God’s Perfect Timing
“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
With the encouragement of the elders of FCF and my own sense of the Spirit’s leading, I recently announced that I will complete my service as pastor of FCF on August 31st.
I communicated this first to church leaders out of respect for their devotion. I felt the weight of this announcement, not only because of so many years of service but also because no pastoral candidate had been identified. However, within minutes of my communication, ruling elder and chair of the Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) Bill Bolling emailed the congregation and announced that the PSC had narrowed their search to two qualified candidates. He asked for prayer in discerning who God would have lead FCF in this next season.
These two emails, which were sent literally within minutes of one another, could not have been orchestrated by man. The 12-member PSC has met more than 30 times in the past year, processing countless candidates, listening to hundreds of sermons, and discussing endless questions while asking again and again for prayer from the Body. The fact that they announced the emergence of two candidates just moments after I communicated my departure date is due only to God. ONLY GOD, who knows the beginning from the end and orders all things according to His good pleasure, can orchestrate such timing. Indeed, I felt God carrying His people and carrying Maria and me at that moment. Exodus 8:10 rings true again and again, “there is no one like the LORD our God.” Praise Him!
Prayer Requests
Thank God for the grace of how He carries His people.
Pray that God would continue to guide the PSC, the session, and the Body of FCF as the final pastoral candidate will be processed in the near future.
Pray for his joyful reception.
Pray that I will faithfully complete my calling as pastor of FCF for the joy of God’s people and glory of God.
Pray for wisdom as we organize BALM’s board and for quick approval of its application to become a non-profit.
Pray for wisdom in how to seek support for BALM.
Personal Side
Pray for Maria and her family; she lost her beloved brother, Paul, to lung cancer two months ago, and Paul’s only son, Evan, this week from a drug overdose.
Pray for my healing as I am recovering from hernia repair surgery a week ago.