TREASURE

I always enjoy watching the little kids during the church’s Easter Egg Hunt.  They come with their empty baskets and see the church grounds covered with tons of goodies for them to collect.  This past Saturday I watched the two year olds in amazement.  So many different personalities show themselves. There are those who have only one goal, fill the basket with whatever they can get their hands on.  There are others who pick up a sucker, look it over, mull whether it’s something they want and either put it back on the ground or put it in their basket.  By the time all the candy has disappeared from the hunt area, some have their buckets full to overflowing and others barely have anything in theirs.  Yet both seem very happy with what they have.  

We came on Easter Sunday with our buckets ready to be filled.  We celebrated the treasures of God in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.   Our buckets were filled with His love, peace, joy, salvation, right standing, Holy Spirit, inheritance, heaven.  Our buckets have all the best goodies in them, “treasure with which we couldn’t be happier.”

Christ the Lord is risen indeed.  Our Savior reigns.  Hallelujah!!

EASTER

I was captivated by a short quote from author, Madeleine L’Engle.  She wrote, “Easter is always the answer to “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”  The depth of Christ’s pain on the cross was way more than the excruciating physical suffering of crucifixion, it was the agony of His soul as he experienced His Fathers’ just wrath for the full judgment of our sins.  We can’t even imagine what the darkness of that hour was like in Jesus’ soul, but Easter answers the question of why Jesus felt forsaken by His Father.   God forsook Him because of His love for US!!!  Knowing the resurrection would complete redemption’s full plan, He allowed His Son to endure that dark hour of suffering and death.  Easter turned tragedy to triumph and we are the benefactors.   Without a satisfactory sacrifice for sin, there is no redemption.  Easter opens up hope.  And as the song writer penned, “Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness.”   Without the cross there is no way to enter into the presence of a Holy God and experience an eternal Easter.  I Peter 2:24 says it so well.  “He bore our sins on His body on the tree that we being dead in sin might live unto righteousness”.   What a God!!! 

GETTING EXCITED

If you were at CCC last week you heard from our Search Committee chair, Mark Davis and an Elder Board member, Joe Smith that God has led us to my replacement. In fact Joe's words expressed the joyous opportunity to having a ringside seat of God at work.. This has been our prayer over these past seven months, "God's Man, God's Glory, God at Work". And He has been. Sunday, April 27th will be part of a confirmation weekend, where our church family gets to meet "God's Man and his wife."

Two years ago I went to visit a buddy in Hawaii. I spent time at McKenzie Park seeking the Lord's direction for my future. What was His plan for me? I left the islands with a clear sense that I enter into a two year transition to leave CCC and do interim ministries, helping churches who were between pastors. During the two years I was to prepare our staff for transition. continue to guide our vision advancement and begin the process of finding the new lead pastor. All is complete. We are at God"s time for change and I couldn't be more excited. I love seeing God at Work. So don't miss Sunday, April 27th for your own ringside seat.

SOMETHING SPECIAL TO CELEBRATE

This past weekend Melinda and I were at the church her son in law started five years ago in Wilmington, N.C.  They were celebrating the good work of God over these past five years and looking forward to the next five.  Two things especially impressed me as I saw their heart and values.  They were committed to bless their community with grace and generosity.  They identified needs and gave time and resources to impact those needs for the better.  Second they were committed to build a better community by partnering with other churches to make sure Christ got a good name in their community.  

Their Easter Egg Hunt this year is really fun to hear about.  They are joining with three other churches at the Community Park of Leland, inviting all the kids from the neighborhoods, some from very poor areas.  As the kids collect easter eggs, each egg has a number inside which can be exchanged for specific gifts.  People have donated things like new bikes to give to a kid who has never had one.  The intentionality to bless is all over this church.  

In fact they did something last Sunday I am not sure I would have the faith to do.  The offering that morning would all be given away.  None of it would go for the church budget.  The largest offering ever received was given, which included $6900 for a Vietnamese mom and her son, who became Christians last year and now want to return to Vietnam to share Jesus with her Buddhist family.

God’s hand is all over this church.  You've gotta love His imprint.  

The cool thing is that churches all over America are “getting it”.  It is all about getting the beauty of Jesus out into our communities.  His Grace and Generosity are worth emulating.  Let’s do it.

ENDINGS

I have lived 67 years now and though my life has been a continuum of days with the present seeming to be a sensible convergence of the past, the truth is that there have been a lot of endings.  We move and say goodbye to friends.  We graduate from High School and leave the familiar behind for the wide unknown.  We marry and discard the independence of the single life.  We bury and mourn the death of a friend or beloved family member.  There are a lot of ends in life, chapters closing.  But in life, with each end is a new beginning.  Until we are in the endlessness of eternity that is how life works.  There are wonderful new beginnings.  I am at that juncture again.  On April 6^th, Mark Davis, head of our Search Committee, is going to bring a significant update to our church family.  For the past 7 months the Search Team has worked diligently, asking the Lord to lead the process of finding His man to step into the role of Senior Pastor as I step into retirement.

The reality is hitting.  My days at Centerville Community Church are coming to an end.  Our home has a contract on it.  We are scheduled to close on May 9^th.  God is leading the Search Committee to my replacement.  A joyous ending and new beginning is ahead of us.  Let’s get ready to celebrate.  Each new chapter has wonderful surprises and God’s rich blessings.  How good He is.

THE ADVOCATE

Last year at this time my sister was involved in a car accident in which my cousin was killed.  Because there was a death my sister had to appear before a judge for sentencing.  Fortunately she had an attorney who would be her advocate, presenting the facts of the case and asking the court for mercy in the midst of justice.  Her advocate was a veteran lawyer in these types of cases.  The outcome was fair and just and we as a family were so thankful for this man’s representation.

I was reading in I John, that short but uplifting epistle, and came across this verse which starts chapter 2.  “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”  What a blessed encouragement that verse is.  Jesus is a veteran presence in the court.  He understands our weaknesses having been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Our Advocate is better than any attorney on earth, for no matter what our crime, Jesus did the time.  He took our sins upon Him that we might stand righteous and uncondemnable before our Holy Father.  What an advocate.  Need one?

CAMPING

What were the most spiritually influential places you attended when you were growing up?  Though I went to church every Sunday with my parents, the places where my most significant decisions were made about God were not in church believe it or not.  They were at retreats and summer camps.  I went to my first camp when I was 8 years old.  It was there I prayed with the camp director to receive Christ.  (My mom loved to tell people I was having such a good time I never once opened my suitcase.  It came back exactly as she had packed it.  Must have slept in my clothes and worn the same underwear for a week.  Is that possible?)  

As the years went by I attended camps every summer into my teen years.  The Spirit of God really got my attention during those weeks for I remember going to the altar to rededicate myself to God.  Spiritual maturity seldom outstrips personal maturity so growing in Christ takes a lot longer time when you start out at 8 years old.  But those years were so instrumental in what God was doing in my life and how He was preparing me for the life He planned for me.  I look back with fondness at summer camp.  

But many kids don’t do church camp any more.  Can I encourage you Moms and Dads to consider sending your kid to church camp this summer?  Robb Burt our Children’s Pastor is promoting one in August for 3-6 graders.  Be sure you look for the details as they come your way.  Church camp can make a huge difference in your kid’s life as they grow.  It is a great investment whether they unpack their suitcase or not.