For forty years, the children of Israel wandered in the desert after being delivered by Jehovah from four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. Their wilderness wanderings are recorded in parts of the biblical books of Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. The stories retold from this period revolve around the two truths of a faithful God and a forgetful people. A great and monumental deliverance is yesterday’s news as the undisciplined, ungrateful, and delivered people constantly “tested” God and His servant Moses. Despite their unfaithfulness, murmuring, and complaining, God constantly demonstrates His overwhelming goodness to undeserving people. As I ponder our present situation at Willowdale, there are lessons to learn as we enter the middle of summer activities and our continued building renovation projects at Willowdale.
Be prepared to be surprised during this coming Sabbath. The sanctuary pews have been removed from both the balcony and the main level. We have borrowed folding chairs from Crawford Adventist Academy, and we hope to accommodate all worshippers with the extra chairs. A new “Indigo Legacy” carpet will be installed on the balcony on Friday, and the balcony’s availability for seating on Sabbath is still unknown. To help with the reduced sanctuary seating, our youth and young adults had previously planned an outdoor worship experience on the outdoor field at Crawford Academy. I am sure that our transitional status will cause quite a stir on Sabbath morning, and I am mindful that nothing breeds complaints like a little bit of discomfort. Despite our present physical situation of being under construction, I want to reassure everyone that a worship service has been planned to continue our Sabbath routine of praising, magnifying, and honoring our God during our renovations. Worship will continue as we find ourselves in the proverbial “reno wilderness.”
In a few weeks, our Pathfinders will be traveling to Gilette, Wyoming. They will embark on a twenty-four-hour bus ride to attend the International Pathfinder Camporee (Believe the Promise). This week, I received an email confirmation from the camporee baptismal organizing committee that three of Willowdale’s pathfinders have signed up for baptism during camporee. Our young people will join hundreds of other young people who have made the same decision to follow Jesus in baptism. Praise God! Our “Warriors” are about to become international wanderers, and I am inviting everyone reading this pastor’s corner to become a prayer partner and pray over our parents and children as they prepare to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. Pray that as they travel together, tent together, eat together, and worship together, the Holy Spirit will cover, protect, and guide them. We look forward to hearing the remarkable stories that they will share from their camporee adventures.
Finally, a word to Raymund Frias and the social committee. Thank you, friends, for a fantastic church picnic last Sunday at Earl Bales Park. What can I say? The weather was great, the food was delicious, and the fellowship was energizing. I have two regrets: Pastor DeSilva’s blue team sang the “blues” as we finished second in the organized games and events. The tug-of-war competition was intense; only one team was left standing! Congratulations to Pastor Kim and the green team on their victory. Collectively, we had so much fun at the park. Secondly, the day broke my body. I awoke on Monday morning with soreness and stiffness in parts of my body that I did not know existed. I played football with the teens, cricket with the men, games with children and adults, and participated in a watermelon-eating competition. My athletic feats on Sunday gave way to moans and groans on Monday! Despite my team’s failure and my soreness, the day was amazing, and I cannot wait to do it again next year.
Remember what I previously shared: ” A church that prays and plays together stays together.” Today, you and I have a choice. We can be bitter, complainers, and forgetful, stuck in the desert of disappointment, or we can be grateful, happy, and thankful, headed to the promised land. Choose wisely!
Pastor Glenn DeSilva