My father was a man of great faith. An able teacher and a strong leader, he never left any doubt as to where he stood on the question of God. My father’s life is an example of a heart melted in the fire of God, formed on His anvil, and used in His vineyard. He knew what his life was for in a society of question and confusion. When a piece of equipment is purchased for the farm, there is no question as to what it was made for. One look at the piece of equipment and you instantly know its function. You hook up a hay baler, and you know it was made to bale hay. You hook up a plow, and you know it was made to plow the ground. You see a manure spreader, and … you know! As a person emerges from the Church of God, the same should be true. Being tested by God should remind us that our function and task is to be about His business, that our purpose is to be an extension of His nature, an ambassador for His Son, Jesus Christ, and a proclaimer of His message. We should leave the Church with no question as to why God made us! In a world of confused identity, in a world of wavering commitments and foggy futures, let us be firm in our role as Christians. As I lead the mission of the Shippensburg Covenant Brethren Church, I should not waver or be confused. “We wish the Shippensburg CBC to be God’s house, a place where people meet Jesus Christ.” Society is in dire need of people whose task is clear and whose determination IS unquenchable. The source of such strength is Jesus Christ. God has not suddenly hidden His will from us, His people! Our Lord does not play games with us. We know who we are. We are all His children. We know why we are here. To help others discover that all important relationship with Jesus Christ. There may be a question now and then about how and with whom we should carry out His mission. But the underlying truth is always the same: We are God’s people, and we are to be about leading people to Jesus Christ. I hope we all have a clearer picture of our mission. I hope I have given you a clearer picture of your purpose. You folks have certainly done that for Diane and me. If we live our lives in God’s ways, then we can look back on these years with the assurance of knowing that it was time well spent and that heaven is but a wink away. And is there any greater reward than HEAVEN?

In the Service of Christ, Pastor Wayne Hall