By Jim White
Though the view of the ocean was partially obstructed by a sea of rooftops between the beach and the balcony upon which he stood, Pastor Mark Jordan could feel himself relaxing as he breathed in the cool salty sea breeze.
Here and there in the scene before him small groups of people who lugged beachbags, coolers, folding chairs and umbrellas through the sand found access to the water's edge through gaps in the dunes.
Though he was there to get away from the pressures of the pastorate, he couldn't help but wonder about all those people before him. What were their sources of strength? What caused them pain? How many of them had a vibrant relationship with the living Christ? His mind, free from the pressures of day-to-day expectations, was free to contemplate the possibilities.
What if someone wrote a devotional guide for people to read at the beach? What if it could be written so that by the end of the week, the reader would be contemplating ultimate questions of life, death and eternal life in Christ? What if God wanted him to write it?
Biblical scenes sprang to his mind-especially the image of Jesus at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. At the seaside he had established his ministry base. At the water's edge he had called the fishermen to be his disciples. He spoke to the crowds from a beached boat. He withdrew from the demands of the multitudes to solitary places overlooking the sea. There he sought and found even greater fellowship with the Father. The risen Christ even prepared for his disciples breakfast on the beach. By the end of the week, Pastor Mark was working on the manuscript.
Three years later, the on-again off-again labor of love called, appropriately, Breakfast on the Beach has been completed and Langmarc Publishing has printed it. Designed to be read in about 15 minutes a day for seven days, each chapter deals with some aspect of dwelling on the shore.
Although Jordan's intent is to strengthen the spirit, the book is practical as well. On Day 4, the reader will learn that rip currents are deadly forces that can carry a swimmer far out to sea or which can exhaust a swimmer trying to swim directly back to the shore. But, since the rip current is usually only about 30 feet wide, the swimmer can escape the current by swimming parallel to the shore. Expanding this thought, he writes, “Heartaches and life sorrows will roll into your life when you least expect them. You can't fight against these emotional breakers any more than you can tame the tide. If you're not careful, the pain and grief you feel will push you far away from the comforting embrace of God in your life … . Never doubt his love and swim in cooperation with the current wherever it may take you. When the time is right, you can begin to feel the flow of the water carrying you back into the arms of God who loves you and desires to comfort you in the midst of life's darkest hours.”
Since 1987, Jordan has served as pastor of Ironbridge Baptist Church in suburban Richmond and has led the congregation to achieve consistent spiritual and numerical growth.
Enjoyable and uplifting, Breakfast on the Beach: Finding God at the Water's Edge can be purchased from the Richmond LifeWay Christian Store, select Heaven and Earth stores in the Hampton Roads and Richmond areas and the Little Professor Book Center, or may be ordered from the publisher (www.langmarc.com), from Barnes and Noble, from Amazon.com, from Ebay or directly from the author at (804) 796-6868.
After reading it, leave it at the beach house or the lake home for the next visitor to enjoy! Who knows how many lives will be changed because one pastor took time to see the sea of people before him?
The author will be signing copies of his book at an autograph party hosted by The Little Professor Book Center in Chesterfield on June 23 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Harbour Pointe Heaven and Earth in Midlothian on June 25 from 1-3 p.m.
For more information, visit www.breakfastonthebeach.com.
Jim White is editor and business manager of the Religious Herald.