The Call For A New Pastor
Fall is my favorite time, of year. I love the cool, crisp mornings, the changing leaves and watching the farmers harvesting their crop. I even love low-hanging clouds, autumn rains and musty odors. Even though the farmers may not appreciate it when the blackbirds choose to congregate in their corn fields, I also love to see birds of all kinds flocking together in preparation for their long migration south.
Our Lord also appreciates harvest time, but he has a different kind of harvest in mind when he says, ”The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few”. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest that he would raise up laborers to go into his fields. “The Lord is not looking to fill his warehouse full of grain, but he does want his heaven filled with redeemed sinners”. He wants us to be among his workers in the fields.
Unlike grain farming which is extremely mechanized, the harvest of human being as for the kingdom of God is extremely labor intensive. It involves one on one encounters often over years of time.
Often the ones who plant the seeds of grace in hearts are not the ones who follow through at the time of harvest. Each heart must be carefully cultivated and lovingly tended if there is going to be a fruitful harvest.
We are all thankful for the pastors, teachers, friends and relatives who have cultivated in us a love for Jesus. Now it is our turn to plant the seeds of love or harvest the mature fruits of love in the lives of those around us– whether we find them in the orderly rows of pews in church on Sunday mornings or we find them in the house next door or at our elbow when we are at work or in school.
We need to ask ourselves in this time of harvest, “What can we do to help? How can we be involved in the most important work of all - spreading God’s love in Jesus Christ to every heart and soul under heaven.” This is our calling. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Your Servant in Christ,
Pastor Tom