Restful Work

As we move toward the end of another year, I trust that many of you have

begun planning your vacations and breaks. Both Jen and I were blessed to take

some time off in November, and it was refreshing. Our elder daughter Sarah

and our son-in-law Joel were back from London, and we enjoyed some very

precious family moments.

One unique feature of full-time ministry is the persistent sense that one must

always “move the needle”—planning for church growth, reaching the lost,

discipling believers, and so on. Going on vacation forces you to let go, even

though emails and text messages still beckon. Decisions still await, even when

the Vicar is on leave.

There is also the constant weight of responsibility: What about MPCC’s plans for

2026? Planning events is relatively straightforward, but discerning matters

related to growth, vision, and discipleship is always more complex than it

appears. One might think it should come more easily after many years of

“vicaring,” including time spent in larger, growing parishes. But there is no

repeatable formula. Every parish has its own culture, and the wider culture

around us keeps changing as well.

Perhaps one constant lesson I have learned over the years is to “let go and let

God.” It may sound like a cliché, but it remains true that some of the best and

most significant breakthroughs in ministry were unplanned and unforeseen. If

there was any human role at all, it was simply the desire for God to work—a

desire expressed in our prayers and conversations. And somehow, in His

timing, the Lord creates the waves of change.

It is my prayer that this will be true for MPCC as we step into our 50th

Anniversary. We have floated the idea of “a future MPCC for the next

generation.” But how will this take shape? Is desire alone enough? At the very

least, true desire will lead us to pray. And as we pray, we trust that in time, the

Lord will show us the way. Our part will be to respond with faith and

obedience.

This coming Prayer Gathering will be the last for the year, and you are warmly

invited to come and simply pray together. More than a one-off event, it is our

shared desire before God—asking Him to carry MPCC into the future.

I began by speaking about rest, and somehow the sharing has drifted toward

longing for more. But I believe both can come together. Hear again the words

of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:28–29:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in

heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

It is striking that Jesus invites us to take His yoke—a tool for burden-carrying

and work. The land still needs to be ploughed. Yet He invites us to do it His way,

and in doing so, we discover a deeper rest for our souls.

May these words carry us as one year comes to a close and a new one begins.