Page 7: Church

New pastor taking the pulpit at Smithfield Christian Church

BY ESTHER MCCOY Correspondent

The Reverend Craig A. Smith of Mingo Junction is serving as pastor of the Smithfield Christian Church, starting on Oct. 3. He entered the ministry in 1998 at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Smithfield.

Smith received his training per the Doctrine and Discipline of African Methodist Episcopal Church Studies for Ministerial License and Theology Courses at West Liberty State College, was ordained in 2002, and has pastored to St. Clairsville, Steubenville, Mingo Junction, and Cadiz congregations.

Rev. Smith also served as chaplain at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center for minimum offenders.

Smith graduated from Smithfield High School in 1972, the last year of the Spartans. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Mingo Junction, where they raised their children.

Pastor Wilford Simeral retired from the church at the end of September after 28 years in the pulpit. He was the community Bible school chairman for over 10 years and planned the Smithfield Christmas services held by each individual church in the area.

A dinner was held to say goodbye to Simeral, who was presented a gold pocket watch by the congregation at the Farm Inn in Emerson.

Photo provided by Esther McCoy Pictured are some of the Smithfield Christian Church congregation members who came to dinner to say goodbye to one pastor and hello to another. From the front left: Jane Long, the Rev. Craig Smith, Debbie Smith, Sandy Miller, Esther McCoy, Carol Ann Garcia, Ann Simeral, Judge Michele Garcia Miller, Manuel “Butch” Garcia, and Lamont McCoy.

GoodNEWS

Childlikness

By Pastor Ken Staley Pleasant Grove & Harrisville United Methodist Churches PastorKenStaley@gmail.com

Have you come to that point in life yet where you realize you don’t have it all together? King David did. He wrote Psalm 131, one of the shortest Psalms to read and one of the hardest to accomplish. The Passion translation of the Bible words its three simple verses this way:

“Lord, my heart is meek before you. I don’t consider myself better than others. I’m content to not pursue matters that are over my head — such as your complex mysteries and wonders — that I’m not yet ready to understand. I am

humbled and quieted in your presence. Like a contented child who rests on its mother’s lap, I’m your resting child, and my soul is content in you. O people of God, your time has come to quietly trust, waiting upon the Lord now and forever.”

Amazing words from a worldly wise king and military tough guy. But, as David laments, most of this stuff was over his head, and he was tired of trying to figure it all out.” Are you there yet? There comes a point where we must become childlike in our trust of God and the quietness and simplicity of our lifestyle. Why do people wear themselves out? For what? The apostle Paul told his apprentice Timothy, “We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” As the old saying goes, “You’ll never see a U-Haul following a hearse to the cemetery.” King David said he was like a contented or weaned child resting on its mother’s lap. That’s where all of us must get to if we are going to

make it through this life in one piece. It could be tough for the more macho among us to assume that attitude, but that’s exactly where Jesus said we should be in Matthew 18 when the disciples asked him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called a small child and had him stand among them: “Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child — this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” It makes no sense to the adult mind, but we need to go backward in time to regain the trust, contentment, and simple faith that we had as children. That’s how our heavenly father wants us to be.

The most difficult part for some folks will be taking the initiative to actually quiet their own soul and invest the time in themselves to rest in the Lord. David did it, and he even ran a country. If he did it, so can we. “O people of God, your time has come to quietly trust, waiting upon the Lord now and forever.