From New Hope, With Love

10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10

It's sometimes hard to describe what God has done here at New Hope. The goal was to see God create a place where people came together to share life's struggles and multiply life's joys, while learning and growing in our love for God and for our neighbors.

We've welcomed all sorts of people into our family here, and seen some move away. The one we sent out last night may very well be the best illustration of the Scripture above as any we'll ever send.

And he's a dog.

Bobbie the Labrador Retriever has been part of the New Hope family ever since Doug and Ellen Fannon brought him here. Their mission was to help him learn about becoming a "guide dog" and part of that training is his learning how to handle crowds.

So Bobbie became our "church dog". He went to all the usual Baptist events. He came to Sunday School, Wednesday night Bible study, but I can tell you as his pastor, what I most enjoyed was his attitude.

It never changed. You'd greet Bobbie, and he always had time for you. He never stopped to answer his cell phone, or began a conversation with someone else. So I was willing to overlook his one flaw - he slept through every one of my sermons. But he didn't snore too loud.

Last night he left us for the last time, and we threw him a party, complete with a special cake just for him. We recognized him for his cold nose, his soft snores, and his willingness to serve. We'll all miss him here, but we know God will use him to bless many others.

Each one of us has the same opportunity. Let's each of us be the "living letters" and sign our lives, "from New Hope, with love."

Grace!

David
www.newhopevalp.org

Hi, my name is David, and I'm a John Denver fan.

Wow! I feel so much better now that's out in the open. And yes, there are a lot of other artists I enjoy, from Stevie Ray Vaughn and BB King, to U2 and REM, all the way to Nickel Creek and Garth Brooks. But John Denver has always been one of my favorites. I bought his music back when it used to come on these round vinyl disks, and also in a black plastic box you shoved into an 8 track player in your car. I used to watch his TV shows and all the PBS specials.

I even spent $70 once to go to a concert to hear him in person.

For weeks I was filled with excitement, knowing that finally I'd get to see and hear someone I had always wanted to experience. The evening came, Bunny and I sat down. John Denver came out, and everyone around us stood. After a moment or two, we realized that they weren't going to sit back down, so we stood too. Then he began to sing, and for a brief moment, it was glorious.

Then everyone else around us began to sing too.

I didn't pay $70 to hear their voices. And they weren't very good, in fact some were pretty awful. This continued all the way through, until at last, the concert was over and we went home. I've never felt so cheated in my life.

Today I was praying for those around us here, and for people outside the faith community everywhere, when it hit me.

What if the reason people aren't in a church fellowship is not because they don't love Jesus, but because they can't see or hear Him for all the "pretenders" who are in the way?

That's an area that Jesus was frustrated often by. God the Father was desperate to tell the world of His love and plans to help them live life with grace in truth. The religious people did everything they could to keep that message from being heard.

" `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.' " Mark 7:7

Friends, you need to hear God's song to you expressed through the love of Jesus Christ. Not what you hear on TV, or through others pretending to sing along with Him but never on key with grace. As a pastor, I don't come to church to tell people how to live, I come to hear God's voice and share what I've learned in my own struggles to love Him with my whole life.

I believe with every fiber of my being that once you know Jesus and love Him completely, you'll always want to hear Him. Make a way. Find a place free of interference from the world and its din of noise and meditate on God's Word. Take a moment to appreciate the wonder of God's creation. Find something in your life you can give Him thanks for, and spend a moment in prayer doing just that. Then come to worship with your fellow strugglers and enjoy the wonder of praise.

Don't allow yourself to be cheated out of a relationship with God.

Grace!

David Wilson
www.newhopevalp.org