By Greg Yee, Superintendent, PacNWC
I want to invite you to our Annual Meeting Celebration April 29-30, at Harbor Cov, but first I must share a personal update.
My oldest son got engaged two weeks ago (…thank you!)! This is especially wonderful news since his high school sweetheart broke off their engagement at the beginning of the pandemic and moved on. It was a tough, dark period for him after that shock.
Last year, Jordan met Xina at Coffee Meets Bagel and it was pretty much love at first sight mutually. Their description of that date is so sweet that it would make your teeth hurt!
Jordan and Xina live in north Los Angeles. Xina is from Austin, and leading into the big weekend she expected friends in town. Jordan wanted to include both sets of friends (20 total!) in the actual proposal, so plans started to hatch.
Everything revolved around a hike that Xina and her friends planned to the Tunnel to Nowhere. In preparation, the LA friends hiked well ahead and hid in the shadows of the tunnel waiting to turn on battery-powered candles on cue. When Xina entered the tunnel Jordan walked toward her with his candle. He later described to me that this was a surprisingly overwhelming experience. I’m sure it was a foretaste of their future wedding processional. As they approached, Jordan got on his knee and proposed.
Jordan later explained the candles and having so many present at, what I always assume, is a more private moment. He thoughtfully reflected that after the first failed engagement, he went into a pretty dark place – a dark cave/tunnel. He described with a smile that he learned more about what it means to fear the Lord.
He likens this to being in a pitch-black cave where all God gives us is a candle. We can’t see much of what’s ahead. We certainly can’t see the whole road. It can feel frightening at times when we go at it alone. However, God Himself, Creator, Father, Defender, gives us that candle and we are invited to depend on Him.
Jordan further explains that when God blesses us with a life partner that they have a candle too. Now there are two, and when you are in meaningful community – people who love you despite anything – they also bring their candles.
On that first fateful date, Jordan didn’t want to make too much of the fact that Xina had a candle tattoo on her forearm when they met. It felt like a sign after months of darkness, crying out to God, and soul searching. “Is this a sign?!” He knew he was still vulnerable and feeling things out again as he was getting back “out there.” The tattoo – a single candle – would come to represent so much more.
She said yes, and A beautiful testimony of God’s gifts and God’s call upon us is shared….
What a beautiful picture of the gift and strength of togetherness…community…our churches…the conference.
The author of Hebrews, inspired by the Holy Spirit, calls his audience to persevere in faith during persecution and hardships. He writes,
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Heb. 10-23-25
A good word for us as we make decisions to re-engage more deeply again. I hope that you are doing more relational exercising to get that muscle memory back. Remember, it takes 30-40 days to create a habit. We’ve had two years of learning how to be distant from other candles. Let’s exercise!
Thank you for letting me share a proud daddy story. What I really want to do is invite you to our Annual Meeting Celebration! Ministers, we’ll be meeting Friday morning. After lunch, all are invited to attend two of four workshops that will be offered (descriptions will be announced soon). We are also planning a special celebration dinner so we can share a meal together. Friday night we will have a special prayer and worship time. I’m especially looking forward to that! Saturday will be a hybrid annual meeting where we will have delegates online and in person.
It will be so good to be together again to meet new family members, see old ones, share stories, and celebrate God’s gift of gathering our collective candles from around our four-state region. Please register to attend our worship, dinner, and time of worship and prayer. And make sure your church sends their delegates (either online or in-person).
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8:12