on Faithfulness. Our church has been in a series entitled "Virtues that We Value" -- a look at the character qualities that are crucial for a rich Christian testimony. What a joy and privilege to study the indispensable virtue of faithfulness. I would encourage you to log on to our church's website - www.newsongfellowship.com and listen to the messages.
Never the less the best part of the service wasn't my preaching (you don't know how hard it is to say that!) but the real highlight was having our dear resident sage Bruce helland come and share with our church family what God is doing in his life. If you remember, one of my first blog entries in May was telling of Bruce's wife, Delna going home to the Lord. It was a sudden lost and truly a sad event in Bruce's life. He used to call Delna - "his warm-blooded PDA" - especially to the young generation fascinated with PALM Pilots and Blackberries! bruce always told me there were two loves in his life, Delna and......
Well we shared on Sunday morning about a conversation that Bruce and I had on my birthday. He and Delna for the past 10 years have always come over on my birthday and this year was no difference -- however he came over 30 minutes early. I knew something was up when he said to me, "Pastor, i want a meeting with the Elders!" When our oldest and probably most godly member declares that you can only wonder what was wrong.
Bruce shared with me: "Pastor, I don't want to sit down at the Quarryville Home and die -- I still have good health (at 80 yrs. old) and my mind is sharp and I still know Japanese well. So i would like the Elders to "send me back to Japan as a missionary." You would had to pick up my jaw if you were sitting with us. I was shocked. My first thought was... "what does your daughters think?" "They are 100% for it!!" Then i asked: "how long will you go?" He had thought it all out... "I will give it three months....if I do OK, then I will stay as long as they need me -- I am willing to give them five more years!"
FIVE MORE YEARS!!! Holy Cow!!! This dear man is willing to give the mission field five years....and you can hardly talk young people to give up a single year of service! What an inspiration! I looked out into our congregation and saw men and women wiping their eyes. I could only speculate that they were overwhelmed with Bruce's commitment; they were trying to comprehend life at NewSong without Bruce; or like a certain pastor, sadness that I have not gotten to that level of faithfulness!
Can you imagine this....I then followed that announce with preaching on faithfulness -- the church had already SAW a sermon before i had preached it! So there you have it -- a model of a faithful life. I said in my message - "Faithfulness is all about finishing!" Finishing what God has asked each of us to do with our lives. Fulfillment of His plans, desires, purposes and goals for each of our lives. Christianity is not about WINNING -- we have already won in Christ -- we have the victory when Christ went to the CROSS, went to the GRAVE, and rose from the DEAD! That is real victory -- and we can't do anything for that victory -- we gain it through grace. What Brue teaches us is that once we experienced grace -- we live in a way to be found faithful of that unique and privileged calling unto Christ.
Well done Bruce --- you are truly a "good and FAITHFUL servant." Great will be your reward! Rumor has it the real reason Bruce is headed back to Japan where he and Delna serviced for over 30 years is that he could not find quality Sushi in Lancaster, PA!