Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…

Hebrews 13:7-9

Every once in a while I do something that reminds me of my age; you know, the creeping reality that I am no longer full of the kind of energy that enabled us to simultaneously raise children, complete extra post-graduate degrees, pursue cutting edge careers, develop innovative ministries, write books, remodel houses, and travel the world.

Yesterday was one of those “Hmmm, I may possibly be getting old!” days. It was good, but I am tired!

All I did was to get up early and drive to New Bern for the summer meeting of the Presbytery of New Hope.

My job is to document the day through photography. To that end I try to arrive early and tell the story of what transpires – the gathering, the worship, the ministry initiatives, the reports, the business, the fellowship, and the beautiful sense of shared joy that permeates the entire gathering.

The challenge is that I don’t sit down, and I don’t let up for hours on end. This sanctuary was especially tricky to navigate. I can’t stand still in one location and take five hundred versions of the same photograph, so I have to move around and try to capture a sense of what is happening.

The photos in this post are just from my iPhone – I’ll share some of the others another day.

Up and down to the balcony. In and out of the different transepts. Behind the pulpit and out in the crowd. Zooming in and panning out. Getting a good view of the congregation as well as the various people presenting. I carry three cameras: one with a telephoto for close images; one for wider viewpoints; then my iPhone (images immediately ready for more immediate posts such as this one) – plus the occasional video.

This meeting was held at 1st Presbyterian Church in New Bern, one of my favorite church sites in the Presbytery. I love the way the architecture brings together the old and the new. There is such respect for history here, still worshiping in the traditional sanctuary with a three-sided gallery reminiscent of the church I grew up in in the south of England.

I think the building is a useful metaphor for what we are looking at – what we are envisioning – moving forward. The Good News is, as the Bible says, the same yesterday, today, and forever. But the opportunities we have to communicate the invitational love of Jesus are always changing, necessarily flexible and responsive in terms of engaging the culture we inhabit.

The tremendous need that is apparent in this world is crying out for the Good News of Jesus! But are we paying attention and are we meeting people where they are?

Jesus is not complicated. But this world sure is; this culture certainly strains the limits of our creativity. But this is what we are called to do, and the Presbytery of New Hope continues its faithful witness to love, grace, light, mercy, restoration, justice, redemption, and so much more.

In love, and because love gives us the power – DEREK