Lead Pastor Michael J. Paris

 

A child of God, Husband of Sue, Father, Grandfather, Pastor and friend.  Pastor Mike longs to lead men and women to live like they are God’s most treasured possession and grow in their faith all for the Glory of Him who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

 

Hey Church –

Hopefully, you are wrapping up your summer projects and thinking about settling into a fall rhythm and  schedule. The whole back-to-school vibe is important to acknowledge and embrace. This is the second  most important “restart” part of year for most people (following New Years with its resolutions and new  calendars). I wonder what things need to be restarted for you. 

Next week, I will be taking a couple of days to practice some solitude and quiet time with God. It will  involve refreshing activities for my body, mind, and spirit. I will spend extended amounts of time in  Scripture reading, praying, and planning for the year to come. This practice has been recommended to  me by many counselors and is something that I need in my life to put me in the right place to lead  through the church through the next year. It is soul care that is added to the daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms of rest. I need sabbath.  

We all need to take breaks to assess our current position spiritually. The time spent “in the world” often  wears us down and colors our perspective negatively. We need to be refreshed regularly by the Word, by  prayer, and by communion with God. We need the fellowship and comradery that comes with spending time with brothers and sisters in the faith. (HEB 10:24-25) This is why we “officially” put Back to Church  Sunday on our schedule. We need to be reminded that we are not invincible, unstoppable, or  unbreakable. We need sabbath. 

Jesus often took time out of his regular evangelizing and disciple-making to spend quiet time alone with  the Father. On one occasion (at least once that is recorded), he stayed and prayed with his ministry  partners. John 17 records the prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples. In it, he describes what spiritual  health would look like: an obedient keeping of God’s word (v6), a deepening appreciation, admiration,  and affection for Christ (v6), a unity with others who are in Christ (vv11, 21, 22), a genuine experience of  joyful fulfillment in Christ (v13), a holy uniqueness from the world (v14), a continual defeat of the evil  one (v15), an observable, ongoing sanctification of thought, word, and deeds (v17) and a pure love that  comes from Christ (v26). All of this health is not a badge of honor or cause for bragging. This spiritual  health is so that God would be glorified in us (v10) and that the world may believe in him (v21).  

  • Would you consider praying for me while I am away? (Pastor Don Shirk will care for you 9/1,  while I am taking time off.) 
  • Would you consider adding or restarting the discipline of taking sabbaths? Whether it be daily,  weekly, monthly, annually? 
  • Would you consider who you might invite to come “back to church” on 9/15? • Would you consider reviewing your notes on prayer from proverbs (last week’s message),  re-watch the message, or read Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1-26? 
  • Would you consider how you might join in a new ministry role this year? I would love to talk  about it with you soon after I get back.  
  • Would you consider who you might befriend or mentor in the next year? 

Thanks so much for reading these articles and hearing my pastor’s heart for you all. I love you. I trust  that you will see a refreshed shepherd ready for a new season of church life when I return.

 
 

Pastor Mike → pastormike33@yahoo.com, 607.220.9911, 99 East Ave, Attica NY 14011