I asked God for a “short” message. But I can only follow His lead…

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18,19 NIV).

“We’ve Only Just Begun”

“Class Night” was one of those rites of passage we so eagerly awaited when I was a high school senior in the little country town of Enfield, North Carolina. It was a variety showcase of music and other class talent that took place on a Friday night prior to graduation day. I vividly recall preparing for that exciting evening back in the spring of my graduation year. As MC for the evening and a member of the Glee Club, I had a dual role. The talent list included our classmates doing comical skits, singing, poetry, sharing the list of class superlatives like “Most likely to become a preacher,” etc.  

Future gospel music legend, Luther Barnes, and his then girlfriend, my classmate, Gwen Crews, sang, “Without God,” so beautifully that I can still see them at stage left, Luther at the piano, and hear the sweet harmony of their melodious voices.  

At the end of the evening, another one of my classmates, Ann Lowe, and I sang, “We’ve Only Just Begun,” by the Carpenters.  Our Glee Club director, Mrs. Swindell, selected that song because it depicted where we were as a class after completing several levels of schooling. Just in case we thought 12 or 13 years of education were enough, the message at the end of Class Night was, “We’ve Only Just Begun.” 

Before the rising sun, we fly

So many roads to choose!  

         We start out walking and learn to run

         And yes, we’ve just begun.     

So how does this apply to us ministry workers who are at various stages in our vocations or in life?  We range from young adults in the early years of our profession to retirees like me. Some are also fairly new in ministry work, while others have been engaged in ministry for decades. Regardless, we must not become complacent and think, “I’ve seen it all before.” Each day we are facing a rising sun with new roads leading to fresh horizons! God is doing a new thing. “Do you not perceive it?” Our success requires us to trust what God is doing and follow where He is leading, for Without God, we are headed nowhere. 

Now, who knew that those two songs sung by four teenagers, Gwen and Luther, Ann and Alton, at Class Night decades ago were packed with so much meaning not just for the Enfield High School seniors of yesterday, but also for those of us who are serving in the ministry of our LORD Jesus, the Christ, today!  And yes, we’ve only just begun.

Focus Quote: “Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow” (Psalm 25:4 NLT).