by Dr. Frank R. Lewis, senior pastor
As we gather for worship this Sunday, our forty-day Season of Prayer comes to a close. For the past six weeks we have joined together as a church family to lift our nation, our community, and our church to the Lord in prayer. Taking one hour a week, 168 people have prayed around the clock asking the Lord to renew our spirits and strengthen us to be faithful. The experience has been good. There's been a sense of anticipation in our worship services along with an awareness of God's presence during this time for those who've participated.
While Easter marks the end of our Season of Prayer, it does not mark the end of our commitment to pray as followers of Christ! The fact is we need your continued prayers now more than ever.
During the month of April we are trying to discern the Lord's will for a ministry opportunity in Haiti that will involve giving and going to establish an orphanage and a school in a village affected by the January earthquake. I'll be going to Haiti with a team of others from First Baptist Nashville to assess the need and consider our response. Your prayers are appreciated as we seek the Lord's direction.
We need to pray often for the Music City Centre, the biggest development in our church neighborhood in years. With construction underway, we are reminded daily of the challenge that is ours to be a downtown church. On one hand there's the slight aggravation of navigating around road closures and bracing for the occasional tremors related to blasting at the site. On the other hand, there's the promise of continued development and growth in the central business district that comes to life everyday in the shadow of our steeple. As our newest neighbor prepares her site, we must continually seek the Lord's leadership in keeping our church campus attractive and viable for the ministry God has called us to embrace at Seventh and Broadway.
Your prayers for our continued growth, spiritually and numerically, are also important. We are seeking to Build Bridges with those who could call First Baptist Nashville their home church. We need to be about the business of "Everyone reaching someone for Christ." This work of ministry can only be accomplished when God's people are praying.
I am looking forward to worship this Sunday. It's Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We'll gather at 8:15 in the Chapel for the Service of Word and Table (a time of worship for those wishing to participate in Communion). We'll gather in our Sunday School classes for fellowship and Bible study at 9:00, then we'll gather for a celebrative worship experience at 10:30 in the Sanctuary. Invite a friend to join you and let's make this Easter Sunday special!
Blessings!
