Pastor's Corner
September 2008

  
   Do I believe that a time of national emergency looms in our immediate future?  I do.  It's only a matter of time and we may have only a little time to prepare.
 
   What I'm suggesting here is that it is not inconceivable that something like 9-11-2001 could occur in our near future and that we will be forced suddenly and unmercifully to rely on our own resources; Our own resources meaning whatever is in our cupboards, garages, attics and storage containers.

I want to lead our church family, not only to be prepared for such a disaster, but also to seriously consider how they might be free to minister and care for others during a period of national alarm or crisis, as opposed to being consumed with anxieties tied to personal survival.

   At a recent Air Force training workshop I learned that during a disaster the first thing on the minds of the first (and follow-on) responders is the well-being of family members and friends. In order to do a ministry and be a place of comfort and encouragement during a crisis, we ourselves need to have prepared ahead of time for our own immediate family.  Freed from such concern, Green Hill Church could organize very quickly into "good neighbor teams" with some comfort items to hand out and certainly the Word of God to proclaim.
 

   Soon, during our Wednesday night gatherings, we will have guests come to speak to us about how best to prepare for up to a month's worth of food and water, how to live as comfortably as possible without electricity and how to survive when all the services we take for granted are not operating normally.

   The more prepared we are the less we will require from the emergency infrastructure that develops following a disaster.

   There's a lot to talk about and plan for here...
 

   Refusing the "Chicken Little" moniker,
 

   Pastor Dan

Pastor's Corner
June 2008

 
 May has been an amazing month!  For me, retirement from the Air Force and hitting the Big 6 – 0 in one weekend.  It’s enough to bring one to his knees.

  I’m excited, though, about the future. We are living in times of amazing change; some are good though much appears to be bad (or “evil”) as the Scripture puts it in the text below.

  What an opportunity to serve the Lord, providing God’s people with a place of refuge and refreshing. Families are being pulled in so many different directions by educational, vocational and leisure time pursuits. Add to that mix the attractions and distractions of our “wired” global society and it’s possible to stress out, or even to check out, our time and finances being limited resources that they are.

  In May we had a wonderful Heritage Sunday remembering and even greeting in person some pioneers of the faith here at Green Hill.  By way of 1988 and 1990 videos I got to meet some precious saints I had never seen before. In addition, Bess Till talked to us by way of video tape from the nursing home. Elsie Alford and the Frambachs were able to be here in person to enjoy the service and the luscious meal that followed.

  Also in May we lost two members who dearly loved Green Hill and both were truly beloved by Green Hill:  Christina Sims passed away in her sleep on Monday afternoon, May 5, and Margie Johnson laid down to relax at the end of a busy Friday and she too slipped into God’s loving arms, Saturday, May 10, while at rest. Both will be sorely missed. Such servant hearts they had and their love for God and His people will continue to impact Green Hill lives for many years to come.

  It’s time to take a breath, to take stock, to give thanks, to grieve great losses but to look ahead with purpose and urgency.  Our time(s) are not our own. We belong to God and to one another. Nevertheless, we all need to prepare for God’s future; to be ready to carry out God’s plan to rescue and bring meaning to the lives of many others.

  I am pondering a few verses from Ephesians these days. I ask myself this question as I ponder away: “What might the Lord be saying to me?  What might he be saying to Green Hill in these important days before Christ comes back or our own days on earth come to a close?”

 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  Ephesians 5:15 – 18.

Pastor Dan