Pastor’s Message for March 2024

Dear Friends,

St. Patrick was one of the great saints of the early church. His name is still known today, though nowadays it seems the day associated with him is known more for wearing green and drinking copious quantities of beer. But beyond the celebration of all things Irish, there is much to learn about Patrick.

For one, Patrick was not Irish. He was born on the western coast of England in the fifth century. When he was a young man, he was kidnapped by pirates which raided the coastal cities and taken by force to Ireland. While he was held captive, he began to learn the language and culture of the place where he’d been taken by force. As he learned about the people, he began to witness to them about his faith. Soon, the people who were his captors were the ones who were set free, because they came to know Christ through their experiences with Patrick.

He eventually escaped his captors and returned home. He studied to become a priest and when he was fully trained he requested to go back to Ireland as a missionary. He spent the remainder of his life ministering to the people of Ireland. What made him so effective is that he was able to speak to the people who didn’t know about God in a way that made sense to them by using what was available in the surrounding culture. Beyond the legends and myths, St. Patrick was an effective evangelist because he followed the example of Jesus. He used the culture to help him tell the story of Jesus.

I wonder if we make things more difficult than they need to be? God has planted us where God wants us to be. We don’t need to use big fancy words, or live perfect lives. We don’t need to annoy and badger and chastise those around us to coerce them into a relationship with Christ. Maybe we need to be more like St. Patrick and get to know the people around us where we are. Maybe we can find ways to demonstrate the gospel in the culture around us. Maybe we won’t chase away all the snakes in Ireland, but we may just show someone the gospel in a way that leads them to a new relationship with Jesus.    

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim