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Dear Shiloh Family,

     Each year, starting around the first of November, the advertisements and trailers appear.  The estranged daughter from New York comes home for the holidays to settle a family matter in a conveniently named hometown.  Or the long-lost-son, who is now a big-city real estate agent, is covertly scoping out the possibilities of opening a large resort where the nostalgic quaint family-owned inn has been the town icon since Robert E. Lee surrendered.  The Christmas tree farm is struggling, the restaurant is having financial difficulties, or the dude horse ranch has lost its giddy-up.  

     Many of us will bite our fingernails in suspense knowing all too well the outcome.  Hometown girl/boy will be reunited with estranged ex-beau, there will be a short break-up, and just before one boards the plane/bus, the Hallmark moment will happen, the community comes together, and the family business, town crisis, and Christmas will be saved. 

      Last Sunday, during our outdoor Easter service, it was difficult for me not to have a Hallmark type experience.  I really had to collect my thoughts before I preached because I was overwhelmed with emotion and pride for our church body.  Preparations began days in advance and came to fruition with perfect harmony as the first note began in the sunrise service.  Record numbers of people in both services observed coordinated efforts of love.  

     We sang traditional songs, were spiritually fed by a wonderful sermon, followed by an incredible breakfast. We later gathered outside where faithful men had prepared parking barriers, youth workers had set out comfortable chairs, and the praise team had begun leading in inspiring worship music.  It all came together in true Shiloh fashion.  Everyone joined in serving and servitude, prayer and praise, love and laughter.  Golf carts transported folks from vehicles, students assisted in offering and ushering, and the College and Career class treated the children to a much anticipated Easter Egg hunt.  

    The Easter experience was complete with the parade of children in their beautiful Spring duds, and an array of toppers (hats) donned by ladies and gentlemen.  I say Easter experience because I don’t want to secularize the God-marked day with any relation to a Hollywood event.  It was truly a functioning, breathing, living body, performing to the direction of the Holy Spirit, fueled by the driving force of love.  We enjoyed a New Testament church experience.  

Ephesians 4:11-16: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —  16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. NKJV

The church body is perfectly designed to move.  We can help it or handicap it.         

God bless you all, 

Pastor Derrell