Dear Disciples of Christ,

One of my favorite movies, about my favorite game, is Field of Dreams. It’s the story of a down on his luck Iowa farmer. The harvests are bad. The bills are worse. The bank is getting ready to foreclose. Then a voice says, “If you build it, they will come.” Once he figures out that “it” is a baseball field in the middle of his cornfield, he plows under the field and builds “it.” Then, from the remaining cornfields, players from bygone eras mysteriously show up to play pick-up games. And suddenly, “they come” – people from all over come to Iowa to watch baseball games. It wasn’t easy. The farmer endured a lot of ridicule. But in the end, his farm was saved.

God uses people, human beings like you and me, to draw people to Himself – not by building anything on our own, but rather by using the gifts He’s given us to draw others into His presence. It’s hard work due to the sinful resistance of the world we live in. Isaiah, arguably one of God’s greatest prophets, knew well the frustration of serving God’s calling in the world. He felt his work was “for nothing and vanity” (Isaiah 49:4). But God encouraged Isaiah saying, “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6) – essentially, “If you build it, they will come … if you proclaim my word faithfully, people will come.” God never says it’s easy. But He does promise it’ll be worthwhile.

It can be frustrating to live as a disciple of Christ. People aren’t too keen on hearing much of what we have to say. But it’s not for nothing. It’s not vanity. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in each of us will bring people to Himself. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Trust God’s promise and follow His guiding. In the end, as we gather around Him in the kingdom of heaven, it’ll be worth it.

                                                                        Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                        Pastor Jim