So here it is, July of 2001, and things aren't what they used to be here at Libertyville Covenant Church. Not at all like they were in the good old days, right? Way back there in . . .

Here in Lake County, though, the life and the work of the church must go on, and we have little time to pause just for reflection. I am reminded of some advice from the 20th Century American philosopher Lawrence Peter Berra: "When you come to a fork in the road," he said, "take it."

What Yogi is saying to us, I think, is that when a change in direction is inevitable — but when the precise path to follow next is unclear — there is little to be gained by cautiously hanging back and dithering about whether to go northeast, northwest or north-northeast. The risk is that we won't just slow down, but lose all momentum.

And after all, in LCC's mission statement, we say that because of what God's family has meant to us, "we commit ourselves to a life of decisive action and aggressive love." And at a time like this, our opportunities to act decisively and love aggressively are many.

On July 15, we'll be welcoming Dr. Everett Jackson as our interim pastor and spiritual leader for the important months ahead. He is looking forward to being in our midst, and the church council is delighted that he was available to take on the considerable, but rewarding, challenges of following Dave; preparing the way for our new permanent senior pastor; and, most important, serving fully as our pastor for an indefinite period of time.

The Senior Pastor Search Committee is hard at work and deep in prayer, confident that God is moving both in our congregation and in the heart of the new senior pastor that He has in mind for us. That process, however, is separate from the day-to-day and week-to-week ministry of the church. While it proceeds, we all need to know that someone is available to minister to LCC's family not just from the pulpit on Sunday mornings, but also throughout the week — meeting us not only at St. Mary's and 176, but wherever our lives and spiritual journeys may be taking us.

That is what Pastor Everett is eager to do — and, I might add, well qualified to do. In addition to his considerable academic credentials, including degrees from Roosevelt University, Garrett Theological Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary, Dr. Jackson was a professor of pastoral care for nearly 15 years at North Park Theological Seminary and served on the staff at Swedish Covenant Hospital. He and his wife of 35 years, Joyce, are members of the Winnetka Covenant Church.

The work of the church, of course, is no more entirely Pastor Everett's than it was entirely Pastor Dave's. Yes, he'll be working among us full time. But many of our ongoing ministries — including our reaching out in love to one another and to our community — will need more attention from the rest of us during this interim period. Our staff will need more support, both in prayer and action. Our committees will need more participation; even though it's summer, the work of getting ready for fall is already well under way, and as Yogi also once pointed out, "It gets late early out here."

So if you see something that's not getting done, or have an idea for starting something new, this is the time to stand up or step in. Those of us who remember the two years immediately before Pastor Dave joined us know what a difference it makes. Many churches and/or their ministries shrink during an interim period, but that didn't happen here, thanks to our excellent interim pastors and our committed laypeople. Today, with far more going on at LCC than in 1990 – 1992, there are even more places where you can make a difference. Will it be déjà vu all over again? I hope so.

Pray earnestly; work diligently; and love aggressively. In this way, God will be glorified and His kingdom expanded, and LCC will remain a vital part of His plan for Lake County.