06/01/2026
From the Pastor’s Desk
Early in my first pastorate, my son got sick.
It took awhile to figure out what was going on, but it led to an ambulance ride to the hospital. He was in junior high then.
We were afraid.
Turns out, he is a Type 1 diabetic. Sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes, T1 has no cause nor cure.
He requires insulin every day in order to live.
I haven’t thought about those initial disorienting days of his illness in some time. They came to mind after our discussion in Sunday school yesterday on what it means to live in community.
When my new church got word, they responded. Church members visited us in the hospital. Because we were there for several days, someone from church showed up at our house with a riding mower to take care of our large lawn. I later learned that while he was mowing, someone else with the same idea came, as well.
I was informed I did not have to preach the following Sunday, but I did. Afterwards, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have. I told the congregation that day that I was finding it difficult to pray. I wondered if I had said too much. I was their new pastor — maybe they did not want one who could admit something like that.
The next morning, an elder arrived at my office, and said, “You know yesterday when you said you found it difficult to pray? We needed to hear it, because sometimes the same thing happens to us.”
And they were praying for me.
This, I believe, is what Christian community looks like. I have found it, again, here in Greenville. I am so grateful that God has brought us together. I pray that we remember that we can never keep it to ourselves. God’s vision for our growing community is more than we can ask or imagine. We must resist getting too comfortable or insular, which can easily happen in any congregation.
God is reconciling the world to Himself, and we get to be a part.
And it is pure joy.
— Matt
*My son Jaron recently turned 26 years old, and he is healthy and happy. J is very athletic. He no longer has to take six shots a day. His insulin is regulated by a small, unobtrusive pump he wears on his body and controls with his phone. My hope is that he will live to see a cure.
NOTES:
— Fellowship Club returns this Thursday, June 4. Devotional will be at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch and a special performance at 11. Bible study is at 11:30. We are excited to host the Set Free Praise Group. It’s all free. Bring a friend. RSVP to Jo Hunter so we know how much food to have ready for you! We are collecting donations for the Hope2All Food Pantry. You are invited to bring a can of peas or corn to help stock their shelves.
— Thanks to Don Pryor, we now have aides for the hearing impaired available to use during worship. Talk to Don for more information.
— Please continue to remember in prayer those who are traveling at this time of year.
