Dennis Green shared his thoughts after PCC's first service in the new building.
It is late Monday night March 15th. Yesterday, our opening Sunday is still fresh in my mind. What a great day.
I went to the Powhatan County Building Department this past Thursday to make sure we were going to be able to have services in our new building on Sunday. At the end of our conversation, Ralph Shelton, the County building official, shook my hand and said “Congratulations, I don’t know how you did it, but you did it.” I was beaming as I said “thank you very much” (knowing in my heart how we did it) and headed back to the church to tell everyone the good news.
That short trip from the County administrative building to our church was eventful for me. The tears started as soon as I got in my car and I could not stop crying. I got to the church building and had to compose myself to get out of the car and face the folks expecting me to bring back news. At first, I was surprised by my emotion. But as I had a chance to process my emotions God brought this story to my mind: A story of the early history of the Hebrew people. A story of a people who were in slavery for hundreds of years and that God gave an opportunity to take possession of a land He had promised them. As you will remember, the Hebrew people struggled in their attempts to take possession of this ‘Promised Land’. They were in the wilderness for a long time until they were allowed to take possession of that which God had promised.
I realized that some of my emotion was because we had been in the wilderness too. People had told Brian, Chauncey and I that we should not do it and that we could not do it. Finishing this building was more than we could possibly deliver. We were personally and corporately defamed from inside and outside the Church. Disinformation and negativity ruled the day.
As the tears flowed I realized that those people who said we couldn’t do it were right. Brian, Chauncey and I could not do it. Those people were right...but they were so wrong. We could not do it - but they so underestimated PCC. PCC could do it, and, with God’s help, we did do it!
Dennis Green
I went to the Powhatan County Building Department this past Thursday to make sure we were going to be able to have services in our new building on Sunday. At the end of our conversation, Ralph Shelton, the County building official, shook my hand and said “Congratulations, I don’t know how you did it, but you did it.” I was beaming as I said “thank you very much” (knowing in my heart how we did it) and headed back to the church to tell everyone the good news.
That short trip from the County administrative building to our church was eventful for me. The tears started as soon as I got in my car and I could not stop crying. I got to the church building and had to compose myself to get out of the car and face the folks expecting me to bring back news. At first, I was surprised by my emotion. But as I had a chance to process my emotions God brought this story to my mind: A story of the early history of the Hebrew people. A story of a people who were in slavery for hundreds of years and that God gave an opportunity to take possession of a land He had promised them. As you will remember, the Hebrew people struggled in their attempts to take possession of this ‘Promised Land’. They were in the wilderness for a long time until they were allowed to take possession of that which God had promised.
I realized that some of my emotion was because we had been in the wilderness too. People had told Brian, Chauncey and I that we should not do it and that we could not do it. Finishing this building was more than we could possibly deliver. We were personally and corporately defamed from inside and outside the Church. Disinformation and negativity ruled the day.
As the tears flowed I realized that those people who said we couldn’t do it were right. Brian, Chauncey and I could not do it. Those people were right...but they were so wrong. We could not do it - but they so underestimated PCC. PCC could do it, and, with God’s help, we did do it!
The realization of what we accomplished together was overwhelming. It still is. I can only imagine the emotion from those Hebrew people all those years ago when they finally took possession of their promised homeland. I just know that we are not in the wilderness any longer.
We are home. Rock on PCC!!!…Go God!!!!!!!!!
Dennis Green
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteMy wife and I would like to thank you, Chris, Chauncey & Brian for prayerfully navigating our church through a season of great trials.
The lessons we all have learned gelled PCC in a way I've never seen.
I know that there was hundreds of people who helped in so many ways and God has, and is showing that a life following Him would be great. The trails have knocked off some rough edges and we are better off!
Thanks for a job well done....you all need to rest and soak in all that God accomplished here......
Ain't He Great!