November 1, 2006

Dear Family and Friends of WCPC:

I have a series of questions I want you to consider as we continue as a congregation to reflect upon the use of our TIME.  I think they are pretty revealing if answered honestly and you should, since no one will know but you.  Although discussing them with a close friend or your spouse might make this exercise even more helpful.

1. Do you seem to be short of time to get everything done?
2. Do you seem to have little time to relax and enjoy the day?
3. Do you eat fast?
4. Do you drive over the speed limit?
5. Do you hate to wait in line?
6. Do you find yourself over-committed?
7. Do you think of other things during conversations?
8. Do you walk fast?
9. Do you try to do more than one thing at a time?
10. Do you become irritable if kept waiting?
11. Do you find yourself with clenched fists or tight neck or jaw muscles?
12. Does your concentration sometimes wander while you think about what’s coming up later?

Jesus lived a full life.  He preached, taught, and healed.  He had time to invest in the lives of the twelve disciples, modeling for them, mentoring them.   He spent time with family and friends.  He enjoyed being with people.  He also found time to be alone with God in prayer.  That time with God gave Jesus the focus He needed to order His life properly and faithfully.

In the passage I shared Sunday from Mark 1: 36 – 39, we find Jesus withdrawing to a solitary place to pray.  The day before He had been received by the crowds and things were going well.  The temptation might have been to stay where He was at that time, enjoying the adoration of the crowd.  But Jesus understood His mission and He understood the best use of His time.  As Jesus tells His disciples, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.”  (Mark 1: 38)

I made two recommendations on Sunday.  The first is to invest time daily to be with God.  This time would include both prayer and reading the Bible.  There are also many good devotional tools available, such as “These Days,” which is available at the church office or in the narthex of our sanctuary.  The second is to invest time in people.  Invest time in ministry and mission, both through WCPC and in the community at large.  As I read the gospels these two priorities seem to have given focus to Jesus and all the use of His time.

My prayer, the prayer of the Stewardship Committee, is that each of us will be challenged in  this season.  May God lead each of us and the WCPC community into places where we both will receive a blessing and where we will in turn be a blessing.

See you on Sunday.  Our focus will be on TALENTS.

Your pastor,

David Jones