We just got back from our vacation in the Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Most of you
know that the mountains are my “happy place”. Angie and I go there on almost every vacation. A very
long time ago, when I’d only been here in Bluff Park for a couple of weeks, Charlotte Wilson was taking
me around to visit the shut-ins who were members of her Sunday School Class. Miss Charlotte was Russ
Wilson’s “better half” (in reality, his better three-quarters!) and she loved her class. As we drove out of
the parking lot at the church she told me to go down the “back of the mountain”. As she was giving me
directions, I asked her why it was called the back of the mountain. She gave me a look like I was just
dumb (not the last time she had to look at me like that) and said: “Because it is the back of the
mountain”.
It was only then that I realized that I lived on a mountain: Shades Mountain. In fact, word on the street
has it that the highest point of the mountain is in the church’s front yard. I pastor a church in the
mountains! Was God good, or what? Back in the office later I read this in the Bible: “And God said, “I will
be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the
people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”” (Exodus 3:12 NIV)
I enjoy serving God no matter where that is, but it was just an amazing realization that He had brought
me to this mountain. God has placed this church here on the mountain for a reason; we have purpose.
Are there bigger churches on this mountain? Yes. Are there better churches on this mountain?
Absolutely not! Our style of worship music may be different than some, our ministries my be different
than some, and our type of preaching my differ from some, but we are relevant and needed…on this
mountain.
We are who we are and we do what we do to the glory of God. Let’s rejoice by ministering the best we
can….on this mountain.
Say good things about your Savior and about His church…on this mountain.
Bro. Tony
know that the mountains are my “happy place”. Angie and I go there on almost every vacation. A very
long time ago, when I’d only been here in Bluff Park for a couple of weeks, Charlotte Wilson was taking
me around to visit the shut-ins who were members of her Sunday School Class. Miss Charlotte was Russ
Wilson’s “better half” (in reality, his better three-quarters!) and she loved her class. As we drove out of
the parking lot at the church she told me to go down the “back of the mountain”. As she was giving me
directions, I asked her why it was called the back of the mountain. She gave me a look like I was just
dumb (not the last time she had to look at me like that) and said: “Because it is the back of the
mountain”.
It was only then that I realized that I lived on a mountain: Shades Mountain. In fact, word on the street
has it that the highest point of the mountain is in the church’s front yard. I pastor a church in the
mountains! Was God good, or what? Back in the office later I read this in the Bible: “And God said, “I will
be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the
people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”” (Exodus 3:12 NIV)
I enjoy serving God no matter where that is, but it was just an amazing realization that He had brought
me to this mountain. God has placed this church here on the mountain for a reason; we have purpose.
Are there bigger churches on this mountain? Yes. Are there better churches on this mountain?
Absolutely not! Our style of worship music may be different than some, our ministries my be different
than some, and our type of preaching my differ from some, but we are relevant and needed…on this
mountain.
We are who we are and we do what we do to the glory of God. Let’s rejoice by ministering the best we
can….on this mountain.
Say good things about your Savior and about His church…on this mountain.
Bro. Tony