Randy is one of our lay elders at Church on Mill. Lay elders serve for terms of four years, take one year of sabbatical, and are reaffirmed by the membership after that year. Randy is finishing his year of sabbatical, and we will vote to reaffirm him as an elder on December 4th, 2022 at 6pm at our next Members Meeting. Below is a word he is sharing with us about sabbatical.
Many of you, in your kindness and godly interest, have asked about this year’s sabbatical. First, let me say how grateful I am for a church that believes and has organized itself to offer such a thing as “sabbatical” for its elders. Thank you!
This year has yielded many good gifts from the Lord. One of them has been extra time to study God’s word and read from others whom he has gifted to write. To borrow from some of John Owen’s work in “The Glory of Christ in his Love,” he explains the love of Christ to his people as mediator, “His love, as the sole impelling and leading cause thereof, Gal 2:20, 1 John 3:16, Rev 1:5. Herein is he glorious, in a way and manner incomprehensible, for in the glory of divine love the chief brightness of glory doth consist. There is nothing of dread or terror accompanying it, nothing but what is amiable and infinitely refreshing.”
‘Amiable and refreshing’ are the two words that best define my time on sabbatical. I believe this is true because of the love of Christ on display through you. You’ve made that clear by your love and care for Pam and me. Again, thank you! I love you and, Lord willing, am looking very forward to serving COM again as an active elder.
