The Words of the Hutcherson Family
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The Words of the Hutcherson Family |
On Tuesday, January 13th, 2009, the core group of American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) leaders of North Carolina gathered in Mosque Number 56 in Winston-Salem for their first meeting of the New Year.
Rev. Burgi Hutcherson read a devotional, which Pastor Fermin Bocanegra had prepared for the meeting. It was “Diligence,” by Richard Mabey, Jr. The inspiration came from Proverbs 13:4 NIV: “The desires of the diligent are fully satisfied”. We were reminded that in the face of setbacks, we must remain diligent and keep our eyes upon the goodness of our goal. We cannot give in to the trap of feeling sorry for ourselves when a roadblock pops up along the path of walking toward our goal.
If we give up on our dream, which would have the potential to help people, then the world loses out. It is important to walk the good walk of faith. We need to stay strong in our faith through consistent prayer and study of God’s word. We need to have our hearts filled with faith, hope and courage to boldly continue to work toward the good goals we have set for ourselves.
After that reading, Minister Mikal Muhammad opened up with a prayer and blessed the delicious lunch, which two sisters of the mosque had prepared for the clergy. Everyone enjoyed the good food.
After the meal Pastor Fermin conveyed a written message, which he prayerfully prepared for this meeting for all of us. He shared the following with us:
“Forgetting what’s behind -- Straining toward the Future”.
Every New Year reminds me that the world has not ended and that life continues. January is the month of fresh starts and of new opportunities. As we look back to 2008, we know that ACLC has survived the attacks of many enemies. Whenever a Pastor leaves for any reason, it is difficult and painful because we are one family destined to work together until the end. On the other hand, we have to admit that our work has not advanced enough to make a permanent impact partly because of the religious barriers that we have inherited and the schedules of the ACLC members.
It is possible to move forward with God’s grace, with a new vision and a positive attitude toward the goal of “rebuilding the family, restoring the community, and saving the nation and the world”
Therefore, we must leave the past behind and take the second chance that our Heavenly Father has given us today. We can make this year the best year or the worst of the ACLC. God wants us to succeed, and I know He will be supporting us all the way. But success will only come if we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us.
God is building a sense of unity and excitement around the world, bringing people and religious leaders together as one Family Under God. I am thankful to be a part of this movement, and I am thankful that each of you is a part of his plan as well!
So as we are looking toward a fresh start, let us consider the words of the apostle Paul:
Running Toward the Goal
I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed. (Philippians 3:12-15, TCIV)
After this message we went to work and brainstormed about our vision for ACLC in 2009, which included planning our meetings and outreach strategy for the next four months and beyond.
The meeting concluded with announcements about the National ACLC Convocation and the special request to support Father Moon’s 90th birthday.
It was a wonderful meeting. Rev. Fermin Bocanegra concluded the meeting with a strong prayer of commitment and support.