Pastor John Writes:
Recently we opened a letter from 1977 from our former pastor, The Rev. Alan Barnes, who wrote about Friedland’s 200th anniversary in 1975:
Whatever the state of the church in 2025, and whatever your own personal health and spiritual life — we who celebrate this Bi-Centennial Anniversary encourage you in the faith. Undoubtedly, God has much for you to do in His Vineyard, and we who precede you promise our own faithfulness, that you who inherit our planting may water and reap great harvest for our Savior.
To paraphrase the Apostle Paul: Wherefore, seeing you are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily beset you, and run with patience and joy the race that is set before you.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
Grace be with you all,
Alan H. Barnes, Pastor of Friedland
Rev. Barnes was reminding us of the words of Hebrews 12, and how the life of faith is often compared to a race. The race we run is not a short sprint, but a long-distance run. The race requires perseverance, but we are not running alone. We are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” — faithful people from many generations who have gone before us and shown us what perseverance looks like. These include 250 years of faithful people at Friedland, whose lives encourage us to keep going when the journey seems difficult.
What “weights” might you need to lay down in order to run with perseverance?
As we continue our 250th celebration, and as we enter a new season together as a congregation, let’s run this race faithfully. Let us encourage one another, cheer one another on, and keep our eyes fixed on the One who makes our journey possible.
In Christ,
The Rev. John G. Rights
