10 June 2009

On the Journey

                            The future of Immanuel—in our hands!

              I do not believe I will ever forget the date—4 December 2008. It appears that this date will be etched on my memory as long as I live. It was on Thursday, 4 December 2008, that flames engulfed our sanctuary. We stood together on the parking lot dazed and shocked with tears welling up in our eyes as smoke billowed from our building. We held each other, spoke words of comfort, and sought to assure one another that all would be well in time. Despite the destruction, we offered our thanks to God that no one was injured.

              I do not believe I will ever forget that first Sunday we worshipped together at Tilghman High School. We did not even begin to prepare for worship until after 6 o’clock on Saturday evening. Before that time, there had been too much to do as we assessed the damage to our building, initiated the cleanup process, met with insurance adjusters and investigators, and secured the North Entrance as a place to direct ministry in the midst of crisis. 

             Yet, by Sunday morning, choir robes were clean, and music was in folders for worship. Orders of worship printed. Pulpit, advent wreath, and furnishings moved to the auditorium. We stumbled into the auditorium to worship God that morning. Perhaps for the first time in our history, we were experiencing in a new way the meaning of Immanuel. We were searching in one another’s face for a sign that God was with us. As we worshipped that day, we were not disappointed. God came to sustain, comfort, and empower us.

             On this past Sunday, I acknowledged that these six months since the fire have been long and difficult. This has truly been a time of displacement. Yet, I believe we are able to say with the confidence of the Apostle Paul: “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

             Over the course of these months, we have learned to trust God, to walk by faith, and to receive the gifts of others. During this time of trial, we have resisted, by God’s grace, the temptation to run away. We have learned to be flexible, to share space, and to be patient. This test by fire has revealed many things about us.

             I am thankful for your commitment to our mission and ministry. During this time of displacement, we continued to serve our community. We have not cancelled a single ministry initiative. During these months, we have taken on new projects. We began a new program of Christian education for our children. Our sanctuary choir joined with the choir of First Baptist to prepare and present a wonderful Easter celebration of music. Despite the challenges we face daily, we have not backed away from a single opportunity. God has been faithful to us, and we have sought to be faithful to God.

             We are now embarking on our summer events. This week our building has been filled with the sounds created by children learning, singing, and playing. Vacation Bible School has arrived, and it has been a great joy to welcome scores of children each day. On Monday, twenty-six students will head off to Crosspoint at Campbellsville College. The next week a group of youth go off to Passport. On 1 July, our Klintsy Mission Team will fly out of St. Louis. On 5 July, nine of our Senior High youth will head to Chicago for a week of ministering in the inner city. July will conclude with Music Camp for our children. Before we turn around, we will be gearing up for fall.

             As I said on Sunday, the future of Immanuel Baptist Church is in our hands in an unprecedented way. The crisis is real. The challenges are great. The fire has created unexpected opportunities. Our future will depend upon what we do with this time. Will we engage or withdraw? Will we recover a new commitment to our life together or drift into indifference?  Will we faithfully serve the body of Christ or will we be absent from the body? If Immanuel is to experience a vibrant and viable tomorrow, it will be because we have met this time with passion, commitment, and hope. It will be because our motives have been refined by fire, and we have renewed our commitment to live faithfully for Jesus Christ.

             At this time, every member of Immanuel Baptist Church is needed to demonstrate renewed faithfulness to our life together. We need to remember that Immanuel is not merely an institution or a social organization, but Immanuel is the body of Christ. Christ Jesus has called us together for a particular purpose. The Holy Spirit has gifted each one of us for the common good. We are all essential for the work of the kingdom God intends to accomplish through us.

             As we continue to live through this season of displacement, we must introduce others to Jesus Christ. We have experienced the sustaining presence of Jesus in the days since the fire, and, with renewed confidence, we can insure others that God will be with them in their time of trial. We must invite others to share our life together, to serve the cause of Christ alongside us, and to dream dreams of the kingdom with us. The fire has demonstrated that God is not finished with us yet. He has good plans for us. We know that Christ has not brought us this far to leave us now.

             The future of Immanuel Baptist Church rests in our hands. We received a wonderful history and heritage of faithfulness to God from the generations of believers who worshipped here before we arrived. Let us pray that at some point in the future, a generation will look back upon this time in the life of Immanuel and offer thanks to God for our faithfulness and our sacrifice during this season of displacement and challenge. Glory to God!jamie