June 2022

At the end of the Christmas/Epiphany season, First Baptist retired the manger we have displayed on our front lawn for many years. The framing was wearing out and plans are being made to construct a new one for this coming Advent season. But, while many of the pieces were wearing out, there was still some good wood left and I saved it for use in some future project.

This time last year, I wrote about building a raised bed garden behind the parsonage. Jen and I used whatever scrap wood we had on hand, as lumber prices were through the roof last year. Unsurprisingly, some of the boxes (notably those made from converted dresser drawers) didn't last through the winter very well. So, we decided to use some of the lumber from the manger to rebuild the raised beds.

The funny thing is – the lumber from the manger wasn't all new when it was first built. Some of it was salvaged from the basement of the church, remnants of some long-forgotten project. As you can see, one of our new garden boxes will proudly bear the name of the “Ladies Aid” society of the “Baptist Church.” This board, and others like it, have served the needs of our community for many, many years and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come.

So, it is for us as well. We live as servants of God, adapting to the needs and necessities of the communities to which we are sent. Sometimes taking on a new project causes us to grow in new ways to take on a new shape and a new identity. Other times, like the “Ladies Aid” designation, we are marked for something particular, and we bear that imprint no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. How are you being called to some new purpose or end? What do you carry with you that cannot be erased?

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jon