Word of the week: Whew!

Whew! You know that feeling, right? You have been working on something and sweating away and finally that stuck nut breaks free, or that stain comes up, and you take a deep breath and say “Whew!” Monday was a day of saying “whew” for me!

It was a great weekend at Grace and I guess, given that only one more remains in my time here as pastor, it might as well have been a full one. Saturday was the “Brotherhood Breakfast” at Grace with men from Grace, Emmanuel Christian, Bethany Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, Maple Grove, Standardsville UMC, and Blue Run Baptist.  The men have now done this enough that they are quite comfortable with each other. I introduced a topic, and gave them discussion questions starting with some “icebreakers.”  No need for that! Those guys went right at it, talking with one another like old friends, and relating stories honestly. We circled up at the end for prayer, about four or so of our visitors quite powerfully prayed for us all.

Many thanks to Don Price and his team of volunteers who covered every bit of the task like champions

Sunday was full of the usual activities, plus a memorial service at 2:00 PM and then our annual hosting of the MLK service for the Greene County Ministerial Association.  George Morris of UVA Fellowship of Christian Athletes spoke powerfully in spite of a terrible cold. There was lots of music of many varieties also. People then really enjoyed some fellowship afterwards and tasted that sense of the wider Christian community to which the Lord Jesus called us.

While I was plenty tired after all of that, I will miss some of that frenetic activity that often was laced with deeply meaningful moments.  I know the Lord has similar things ahead for me in the future, and many more of those moments for the leaders at Grace.

I hope to see you this Sunday for my final Sunday as your pastor.  The title of the message: Great Things are Ahead!