Destination Unknown

While things have been quiet here on my blog for the past couple of months, things in my life haven't been as quiet.  Without going into much detail here, our ministry is transitioning.  God has closed a door to ministry right now in Zanesville.  And while we don't know what that looks like, I have a new appreciation for the story of Abram's call in Genesis 12: 

"12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

 4 So Abram went..." Genesis 12:1, 4a, NIV

The amazing thing about this story... what is dawning on me and what I am learning... Abram didn't know where he was going.  We often read Genesis 12 through the eyes of the rest of the book of Genesis.  We know where Abram, later Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and the rest of the crew end up.  We know that Abram will have a son and be asked to sacrifice his son.  We know that that son, Isaac, will have two sons, Jacob and Esau.  We know about Jacob's 12 sons and how they sold their brother into slavery and how the whole crew ended up in Egypt.  

But for Abram, in chapter 12, he didn't know that.  He didn't know where he was going.  He didn't know what the end would look like.  

I know that anxiety right now.  

I don't know where this road will lead.  

Sometimes with faith... we don't know.  We are called... sent... by God to someplace... unknown.  And God doesn't give us the GPS coordinates or the address of the final destination.  Sometimes God just asks us to go... 

And He expects us to go.  

Hebrews 11 shares the same insight about Abraham... "8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8, NIV, emphasis added)

So... where is God calling you?  

Where is God calling me?  

For now... only God knows... 

JC

A week of lasts...

I was thinking this morning, as I was getting ready for church, that today (actually last week for some) begins a week of lasts.

• Last Thursday was my last day with my middle school guys' small group.
• Today (Sunday, April 18) is my last day at church at FVCC... lots of last conversations, last handshakes and last hugs...
  
• Monday is my last staff meeting.
• Wednesday morning will be my last morning meeting with the men's Bible study that I've been a part of for a year and half.
  
• Wednesday is my last day in the office at FVCC
• Friday and Saturday the days of my last trip with my middle schoolers... CIY Believe in Holland, MI.

I'm sure there are others... and I may come back and add them if I think of them.

It's kinda odd... so much of my life over the past 5 years has been tied up in this place and with this people. It's odd to think about life beyond FVCC. But after next Thursday (April 29), I'll head into that next and new chapter of my life. Because April 29 is my last day in the area... I'll be on the road to Zanesville that day. Then it will begin a whole new list of firsts...

Jim

Turn the page... Transition

This morning was a tough morning at church. It was my last morning working with my students on the weekend (I've got a couple more nights of small group) and the last time that I'll have a chance to speak to them as a group. I will be at FVCC this coming Sunday, for the last time as staff, but I didn't want any kind of reception or recognition next week because the children's ministry is putting on a musical and I didn't want to overshadow that and our students our going to support the children.

The church also hosted a reception lunch after second service.

I talked to the students about faith... the importance of putting their faith completely and solely in Christ and Christ alone. While I can't wait to see what God does in the lives of the students in that room (like he has in the lives of so many others), it was still a bit heartbreaking...

As one page turns to another.

I felt...
-encouraged
-sad
-excited
-humbled
-anxious
-nervous
-thrilled

And a whole host of other things. It was encouraging to listen to folks in the church share with me thoughts, memories or things they will remember about our five years here.

We are looking forward to the next page of ministry. The next couple of weeks will be spent handing off ministry here and preparing to begin ministry in Zanesville. We're a bit saddened at the change. We are, however, thrilled and excited about beginning ministry at North Terrace.

I will begin in Zanesville on May 2.

Jim