Skip to content

8 Comments

  1. rhwoodman
    3 December 2012 @ 5:18 am

    Good morning, Robert,

    This is a great hymn! I’ve led our congregation in singing it the past two Sundays (11/25/2012 and 12/02/2012) because it fit with the pastor’s messages.

    I think that that phenomenon of the “mega-church” makes the second verse so incredibly poignant. Pastors of small churches and missionaries in far-away places may feel that their labors are small and insignificant in the work of the kingdom. They may even feel ignored by much of the Western Church.

    But no place is insignificant if God has called you to minister there.

    And no ministry is worth much if God is not in it.

    God Bless You and Yours,

    Robert Woodman

    • rcottrill
      3 December 2012 @ 8:44 am

      I agree. During forty or so years of ministry I served for seven years in a large church. We had half a dozen pastors, a day school (250 children plus staff), and a day care centre (150 children plus staff). The place was always humming. But most of my pastoral work has been done in small rural churches.

      The trend in our day seems to be to focus mainly on the urban centres–and that is certainly where the most people are. But in Canada we still have 19% of our people in small country towns. That’s about six million people who need the Lord, or need to be taught or encouraged in their faith.

      I don’t know if you’re familiar with an agency called Village Missions, but their mandate is to supply (and subsidize) pastors for small rural communities that have no other evangelical church. Good on them!

      • rhwoodman
        7 December 2012 @ 5:12 am

        Hi, Robert,

        I just saw your comment from the 3rd (been a very busy week!). Thanks for the link to Village Missions. I had never heard of them before, but I’m going to find a way to support them. That’s a needed ministry in so many ways and for so many reasons.

        Thanks and Have a Blessed Day,

        Robert Woodman

        • rcottrill
          7 December 2012 @ 8:42 am

          Busy weeks…h-m-m… I know about those–and, being an old geezer now, they’re a little more draining than when I was a few years younger. But we keeps on doin’ what we can. Glad my reference to Village Missions was of interest. They are an excellent organization. Pastors and Christian leaders I’ve talked to all give them high marks. A few weeks ago I showed their newest (8-minute) video, “A New Season of Hope” at the church. It tells how the Lord used one of their missionary coulples to impact a whole town. Absolutely wonderful! Anyway, God bless, and have a great Christmas.

  2. readywriterpublications
    3 December 2012 @ 6:05 am

    Thanks for the encouraging post! I feel that it was meant for me this morning as I had just returned from a lone rural outreach. I very rarely meet anyone who is interested (never mind a Christian) but today I feel the Lord’s encouragement.

    • rcottrill
      3 December 2012 @ 8:36 am

      Bless you! I’m so glad to be an encouragement. This song has done the same for me and our little congregation as well. Little is indeed much, when God is in it. But I have one further thought. Many times the effects of our service for Christ are unknown to us–may not even be known until we reach heaven. Take heart.

  3. ken keane
    3 March 2013 @ 9:25 am

    http://hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/i/t/littmuch.htm

    Robert, Thought I’d let you know that your link goes to Psalm 404. Someone with Cyber Hymnal has a good sense of humor. ken

    • rcottrill
      3 March 2013 @ 9:50 am

      Thanks so much. I rely on my readers to catch some of these things. I think I’ve got it corrected now. God bless.