Page 9 - newhallfirstpresbyterian100years

On May 31, 1991, the First Presbyterion Church of Newholl wos
100 years old. I want to share with you a uerse that has repeotedly
come to my attention during this Centennial yeor - it penetrotes my
mood the way a key penetrates o lock: "Here and now, dear friends,
we ore God's children; what we shall be has not yet been disclosed."
(1 John 3:2)

There are seueral affirmations in these words of John - "What
we shall be hos not yet been disclosed." When the Church was
organized, the King James' words were: "It doth not yet appear what
we shall be.". What this means for us is that we haue a future. There
is more to come! There always is! We are not simply playing out the
string - God is not finished with us yet. We are his workmanship and
He is still building His Church in this community and the world.

In fact, in the perspectiue of the long run, you and I haue hardly
started. There are unrealized opportunities to be recognized and
developed. There ore stubborn sins and weaknesses to ouercome.
There is knowledge to receiue. There is loue to giue and receiue. We
know, as did our founders, that there are struggles in whateuer
system, the age, or social conteHt in which we moue. The self to be,
the Church to be, os I understand John, is hardly recognizable from
the self, the Church that is. "What we shall be has not yet been
disclosed."

Granted there is fl future note here regarding the coming of the
full kingdom of God. The neHt port of the uerse hints the down of a
new age and a better world - "We shall be like Him for we shall see
Him as He is." ( 1 John 3:2b) But euery theologian that I haue euer
studied has insisted that sanctification begins he re when we
belieue, not there when we die. Some of the most impressiue
witnesses for the Christion life con be found in the liues of men and
women who houe been a port of the congregation. John said to them,
as he says to us in the Centennial year, once you houe known Jesus

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