Pastor's Note | Saturday, September 20th

One of my favorite stories is about a young Navy Commander whose leadership was tested one day when his ship was threatened by an unidentified aircraft that was closing rapidly. As the account goes, the alarm was sounded, calling the crew to their battle stations. But before he left his stateroom to make his way to the Bridge to oversee the response to the threat, another officer overheard the young Commander secretly repeating to himself, “Starboard is right, port is left.”

I don’t know if that is a true story, but I like it because it reminds me of the importance of remembering the basics. For a church it’s important to remember why we are the community of faith God has built up in this place and what God wants to do in and through us. In other words, to remember the basics.

Like being a community of people who connect with God in worship. We worship together on Sundays in the sanctuary, on Wednesday evening at FLIPT in Zirbel Hall, in small groups that bow together in praise and giving thanks to God, and even in our homes where individuals, couples, and families pray and experience the presence of God. We are a community of people who connect with God and try to always be aware of God’s presence.

The basics. Like growing in faith as we study the Bible to hear God’s word, discern God’s will, and understand God’s character. Amazingly, the God who is so “other than we are” has let us know a significant amount about God’s nature, character, purposes in this world (and all creation), and about unconditional love for and desire to relate to each of us. So, though we can never fully grasp all there is of God in this lifetime, we can learn to know our Creator, allow his word to fill our minds, and know his will for our lives.

The basics. Like serving others in love. Jesus’ life demonstrated the self-giving love of God. He cane not to be served but to serve and give himself to restore our connection to God. We have the great opportunity to reflect this self-giving love to people around us – talking with them about the love of God Jesus reveals, do- ing what we can to meet human needs, trying to bring God’s righteousness into situations of injustice and evil and inhumanity, showing what self-giving love is like.

“Starboard is right, port is left.” We are a community of people brought together in the wondrous grace and love of God and through Jesus Christ to connect, grow, and serve.

It is a privilege to be part of this community of faith.

Pastor Jim