March 2025 Pastor’s Corner – How Has He Loved Us?
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” — Malachi 1:2
It’s a conversation that happens with all too much regularity in a marriage. A husband tells his wife, “I love you,” to which she replies, “How have you loved me?” As the 90s rock band Extreme famously crooned, it takes more than words in order for someone else to know they are loved and valued. Words matter, but just as much are the actions and symbols of love. Every relationship goes through periods of complacency, where we take the love and presence of the other person for granted and just assume they know they are loved. Sometimes, though, the husband might be doing everything right, but the wife has stopped paying attention. It isn’t just our relationships with other people that go through these seasons, we also experience it in our relationship with God — perhaps even moreso.
In our Bibles, the book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. It’s one of the shortest books in the entire Bible and is unique in that it is basically a series of six disputations. “God lays a charge against his people concerning some failure in covenant, to which the people respond by asking how they have failed. The response always begins with “But you say” (which was perhaps not stated verbally—Malachi may be exposing only half-conscious resentment and resistance to God). The third step in this pattern shows God answering his people’s question; the fourth closes each section with the Lord applying this answer, with warnings and promises for the future.” (ESV Expositor’s Commentary)
We don’t know exactly when Malachi delivered his prophecies, but we do know it was after the exiles had returned to Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt — at least partially. And yet, the Messiah had yet to return. It had been hundreds of years since the Israelites had received God’s promises of restoration and redemption, and even longer since they had last seen the miraculous works of the Lord. It would still be yet another 300-400 years before Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, finally came, bringing with him miraculous works and fulfilling all of the promises of God. But over the course of hundreds of years of waiting, the Israelites began wondering if God still loved, let alone cared, for them. No word from the prophets, no miraculous signs and wonders, no change in their circumstances. At best, the people and the priests started taking God’s love for granted; at worst, they began to treat God with disdain and disrespect — going through the motions of love but without any feeling or intent.
In the big-picture sense, like the Israelites we’ve been waiting a really, really long time for Jesus to return and come through on His promises. How close we are to that moment depends on who you ask, but it’s probably pretty safe to say it’s not going to be tomorrow. But that’s not the only way we’re waiting on God or wondering if He still loves us. We’re all waiting on God for something. Maybe it’s deliverance from a particular sin we’ve been struggling with for a long time, or fractured relationships in our family, or a job situation that is… less than desirable, or a medical diagnosis we didn’t see coming and don’t know how to endure. Maybe it’s something else entirely. When God goes silent, it becomes really hard to continue to trust Him and we begin to wonder if He still loves us.
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar that provides us with an opportunity to sit in the silence of God and raise our broken-hearted plea to the Lord, “How have you loved me?” Lent is an old English word that means “springtime.” Spring is the season when the blossoms break forth and new growth appears, but before that the dross and refuse left over from winter needs to be cleared away. In the earliest days and weeks of spring, it doesn’t look like anything is happening. It looks as if winter succeeded in killing everything off. But appearances are deceiving. Through the long, cold, dark weeks of winter, a lot has been happening underground and out of sight. Necessary work without which the blooms and blossoms of spring will not thrive, if they sprout at all. It might seem like God has forgotten His love for you and that He is no longer at work, but the truth is the exact opposite. He has never stopped loving you, nor has He stopped working for and on you. Hold fast. Pay attention and look for the evidence of God’s presence and His love. Be patient. Easter is coming, and the Son of Righteousness has come and will come again for you.
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. – Malachi 4:2
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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March 2025 Mills’ Musings – Rediscovering Rhythms
I’m teaching a music appreciation course at CVCC this semester. In the opening unit, I covered major elements of music including melody, harmony, and rhythm.
When we think about a piece of music, the melody is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Melody is defined as “a succession of single pitches, perceived by the mind as a unit.” When you look at the bulletin on Sunday morning and see “Amazing Grace” listed as the opening hymn, you probably hear the melody in your mind.
Harmony is the result of three or more pitches sounding at the same time instead of one after another. The way chords are constructed and how they follow each other fall under the heading of harmony. By the end of the course, I expect my students to listen to the harmony of a musical example and identify the musical era in which it was written.
Then there’s rhythm, from a Greek word that means “flow.” Music takes place in time. When we hear a melody or a chord, each pitch lasts for a specific number of seconds or fractions of a second. Rhythm helps us perceive the order inherent in music.
But rhythm isn’t confined to music. One author writes:
The ancients discerned in rhythm the creative principle of the universe, manifested alike in the regular movement of planets, the cycle of seasons and tides, of night and day, desire and appeasement, life and death. … This universe was art, and its controlling principle was rhythm. The symmetrical proportions of architecture, the balanced groupings of painting and sculpture, the patterns of the dance, the regular meters of poetry – each in its own sphere represents man’s deep-seated need for rhythmical arrangement.
Christians long have felt those needs, and the Church has responded in a variety of ways. One is through its music. For the first millennium of Christian history, almost all Christian music was written in triple meter. That is, each beat was divided into three equal parts, an intentional expression of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Another way the Church acknowledges the value of rhythm in our lives is through our observation of the Christian year. We start with the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’s coming. We move through the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. Then, this month, we enter the season of Lent, a time of self-examination as we prepare to celebrate Jesus resurrection. After the season of Easter comes Ordinary Time, which leads back to Advent and the repetition of the rhythm of our life as the people of God.
This year, as I was teaching about melody, harmony, and rhythm, I came across the following quote: “In our global digital age, many Christians are rediscovering the importance of community, the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances, and the need for deeper commitment to spiritual formation.”
For many of us the past year or two has seemed especially chaotic. As together we continue our journey through this still fairly new civic year, may we also share the joy and peace that can result as we rediscover the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, March 2, 2025
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, MARCH 3, 7PM
The Women’s Bible Study will meet on Monday, March 3 at the church at 7:00 p.m. We will be picking up where we left off at our last meeting: pg 206, “The Friendships of Paul” in The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream. Come prepared to share what you got out of the reading and any questions you might have. Please bring a friend, and enter through the library doors so that the Young Life Group can have our front parking lot.
COMMUNITY LENTEN SERVICES BEGIN NEXT WED., MARCH 5
The Community Lenten Services begin next week, on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Each ~30 minute service is at noon at a different church in Madison Heights, with a different pastor preaching each week. This week’s service will be at Amelon UMC, with Rev. George Harris (from Madison Heights Christian Church) preaching. We look forward to celebrating Lent with you and our fellow brothers and sisters in the area.
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, February 23, 2025
JOIN US FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, we encourage you to join us Sunday mornings for a intergenerational Sunday school class, from 9:30-10:30. We look forward to seeing you!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 10AM
The Women’s Book Club will meet on Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. The book that we are reading this month is America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share. We look forward to seeing you next Thursday, whether you’ve read the book or not!
COMMUNITY LENTEN SERVICES BEGIN NEXT WED., MARCH 5
The Community Lenten Services begin next week, on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Each ~30 minute service is at noon at a different church in Madison Heights, with a different pastor preaching each week. This week’s service will be at Amelon UMC, with Rev. George Harris (from Madison Heights Christian Church) preaching. We look forward to celebrating Lent with you and our fellow brothers and sisters in the area.
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, February 16, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – THIS MORNING, 11AM
We will have a brief congregational meeting prior to the worship service for the sole purpose of electing Sharon Bryant as Ruling Elder for the Class of 2027.
ANNUAL MEETING & POTLUCK – SUNDAY, FEB. 16, NOON
Come on Sunday, February 16 for the tastiest Annual Meeting you’ve ever attended! Following the worship service, we’ll enjoy a potluck lunch together and hear updates from the Session. We’ll learn what God has done over the past year and what we’re anticipating joining Him in doing in the year to come. We will also vote to approve the Pastor’s Terms of Call for 2025. Please bring a main dish and a side or dessert to share!
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – NEXT THURSDAY, FEB. 27, 10AM
The Women’s Book Club will meet on Thursday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. at the church. The book that we are reading this month is America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share. We look forward to seeing you next Thursday, whether you’ve read the book or not!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app.
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
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News & Announcements for Sunday, February 9, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
ANNUAL MEETING & POTLUCK – SUNDAY, FEB. 16, NOON
Come on Sunday, February 16 for the tastiest Annual Meeting you’ve ever attended! Following the worship service, we’ll enjoy a potluck lunch together and hear updates from the Session. We’ll learn what God has done over the past year and what we’re anticipating joining Him in doing in the year to come. We will also vote to approve Sharon Bryant as elder and the Pastor’s Terms of Call for 2025. Please bring a main dish and a side or dessert to share!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
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February 2025 Mills’ Musings — Happy Birthday, Nicene Creed!
If someone does make a cake for the occasion, I’d like to be there when the candles are lit. The occasion is the 1700th birthday of the Nicene Creed. While I doubt anyone will make a cake, at least not one with 1,700 candles, I believe the event is certainly worth celebrating. Here is a short look at why.
Early Creeds
Our English word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, which means, “I believe.” A creed, broadly defined, is a statement of what it is that I believe. More technically, in the Christian tradition a creed is a concise, formal, and authorized statement of essential Christian doctrine.
The earliest Christian creed was spoken by Peter and recorded in Mark 8:29. At Caesarea Philippi, in response to Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am,” Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, replied, “You are the Christ.” Writing to the Philippians some three decades later, Paul concluded his marvelous Hymn to Christ with what remains the foundational creed of Christianity, “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:11).
But after the last apostle had died, after the canon of Scripture had been closed, Christians began to sense a need for clear and succinct summaries of the basic doctrines of their faith. So they drew on the language of Scripture to formulate brief statements of their core beliefs. The most prominent of these – the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, are still accepted (with some variations) by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant denominations.
Creeds Today
Today, many congregations still make use of these creeds along with their longer, younger cousins, confessions. For example, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, to which Northminster belongs, uses the Westminster Confession of Faith and its catechisms as our doctrinal standards. In Sunday morning worship, we often recite in unison sections of this Confession. Other Sundays we say the Nicene or Apostles’ Creed. These public affirmations of our faith remind us of what we believe about the nature and work of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and the Church.
Creeds also have uses outside Christian worship. In his book This You Can Believe, John Brokhoff describes three purposes these historic creeds and confessions continue to serve in the Church today. The three purposes are: definition, defense and declaration.
Definition, The first purpose of creeds, Brokhoff writes, “is to define the Christian faith. What does a Christian believe? Are your beliefs in harmony with the Scriptures and the Church’s teachings?” Once we have learned Nicene Creed, we will always have an answer to fundamental questions about our faith.
Defense is the second purpose of creeds. Even before the last apostle had died, some in the Church were attempting to redefine the Christian faith. By 325, a young pastor named Arius was causing divisions in the Church by denying the Church’s historic teaching that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. Crafting language we still use today, the authors of the Nicene Creed decisively refuted that false teaching.
The third purpose of creeds is Declaration. Knowing the Nicene Creed helps us fulfill Jesus’ command to be his witnesses. The Creed is a positive, fearless declaration of the essentials of our faith. It is not just for church on Sunday mornings. We can use it to declare our faith in our everyday lives.
Happy Birthday, Nicene Creed. And someone please let me know about the cake. It would give a lot of light.
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February 2025 Pastor’s Corner — Your Happy Place?
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Phil. 4:4-7
We all have somewhere we call our “happy place.” It might be at the beach, perhaps on a mountain, or maybe beside a lake or river. It might be in an easy chair in front of the fireplace with a good book, or perhaps with a game or movie on the TV. Your happy place might be standing (or sitting) at a workbench working on your favorite hobby or craft. I’ve been told that there are some strange people who say the gym or dance studio is their happy place. For some, their happy place is wherever and whenever the family is gathered together. Exactly what our happy place is can vary, but what they all have in common is that our happy place is, well, the place that makes us happy. It’s a place where we are at peace, content, relaxed, and feel safe and secure.
There’s something else all of these “happy places” have in common: they are externally defined. We “go” to our happy place, and if we are not there, then we must not be happy. Not only that, but how often do we find the peace and comfort of our happy places shattered? Yes, our happy places do indeed make us happy, but that happiness is fragile, and it is fleeting. There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to have a happy place, but what’s important is to recognize what that desire is pointing us toward.
In The Weight of Glory CS Lewis writes,
Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter.…The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself, they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.
The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:17 and the writer of Hebrews in 8:5 and 10:1 talk about the things of earth being shadows of the true substance of Christ and of Heaven. The feelings of peace and contentment we get in our happy places are gifts from God, in order to point us to what will truly satisfy the longings of our soul — Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul is able to talk about the “peace that surpasses understanding” in Philippians 4. The church in Philippi was dealing with internal strife and conflict and external persecution. Paul wrote this letter while sitting in prison. And yet, he tells us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice.” There is a peace and a joy that is available to us no matter where we are or what we are going through. It’s a peace that comes from the Holy Spirit and a joy that springs from a soul that is at rest in Christ. The happy places of this world are meant to remind us of the happy place for which our soul yearns: being in the presence of God.
When it all comes down to it, that is what Heaven is. Whether Heaven is some ethereal place in the clouds, or the remade earth at the end of history, or the glorious City of God, what those places all have in common is the presence of God. The longings of this life are meant to remind us that in Christ the deepest desires of our souls are met, and that one day, we will long no more for we will see God face to face and exult in the joy and delight of being His children with Him forever.
When we set our eyes on Jesus Christ and allow Him to be our peace and joy, then we discover our “happy place” is wherever He is, doing whatever He has called us to do. Then, even the most unlikely situations or circumstances become our “happy place.” Our true happy place is Jesus. Instead of trying to satisfy your longing for a happy place by going to somewhere particular, go to Jesus, and rest in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. — Phil. 4:11-12
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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News & Announcements for Sunday, February 2, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 7PM
The Women’s Bible Study will meet Monday, February 3 at the Church at 7:00 p.m. We will be continuing with “The Friendships of Paul” (from The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream) and we will begin on page 203, halfway down the page. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share at the meeting. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening at the church. Please enter through the library or back door. And, as always, bring a friend!!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
News & Announcements for Sunday, January 26, 2025
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 7PM
The Women’s Bible Study will meet on Monday, February 3 at the Church at 7:00 p.m. We will be continuing with “The Friendships of Paul” (from The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream) and we will begin on page 203, halfway down the page. Regarding refreshments, we are asking everyone to bring a little something to share at the meeting. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Monday, February 3rd at the church. And, as always, bring a friend!!
Coming Soon…
INQUIRERS CLASS
Would you like to know more about our church? Are you interested in the possibility of becoming a member? This class will give you the opportunity to hear about our church, the denomination we belong to, and where we see God leading us. If interested, tell Pastor David or sign up in the Church Center app (see below).
GET IN SHAPE CLASS
No, not physical shape – spiritual S.H.A.P.E.! God has given every believer gifts and shaped us for ministry and service. If you’re asking questions like, What are my spiritual gifts? How has God shaped me for service and ministry? Where do I “plug in?” What is God calling me to do in this phase of my life? Then this class is for you! We encourage every member of Northminster to join us for this, coming this spring.
Read more...
