Page 2 - January 2019 Newsletter

Pastor Marc Brown

There were words of encouragement…

There were voices with aggression…
There were hands clapping…

There were demonstrations of disapproval…

There were celebrations of victory…

There were disappointments of defeat…

Do you know what I am describing? It sounds like me and my annual track of a New Year’s resolution and my
response after the first week. Though these words could describe this situation, they are describing something else.
Do you have any other guesses?

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If you guessed a sporting event, you are right. In December, Josiah, my youngest, was a part of the 6 grade
basketball team. We had driven an hour to a town that I would have never found had it not been for my mapping
app on my phone. We were in a gym where the court was bordered by bleachers on one side and a brick wall on the
other. The court was small and felt like a large closet with two basketball hoops mounted in it. Once the game
started, the kids ran back and forth bouncing off the walls, the floor and each other. The six or seven rows of
bleachers were filled with mostly adults from both schools sharing their support for the respective team and
reminding the officials they were human and had missed another call.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good basketball game. I enjoy the drama of the event and the effort and energy the

boys put forth for the game. I played as freshman in High School and was decent at in my ability. So don’t hear me
“poo poo” basketball and I will guarantee this was not my last game. Yet, as I sat there and heard the crowd and
watched the boys, I wondered if this game would really change anybody’s world. Was all the energy and emotion
that was being poured out by all going to leave the world a different place? I don’t mean to be a skeptic, but as I
observed all of this the thought crossed my mind, “what are we worshipping?”

Does someone going to heaven or hell motivate me or you? Why are we willing to be fools at a sports game, but sit
quietly in the arena of life and not share the Good News of Jesus Christ? I don’t know what your New Year’s

resolution is or if you even have one, but may we as the body of Christ hear Jesus calling us to the harvest (Matthew
9:35-38). Jesus states there are people broken and lost in the darkness, but then he Jesus says there are only a few
to help with the harvest or to help bring people home to the Light of Christ. Are you willing to work for the harvest?
This year may we make the commitment to share with someone about Jesus and through our sharing may we
“Journey with Jesus to be like Jesus.” I believe in doing this we will find life, hope and love and something to truly
holler about!