Pastor’s Corner May 2005

The following was published in our monthly newsletter, the Redeemer Report.

 Springtime and Harvest

Springtime for me is a time of preparation for the summer and fall. Besides the opportunity spring affords to hunt wild turkeys, I don’t much care for it. Spring means cleaning up, cultivating the soil, refreshing things, and a whole bunch of hard work. I would rather fast forward through to summer and fall.

My family loves summer because of the special times with our church family and special traveling we do during these months. We love the weekly cookouts on Sunday evenings. They afford unique times of fellowship with our Redeemer family. There is no rush to get home on Sunday nights- no school in the morning! The PCA General Assembly is always in June; I’ve grown to enjoy these annual meetings. July brings an exciting week of VBS and the annual Juarez Mission trip. The end of July results in our tomato harvest (over 1000 last year!). The taste of vine-ripened tomatoes is unmatched. It should be illegal to eat those light-orange things they sell at the supermarket! August is the month we take our family trip to see my parents in Western New York. I like summer much more than spring.

Summer is great, but fall is even better. Fall means seeing the restart and regular expansion of our home fellowship groups and other ministries as well as the opening of bow-hunting seasons in Missouri and Kansas! I further love fall weather- cool, crisp, days with the smell of falling leaves and fresh earth. Because I enjoy hunting, observing many sunrises has become one of my favorite features of fall. I contest that a person has not lived until he/she has had the opportunity to watch the sun slowly rise, wildlife “wake up”, and the buck of your dreams saunter through the woods directly toward your perch totally unaware of your presence. I like fall much more than I like spring.

Just because I prefer summer and fall over spring doesn’t mean that spring is unimportant or not appreciated. After all, the events I enjoy in the summer and fall require hard work and preparation in the spring. The showers of May bring the tomatoes of July. The spring rains bring the church grounds to life. We have a beautiful setting for our Sunday evening gatherings. Spring planning is what makes the ministries of summer viable. Spring affords the opportunity to finish the school year strong and look forward to a change of pace for the summer months. Spring is important to my favorite hobby also. Lush spring growth leads to plenteous food for deer and turkeys. In fact, the more rain and plant growth in April and May, the bigger the antlers in October and November! I appreciate spring for what it does to make summer and fall that much better.

In some strange way I think we are in the spring of our church’s life. Springtime is a season of hard work and preparation so that fruit can be enjoyed later. We are in a time of building here at Redeemer, and I am not speaking only of the physical structures being erected. I am referring to the cultivating of the vision God has given us at Redeemer. Our prayers and efforts during this “springtime” phase of our Church’s life should be directed by our two-fold vision: First, for Redeemer to be a center for the right worship of God in our community. The pursuit and practice of biblical worship, the administration of Christ’s sacraments, and the exposition of God’s Word cultivate this. Second, for Redeemer to be a training ground for disciples of Jesus Christ. This is nurtured through life-sharing within the body of believers promoted by the existence of intentional discipleship forums, both in classroom settings and our living rooms.

Like I said, spring means cleaning up, cultivating the soil, refreshing things, and a whole bunch of hard work. You know what? That’s pretty satisfying stuff! Hard work during springtime is necessary for a good harvest in summer and fall.

In the Lamb,
Pastor Tony Felich