Pastor's Page
“We’ve got to dig deeper, so that we can go higher.”
This phrase has captured my thinking, and challenged my heart. “We’ve got to dig deeper, so that we can go higher.”
As you can see by the picture, it is certainly true for buildings. Right now, a brand-new skyscraper is nearly finished in downtown Cincinnati. When it’s done, it will be our tallest building, surpassing even the Carew Tower. I’m no builder, but those who are tell me that the higher a building will rise, it must also go proportionately deeper. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
I’m more and more convinced that this is true when it comes to building spiritual buildings. Even churches. This past church year, the Lord has blessed us as a church family. This past six months, we have seen many new people who have plugged in with us. Financially, we’ve stayed strong—even grown—at a time when cutbacks in all areas of life and the economy have been the rule and not the exception. It was an exceptional year.
But for this year—church year 2010-2011—for us to be all the church God wants us to be—we must go deeper. And that “deeper” means that we must become, more and more, men and women of prayer. Prayer must permeate our gatherings for worship. Prayer must saturate our planning and preparation for ministry. Prayer must fill our minds and hearts individually, and as families, and as a local church body of believers. May I say it bluntly? We will not be all the church God intends we be unless we are a people of prayer. Period.
I want you to join with me on this adventure of going deeper in prayer. Prayer will be our theme throughout the year—you’ll hear about it in sermons. Your leaders will make an effort in all their planning and execution of ministry to take us deeper. Jesus wants to take us deeper, so that we may go higher!