Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
November 1, 2009 was All Saints Day. Half way through our worship in the sanctuary, we carpooled and went to Pheasant Hill Cemetery, about seven miles out of town.. There, in a beautiful site where founders of our Church are buried, we celebrated the Lord's Supper.
Those early pioneer Presbyterian missionaries, who had to know loneliness, privations, illness and discouragement, persevered in their work and gathered a congregation for worship in 1882.
My question to the present Pilgrim congregation is why did those missionaries - there were four of them - continue their work? Certainly they recognized the strategic importance of this territory, proving their foresight and wisdom. But that was not all. I suggested in a brief Communion meditation that the words of the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 5:14) may be the key to the essence of their labor:
"For the love of Christ compels us..."
Christ's love is forceful, compelling. It is discovered when one lives and moves under the Banner of the Cross. May that love free you from dragging lethargy, from indifference, from drowsiness of spirit as you journey in this speedy world.
For the love of Christ, what are you compelled to do?
Fond regards,
Richard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment