Be Prepared

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. I Pet. 3:15

Have you ever had someone share their faith with you when you least expected it? Or maybe the source of the testimony was very unlikely because it wasn’t someone who “fits the mold” so to speak? Of course it is pretty crazy to think that there is a mold…we tend to just think all Jesus followers are or should be like ourselves. So when we come across one that isn’t, it may come as a shock. However, when that happens it also sticks with you a long time. I wrote the following song a couple of weeks ago and it tells the story of two gentlemen who have completely different circumstances yet the exact same testimony and hope to share. One is an old man dying of cancer. The other is an immigrant.

 

Met an old man along a dusty road one day; he cracked a joke, but his eyes were glistening

When he cried, I wasn’t sure what I should say; so I stood there listening

 

“Got the cancer all through my bones; my mind is weak and the blood runs cold

I can’t sleep and the pain drives me insane…

My wife’s been gone for fifteen years, and I have cried a million tears

But I’m here to let you know, I’m at peace, and I’m ready to go (because)

 

There isn’t much in this world I know, but I can tell you one thing for sure;

This is true so listen carefully…

Only Jesus can save your soul, He’s the only one who can make you whole

He will walk with you and set you free…if you believe”

 

They hired a new man at work one afternoon; I welcomed him and asked if he was well

His clothes were old and his shoes were worn right through; It was clear he had a story to tell

 

“Please forgive my simple talk; I traveled here from a land far off

In my country I’m respected and esteemed…

There came a time when I had to leave; What man can watch his children suffering?

But I’m here to let you know, it was God who helped me go (so I could tell you)

 

There isn’t much in this world I know, but I can tell you one thing for sure;

This is true so listen carefully…

Only Jesus can save your soul, He’s the only one who can make you whole

He will walk with you and set you free…if you believe”

 

I find encounters like that to be very convicting. I think, “After all God has blessed me with by way of faith, health, family, freedom, and finances, I should be the one sharing my faith, but it is this person who has truly suffered who has the courage to speak up!”   I hope as we delve deeper into Experiencing God this Fall, we will all have stories to tell, and may we be bold enough to share them in places and at times that don’t make sense. Have your story ready to go when the time comes, and maybe each one of us can be an unlikely source to someone else along the way.

Cory Grimm

 


The Famous One

We had a chance to get away for a few days this week.  The older two kids had a three day excursion known in our family as “Adventure camp.”  This is essentially some special time with grandparents doing treasure hunts, etc…  our youngest spent a couple of days with her cousin, so Lynn and I were free to spend two nights in Chicago.  Of course it is hard to use the word “free” and “Chicago” in the same sentence!  Wow, life is expensive there!  But we had a relaxing time and enjoyed hanging around the river walk area, mostly watching people and listening to their languages from around the world.

Probably the nicest building in that area is Trump Tower, a city within a city, or to put it more accurately, a rich suburb within a city.  The tower looms over the river walk with its shiny brilliance, offering a plush hotel and very high end condos.  Right where everyone can see are mounted the gigantic letters… T R U M P.   Lynn asked, “What kind of person puts their own name on the building like that?”  I joked, “the type of person who would make a wonderful president who can relate to common folks like us!”  Probably since Mr. Trump has been in the news so much lately, and because we found ourselves relaxing in the shadow of his buildings, I found myself reflecting on the nature of fame and influence.

When I was younger I used to think the only way to be someone who mattered was to become famous.  At one point a good friend confronted me on that character trait and said, “Not everyone can be famous, Cory.”  He also nicknamed me “David Koresh” because of my habit of getting large groups of people to do crazy stuff.  (Young people, check your 90’s history to get that reference.) That was a wake-up call to me and I began to take notice of people who make an impact without becoming famous.  Number one on that list is Jesus.

Jesus?  Not famous?  Yes that’s right.  We always have to remember that at the moment of his death Jesus was perceived by almost everyone to be, as my kids would put it, an “epic failure.”  Of course we know now that Jesus rose from the dead and began appearing to people, but as the masses headed home from that year’s Passover celebration, they surely had begun the process of forgetting about Jesus and looking toward the next big thing, whatever that might be.

And yet Jesus is now truly “the famous one” as Chris Tomlin wrote in his song with the same name which is based on Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  The crazy thing is that Jesus became well known simply by maintaining a razor sharp focus on glorifying God, not himself.  Unlike the Donald, Jesus did not self-promote.

We live in a culture that glorifies the fantasy of making a name for oneself, for sticking out above the crowd, for being famous.  How many TV shows provide an opportunity to grab at that dream?  The streets of Chicago are full in the Summertime of performers trying to impress the crowds.  But there is no joy, peace, or happiness to be found in the adoration of people.  As much as they love you now is proportionate to how much they will hate you later.  John wrote about how many believed in Jesus but would not follow because “they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” May it not be so with us!

Cory Grimm

 


You Gotta Do Better Than That

A couple of years ago I wrote the following song about trying to live up to expectations. It is called “Better Than That.” The first verse is about expectations at work, the second is about personal expectations, and the third is about marriage. You’ll have to use your imagination as to what the melody sounds like, and at the bottom I’ll share a few comments…

It’s about understanding, the culture of this corporation

And how their expecting you to exceed expectations

And now they’re demanding you to unleash your imagination

In short, the financials are flat; You gotta do much better than that

 

You gotta do much better than that; take off your favorite hat

You gotta do much better, better than that

 

One day I read in the paper, “fresh new talent,” some big wig was searching

So I got out my old guitar and, well I started rehearsing

Wrote myself a cute little song, one that I thought some folks could sing along

But all the other groups were DJs and rap; They said “You gotta do better than that!”

 

Then came my sweetheart’s birthday, thought about what had worked in the past

The same bouquet of pink flowers, a bottle of wine, and a gift that would last

Put on her favorite music, my old suit, and straightened up real fast

But as she sighed and put her coat on the rack

She said, “I hoped this year it would be better than that.”

 

You gotta do much better than that; Take off your favorite hat

You gotta do much better, better than that

You gotta do much better than that; Find out where the party’s at

You gotta do much better, better than that

 

It’s a goofy song, I know, and it also has some pretty depressing lyrics, right? But I know the world described in this song is the reality in which many of us live…constantly striving to fulfill the expectations of employers, family, and ourselves. Often times we fall short of what people hope for or even demand, and it leaves us feeling discouraged, tired, sad, and even angry. So where is the relief from feeling like a failure?

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29

Our relationship with God is not dependent upon what we can do for Him, but what He has done for us. And as Mike will preach about next week, true joy can be found through intimacy with Christ. What a relief from the performance demands of the world! Not only that, but I truly believe when we prioritize God’s expectations for ourselves (developing intimacy with Christ), the natural result is that we will be better equipped to fulfill the expectations of others in our life…or at least we will worry less about when people aren’t pleased with us. So if you find yourself running on the hamster wheel of human expectations, without seeking support from Jesus, you gotta do much better than that!

Cory Grimm

 


Haiti Answers

Thanks again to everyone who supported the recent trip to Haiti through prayers, finances, and encouragement. Many people have shown a great interest in the trip, the people of Haiti, and our guest Zacharie who is staying in Luverne for the summer. Below are the most common questions we have been asked with the answers we have been giving.

Cory Grimm

  1. Have things improved in Haiti since the earthquake in 2010?

By outward appearances things seem to be improving. I remember travelling in the country shortly after that time, and the tent cities were everywhere. I wondered if a large number of people would still be living that way in 5-10 years. That doesn’t appear to be the case, at least going by what you can see from the main roads. Also the roads themselves have benefited from a lot of repair, including better pavement and improved bridges. Hopefully this is an indicator of upgrades in other areas of society as well. The Haitians are a tough people who know how to bounce back from disasters.

  1. Did you accomplish on the trip what you set out to do?

Yes, and more. We spent some quality time connecting with the kids at the Deaf/disabled School, and took new photos for their sponsors. We also had some good conversations with Lucner and Julianna, the directors of the school, and spent a morning working in their garden to plant some produce for the kids. The balance of the time was spent connecting with past, present, and future partners of H.I.M., the highlight of which was probably visiting Accolade, a ministry to street children in Les Cayes.

  1. How did George Bonnema do in Haiti?

We couldn’t have picked a better representative of ARC to go with us on this trip. First of all, George is very low-maintenance, so he never complained about the accommodations or the various last-second changes in schedule, etc… He’s also very comfortable in the heat as he works countless hours outside in the hot Luverne summers, so his adjustment to the climate was no big deal. Most importantly, he really seemed to connect well with and appreciate the people of Haiti, which is the country’s greatest treasure by far.

  1. How is Zacharie adjusting to America, and what will he be up to this summer?

He seems to be enjoying himself, though he is very cold when it gets below 80 degrees! We are running our heat in the basement this summer so he can sleep at night. He stays busy participating in our normal family activities, church activities, and various special meetings. For example, he preached at the Union Gospel mission last week, and he has a meeting with Alan Green of Lifelight on Friday, a contact he made years ago when they did a music festival in Les Cayes, Haiti. He is learning from everybody while he is here, but is also imparting his wisdom to people he meets.

  1. What is the plan moving forward for H.I.M. (Haitian International Missions)?

The big push now will be to fill some mission trips so people from our church and region can use their passions and faith to make an impact in Haiti and be impacted by the people there. The first trip will be Nov. 11-18 and will focus on ministry to children. Our tentative plan will be to facilitate a construction trip sometime this coming winter and a trip for teenagers in the summer of 2016. We have many opportunities to support Haitian-led ministries that are making a difference in Haiti and beyond for the kingdom of God.

 


Justice, Compassion, and Reconciliation

Earlier this week my attention was captured by the events in Baltimore. As I’m sure you are aware, there has been a violent reaction to Freddie Gray’s death at the hands of the police, and the entire city has been in a state of emergency. It was inspiring to see a united clergy marching through the city streets to bring about peace. They courageously positioned themselves between the police and the rioters as a calming influence. I believe they did exactly what Jesus would have done in that situation, and I believe the Lord was truly in their midst.

The third main heading in the RCA’s “Transformed and Transforming” vision statement is “Engaging in Christ’s Kingdom Mission,” and the fourth bullet point says, “promoting justice, compassion, and reconciliation.” Part of the way we present the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world is by being instruments of peace, by standing in the gap, by righting wrongs and bringing unity where there is division. In 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 Paul talks about “the ministry of reconciliation” we have as “ambassadors for Christ.” This includes reconciling people to God and to each other.

So how come so many of us think the gospel is only for our souls?

In other words, for many people all we do is pray a prayer of repentance, look on sadly as the world gradually gets worse and worse, and wait patiently for Jesus to return and fix things. When we fall into this trap of minimizing the gospel’s influence, we fail to allow Christ to transform our world here and now. What were Jesus’ first words during his ministry?

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Now be honest…did you read that and immediately think mainly in figurative terms? Did you take the words “freedom”, “recovery”, and “set free” in a spiritual or a physical sense? Here is the point we can’t miss… JESUS MEANT THEM IN BOTH WAYS! The creation and the spiritual realm are intertwined more than we know. Jesus is bringing JUSTICE here and now, not just at the final judgment. COMPASSION means loving people in both word and deed. RECONCILIATION does not have to wait until the end of time.

Let’s take this one step further. Someone reading this is saying, “Amen, I believe the gospel can not only transform individual lives, but the whole world.” But do we really believe that? David Bast, President of Words of Hope, made a comment last weekend that “the only hope for the Middle East is for the Muslims and the Jews to both be transformed through belief in Jesus Christ.” I have to confess that a part of me was skeptical that such a thing could ever happen. So I am just as guilty as anyone else of limiting the power of the gospel. We all can grow in our belief of the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Try this exercise…Take a moment and think of the most impossibly broken situation you can imagine…inner-city Baltimore, the Middle East, a crumbling marriage, an abusive relationship, a severe addiction, or maybe even your own life. Which one captures your imagination? What would it look like for justice, compassion, and reconciliation to happen in that context? Now GO and stand in the middle of that place armed only with the gospel of Jesus Christ, trusting that the gospel has the power to transform lives…and let’s see what happens next…

Cory Grimm

 


An Appeal to Immigrants

“An Appeal to Immigrants”

If you were not born in this country, I’m so glad you are here now! Why? God has called you to come and teach me something I am missing…something about His character…something about how to live and love more like Jesus.

Migration is a huge reality in our current age. Not only is the global population exploding in numbers, but we are on the move like never before. Transportation, communication, legislation and education have all changed drastically, facilitating this modern exodus. As a follower of Jesus I deeply appreciate this phenomenon as I see God’s prophetic design at work in powerful ways. He planned this from the beginning, and He will change the world and each of us through the process. Here are some verses from Genesis that share God’s plan, as well as how it is being fulfilled through Jesus…

Gen. 1:22,28 God commanded Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.”

Gen. 9:1,7 God repeated the command to Noah and his family after the flood.

Gen. 11 Tower of Babel…when the people stayed in one place, God gave them different languages and spread them around the world.

Gen. 17 God chose Abraham’s descendants, but promised to bless all the nations through him.

Mark 11:17 Jesus rebuked the people for keeping God to themselves and declared that the Jewish temple was intended to be a “house of prayer for all the nations.” (quote of Isaiah 56:7)

Matt. 28:19-20 The Great Commission. Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world and teach all people to follow Him.

Acts 10 Peter had a vision about all people becoming clean before God through Christ…He then began the process of reuniting the Jews with the Gentiles (all other people).

Rev. 5 A beautiful picture of all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages worshipping in unity.

What is God up to in all of this?

  1. God intentionally spread people around the globe in order to uniquely reveal various aspects of His character to each people group. One group of people sees God’s order in creation. Another group experiences the spirit realm through dance/worship. Another is strong in family dynamics, etc…
  2. Though each people group knows something unique about God, no one can know Him fully except through Jesus Christ, His son. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) God’s revelation of character to the people prepared them for the full truth.
  3. With Jesus as our connecting point, God intends to unite people across cultural, racial, physical, and economical barriers and make Himself known to us through the shared wisdom of diverse relationships, if we are flexible and spiritually curious enough to submit to His amazing plan.

The bottom line is this. If you grew up in a different culture than me, you and I can teach each other something about God, and we should deeply hunger for that knowledge of our loving Father. So I’m appealing to all immigrants…come and find me and give me your message from God. I’m waiting.

Cory Grimm

 


How To Missions

How to Do Life-Changing, God-Honoring, Effective, Short-Term Mission Work

Obviously the “Not So With You” section of the Archive does not provide enough space to tackle all the questions assumed in the title of this article, but this is really an invitation to wrestle with God’s call on our life as a church to “Go into all the world.” How do we do that well, especially with regard to short-term mission trips?

There is a growing skepticism about the legitimacy of American Christians invading developing countries for the purpose of short-term missions:

The “mission trip model“ has been praised for the individuals willing to sacrifice their time and money for impoverished communities, doing as Christ would. However, without knowledge of language, local culture, societal nuances, and the economic framework of the community, this type of “voluntourism” is sometimes wasteful at best and possibly destructive to the community at worst. (“Voluntourism: More Harm than Good” by Heather Ruiz)

However, with a proper approach I believe short-term missions can be done well, and our denomination lays out the following values to help us measure our effectiveness:

  1. Holistic Mission – Applying the gospel to every facet of life, not just personal faith
  2. Mission Partnerships – Partnering with indigenous leaders and organizations
  3. Long-term Commitments – Creating deep relationships that build trust over time
  4. Mutual Mission – Giving and receiving, teaching and learning, sharing and listening
  5. Respectful Witness – As Jesus lovingly came into the world as a humble servant, so we engage another culture with deep humility and respect. (To see these values in more detail go to https://www2.rca.org/missionprinciples )

Most of you are somewhat aware of the work of Haitian International Missions, which is essentially a branch of American Reformed Church. The goal of this project is to partner with dynamic Haitian Christians to change the world for Christ. In 2015 we want to invite you to engage in this mission in the following ways:

  1. Continue to support the children of the deaf & disabled school. All of the children on the roll are currently sponsored. Praise God!
  2. Scouting Mission Trip (June 3-10) – Cory, Lynn, and “flower” George will visit Haiti and lay the groundwork for ARC mission teams to be able to visit on a regular basis.
  3. Zacharie Dieuvueille (HIM director) will visit Luverne (mid-June to mid-August) – Be prepared to welcome this inspiring man as he will share with us at church, small groups, etc…
  4. Mission Trip (November 11-17, tentatively) – Approximately 10-12 people from ARC will travel to Haiti to support the work of H.I.M.

More details will be made available soon about how to support and/or participate in all of these opportunities, but for now I invite you to pray and dream about how our church could be impacted by God through a long-term, healthy and responsible collaboration with the people of Haiti. I truly believe such a partnership would not only benefit the people there, but would lead to many changed lives and greater missional impact here in Luverne.

Bondye beni nou! (God bless you)   Cory Grimm

 


Government or Church?

I always cringe when I hear people complain about the government in this country, which happens quite frequently. It seems to be a very popular topic. “The government is too big!” “The government doesn’t do enough to help us!” “That Obama is a crazy person!” You’ve all heard similar comments and worse, no doubt. Just take a step back for a second and think about a few of the ways the government uses our taxes to actually fulfill the commands God has placed on us as a church:

  • (James 1:27) Caring for widows and orphans (also mentally-handicapped and disabled individuals)
  • (Prov. 22:6) Providing educational opportunities
  • (II Cor. 8:14) Supporting individuals who lose their jobs or go bankrupt
  • (Luke 22:36-38) Providing protection from enemies through military, police, etc…
  • (Matt. 25:35-36) Providing food and clothing for those who are in need
  • (Luke 10:34-35) People are guaranteed to receive emergency medical attention
  • Also, freedom to worship, freedom of speech, and many other important freedoms…

Now imagine all of this important framework and resources provided by the government was suddenly stripped away? Would we be prepared as a church to fill that void? We complain about the government not doing these programs well or efficiently, but are we ready to take them over ourselves? Would we have the generosity, compassion, and energy required to meet these needs?

That was the situation in which the early church found themselves, and how did they respond? In the early 200s, Tertullian reports that Christians had a voluntary common fund into which Christians monthly deposited what they could. The common fund was then used to support widows, the disabled, orphans, the sick, the elderly, shipwrecked sailors, prisoners, teachers, burials for the poor, and even for the release of slaves. (Apology, 39).

This passage comes from the Apology of Aristides (130 CE). “And if there is among them (the Christians) any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food.” Also, according to historian Michel Riquet, “It has been calculated that at Rome in 250, under Pope Cornelius, ten thousand Christians obliged to fast so they could provide, from a hundred days’ fasting, a million rations a year.”

Maybe we should take on more social issues in our day and run more programs out of the church to take care of those in need in our communities, our country, and around the world. That could possibly be a great thing for our faith. Or maybe we should start by being thankful that we live in a country where so much of that work is being done fairly well, freeing us up to focus more on direct evangelism, discipleship, and worship.

Three more thoughts to think about:

Consider spending some time in a country like Haiti, Somalia, or North Korea…poor health care (and you have to pay up front or your get denied), poor security (military, police, financial), no programs to help the elderly/orphaned/poor/disabled, scarce educational opportunities, etc…

(Rom. 13:1,6) “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.”

(Phil. 2:14-15) “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…”

To sum up, we really have it very good in this country, God has commanded us to respect our authorities, and we are not to complain as the world does. So next time the grumbling and complaining about the government begins at coffee or a family get-together, tell everyone that Jesus said, “Not so with you.”          Cory Grimm

 


Christmas All Year Long

Have you ever wondered what pastors learn at seminary? Okay, let’s be honest…probably not. If I had a quarter for every time someone cracked a joke by calling it “cemetery” instead of “seminary”… Yes, there are times it is quite monotonous, but I remember distinctly one day when one professor simply posed the question, “Why did Jesus come into our world anyway?”

We aspiring pastors initially thought that was an easy question, and we came up with all the typical Sunday School answers: “to die on the cross”, “to save us from sin”, etc… But the professor remained unsatisfied. It turns out there were many other amazing reasons Jesus came into our world, not least among them to simply show us how to live. This is what we have been focusing on this Advent season at church, how Jesus’ incarnation teaches and empowers us to truly live a life full of faith-filled adventure through intimate relationship with the Father.

Hugh Halter, author of “Flesh”, shares this insight: “Jesus said that the whole reason He came was so we might have life – abundant life. He didn’t come and take on flesh so that you would someday (only) pray a salvation prayer, go to church, and settle for a semi-religious life. He has bigger hopes and dreams for you than that. He came so that His divine life could actually take root in you and so that you could relate to Him like humans used to before sin messed everything up.”

I think it is sort of like having Christmas every day. Can you imagine that?!? For some reason during the Christmas/Advent season, from the outflow of our joy we tend to:

Spend quantity and quality time with family and overlook our differences

Contribute charitably towards those in need

Spend time reminiscing about years gone by and sharing about God’s faithfulness

Generously give gifts to family, friends, coworkers, etc…

Experience a powerful feeling that leads us to pray, sing, and worship

To put it bluntly, at Christmas time we tend to act a lot more like Jesus! Let’s do that all year!

Three years ago my family and I had to abruptly leave the mission field in Haiti and return to the United States, arriving on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, we had to leave almost all of our presents behind, including a homemade castle my son and I had built from the leftover scraps of lumber left behind by various mission teams. The kids were very sad, and to help make up for it we ended up leaving up our Christmas tree that year until after Easter!

So why did Jesus come into our world anyway? He came so that we might experience life in, with, and through Him at all times, not just during religious holidays. So as you experience the joy of Christmas/Advent this year, think about how you can carry that forward into the New Year and beyond…

Cory Grimm

 


What Does It Mean to be Ordained?

What does it mean to be ordained?

“After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me…” Ex. 28:41

If you had a chance to attend the congregational meeting this past week you heard Merlin Wynia lay out a basic vision of what it could look like to have a 2nd ordained pastor on staff. This issue was brought up because I plan to complete my requirements for ordination sometime next year, and at that point the church would have the option of “calling” me to ordained ministry. But what does that really mean?

All denominations have certain requirements aspiring pastors must fulfill in order to be ordained and declared “fit” for the office of “Minister of Word and Sacrament,” after which time they are eligible to serve communion, marry people, and lead consistory. In most cases that includes attending seminary, being supervised in ministry for several years, and finally being examined on biblical knowledge and other church-related competencies. The RCA is no different. We tend to be on the demanding end of the spectrum compared to other denominations, though requirements have relaxed somewhat in recent decades. There was a time when the only acceptable option was for American pastor candidates to attend seminary in Europe, and during those 150 or so years about ¼ of all such individuals died in shipwrecks while trying to cross the ocean or from sicknesses picked up along the way! Yikes!

Today ordination has changed quite a bit. The role of pastor differs greatly from church to church, more and more pastors are called into ministry later in life, and the emphasis has generally switched from seeing pastors as a separate class of Christian (clergy) to seeing all followers of Jesus as “ordained” to ministry, with pastors spending more time guiding or coaching others in ministry than doing all the ministry themselves. This is why Mike prefers to be called “Mike” instead of “pastor” or “reverend.” He wants to emphasize that he really is no different or more qualified for ministry than anyone else, and we all have a role to play. There are extreme examples of this, such as the Quakers, where there is no such thing as pastors, or at least you might say everyone is a pastor.

So in one sense it is hard for me to aspire to the status of ordination. I am of the same mindset as Mike and do not look forward to having some title added to my name, which means nothing to me personally, and might even compromise my ability to move conspicuously among the unchurched. But on the other hand I can humbly say that God has “called” me to set aside my life to study His Word, experiment with new ministries, and be prepared to follow wherever Jesus leads, all for the purpose of serving God’s people. In my mind that sense of calling is really the foundation of ordination, and it has been confirmed by people in numerous churches, my professors at seminary, and even some people in Luverne.

I hope that helps explain the meaning of “ordination” a little bit, and over the coming months we will all pray together whether or not my personal calling is a good fit for ARC in the long term or not. I trust God will answer that questions in His perfect timing!

Cory Grimm