Our Pastor

Pastor's Reflections

      Hello,

      I'd like to welcome you to First Baptist,
      and invite you to join us for services
      and any activity that you find of interest.

       Rev. R. Mark Jordon

First Baptist Church possesses a rich heritage of commitment to missions, to the nurture of its members in Christian growth, and the encouragement of each individual to exercise their priesthood. This heritage continues to give direction and life to our ministry together. However, First Baptist is also moving in new directions. Together, we are seeking God's guidance as we move into the future. We also believe that the power of the Spirit of God at work among us is to renew our vision and to lead us to dream new dreams.

If you are new to our community or looking for a church home, we welcome you with open arms into our fellowship. We understand membership to mean that we mutually support the ministry of the church through our participation, our exercise of the gifts in ministry, in reaching out to our community, and the support of the church ministry through our tithe. We invite you to become a part of our fellowship and ministry here at First Baptist. As pastor, I would be delighted to talk with you about the church and your decision to become a part of our fellowship.

We trust that this Web site will assist you in becoming familiar with our church and becoming actively involved in our ministry together. We invite you to join with us as we celebrate our heritage and as we seek the Spirit's guidance in discovering a new vision for our future.

In Christ,

R. Mark Jordon

 

Mark’s Remarks

There is a very interesting story in Luke 10:38-42. You know it as the story of Jesus being invited to Mary and Martha’s home. You also remember how Martha complained to Jesus about how Mary was not pulling her share. However, I am intrigued by one phrase. Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.” It was not that Martha was not doing something very important. In fact, I would be the first to say that if someone is preparing a meal for me that is the most important thing.

But what strikes me is the spiritual challenge of knowing what really is the one thing needed at any moment. There are so many wonderful things we can be involved with, but is that what we really need to be doing in that moment? There are so many things calling for our attention that it is very easy to miss the thing most needed at this time.

I heard someone say that early in his life he used to pray that God would give him this or that. He said, “As I have grown older, I have changed my prayers. I now spend more time thanking God in prayer.” I believe that is a wonderful lesson. However, I think personally I have changed how I pray over the last several years. I now pray more today that God will help me to see how the Spirit is moving in my life in all things. That is one of the themes of our journey with Pursuing Missional Faithfulness. Spiritual discernment is about catching a glimpse of how God is already at work in our lives. Sometimes we pray that God would be with us and that is a true cry from our heart. But the reality is God is already fully with us. The real issue is, can I can see, do I want to see, or can I hear?

So today, as I listen to the story from Luke, the thing that strikes me is this. If I were to really sense the spirit of God moving in my life right now, would I hear Jesus say to me, Mark, there is need of only one thing. And of course, I find myself wondering, what is that one thing most needed in my life. Maybe that is the center of our spiritual journey. Maybe that is the whole point, to discover what is the one thing most needed in my life at this moment. Maybe I need to go and pray about that.
Mark

Mark