First Thoughts
David Hull

Sometimes plans change. Last week in this column I shared my excitement about the need for a Called Business Meeting to present a candidate for Associate Minister of Music and Organist. Since that was written, our candidate has requested to withdraw from consideration by our church. This person feels that it is best to stay in a current ministry position and not move at this time. We will therefore not be presenting a person for this position in a Business Meeting on September 14. Our Search Committee will continue its work and God will lead us to the right person. Sometimes plans change.

This news over the last few days has caused me to think again about the call of God upon our lives. If only we could get some handwriting on the wall from the Almighty or clearly hear an audible voice telling us what to do. Wouldn’t that be nice? Usually that is not how the call of God is sensed. We do our best to listen to God’s Will for our lives and then move forward in faith. This is not an easy journey of uninterrupted progress. Instead, it is filled with starts and stops, with turns and u-turns. We change, plans change, and God uses all of this to slowly change us.

I like the quote from a minister named Donald Osborn who said, “Too often we try to use God to change our circumstances, while he is using our circumstances to change us." As we make our way through life and try to follow the call of God we pray and listen to what God will say to us. We also do our best to follow Jesus in the Way that he calls us to go. Through prayer and following we are allowed to hear and respond to the call of God.

On Wednesday nights we are talking about prayer during Prayer Meeting. On Sunday nights we are talking about following Jesus (like Peter did) in our Foundations study. In case you see some of your plans changing around you, join us for these times of study as we learn to listen to the call of God in our lives.