I suppose it is only natural at this juncture to look back at where we were a year ago. As I do, I am frequently and thankfully reminded of how much Lauren did to keep everyone updated. Also, I am amazed at the magnitude of how many of you were praying and writing. We know there were many reading who were not writing, and as we meet you from time to time, we continue to realize that this is still true. We are very encouraged in our walk that so many of you find peace and encouragement through our Savior by visiting this site. For we are only broken people trying to follow Christ.

I continue to remember the words of BJ, asking me to alert his Awe Star family and the body. He was studying John 17, Christ's prayer for the unity of believers. This was no small thing to him. He saw the importance of believers uniting as he read from Christs' perspective. He also saw how imperative it was for us as his followers to remain focused on Him, as this world tries relentlessly to drag us back into backbiting, name calling, and finger pointing.

I have heard recently from ministers who are fighting these very issues in their churches. Christians often have difficulty not usurping available power and trying to direct it for their own purposes. Often this is to maintain their level of comfort in the face of following Christ (through the pastoral leadership). This is not easy because it requires the steps of faith we are challenged to have and grow in.

This does not happen randomly. It happens purposefully, as we submit to His authority for our lives. This happens at the personal level as well as the corporate level. When we superimpose our own views into the direction of the church because we feel we are a better judge of what Christ wants than the staff, we are doing little more than grabbing at power for the sake of our own belief in the direction we are most comfortable with.

Christ will accomplish His purposes often in spite of us if we do not allow Him to direct. The result is that we get hurt because we could not crawl, walk or run by faith. At what point do we stop trying to be in charge of that we were not intended to control. If we believe the Lord has called our pastors to their roles, then we need to submit to the vision or direction He lays on their hearts.

Yes, we must be careful and test everything against the Word. Yes, we want to assure that the Lord is the Lord of our pastors life. The way to do this is not through backdoor methods which result in gossip and undue persuasion of other members. Try being his friend. Meet with him to pray. Pray for him when you cannot meet. Ask the Lord to change your heart to match what He wills, over what you will.

His desire is unity among the body of believers. This will not occur if we are seeking our own ideas of what and who our church is supposed to be.

We often come together during crisis times. The way believers rallied to BJ's journey is one such example. It is time we recognize the lost of our neighborhoods, cities, states, and foreign lands as crisis, needing intervention. If we are truly seeking His will and to serve Him, worship will happen, prayer will multiply, dying to self will occur and the Lords will will be done.

brent