"Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps." Luke 9:23
March is a special time for many reasons this year. We see the clocks spring forward, which means longer evenings to enjoy the sunlight that will most certainly be ushered in by the return of spring. It is also at the heart of Lent and self-denial - a time when we consider not only Christ's sacrifice for us, but what we would and are willing to give up as a tribute for His suffering and passion. This will ultimately end with Holy week, our Maundy Thursday service where we will celebrate the Lord's Supper and finally the biggest and most celebrates day on the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday! ... where our faith and hope were secured with the news of an empty tomb and a risen savior.
Nowhere near as important, but noteworthy, is the return of the Lilley family to Mt. Olivet after a much needed and appreciated sabbatical. This has been a time of intense focus as I helped plan the capital campaign at Bridgewater Retirement Community. At my leaving BRC, the campaign had raised almost 60% of their goal and are poised to continue on with a successful campaign. Also during sabbatical, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions to date with regards to my career. That was the decision to leave all I knew at BRC and accept a position at Bridgewater College. Those conversations stretch way back to May of 2012 - and the final decision was not made until the first week of January 2013. I was happy to offer BRC seven weeks' notice, and officially began my new position at the College on February 25, 2013. It seems transition is a familiar friend of mine!
I want you to know that this sabbatical was also a time for me to look deeply at myself - our family plan, my motivations, faith and all the other little thing that made sleep difficult for several months. Far from figuring it all out, I am returning with a clearer picture of at least the direction I am heading and how that will impact my family, church and career. So you see, it was not just time off ... it was time focused. My deepest appreciation to Pastor Dan, the administrative board, the PRC, Sunday School teachers and everyone who has stepped up and filled in the gap during our absence. I pray God will bless you as you have so blessed His church.
At the writing of this article, I have prepared sermons through the end of June, and will hopefully add a few more by our return on March 17th. After Holy Week, we will begin a month long series in April entitled "Be Thou My Vision" which is based on the life and ministry of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Truthfully these sermons are a bit heavy on Scripture and less on stories - but this was a series that I needed to consider in my own life, and hope you will find it helpful as well.
We look forward to March 17th and appreciate your continued prayers as we let the dust settle and hopefully return to a God inspired routine.
God's grace, peace and love, P.T.
