By Byron Day, BCM/D President and Pastor of Emmanuel Church, Laurel
Byron Day
One of my favorite television shows growing up was Star Trek. Each episode began of course with the opening monologue of Captain Kirk articulating the five-year mission of the starship enterprise, “… to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
Those opening remarks hinted of a challenging but exciting and rewarding journey. I really love the last line, to boldly go where no man has gone before – what a rush.
You see although I have tipped the half century mark (barely) I’m still a dreamer at heart. I still seek to go where no man has gone before. That is what I love about a new year, a new season, a new week, even a new day. You get to go where you have never been before and I find that exciting and refreshing. With a new year or a new day we may have challenges perhaps tribulations but with those trials we get to experience the presence and faithfulness of our God anew.
Our convention is facing some challenging times; nevertheless I believe that it is time for us to go where we have never gone before.It is time to tap into one of the strengths of our convention, our diversity. Maybe it is time to pursue more diligently cooperating together for the glory of God. Perhaps it is time to passionately engage in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial efforts for prayer, for evangelism, for missions, for planting churches. Perhaps the inauguration of a new president of the United States with historical significance signals a change in the cultural climate of our Jerusalem and Judea.
The Bible declares that we are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus…there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26-28).
Maybe now is the time for us to model our heavenly state right here in Maryland and Delaware. Perhaps now is the time to make intentional efforts to cooperate together to reach our communities for Christ.
I am convinced that God would have us unite our hearts and minds for the building up of the body of Christ.
I am convinced that God would have us come together and work side by side with each other in this Maryland/Delaware vineyard.
I am convinced that God wants Maryland and Delaware Baptist to boldly go where they have never gone before.