A Note from Pastor Bill

Dear Saints,

I had a whirlwind of schedule last week. I had to be in Atlanta at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University for meetings related to the Sherman Scholarship Fund. Christopher DeLuise, currently one of our certified candidates for ordained ministry from St. Luke’s, is a Sherman Scholar as he begins his first year of studies. I flew back to Orlando on Wednesday afternoon in order to attend the Board of Trustees meeting at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach.

Despite the fact that the Bethune-Cookman Board had already convened its meeting, I did not drive over to join the other trustees until late on Wednesday night. I wanted to be here to preside over the service of Confirmation for sixty-five of our newest members. This was an especially meaningful experience for me since, as I told them that night, I had held many of them as infants when they were baptized, had tried to ignore them when as toddlers they squirmed on the front row of the sanctuary as I preached, and as I had to tell them many times to stop running up and down the stairs to “The Attic.” Now here they were before their families, friends, and pastors taking their vows as full members of the church. I was moved to tears several times as I joined LeeAnn in placing our hands on their heads.

The vast majority of them will not be heading off to seminary ten years from now, but they will be maturing into adult leaders in churches all over the nation and perhaps for a few, across the world. This Sunday two of our most gifted and loved lay persons help us to commemorate Laity Sunday. Clint Boldt will be speaking in the sanctuary and Alice Williams will be in the gym. Clint, our current Lay Leader, is best known for his infectious enthusiasm and for his trademark phrase, “Lovin’ it, lovin’ it!” Alice, who is our immediate past Lay Leader, is also a charmer. Her children’s sermons are legendary, especially the one where she was talking about servant ministry and flipped open the yellow pages and plunked her finger down on a well-known men’s establishment and said something to the effect that services were provided there as well. (See why you never want to miss worship?)

You will be lovin’ it for sure this weekend!

Be sure to pick up your own copy of John Ortberg’s book, When the Game is Over It All Goes back in the Box. Alice and Clint will be speaking on 1 Timothy 6:17-19 and referring to the second chapter of the book in a message entitled, “Park Place and God’s Place.”

Kim and I will be in the Queen’s place in London next week, but even the Windsors know that when the game of life is over, it all goes back in the box. And the crowns that are worn in this life are cast at the feet of Jesus in the next.

With faith hope, and love,

Bill