Carpentering for the Carpenter

Rev. Jack Hockney is welcoming me as a newly Ordained Minister with the Assciated Gospel Church of Canada. (Similar to I.F.C.A. in the U.S.) I was ordained in Uranium City Evangelical Church on January 28, 1979.

Both my parents and Colleen's parents were there for the event. It was a blessed time. Dad Smith taught Jon (who was 6 months old) to eat table food. He never ate baby food again!

We had already been pastoring the little church in Uranium City for about three and a half years. For the next 25 years, serving the Lord would take us back and forth across western and northern Canada, through Seminary and four churches and then a two year stint at Peace Rive Bible Institute here in Sexsmith.

For the past three days "carpentering for the Carpenter" has taken me away from "wall discipleship" (teaching students to be responsible and patch the holes they make in walls) to "window and door discipleship" (me learning how to install windows and doors in people's homes). Interesting enough my mentor is a former P.R.B.I. maintenance man like me. He's a great guy to learn from and work with. The scary part will be when I have to head out on my own to install windows and doors. Fortuately, when that happens, help will only be a phone call away.

What about my Ordination? On the one hand I've served as a Pastor for some 25 years. (The Old Testament priests served at the altar for the same time period in their lives.) And I have no idea what direction our lives will take from here. The Lord may use us in various lay ministries, or He may have a new surprize assignment waiting for us just around the corner. After what I've seen the Lord do for us in the last few years, and the last few weeks, almost anything's possible!

But I am sure of two things. The Lord will always be there with us in whatever He takes us through. And some day soon we will be there in Heaven with our Saviour and His people. In the mean time we "trust and obey" the One who died for us! We serve a living Saviour.

Happy Easter to all.