Reflections by Rev. Dan Bogre
Dear Friends and Family of RRUMC,
I have been blessed to receive a gift from one of our church members. It is a daily devotional called, “Daily Devotions with William Barclay.”
As many of you know, William Barclay is one of my favorite theologians, pastors, authors, and professors. Barclay passed away in 1978 but the author of the devotional, Philip Law, has compiled writings and reflections by Barclay on New Testament Scriptures. It is the best devotional I have ever read.
On May 4, the devotional title was, “The Characteristics of the Church.” He used Acts 2:42-27 for the devotion and then included what Barclay had written in his commentary on those verses. One verse in particular, verse 43, struck a chord with me. It reads: “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” Barclay wrote this about that particular verse as one of the characteristics of the church, “It was a Church where things happened; signs and wonders were there. If we expect great things from God and attempt great things for God, things happen.” WOW!
One of the many things that makes me so proud, blessed, and privileged to be able to serve RRUMC is your willingness to attempt great things for a great God. Some of those things are Upward Sports Ministry, Car Cruise Ministry, starting a free store, and taking on Story Church as our second campus, just to name a few. William Barclay, in his commentary on this text, was being very clear that churches are to be about the business of being willing to try great things because we serve a great God. I have a quote on the door in my office that says, “We are looking for ideas large enough to be afraid of again.” Barclay’s words about verse 43 tell us that, when we expect great things from a great God, then we must be willing to attempt great things.
On July 1, I begin my 15th year as your senior pastor here at RRUMC and my 30th year in ministry overall. I hope that we still know that we serve a great God and we should never stop expecting great things from our great God. I also hope that we here at RRUMC are never done attempting great things for our great God. Church, stay passionate! Stay excited! Stay close to Christ! Keep attempting great things because our great God is not done with us. My coach, Rev. Shane Bishop, shared with me this quote a few years ago: “God can bless anything, but he can’t bless nothin’.” We are not a church of “nothin’.” We are a church attempting great things. Thank you again for the privilege that it is to be called your senior pastor.
Peace and Blessings,
Rev. Dan