An up to date faith

I went out to get the mail today at church and a letter came addressed to my predecessor, Rev. Douglas Howell. I laughed when I saw it because Rev. Howell left here 24 years ago. Someone hadn't done their homework.

As I thought about it, I realized that the organization that sent the letter was founded five years after he left and there was no way he could have been aware of its existence. He left here for a position on the west coast and has only been back once. So how come he was getting letters from an organization he didn't even know existed? The answer was obvious. This group had bought a mailing list and their information was out of date.

It made me think about second hand faith. So many people inherit their faith from their parents. That's not a bad thing. Growing up in a church family is wonderful. The problem is that unless you have your own encounter with God, that faith will become old and outdated over time. The only thing that keeps our faith real is a daily walk with the Lord. If you do that you will never get something back marked "return to sender!"

Cal