Look to Past or Future?

Is it better to look to the past or the future?  The future is always
uncertain.  It requires faith and a little imagination.  The past is certain
but cannot be changed or duplicated.  The past is important.  It has shaped
us into who we are today.  The future is important.  It is coming. We can
pretend it is not coming or do what we can to be prepared for whatever may
come our way.  We cannot change the past and we cannot guarantee the future,
but we can live today with purpose that is grounded in the past and is
impacting the future.

We live in a difficult time in the life of the church in America.  The
church of the recent past was a time of growth, revival and cultural impact.
The church of the future looks segmented, rejected and culturally
irrelevant.  It can leave us scared, confused and pessimistic.  However, we
cannot return to the past.  We cannot stop the future.  What we can control
is how we live right now.  The question for us is "are we faithful?"  What
are we doing today that honors the great cloud of witnesses that came before
us and impacts our future in a way that brings glory to God.

It is my desire to lead us into the future with confidence.  We may not be
able to measure success in the same way that it was measured in previous
decades, but we can be found faithful.  Engage Bartlesville is an attempt
for us to impact the lostness that exists around us.  We cannot hide in our
facilities while our neighbors walk in darkness.  We will continually find
ways to intentionally impact our world with the Gospel.  It is the same
calling of our past and it will continue to be the same calling in our
future.  Until Jesus returns, we must engage those around us with the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.