Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
August 1, 1982 Nancy and I began serving Mt. Vernon UMC, in rural Champaign, IL. We were certain of God’s holy, perfect love in Jesus Christ and the guidance of his Holy Spirit. We were not certain of much else, yet God is good and faithful!
Similar to many of you, we have been blessed to be claimed, nurtured and confess faith in Jesus Christ within family and church communities. Receiving the covenant of God’s promise and the commitment of faith in our “home” churches through Holy Baptism, Confirmation, and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior and surrendering to his Lordship. The Methodist Church in my early years became the United Methodist Church in my youth. The Lutheran Church (LCA) of Nancy’s early years became the ELCA in her youth Thriving and vibrant church faith communities have both faded to tiny handfuls of people.
God is good and faithful! No doubt changes have been taking place which have challenged us all. Changes and challenges are real, however, God’s goodness and faithfulness, the life-saving grace of Jesus Christ and transforming power of his Holy Spirit keep refreshing the ministry and work of life in Christ. It seems as if we are just getting started!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is made righteous shall live.” Romans 1:16-17
God is good and faithful. Folks come to faith in Jesus Christ and experience the radical love of God that changes life for ever as we respond in faith. Challenges and change in family, churches, communities, culture and the world are happening, yet we are held in the mighty arms of the God who is eternally faithful, good, holy and true.
People need Jesus Christ, now as much as ever! If ever we need God’s love, mercy forgiveness, and new life; then we always need God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and new life! We need Jesus in the morning, noontide, when the sun goes down. We need Jesus at band camp, football practice, checking the crops and preparing for harvest. We need Jesus while mowing the yard, volunteering at the Food Pantry, or wherever we are at any time. We need Jesus traveling on trips to far off vacation destinations and on trips to the grocery store. If ever we need Jesus, we always need Jesus!
Our core message to family, church, community and culture is:
We are not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “He who through faith is made righteous shall live.
God loves us and invites us to respond in covenant faith: to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength; and to love others as ourselves. All the changes in the world will never change the Gospel and the mission of the Church. If or when the church (or any of us) go astray, God is faithful and will seek to woo and draw us back to himself in repentance, forgiveness and love. If we refuse, God remains faithful and raises up faithful and unashamed witnesses to Jesus and his Gospel. May we respond anew in faithfulness and live in the joy of full salvation in Jesus Christ, sharing the gospel unashamed of the love and goodness of God. Today, once again, we are getting started!
Now is the time to witness and minister in the amazing love and goodness of God! Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love undying.
In Him,
Paul and Nancy Wier