Leaving a Legacy
Last night we celebrated the life of Marjorie Middleton. Marjorie lived to be 100 years old and though she was a tiny woman she left a big impact on the people she met in life. Last night’s celebration of life reminded me that as I get older it becomes more and more important for me to build and leave a legacy for others.
A scripture segment that came to mind to me last night was one about the two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, from the Book of Kings (2 Kings 2:1-12). In the passage, Elijah has told Elisha that it is time for him to go up to Heaven. Throughout the passage it is known that Elijah will not be there forever and Elisha is the chosen successor. Elisha however would prefer that his master stay. This passage is a reminder that we must always be preparing others for our departure. I have only been pastor at Lake Cities for a little over a year and I am VERY sure that my departure is no where soon. Not to prepare others, however, would be to deny the legacy that Christ had placed on Peter and consequently on all ministers, myself included. Peter was the rock on which the church was built and the message to Peter as well to other disciples was to make disciples of all nations.
As a Church we should remember everyday to look beyond the present and prepare for the future. Part of doing this is casting a vision for the church. A vision for the church is something we experience within our minds for the future of the church. Obtaining a vision is not too difficult, but it does require prayer and petition. This Sunday we will be continuing our “ReEngage” series and I would like to share a vision with you that I have for Lake Cities UMC. This vision is what is going to help us leave a legacy for years to come, but before we meet again I want to ask you to do two things: 1. Pray for God to reveal to you the new things that will be happening very soon. 2. Think about what story Lake Cities UMC will be telling 5 years from now (Who will we be? What will we look like? Where will we go? Join us this Sunday at 8:30 AM and 10:45 AM
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
