Pastor David Cameron has written this week’s letter. We hope you are blessed by his thoughts this week.

I am a long-time fan of Star Trek.” All of them, from the original series on. If I had to name an all-time favorite, it would be Star Trek: The Next Generation. They made one change to the famous introduction lines of the original series that hooked me from the first.

“Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise, on its continuing mission…”

There is something about the idea of a continuing mission that appeals to me greatly. To be part of something bigger than myself, that was here before me and will go on long after me seems a very worthy goal.

And a continuing mission gives a feeling of permanent motion, adventure, adaptation and growth.

It’s one of many reasons I love choral music: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and it provides unending opportunities to take part, learn, grow, improve and enjoy.

If you love to sing, and this sounds appealing I have good news. I know a wonderful church choir at HRBC that would love to welcome you to be part of their continuing mission.

Even if you are the most unmusical of folks, a continuing mission awaits. God, in Jesus, invites us all to be part of the best continuing mission of all. God’s mission of reconciling and healing this broken world.

 Not only that, but in accepting Christ we BECOME a continuing mission in ourselves because of the Holy Spirit’s work within us. As long as we draw breath, God is at work to shape, guide, and heal us into the image of Jesus. As we grow as Christians, we give thanks for what God has done in us, and are humbled by the work still to be done.

We also learn to be patient with each other and with ourselves while God is at work, either of which can be challenging at times.  We KNOW that no one is perfect, but…

And that is where we grow patience. In the qualifier where we know better, but. God, with perfect patience, helps us to see that we DO know better, so leave off the “but…” and continue giving grace to others, and to ourselves.

I think that is the hardest part of our continuing mission, having patience with the work in progress in ourselves and in others.

Ephesians 4:2 instructs us: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

That is an ONGOING mission. We all have room to grow. Let’s be patient with each other as we do.

Peace in Christ and blessings,

Pastor David |David@hrbcrichmond.org | 804.272.2072