The Sudbrock Scoop

A Break in the Weather

Whenever the weather is extreme for a period of time, we grow weary. You start hearing the phrase, “When will we finally see a break”. We have had a bit of a cold snap and it is amazing how unprepared the people are and how little they can endure.

My car almost didn’t start this morning. It went with a slow and dragging Rrrr. Rrr, rooM. One more Rrr would have meant r click, click… Thankfully my car was blessed with prayer and God gave it rooM and not click, click. Not the case for my neighbour’s car though. It didn’t roar to life. It simply clicked as the last of its energy ebbed away. Praise the Lord that we were able to be a blessing and a witness to this family that visits our Bible study occasionally.

The last year has been a cold one spiritually. We have had four cases of Church discipline. Sin like a cold Siberian wind had stymied the spiritual growth of many in our little church. Two cases remain unresolved. The first ended in click, click as a marriage ended. The other has been out of church for two months.

Praise God for a break in the weather! Over two months ago something happened that I had tried to lead in over and over again. It just never took hold. I kept trying to charge the church’s prayer battery. It finally took a charge and our men’s prayer meeting finally got off the ground.

Children’s Program – Our children’s choir sang songs of praise and rang bells of joy as they proclaimed the love of Christ come to Earth. We had 47 people attend our Sunday afternoon program. What a blessed way to spend the last Sunday before Christmas. All of our hearts were warmed by the joy and fellowship that filled the day. A big thank you goes out to those who have financially supported our Hand bell choir.

Christmas Eve – This year I shifted gears. I preached two five-week-series in preparation for Christmas. The first was “What is the best gift? The second was, “Jesus, a gift directly from the heart of God”. Then, instead of taking the planning of the Christmas Eve Service upon myself and our family, I told the church that there would not be a Christmas Eve service if they did not plan it and take responsibility for it. They rose to the occasion and we had one of our better attended Christmas Eve services

New Year’s Eve – Getting people together around holidays where they traditionally celebrate it as a family is like pulling eye teeth. We were wonderfully surprised when we had a group of young people want to join us for our New Year’s Eve fellowship. We ate together, enjoyed games, puzzles and a movie. Then, just before midnight we went for a cold brisk walk and watched the fireworks display as it lit the first minutes of 2009. God is working in our little church. We have seen him light the hearts of our people and we are seeing a spiritual maturing that has given us energy to continue on in the New Year.

The last discipline case to be resolved was that of a young lady. This last Sunday morning she openly confessed, before the whole church, what she had already made known in writing. We were truly blessed. After over two years of cold wind there has been a break in the weather. For two years we have earnestly prayed, confronted, cried, and with contrition waited to see this heart turned to the right again. For two years we heard click, click and silent cold. Praise God for a warming trend!

Thank you for having part in God’s work here in Wittenberg Germany,

Paul Sudbrock