A Shepherd’s Reflections & Refocus 2009-2010
31st December 2009
Dear Ones in the Body of Suburban,
I am sitting in a very familiar place right now (at my desk in front of the computer screen) while I contemplate and reflect on the year that was 2009. I have come to love this “place” because it is where I am privileged to sit each week and study the Word of God in my responsibility to spiritually feed the flock here at Suburban. 2009 has been very challenging in many ways, but it has also been a very growing, exciting, Spirit-filled, blessed time of ministry here among this local church of Jesus Christ called Suburban. Often we learn that the challenges that we face provide us with the opportunity to trust in our loving heavenly Father and to receive more of His grace for whatever the struggle or trial is that we encounter along the walk of our lives. 2009 has given us many marvelous opportunities to say “Glory to our great God” for His goodness and grace to us in the middle of our circumstances.
Death, sickness, financial reversal, broken relationships, mental illness, marital struggles and spiritual failure have all been a part of the Suburban family experience in 2009. These events have touched all of us, but we have also had comfort, healing, grace to endure, provision in the face of need, restored relationships, peace, renewed marital vows, new birth (both physical and spiritual!), spiritual success and loving grace in abundance from the Father! In other words we have been doing life together in amazing ways this last year, and while much of it has been really difficult to navigate we have all grown immensly in our relationship with God and with each other. The Word of God has once again played a primary role in our journey together. We have read it, (both silently and aloud) studied it, questioned it, debated our opinion of it, taught it, preached it, memorised it, meditated on it, applied it and listened to what God has had to say to each of us through it! Each of you will be able to put a specific face or name or event in place of the very general words that I used to describe our year in this paragraph. While you are doing that pause and say thanks to the Father for all that you have gone through in this God filled year!
So how do we refocus for the year ahead which begins in a few hours? Here are some words that we can use to help us with that task as we send off the old year and welcome in the new. Prayer, worship, fellowship, the Word of God, faith, trust, grace, hope and love! All of these are words that we know, but they are more than just words, they are concepts and practices which will encourage and build us up for the journey ahead called 2010. As your Shepherd, I am really excited about what is in store for us in this next year! That is not because I know all that it will hold, or because I have great plans. The reason I’m excited is because I have a renewed understanding of my own relationship with God and His desire for me to walk with Him each day! I am trusting that God has been doing a work in me so that He can use me to lead you as a body into the great unknown of His amazing grace! Often refocusing is just about cleaning off the lens so that we can see clearer, as you “pray in” the New Year, 2010 tonight, ask the Father to clean off your spiritual lens so that you can see what He wants for you and what it looks like to walk with Him beginning on day one of this year. I am excited about taking this walk with you as a body in 2010. Shall we…??!!
I love you all, and I am so thankful to be your Shepherd! Have a blessed start to your New Year!
Pastor Tim