From the Pastor...
     “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son....” - Galatians 4:4
     Summer is over. Autumn is here. Once again, the seasons change. If you’re like me, it’s easier to think of all the things you left undone this summer than it is to consider what will be coming up in the not-too-distant future. If only I had another week of summer.... If only I had completed that project sooner... If only... If only...
     One of the great gifts God has entrusted to us, in addition to our various abilities and resources, is time. When we misuse our time, we feel remorse and regret (the “if only” syndrome). When we take full advantage of God’s gift of time, we experience a sense of fullness, of completion. When we’re able to cross an item off our “honey-do” list, we can even feel a sense of relief ! “Phew! That’s done!” And as we work toward the accomplishment of a task, we anticipate that climax - that sense of completion - all the more. That’s experiencing the fullness of time.
     And that’s when God meets us.
     If we want to experience God, we need to be active - seeking - doing - filling and fulfilling the time. We need to make those opportune moments happen for God’s time to intersect ours. That’s why Lincoln Chapel looks the way it does today.
     We are active. We are seeking. We are doing. We are filling and fulfilling God’s time as we grow in discipleship and reach out to our community. And in doing so, we sense God’s guiding presence. By being idle, we would be tempted to look inwardly, serving our own needs. It would then become easy to lose the proper perspectives on life and faith and ministry.
     So I challenge you this autumn not to look to the past - and all the missed opportunities. Nor to look to the future, for it will have its own opportunities. But to look at the here and now. In your life. In your family. At Lincoln Chapel. And around the world.
     Let’s work on developing new relationships - full relationships. Let’s energize our church with new ministry - full ministry. Let’s grow in our trust - full trust. Let’s show our love - full love. And when we strive toward that fullness - in our lives and in our church - God will be in our midst.
     Marcia and I wish you an autumn filled with the fullness of God,

     Pastor Jon West