Dear Rose Park,
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
I apologize. I forgot to mention something of particular importance this past Sunday. In the midst of all the Easter celebration, I forgot to mention that a tree will be planted on the grounds of Rose Park in honor of all those who have previously made profession of faith and all those who will make profession of faith in the future. It’s our hope that this tree will serve as a signpost for generations to come to look back and remember the promises they made and the promises that were made in return.
In case you forgot, our promise to them sounds like this:
Do you promise to love, encourage, and support these brothers and sisters by teaching the gospel of God’s love, by being an example of Christian faith and character, and by giving the strong support of God’s family in fellowship, prayer, and service? We do.
At Rose Park we strive to raise up a generation to be like trees. We promise to love, encourage, and support them while their roots run deep into the soil. I hope and pray we can be a people who keep good on their promise because the next generation is looking to us. They’re watching how we handle difficulties and crises of faith. They’re taking notice if we truly love our neighbor as ourselves. They’re listening to how we speak with grace and truth. They’re waiting to see if we’ll act with faith.
So, let us a plant a tree to remember the promises made in the past. Let us plant a tree to anticipate promises that will be made. Let us plant a tree to remind each other how our roots ought to run deep in the soil of faith. Let us plant a tree to remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Let us plant a tree as a signpost for the Kingdom.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark