Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Recently, I read Trevor Lautens column in the North Shore News in which he shared his views on the statistical shrinking of the Christian Church. With the assumption that some of his readers may not know “The Road to Calvary”, he gave a brief account of the life of Jesus from birth to crucifixion. He followed this with some disheartening statistics of a “retreating” church. The article closed a little more hopeful with “Humbled, perhaps cleansed by some hard lessons learned … the Christian Church trundles on.”
I like the world trundle. For me it conjures up a vision of a dray cart being pulled down an English country lane by a robust and faithful old Suffolk punch horse. It doesn’t move very fast, but it continues it’s journey at a slow and steady gait, his eye on the prize, having no doubt that it will eventually reach its destination. I imagine the donkey that carried Jesus on Palm Sunday trundled on triumphantly and deliberately through the encouraging crowds to Jerusalem. Do you think maybe Paul trundled the road to Damascus as his life went through that amazing transformation from disciple to teacher?
Finding our way as a Christian in this increasingly diverse society is often times a very hard road to walk. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty . . .” and I think that sentiment applies very well to our walk with Christ. We must stay focused on where our journey is taking us and keep moving towards it. Yes, the Christian Church - and I - will trundle on. How about you?
Till next time.
