Good morning Lord Jesus, just as the rain is failing on the outside of my window, let your Spirit rain down on my heart and mind this morning.
“While they were eating, he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it. This is my body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many. I tell you the truth, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Mark 14:22-26)
This morning my reflection is a little more personal.
Every Thursday evening I lead a men’s group called Bibles, Brothers, and Beer, B3 for short. We meet in a local craft brewery. We share our weeks joys and struggles, read and reflect on a passage of Scripture and it’s application on our life, and pray. I love our time together. Today I was am reminded of the special Thursday night it was 3 years ago today. Three years ago, on the small table in the corner of the brewery, with the small group of men sitting around it, I consecrated and shared the Lord’s Supper for the last time as an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church (UMC). The UMC had departed from what I understand to be Biblical Orthodoxy and God’s intention of creation, marriage, and human sexuality. So the following Friday morning at a Special Session Conference of the North Alabama Conference of the UMC convened at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. Myself and all the other pastors I have served alongside of in ministry for years, who are disassociating with the UMC, lined up and walked up to the UMC Board of Ordained Ministry, which includes the Bishop that ordained me. I handed over my certificate of credentials as an Ordained Elder in the UMC, and had them stamped with some sort of “void” stamp, signed by the board, and returned to me. I then turned and walked out into whatever God’s will was for myself and my family. It was a sad day, full of many emotions, as was the night before celebrating The Lord’s Supper for the last time in the brewery.
A lot of sacrifice by myself, but more importantly my wife, and two daughters went into following my calling into Ordination in the UMC. Shutting down my construction company and going from making six figures a year to my family qualifying for free lunches, food stamps, and social services. Laying all the “things” my wife and I purchased over the years on a table at our yard sale and selling them for 50 cents, and packing and moving away from family and friends to a city where we knew no one. Moving from a 2,500 SF home to an 1,100 SF home, all so I could attend seminary for 4 years. After seminary, packing up again, same yard sale process, saying good bye to dear friends, pulling my daughters out of school and away from their friends, and moving to another city where we knew no one, to plant a church from scratch out of the living room in our home. In pastoring new, different congregations over the years. Jesus has successfully lowered my salary every year since I turned my life over to Him. There is no retirement in the future for me, and I will probably be the old man saying “Welcome to Walmart.” LOL! Jeus has led my family into unknown and difficult places and situations, that challenged my family financially, my relationship with my wife and daughters, and brought us to our knees in prayer. However, Jesus has also blessed my family over and over, never forsaken us, and we have lacked for nothing.
It was a 10 year journey to becoming an Elder. Two years of the discernment process in both the Episcopal and UMC churches, four years of seminary, a year of CPE training in hospitals and difficult situations, and three years of serving and study as a Provisional Elder. All this leading to when I kneeled down in a church before God; with two bishops, several Elders, and my wife laying hands on me; surrounded by a congregation affirming me, I surrendered and vowed to faithfully obey and serve my Lord Jesus.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3 states, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… a time to plant, and a time to pluck up… a time to seek, and a time to lose;.. a time to weep, and a time to laugh…”
So this morning I remember the sad, emotional day that was for me, and my family. However, I am also reminded this morning that I am called to follow, imitate, and be obedient to Jesus Christ, not any religious denomination, church, person or other organization. And any sacrifices my family and I endure for following Jesus, pail in comparison to the sacrifices He endured for me. And I am thankful for my membership now in The Forged Network of churches in Alabama.
My family, I pray over any changes, challenges, directions, uncertainties, you find yourself in in this season of your life. I pray you are also reminded this morning that you are called to follow, imitate, and be obedient to Jesus Christ, not any religious denomination, church, person or other organization. And I pray that you also remember that Jesus has never abandoned of forsaken you, and he never will. You are not alone. I also lift you up all those reading this post in prayer this morning. If you have read my reflection blog posts in the past, you know I always end with the request, “Please pray the same for me as well.” I thank all of you who have prayed over myself and my family and journeyed with us over this past season of our lives, and I look forward to and I am gratefull for the season that lays ahead for all of us together, in Jesus’ name. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers in the comment box below.
Can You Be Generous?
As we close out the year, if you have the ability to be generous, I invite you tp partner with me and One Direction Community to support our ministries. My wife Nancy and I are still in a new season of our ministry of pouring completely into planting and growing simple house churches in our neighborhoods, and having “boots on the ground” serving in our community.. Please pray over this season in my life and that of my family. We would be so grateful for your one time gift or monthly support. Thank you!
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Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
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