A Heritage Worth Inheriting:

It's early morning.  I'm sitting in the room that used to be the sanctuary of Covington Bible Church.  It has been otherwise for so long, now--about thirty years--that only a few of us can still picture our fellowship hall with pews--I remember when we painted and padded those pews--and pulpit.  As I sit here in the morning quiet I think of Maxine Kouns, George and Ava Reynolds, Berlin and Alma Sizemore, Guy and Eleanor Brown, and others.  All of those I named are folk who worshiped with us in this building and have since gone to heaven.  They are names that mean little to most of those who come here for Sunday School, Prayer Meeting or Sunday morning breakfast, but they left their mark.  In some cases this room is part of the mark they left.
Last Sunday, here at CBC, I asked myself and ourcongregation, "How can we leave behind a worthwhile heritage that lasts?
Joseph certainly accomplished that.  His lasting impact is summarized in the deathbed words of his dad, Jacob.
I won't re-preach the message here.  (If you check at ourwebsite you'll find how to access a recording of it.)  A couple thoughts, though, to keep in mind:

• Building a positive heritage usually takes a long time.  That is certainly true about Joseph.  His young adulthood was spent in obscurity--slavery and prison--preparing him for his public impact.  Moses spent eighty years preparing for the last forty years of his life.  Most of us will not do any one outstanding thing.  If our life is to have lasting impact, it will be because we have taken a great many baby steps in the right direction.
• What would otherwise be a solid heritage can be torn down.  Maybe it is one of life's "unfairnesses," but it can be ruined much quicker than it can be built.  Both Saul, the King of Israel, and Benedict Arnold, of colonial American fame, had  sterling qualities.  They were eclipsed by their failures.
• Heritage building is one of those pursuits that is self-defeating.  It must be a by-product of Godly, obedient living.  If it is our main goal we will fail at it.  It is clearly one of those "He that tries to keep it will lose it" concepts.

My grandfather used to say, "You pay for your raisin' when you raise your own."  The same can be said for heritage, as a member of family, a member of THE church, and my church, as well as a member of my community and nation, I am greatly privileged by the heritage others have left.

Lord, may live so that I will leaves something for others.  Amen. 

 It's STTA.