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From The Pastor

October 25, 2019 by Rev. John Hartman

From the Pastor

Margaret Alston was one of the senior members in the church I used to serve in North Carolina. In fact, Margaret was on the search committee that called me to Wake Forest Presbyterian Church. She was living in an assisted living community, when one day, one of the elders and I went to visit with Margaret and to have Communion with her. When we arrived, they told us that Margaret had gone in her car to Wal-Mart. The elder and I looked at each and we said, “Why not?” We drove to Wal-Mart, but couldn’t find her anywhere in the store, and we were about ready to give up and go back to Wake Forest, when Margaret drives right by us in the parking lot. I ran up to her car, and startled, she said, “John, what are you doing here?” I said, “Margaret, we’ve come to visit with you, and have Communion with you.” And Margaret said, “Okay, but first I need to go into Wal-Mart and get some fabric.” I said, “No Margaret, we want to have Communion with you right now!” Well, we had Communion with the bread and the cup right there through her car window in the Wal-Mart parking lot, amidst the clashing of shopping carts, the squeaking of brakes, and the honking of horns. Then we all bowed our heads and prayed the Lord’s Prayer together. And there wasn’t a dry eye amongst us. It really is true, – “There’s nothing you can’t find at Wal-Mart,” -- including the Holy Spirit!

My friends, in the midst of the chaos of this world, Jesus has already given us the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we might still pack the church sanctuary out, but we wouldn't be the church. Without the Holy Spirit we could have to wall to wall people, not just at 10:30, but also at 8:00, but not one life would be changed. Without the Holy Spirit, we might have an active Sunday School, with the latest curriculum hot off the presses, and yet not one person would meet Jesus Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, we might even have a growing church, but not one deed we did, not one word we spoke, or one note we sang would go any higher than the ceiling of the sanctuary. The good news is that we can be a church in whose teaching is the authority of the Spirit, in whose worship is the joy of the Spirit, in whose fellowship is the love of the Spirit, and in whose service are the gifts of the Spirit.

Please join us at either 8:00 am or 10:30 am, as I continue my sermon series on the Apostles’ Creed and the phrase, “I believe in the Holy Ghost,” and may the Spirit of God be upon you today, tomorrow, and always.

Pastor John

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Quote of the Week

“Remember that grace and truth cannot finally be crucified. Remember that all the high things that make humanity beautiful cannot be forever laid in the dust, spattered with blood. And most of all, remember that He who rose from the dead, rose to pour out His Holy Spirit into human lives, and, by that Spirit, to make available to any individual all the fullness of Himself, twenty-four hours a day.” Ray C. Stedman

Raymond Charles Stedman was an evangelical Christian pastor, and author. He was a long-time pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California, and author of several books.