"Ponderings from the Pastor"

Greetings in the name of our RISEN Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!  Basking in the glow of the Resurrection, we once again celebrated Easter this year with grateful hearts!  What an amazing gift our Lord gave us, when He broke the grip of death forever, and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all who chose to believe in Him.  I for one cannot imagine living a productive and satisfying life without that promise!

Speaking of “imagining.” while I am not in the habit of using this platform to endorse anything, I want to strongly encourage you to take some time for yourself and be blessed by seeing the movie “I Can Only Imagine”, either at the local movie theater, or when it comes available on DVD.  I had the joy of going to see it last week with a group from here at SMBC, and it did not disappoint.  I have been a fan of both the band “Mercy Me” and this song in particular since the very first time I heard it performed.  The words are powerful, and now having seen the inspiration for the writing of this amazing musical composition, I am even more drawn to it.         

I’m not sure what is going on right now in the entertainment industry, but in addition to the incredible response to this “Christian film”, there has recently been an increase in the number of movies and programs with similar themes that are out right now.  I’m sure some of it has to do with the fact that it is the Easter season, but with the release of the movie “Paul, the Apostle” last week, and the live television concert of “Jesus Christ, Superstar” on Easter night, could it be that Christians are becoming bold and are moving into the “mainstream”?  I’m sure that like me, many of you are excited about the prospect of being able to watch television shows or movies together with your children and/or grandchildren without having to worry about inappropriate content!  Whatever is bringing this refreshing change about, my prayer is that it continues, and maybe… just maybe… we can begin to see a shift in our culture, back to a time when common sense, and respect for others as well as yourself, become the “norm”.  As the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the early Christians, “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)  That transformation my friends, begins with each one of us. 

   It's worth pondering,   
Pastor Bill