Message from the Pastor - Ken Radant
Hi everyone!
I hope you’re enjoying this beautiful June day. It’s about time that we got some more warmth and sunshine. And can you believe it’s June?! I know that those who are in school, or who have kids in school, are very conscious that the end of the school year is approaching quickly. (I’m sure this is especially true for this year’s grads—and congratulations again to that group!) But I feel like June has crept up on me, and I don’t think I’m mentally ready for it quite yet.
Oh well, the days march by whether we’re ready or not. So, it’s good to practice the discipline of thankfulness every day. As Jeremiah said so well, God’s steadfast love never ceases; His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).
I’m always impressed that Jeremiah could say that at the center-point of a book called Lamentations, which is mostly an extended poem of pain written in the middle of a national catastrophe. I’m sure there were many days when Jeremiah didn’t feel like God was being merciful and loving. On the surface, things must have seemed like a real mess. Still, somehow, he was able to look beyond the immediate situation to a horizon on which the brightness of God’s promise could be seen. Jeremiah remembered that God’s love doesn’t come and go just because our situations fluctuate between light and dark. He found the strength to keep trusting, day-by-day, believing that God would provide whatever help was needed in each new day.
I don’t always follow Jeremiah’s example as well as I’d like. But I’m learning, little by little. I hope you’re all finding the encouragement, strength, leading, and other things you’re needing for each day, too. I know that some in our church are facing special times of difficulty right now. (I’m praying for you, and I encourage us all to remember to pray for one another as the Spirit prompts.) May we all be freshly reminded that God’s mercies really are unfailing, newly available to meet us every morning and each day. May we draw encouragement from that truth and find ways to encourage each other with it!
Well, I didn’t plan for this note to be quite so serious. I started out with the happy thought that God is with me every day—then I remembered where that quote came from. In any case, whether these fast-moving days feel joyful or difficult, it’s good to know that we don’t go through them alone.
That, by the way, is one of the themes that will come up in this Sunday’s sermon. Officially, the message focuses on some of the character qualities that Proverbs calls us to develop as we grow in wisdom. But the punchline of the message is the good news that we don’t have to build those qualities in our own strength. God is with us, and His Spirit is in us, to produce good fruit that goes beyond what we can manage. He loves to do this, if we’ll let Him take charge.
If you’re looking to read ahead, the main Scripture reading for Sunday morning will be Proverbs 2:1-11. You might also want to review the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, since we’re going to consider those character qualities as we thumb through noteworthy sayings in Proverbs. I’ve really enjoyed comparing these OT and NT verses. I hope you’ll find the study useful too.
On that note, I need to get back to sermon preparation. Today is going too fast, and there’s still too much to do!
Have a blessed week, and hopefully, we’ll see you Sunday.
Celebration of Life for Don Davis (Shannon Spencer's father)
Saturday, June 22 at 1:30pm at Hillside Baptist Church, 870 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver
Reception to follow. Please RSVP to Shannon Spencer at 604.984.0621
Office Volunteers Needed: We are thankful that Judy Thompson is in the office Monday to Wednesday from 9am to 3pm. The office will be closed on Fridays until a new Church Administrator is hired. We are looking for volunteers to be in the office on Thursdays to answer the phones, greet people who come into the office, and open the doors in the CE Wing. Pastor Ken will be in the office as well. We would be grateful if you could spend 2 to 3 hours in the office.
Over 100 Years and enduring... WVBC began as a Baptist Mission in the summer of 1921, it was on July 2, 1924, when West Vancouver Baptist Church was officially organized with 27 Charter Members. We have a long heritage on the North Shore which should be acknowledged and celebrated. If you are interested in helping with the planning for a September BBQ, please contact the office.