We Celebrate and Proclaim the Good News Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

Forty. Now, there is a good Biblical number! In Noah's time it rained for forty days and forty nights. From the time of Joseph to the Exodus with Moses, Israel lived in Egypt for 400 (40 x 10) years. During the Exodus, Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness. In Biblical times, forty was considered the number of a generation. All of which adds to the excitement of celebrating forty years of ministry and mission at Shepherd of the Hills.

In the Scripture passage quoted above, the people of Israel are reminded of the importance of loving God with heart, soul and strength. They're reminded of the importance of following God's commandments. And, they are reminded to share all of that with their children. Known as the "Shema," for the Hebrew word for "hear," the words of this passage inspired the Israelites to keep the faith going through their own living out the commands of God and in sharing them with their children.

Much like Shepherd of the Hills has been doing for forty years. A "light on the hill" since 1962, Shepherd of the Hills—through its staff and members—has been living out the command to love God with heart, soul and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves through proclaiming—by our words and by our deeds—the good news about Jesus Christ. That proclamation has occurred through forty years of worship, forty years of Sunday School and Christian Education, forty years of local and global mission work, through forty years of fellowship and caregiving. An eclectic group of people—pastors, educators, musicians, nursery workers, ushers, caregivers, etc., has come together for forty years in proclaiming that "the Lord our God, the Lord is one." We celebrate and rejoice with the Lord our God in the ministry and mission that has taken place for forty years at Shepherd of the Hills.

And, of course, the work is not done. The proclamation continues. As we follow the Lord's commands and "impress them" on our children and our neighbors, generation after generation after generation will come to know the good news we proclaim. If a generation is forty years, we've just begun our work. We have much to look forward to in our future generations of ministry together. Life, indeed, begins at forty!

Ron Holmes
Pastor, 2001-present

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