March 31, 2014 (Monday )
Can we really be at the end of March? Yep, we’re really here again. Hopefully, winter’s behind us and we can look forward to spending more time outside, doing things like walking in the park.
Sunday was my last day with the Bethel Baptist Church of Ingleside. Their new pastor and family have moved to town and a new era is beginning there. This was my third time to be their interim pastor, but it was the shortest term at seven months. The other stretches of service there were about 1 1/2 years each. Please pray for the church and its new pastor as they look to the future with optimism and faith.
I had planned a series of sermons built around the events of Holy Week, culminating on Easter Sunday, and had preached two of the six or seven sermons. Instead of completing the series, realizing my experience with the church was coming to a close, I preached a message that simply described the events of that final week, entitling the sermon, “The Week of Weeks.” I had also begun a series of studies on the Apostle Paul on Wednesday evenings, but after ten sessions, terminated the study by handing out printed materials that covered the remaining materials.
And so I adjusted the sermon schedule and the study to fit the new situation. Life is a series of adjustments, isn’t it? Now I will attempt to adjust again to being actually retired, at age 82. Pray for me, please. And, whoever you are, I will pray for you, too. April, here we come!