I got to thinking this week because my (our) beloved Pastor was taken to the hospital for more than a mere oil change and tire rotation, I got to thinking that I didn’t like such a stark reminder of his humanity, a reminder that as a human that he would likely precede me and likely most of us, into eternity. I got to thinking how he has been the chief cheerleader of my filling the God shaped hole in my heart, but pondering what I would do if God saw fit to make a Pastor shaped hole in my heart! This is not some maudlin or morbid rambling, but the result of an honest appraisal of my own relationship with both my God and my Pastor, one that I believe is not unique to myself, but has probably been reverberating in many hearts and minds in our congregation. Calvary Chapel of Monmouth County, while not unique, but more rare in its nature, has had a ministry that has had its character and personality largely defined by one man, Dr. Richard L. Shaw. It could be considered cultic if he were not such a fine representation of Christianity in as much that he & Nancy’s life’s work has been to have their ministry center around one person, Jesus Christ. We as a body must acknowledge the existence of our own approaching “Climate Change”. It is my own personal conviction, that Pastor & Nancy have many miles yet to travel and the tally of their labor for Christ not yet to be calculated. But, their age and health (Pastor’s assertions aside) is our call as a body to take up the mantle and lighten their load in a way as never before. It is our call to pray that God reveals to Pastor & Nancy a clear and unquestionable path of succession over the next months or decades whatever the case may be. Their devotion to the ministry and the sacrifices they have made to see the realization of the vision God gave them for our Home and His work on the Highway, will not be voided or brought to naught if we submit ourselves individually and corporately to our God with the same fervency and unrelenting passion that they have both exemplified.

Eyes & Ears, Dear Brothers & Sisters.

Larry Gould