Recently my friend, Pastor Bob Moorehead, passed away. Bob pastored Overlake Christian Church in Kirkland, Washington where I sang 18 or 19 times. It was one of my favorite churches to sing at for a variety of reasons including the passionate and vibrant worship led by Dave Morgan and the equally passionate and inspired preaching of Bob Moorehead.
Bob would stand in the pulpit and deliver. There was nothing wishy washy or timid about Bob in his preaching or how he lived his life.
On one of my visits I remember Bob sharing a piece called “The Fellowship of the Unashamed." Evidently the author of this work was a Rwandan man who in 1980 was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ and was killed on the spot. The night before his death, the man wrote "The Fellowship of the Unashamed," (shared below). Bob Moorehead published this in his book "Words Aptly Spoken."
I hope this will be an encouragement to you!
Steve
The Fellowship of the Unashamed
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.