Pastoral Thoughts

Grace and Peace be to you from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

It was a fascinating book I read recently concerning the church's future. Who is the church? An Ecclesiology for the 21st Century by Dr. Cheryl M. Peterson. Her basic premise is that the demise of mainline Christianity is primarily due to the change in the dynamic of the church and faith itself. As people look and visit congregations seeking God, they want to see God working in an “incarnational” way, people trying to respond by doing the things our faith espouses. People are no longer interested in joining “social clubs”; like-minded individuals who are comfortable in their space and just being reminded of God’s saving grace. Most congregations need to ask themselves, “Who is the church?” “What does it mean to be the church?”

We might want to consider this question regarding our faith and activities at St. Mark’s. Many of us may have found that some activities we used to be active in no longer exist or have changed, or our interests have changed. This invitation to being active is not to have a response questioning our involvement in the church, to which it ceases. Still, maybe we are being challenged to expand our faithful horizons, for the community to see us responding in an incarnational way, not as a close-minded “club” but as people faithfully trying their best to follow the teachings of Jesus.

We have a lot of activities in store for St. Mark’s in the next few months, with events that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will uplift our faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Please look at them and consider those activities as new ways to get involved in the church. So, no matter what spiritual forecast is given to us, we are prepared to serve our Lord faithfully. In the coming months, let us look toward St. Mark’s activities through worship, evangelism, outreach, and social ministry to our community, which can enhance and remind us of how God wants us to live: not worrying nor being impatient and hateful toward each other, but instead being loving and compassionate.

I invite you to consider all the fantastic events at St. Mark’s and invite many people to “come and see”! Let us see the fellowship, worship, prayer, and meditation opportunities as ways of being the church of God in Christ Jesus.

Peace,

Pastor Brian