Saint Andrew's United Methodist Church

Randy's Ramblings:

The other day I had a life-long friend let me down. I’ll be the first to admit that in the past I probably have let my friend down as well I won’t bore you with the details of what transpired between us. You would think that the incident was most inconsequential. However, what happened did cause me consternation.

It’s true, isn’t it; we do put a lot of faith in individuals. Whenever people let us down it disappoints us. There is no doubt that during these past six years that I’ve been with you that I’ve let a number of you down in some form or fashion. It certainly has not been my intention to do so but it’s a fact, there have been times that you’ve been disappointed in me.

The above incident with my friend got me to thinking about the fact that I need to practice what I preach. You know, it’s amazing to me that there are many people who feel that pastors do not have the same type of human reactions that other people do. It’s as if clergy are immune to what lay people face on a regular basis. However, I’ve preached to you on different occasions that the only constant in life is the solid-rock, the everlasting arms of our loving Savior. Jesus Christ is the one who is never changing, a friend that we can always count on, for unlike human beings, Jesus, will never let us down.

My friend and I are also going through a transition time in our friendship. Friendships, like a lot of other things in life, don’t remain static. Things change and most of us don’t deal well with change. Some of you reading this column are in a transition time in your life. Your health is deteriorating, your job is in flux, your children are moving away, etc. Your life might be topsy-turvy at this very moment. Through life’s transitions we need to be anchored in Jesus, for Jesus will help us to pilot through some tempestuous seas. I’ve been praying that God will grant to me wisdom in dealing with this transition with my friend. However, through it all, most importantly, I’m striving to be anchored in Christ. If you are facing a transitory time in your life, I would urge you to make sure you are rooted and grounded in Christ as you go forward.

We certainly are in a transitory time in the life of Saint Andrews. The Building Committee is seeking to transition us into more space. This process has not been easy! Everyone knows we need more space but the fact is that with the pledges received we will need to make some difficult decisions about feasibly what exactly can be built without incurring undue financial hardship on the congregation. I would urge you to continue to be in prayer during this transition time. The Building Committee has been diligent in anchoring itself in Christ as each person representing you has sought God’s guidance in all that has happened to date. Please be patient as this process continues.

Let me conclude with just a word about the El Salvador trip. As you know, 21 people affiliated with Saint Andrews recently embarked on a mission trip to this Central American country. We were able to build one complete house, finish 95% of another house, and about 50% of a third home. There is no way, with just mere words, that I, or anyone else, can accurately portray what we all witnessed. Even though I had heard about the abject poverty from members of past teams that had traveled to El Salvador, there was no way that I was adequately prepared for what I observed. Many on the team declared that they would not let their dog live in such squalor, much less human beings. However, what left an indelible impression upon me was even though 17 human beings might have been crammed into a 400 square foot living space, each individual was very content. The children with whom I interacted were extremely well mannered. Children and adults alike went about their day with a wonderful attitude about life. Most of the children had one rag-tag toy to their name and they were well satisfied with what they had. To a person, each team member left El Salvador, with a new appreciation of the myriad ways in which we have been extremely blessed! In future days you will have the opportunity to learn more about what transpired in the area we worked. I would recommend the experience to anyone. Each team member was especially grateful for your prayers and encouragement that you provided for us.

Randy

Go to Home Page
Go to Staff Page