Just a couple of quick photos for my Monday morning post.

We all experienced so much joy and love at church Sunday morning. At the 8:30 “Praise” service we welcomed a bunch of new members – all younger adults – and celebrated two baptisms. One was an infant, one a young man.

It may have been a hurricane weekend, with a lot of guesswork regarding Isaac’s track and the ever-changing “cone of uncertainty,” but people came to church in droves, and there is absolutely no uncertainty around here when it comes to what makes a vital, transformational community of faith.

I believe that certainty – especially certainty regarding faith – is a something all people need to experience in their lives. That’s why Adalynn’s parents presented her for baptism; and that’s why Curtis, the young man who was also baptized, knelt in front of the whole church and publicly gave his life to follow Jesus. And that’s why it’s so important that we share the Good News of Jesus with the world – an invitation to wholeness and peace.

Because, in a world where instability, conflict, and disillusionment dominate the headlines, knowing and understanding the faithful love of God as experienced through a joyful community of believers is exactly what we all need, and where we all need to be.

My faith community, at First Presbyterian Church of Brandon, is rock-solid with the power and the presence of God.

Experiencing the church community on Sunday (and I’ve written this before) sets the trajectory for my week; Sunday is what makes Monday work.

Peace and Promise to all – DEREK