To Equip the Saints…
In the Letter to the Ephesians the writer
urges, “I therefore, the prisoner in the LORD, beg you to lead a
life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all
humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in
love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were
called to the one hope of your calling, one LORD, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all
and in all. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some
prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the
saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature
of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:1-5; 11-13)
I know that these words were written to and
about the church in Ephesus, but I can’t help but feel that they are
descriptive of the church of St. Paul’s, too. There does seem
to be a sense of unity at St. Paul’s. A unity that not only
extends among present members in this time, but seems to include
those who founded the church so many years ago and those who are yet
to be included among it's roles. I have only been a part of
St. Paul’s for a little over a year, but in that time I have seen
how a commitment to unity has kept us focused even while
controversial changes were discussed and planned.
St. Paul’s is also an encouraging congregation
which seeks to affirm the spiritual gifts of its members and provide
a venue through which these gifts can be developed, all for the
purpose of building up the church. I, for one, am so grateful for
your encouragement and support.
As some of you know, I am preparing to accept
a call to my first pastorate. As of early September I will be
serving God along with the people of Christ Reformed Church, United
Church of Christ, in Alexandria, PA. (Near Altoona) I just wanted
you to know how truly blessed I am to have been a member of your
community during the past year. I have grown so much! I attribute
this to your prayers, support, encouragement, and love. “Thank you”
does not seem enough, yet, how can I express my appreciation for all
of you? I will continue to keep you in my prayers. I thank you, and
I thank God for you.
By the way, if you should ever venture out to
Western PA, please look us up. (The parsonage is plenty big!) My new
address will be:
Emilia Florio
307 Shelton Avenue
Alexandria, PA 16611
