Minister’s Blog

I watched a skilled mason laying brick with such accuracy every brick seemed to be perfectly level and aligned with the other bricks. After he had completed a row of bricks for a section, he reached for a level about three to four feet long. Though his row of bricks appeared level to the human eye he laid the level against the wall of brick and made some minor adjustments to the bricks he had recently laid. The human eye several feet away could not accurately judge how level and straight the bricks were. If this mason had not corrected his work, the wall of bricks would have been leaning terribly after two or three stories.

In the field of space travel, course corrections are common for space vehicles. A deviance of a thousandth of an inch is multiplied several times after the vehicle travels a few hundred yards. A shuttle mission without course corrections would never dock with its target, the space station. In a more common experience our automobiles need corrections as we drive along the roads in our community and state. I enjoy driving I-75 north of Dayton to Findlay because the interstate is so flat. (I grew up in the hills of Kentucky.) At times Interstate 75 appears level and straight but we dare not turn loose of the steering wheel. Corrections are still be needed on a straight road.

The church of Jesus Christ must make course corrections or it veers off on some doctrinal, theological, or methodical tangent. The Bible is the correction tool and standard that guides us back on course. The Scripture to guide us as a New Testament church is the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18ff. The standard for detecting slight deviations from the course is Jesus’ orders for the church, under His authority, to make disciples from all nations, baptize them under the authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and mature the new disciples to obey all Jesus has commanded for His followers to do. When we grow discouraged from this overwhelming task Christ gives us one last correction, His ever encouraging presence for He said, “Behold I will be with you always until the end of time.” A little correction done frequently will prevent a major deviation later. Be a disciple who helps to make other people disciples of Jesus Christ.

In His Love, Terry Jones, Senior Minister