One of the terms I remember from one of my high school classes is the word, “Doldrum.” I don’t know why it has stuck with me o
ver the years, but it has. The Doldrums are regions along the equator in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where low pressure exists and the prevailing winds are extremely calm to non-existent. When sailors depended on the wind for propulsion, these regions held potential danger. If a ship got caught in the doldrums, it might float there for weeks or months without the necessary wind to move it forward. Needless to say, being stuck on a boat for that long would lead to the death of those on board as their food and water supplies gradually wore out, not to mention the delusion and fear that would set in, forcing those on board to make some tough choices – decisions like how to ration supplies to survive as long as possible and eventually the decision of who gets to live and die.
Why am I bringing this up, you ask? Because for the last couple of years, PCC has been floating in a doldrum. We exist from week to week, month to month, going about business as usual. And things have seemed alright, even good. We’ve had half a dozen new families begin attending regularly since February. There has been very good dialogue in the Apologetics Sunday School class. Worship has been engaging. We had one baptism last Sunday with four more coming up later this fall. Giving has been steady thus far this year. Things seem stable. But that’s the problem as much as it’s a sense of contentment. Floating along calmly feels enjoyable for a while, but as time passes, death begins to set in.
To help us toward this pathway, three others plus myself will be flying to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in early November to participate in training so that we can better implement this process.
As time passes, you want to accomplish something significant with what God has given you. There is a need to be moving toward a destination; there is a need to identify and fulfill a purpose otherwise we will find ourselves having to make some tough decisions out of necessity.