From the Pastor...
(Summer 2010)
Dear Church Family And Friends of Park Avenue,
What is going on at Park Avenue this summer? WOW... Park Avenue Baptist Church is all over the map. As a congregation we have agreed that Park Avenue Baptist Church exists to be a vessel through which His glory is revealed in West Nashville and throughout the world. We exist to be a vessel— jars of clay, water pots, and ready containers for His glory to be revealed. It is through our frail clay vessels that His glory is revealed in our West Nashville community and around the world. We exist to be a vessel. We exist for His glory and for His glory to be revealed through our lives. I pray that the Lord continues to make this a reality in and through our church.
Think about West Nashville during June, July and August. In June our church and community will be invited to a community VBS kick off rally and Vacation Bible School and we will once again host World Changers which always impacts our city. While Raymond Kinzounza and I are in Congo during the month of June, the Sunday morning worship opportunities will be led by Bubba Campbell and Harold Harper who is a dear brother and who serves Southern Baptists through the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. Regular Wednesday evening activities with the Youth, Team Kid and the choir, as well as adult Bible study opportunity in the chapel are ongoing. Celebrate Recovery will continue to meet on Tuesday nights throughout the summer and ESL will resume the next semester of classes in July.
Also in June, Hanna Lindsey will be traveling to Guatemala on a summer mission trip while Raymond and I travel to the Congo. In West Nashville and overseas willing vessels are being filled up and stand ready to be poured out for the glory of God.
In 2 Corinthians 4:6 Paul writes: “… it is … God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Vs 7: “. . . we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” (NKJV)
We do indeed have the treasure of the gospel, the knowledge of the glory of God, stored in our vessels. I pray that this summer you will find a rekindled willingness to yield your vessel to the hands of the Lord— in West Nashville by your involvement in one of the ministry opportunities or overseas as three willing vessels travel out of their comfort zones. May this summer witness a great gathering of the jars of clay known as Park Avenue Baptist Church.
You may recall the familiar story found in the eighteenth chapter of Jeremiah about the potter who began a renewed work on the potter’s wheel. He created a new vessel on the wheel. The previous vessel was marred in his hand. Church we are that renewed work. We have been in the potter’s hand all this time. He is fashioning a suitable vessel for the work needing to be accomplished in West Nashville and around the world. I pray that you will become aware of all the things God is doing in your life. I pray that you will begin to give Him glory for His work upon the vessel of your life. May we each be like the little boy or girl who came running through the kitchen door, plastic cups in hand extending it up to mom and asking ‘Can we have some more water.” Church this June, I challenge you, extend your earthen vessel up to the father and ask Him, can I have some more. Fill it up again Lord. Fill it up again. Remember “We Exist to be a vessel through which His glory is revealed in West Nashville and throughout the world.”
A clay jar and a cup of cold water in His name—
Pastor Bob