Asking for Forgiveness, and Forgiving Others -- A Christian Way of Life

At Lent -- Asking for Prayers and Forgiveness, from God and From Others

Thanks to all of you who make up our church family.  You are special to God and to all of us here.  Everyone is important. We appreciate you and all that you do.  May God bless you and keep you. May God take you on a deep journey of prayer and Bible reading in this year of 2012.

It has been a long, hard winter for many of us – not in a weather sense, because it has been mild in many ways, but in the sense that our church has been bombarded with much sickness and trial during the last few months.  As one of our elders on session put it, “we have been under a heavy attack of Satan.”  I must agree with his assessment – the evil one attacks when churches make progress for the Lord.  Our outside the box approach to local mission has stirred the devil’s nest,

We learn in James 4:7-10 the secret of turning back the devil: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” We have to be firm, and steadfast, and watch each other’s back.

It has been a difficult time for many in our congregation, and the pressures caused by illness have been felt by many families.  I, too, have felt this anxiety and pain, not only in the ongoing physical struggles of my own mother, but in every prayer that I pray and every tear that I cry for ailing people and hurting families. For many of us it has been spiritually challenging as we strive to fight the good fight of faith. We get exhausted, but we must never give up. (Gal. 6:9).

Lent is a time for reflection and repentance.  So I repent of my sins and shortcomings, to God and to my church family and friends. Sometimes in our tiredness, even with right intentions, we make mistakes or we say things wrong.  And the sad thing is that an errant statement can injure a relationship that has been built on many good things.  It happens often in our world, where a lot of good is outweighed by one mistaken act. Surely, only God can help heal things, and we need to ask for His healing touch, to repent and learn and try to do better in the future, with His help.

Sometimes I miss the mark.  I regret it when it happens. Please forgive me for that.  I apologize. I want to serve God and the congregation well.  I strive to do as God leads me.  May God help me care for His flock.  Please pray that I might clearly hear and serve God, and love His people.
A pastor must hear and serve the Lord, and a congregation must trust and pray that the pastor is striving to do just that. It is important for you to pray for a pastor to be led by God.  That is where the sermon message comes from – God’s Spirit moving in the mind of the pastor, and the congregation, illuminating the Word for sharing with the people.  I am worth nothing withoutGod’s  help.  I am a broken person, a sinner saved by grace. Praise God that flawed human beings can be used by God.  The Bible attests to this fact.  Jesus is our strength, filling our gaps.

Without a doubt, any pastor faces the sometimes harsh reality that his or her time in a particular church is temporary.  At some time, every pastor moves on to another church, or to heaven.  It is how it is.  A call to a particular church, or churches, is a temporary call within a greater call.  The call on one’s life to serve God as a minister is for a lifetime.  But for a particular church, it is a limited time.  That is why every Sunday should be cherished, every prayer remembered, and every sermon acted upon.  We only have a limited time of ministry together, and we need to make the most of it.  The truth is this -- a pastorate is but a snapshot in time, a union that God blesses for a while, and then He brings about something new. That is the continuing pattern.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Tim. 1:12 It is amazing that our Lord would take an undeserving sinner who has no business even being a child of God, much less serving in the public ministry, and train him, then call him to publicly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. That is what the Lord did for the Apostle Paul who wrote those words to a young pastor and co-worker, Timothy. That is what he did for me, too. That is what he does for all who are called to be pastors. Not one called servant of the gospel is deserving of the call. All praise is to Christ!

On my knees in prayer, I look back and see that the Lord has enabled me to walk remarkable roads with our church family over the past seven years – praying, caring, in sickness and in health, witnessing God’s blessing in marriages, God’s healing touch, God’s compassion in funerals, God’s joy in baptisms and the Lord’s Supper.  We have seen many prayers answered and people healed.  Sunday after Sunday the Word has been preached, and the Lord has been worshipped, and we have had blessed times. I am thankful for each moment of mutual ministry.

I feel God still has more for us to do together in His mission in this time and place.  I ask for your forgiveness, your prayers and your support as we serve the Lord Jesus Christ as His church.

                                IN CHRIST, Pastor Glenn Wilson