Tuesday, June 15, 2021
i love you Jesus, nevertheless i know You loved me first and You love me most.
i want to thank You, Lord, for this week of campmeeting with the Philadelphia District family at the Erma Holiness Campground in Cape May, New Jersey.
On this Tuesday, the double-blessing day for the Hebrew, i want to give thanks for a new double-blessing my life -- Claire and Tom Rivera. Lord, this couple from our Royersford, Pennsylvania congregation drip with Your presence in my life. (And o how they love You and their pastor, Peter Clarke.)
Claire and Tom are relatively new to the Church of the Nazarene. Their compassionate ministry in their local church and community is called "Illumination" and o my, are they examples of their mission name.
Claire and Tom have been so excited to attend their first holiness campmeeting. Weeks before the event their social media posts were inspiring me and many others. The week before the gathering Claire sent me these words in a text:
"Hi Pastor Kerry!! i just want to let you know that i am SO EXCITED for holiness camp. Tom and I are there the whole time. If you need logistic support (help with set up/clean up, to bring anything, worship team vocal fill in, etc. etc.) feel free to put us to work. I have no idea what to expect so I can’t predict what you may need. Just want you to know there are two pairs of hands willing to help."
i immediately forwarded the Rivera’s phone numbers to John Sharpless, our campmeeting servant leader and he connected right away with Claire and Tom. Talk about a match made in Heaven! Wow! Praise the Lord!
We are only in Day 3 of our summer spiritual get-together and Claire and Tom are basically lighting up the whole campground. They are the first ones in the tabernacle each service and have been working behind the scenes alongside my wife dear Kim and Shannon Gipple who leads the Erma Camp staff, etc. Claire and Tom have quickly and beautifully found their place at the beverage table for each meal and the water cooler in the tabernacle and when i just left the dining hall kitchen area after breakfast Claire was washing dishes and Tom was hauling heavy trash bags to the dumpster. They are illuminating and transforming the atmosphere as carriers of the presence of Jesus.
Lord, help us all to be revived and to show up as carriers of Your illuminating and transforming presence wherever we may be or go. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
P.S. Claire and Tom Rivera have been the highlight for our evangelist, Dr. Stephen Manley. He just gravitates to them before and after every service.
Friends, it’s really true! Presence Matters Most!
Pastor Kerry Willis
No comments:
Post a Comment