May 24, 2018
Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only… (Philippians 4:15 NIV)
In September 2015, I was in between churches. It was difficult. I had lost confidence in being a pastor because of previous experiences I had. It was a challenge to be able to trust people again. I was also in between denominations. The Committee on Education and Reception of the Presbyterian Church in Canada had accepted me into the denomination but I needed to take a year of studies at Knox College. As part of these studies, I needed to do theological field education in a Presbyterian church. Fortunately, Knox College networked me into the church that was close to where we lived. It was Glenbrook Presbyterian Church.
I spent 8 months at Glenbrook. I am grateful to the people and leaders of Glenbrook. They helped me build my trust in people again. They gave me an opportunity to do pastoral ministry in an environment that was nourishing to my soul. Pastor Ian McWhinnie has become a good friend. We meet together for a bite to eat now and then and pray for each other. Therefore, I am grateful to the Glenbrook church family for what they have helped me through.
In Philippians 4:15, Paul also expresses such a gratitude to the church at Philippi. There was a time when Paul was on a missionary journey when the Philippians were the only church who supported him practically and financially. Therefore as he writes this letter of encouragement and instruction to them, he acknowledges their generosity and prays that God will add credit to their account (Philippians 4:17).
This coming Sunday, May 27, we will have a joint worship gathering with Glenbrook PC. This is a meeting of 2 churches who mean a lot to me. There are so many things that we have in common with each other. May God build on our partnership in the gospel.
Pastor Pye