As I write this article on Monday, November 13th, I am reminded that it was two years ago that I preached my last sermon at the Lebanon church of Christ. Those folks had been a blessing in my family’s lives for over fifteen years. That next morning the movers came, and we set out on opening a new chapter in our story. I came into the office that Tuesday, the fifteenth, and was asked to be a part of the Thanksgiving service here. I also learned very quickly that folks in Huntingdon do not wear red.
Visiting a new church can be a nerve-wracking thing. Which door do I go in? Where do my kids go to class? Where is the bathroom? Watch for visitors, be hospitable to them, and help them. Becoming a part of a new congregation can be scary, also. The Bible compares the church to a body in 1 Corinthians chapter twelve. This is already a functioning body. Where do I fit in? What can I do? How can my talents help? As a new member, I want to look for opportunities to get involved and not see how little I can get away with. As the church, we want to look for opportunities to reach out to people. It is easy to fall into the rut of sitting in the same place, talking to the same people, and doing the same things week after week. Let me challenge the newcomers to find ways to get involved and the established crew to reach out to someone you do not know as well and build a relationship with them in Christ. Those are just some casual observations as we have about rubbed the new off me and my family. Some days it seems like we have been here forever, and some days I feel like I am still at square one.
The real purpose of writing this article is to say thank you for two years. I believe the Bible teaches us to be grateful and thankful not just this time of year but always. I count Huntingdon as one of my blessings. Here’s to a great third year!