On a personal note, I thank God for allowing me to be pastor of this great church.

Frankly Speaking… Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NRSV)
When Robert Louis Stevenson, racked by tuberculosis, was nearing the end of his life, his wife came in one morning and said, “I suppose in spite of all your trouble, you will tell me again that it is a beautiful day.” The great novelist answered, “Yes, my dear. I refuse to let that row of medicine bottles be the circumference of my horizon.”

Friends, on the writing of this epistle, many things have happened in our lives these past few weeks. We are in the midst of presidential debates and possible record numbers on voter turn out. We have seen the stock market plummet some 18% of its value. We have been blessed to have birthdays and anniversaries grace the church…Eloise Milam turned 100 years young. She is now playing that beautiful D9 Steinway grand piano in heaven. David Hearn will soon celebrate his 100^th birthday in November. The Hearn Lecture Series celebrates its Silver Anniversary. On a personal note, I thank God for allowing me to be pastor of this great church. I will have completed five years on December 31. It seems that I have just arrived. Yet, as we see the world and many great things happening…and many not so great things happening, we ask, are we better off today than yesterday/last week/last year/10 years ago and so on? I believe that God has a plan for our lives as part of his plan. We have to be willing to wait on the Lord, find his strength in these difficult and uncertain times, and know that his grace will always be sufficient in our weakness. I am reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NRSV)

Like Robert Lewis Stevenson, only I can decide what will be the circumference of my horizon. In other words, what is it that defines you? Will it be your hardships, or triumphs? Successes or failures? Wealth or poverty? How religious you are or the fact that going to church is a miracle in itself? I want to be defined as a child of God, saved by grace through faith, of sacred worth, and with a unique purpose so that God’s purpose will be fulfilled. Regardless of what happens or does not happen in my life, I want to view my life through the eyes of a compassionate God, and the loving lenses of Jesus’ eyes of forgiveness and worth. There are two and one half months in this 2008 year. What will we do to make a difference in our lives, the life of the church and our community? You have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life…or maybe, your own. I invite you to try to be faithful in your presence on Sunday mornings. Give as you can sacrificially...even in these uncertain financial times. Pray daily for yourself, others, and the church. Volunteer an hour a week, or even an hour a month somewhere. You can make a difference. You just have to believe that you can.

“I pray,” said Moshe, “that God will give me the strength to ask him the right questions.”

Frankly Speaking…

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸ so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. Ephesians 1:17-19 (NRSV)
In his autobiography, Night, Jewish philosopher Elie Wiesel tells of growing up in a village in Hungary before being sent to a Nazi concentration camp. As a boy, he befriended Moshe, the poor man who cleaned his synagogue. One day Moshe saw Elie in the synagogue praying. Moshe asked him, “Why do you pray?” Moshe proceeded to tell Elie the way of questions. “Every question possesses a power that does not lie in the answer. Humans raise themselves to God by the questions they ask.” Elie then asked, “And why do you pray, Moshe?” “I pray,” said Moshe, “that God will give me the strength to ask him the right questions.”
—Daniel T. Hans, “What do you want from God?” Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, Gettysburg, Penn., July 31, 2005, www.gettysburgpresbyterian.org.

Friends, since the last Frankly Speaking, we have endured a hurricane, power outage, displacement, fallen trees and fences, broken windows and storm surge. The church fared well this time. Many others in our community did not. We pray for recovery and rebuilding. We pray how God will use us in the renewing process in bringing hope to our community. It will take more than a hurricane to bring down the church. This crisis does not define who we are…only how we respond to it does.

The church recently had a Church Conference with two agenda items: to affirm Thera Freeman to the ordained ministry, and to hire a financial consultant to begin the capital campaign process. Both are important. Both will require our support and prayers. Thera will be on her way to Uganda in a few weeks. Mike Allen, a financial consultant for RSII, will begin his ministry with us in a few weeks as well. There will many questions to ask as we venture into a capital campaign for the church. I would ask that you pray for Thera and Mike daily. Pray that God will guide their lives and hearts to be about the Lord’s work in a faithful and creative way.

On another note, on August 4, I had a total knee replacement. It has been a painful journey of stretching, bending …all towards healing. I want to thank the congregation for your support while I was out of the pulpit for those weeks. I thank you for your prayers and cards that have given me smiles on my face, and tears of joy in my soul. Several brought food to the house that was welcomed and all eaten. I am blessed to be pastor of this great church. I am honored and humbled by your generosity of friendship, and support. I have great hope for the future. The Capital Campaign and Building Committees are working hard to bring to the church a plan of action that will affect our ministry potential for years to come. I am proud of their efforts. Pray. Be faithful. Encourage one another. Moreover, allow God to do what God does best through you and your gifts.

Shalom + Paz + Pax + Peace Pastor Frank