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THE CENTRAL CALL - OCTOBER 2023

BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER

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October 28th ‐ Food Packing

October 29th ‐ Combined Worship Service

A young minister was asked by a funeral director to hold a graveside service for a man who had died without any known family or friends. The funeral was held way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest in a new cemetery. Not being familiar with the backwoods area, the young pastor became lost; on the other hand, he did not want to stop for directions.

When the young pastor finally arrived an hour late, he saw the crew and backhoe working, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The workmen had stopped to eat lunch. He apologized to the workers for being late, which puzzled them. He assured them he would not hold them long.

As the workers gathered around, still eating their lunch, he poured out his heart and soul. As he preached, the workers began to say, “Amen,” and “Praise the Lord!” – So, he preached and he preached like he had never preached before. He began from Genesis and went all the way through to Revelation.

As he was getting in his car afterward, he heard one of the workers say, “I’ve been putting in septic tanks for twenty years, and I ain’t never seen anything like this before.”

Sometimes it is helpful to pause and make sure we have the right directions. In this season of transition as a congregation, it is helpful to ask, “What aspect of Christ’s mission belongs to us?” Or, to put it another way, “What is our congregation for?”

By asking about the purpose of our congregation, we come to see our church as a “means of grace,” and we begin to acknowledge and embrace our God-given function here in this place.

What do you believe about your congregation that is worth sharing?

I’ve got my own strong thoughts on that, just as you have yours.

Here’s good news:  change and new life begin by asking the right questions.

Jesus is here to help us with the rest.

Have a blessed October,

Rick

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