esprit de corps

In 2004 I was introduced to my first Nevada-Utah Regional Convocation in Salt Lake City, UT when I had been President of the Conference for just a few months. Still getting to know people around my field, I was impressed with the warmth and esprit de corps that exuded this gathering.

This Sabbath Jennifer and I returned for my 5th Convocation, this time in Sparks, NV. Pastor Kingsley Palmer has organized these events each time I have attended and has been used by the Lord to create an inspirational environment for members to draw closer to one another and to Jesus.

The music and preaching for the Sabbath worship hour was rich. Following lunch we adjourned to the neighboring Y.M.C.A. for the "Bible Bowl"--yours truly was drafted as one of the "judges." How exciting to see these young people energized by their knowledge of the Scriptures.

After a change of clothes following the setting of the sun the evening was devoted to a friendly basketball round-robin tournament. I insisted that "the union office is officially neutral" about which region of the field won. Jennifer enjoyed holding the babies and little kids on her lap while we clapped for our favorite players. Trophies were presented to every team as we shut down the place at 12:15 a.m. Sunday morning.

What a great way to start the week! It was a blessed Sabbath fellowship with our brothers and sisters.

What Makes A Church?

Today I witnessed the practical manifestation of Peter's words, "...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5).

At the Sparks, Nevada, Seventh-day Adventist Church you'll meet Elder Kingsley Palmer who serves, with his wife Lorraine, as the lead pastor of a vibrant, multicultural congregation in the greater-Reno area of Northern Nevada. But he'll be the first to tell you that there is no church without the faithful service of scores of volunteers.

This Sabbath was officer dedication day at Sparks and it was my privilege to join Pastor Palmer in the service. His theme was being the "hands of Christ" with an emphasis on the kinds of hands one can be in the various roles of elder, clerk, Sabbath school teacher, children's ministry, etc.

We also laid the hands of ordination on two local elders. As I joined in the prayer of dedication it reminded me of the the thousands of other elders across our world church as well as across the years who have felt the touch of hands pressed gently upon their shoulders. This simple act triggered the memory of my own father's ordination in the Orange, California, church one Sabbath in the 1960's as well as my own ordination as a minister in 1988. That moment is a living connection to Peter's words--we're now part of the framework of the "spiritual house" that God is constructing in each generation.

My message for the worship hour was taken from John 15:1-9 where we're reminded that connection with Jesus is the sole criteria for success in both life and ministry. And as Jennifer and I shook hands with the congregation at the door we touched the "living stones" that God is cementing together with the mortar of heavenly love to accomplish His work in Spark, Nevada-- just one of the thousands of places where God is at work in the Vineyard of the Pacific Union Conference.