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26
Sep '24
October 2024 Pastor’s Corner — Falling Like A Seed
26
Sep '24
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” — John 12:23-26 ESV
As I’ve been contemplating and praying through this passage recently, something particular stood out to me. This teaching from Jesus is given on Palm Sunday, shortly after the Triumphant Entry. Having seen the festive procession as Jesus entered Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, some Greeks “came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.” (John 12:21-22 ESV) The passage above is Jesus’ response to their request. If you pause for just a moment and think about it, it’s a really, really weird answer. They ask to see Jesus, and Jesus says, “Unless a seed die, it can not bear much fruit.” Ok. Right. Good to know. But can you have a chat with these folks or not?
The entirety of his answer comes in John 12:23-36, with verse 32 explaining and expanding verse 24: “24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit… 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” What was surely confusing to the disciples and the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus is crystal clear to us: In order for the Greeks, or anyone actually, to see see Jesus truly, He first needed to die and rise from the dead. Through the death of the one seed, Jesus Christ, the fruit of the Gospel exploded throughout the world.
There’s a lot to unpack in these short verses, and maybe we’ll do that over the next few months, but for now, consider this. Autumn, for all of its beauty, is a season of dying. The leaves change color because they’ve stopped producing chlorophyll; they’ve started to die. The seeds the trees have been growing all year long fall to the ground. The crops have finished their season of growth and are starting to ripen. The harvest is being gathered in. And yet none of that is an end. All of that is used to begin the process of new life and growth. That new life and growth won’t be evident until months of gestation have passed, but life, and life abundant, will burst forth. Watching the leaves fall it seems like the promise of that new life is an eternity away, but once spring comes ‘round it will be as if a mere moment has passed.
God created the natural world to work the way it does because it illustrates His truth (Psalm 19:1-4). In God’s great redemptive work, nothing is wasted. Even death, that which seems like the ultimate and permanent ending, becomes the seed and soil that nurtures exponentially more life. There is great comfort in knowing that when we die there will be a double blessing: We will be blessed by rising to eternal life with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:52-54) and the Kingdom of God will be blessed as God takes our dying and uses it to glorify Himself and bring forth abundant new life (John 12:27-28).
The future is always scary, because from our finite perspective it’s so uncertain. But it isn’t, really. God is not just God of the past and present, He is God of the future as well. What seems uncertain and constantly changing for us is sure and certain for God. It is because God holds the future in His hands that we can know with absolute certainty nothing that happens will go to waste, not even death. Leaves die and fall and decompose to provide the nutrients that the seeds that fell need in order to give life to much new fruit. What is true in nature is true in us. And what is true in us is true in the Church as well.
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. — Rom. 8:22-25 ESV
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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31
Aug '23
September 2023 Pastor’s Corner — Restructure, Recast, Release
31
Aug '23
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
— Is. 43:19
If you weren’t able to join us for the Rally Day & Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, August 27, I wanted to share with you what God has been doing in and through the Session over the past several months. At the Annual Meeting in February, we looked at the challenges we are facing as a church and anticipated some of what we thought God might be leading us toward in the months to come. That work is ongoing, but the picture is beginning to come into better focus. While there is concern about the future of Northminster, God is making a way for us to follow as He continues to use Northminster to “experience and share the love of God in order to transform our homes, our community, and our world.” As we said in February, that work involves Restructuring, Recasting, and Releasing.
Restructuring
As a church, we are facing a very pragmatic problem: As a congregation whose worship attendance currently averages in the low- to mid-30s, we are not able to find enough people willing and qualified to serve as Ruling Elders on the Session. This has led the Session to ask, just what is an Elder supposed to be and do? Does the way our Elders currently function match what Scripture says and what the EPC Book of Order describes? With the help of the leadership of the New River Presbytery, we have worked hard to answer those questions. We’ve learned that the primary work of an elder is that of “under-shepherd” (1 Peter 5:1-5), but our elders have more often functioned as committee chairs. The duties and responsibilities of managing committees prevents our elders from being shepherds (see Acts 6:1-6 for how the early church addressed this same problem) — and that has only been compounded as we’ve combined committees due to the lack of willing and qualified elder candidates over the years.
In order to address these issues, we are going to reduce the number of elders seated on Session to three. This means that the elders will no longer be able to serve as chairs of the various committees, which will free them to serve as shepherds. While we have extensive examples and descriptions of what this might look like, there’s a lot of it we’re going to figure out as we go along. But the only way this works is if we recast the work of the various committees.
Recasting
Our “committees” will be recasted as “ministry teams.” While initially this might sound like a new name for the same thing, it actually represents a culture shift. A committee is a group of people who are responsible for taking action on a particular matter; it “does the work” on behalf of the organization. A ministry team, however, is committed to take action on the vision entrusted to it through the experience of Christian Fellowship, and the discipleship of its members. Ministry teams are exceptionally flexible, dynamic means of aligning people for effective ministry, while providing ongoing encouragement to each person. A ministry team invites the congregation to join and participate in the work of the Kingdom of God. Instead of having “chairs,” we will have team leaders, which do not have to be (and will not be able to be) the seated elders on Session. The elders will exist to resource and support (shepherd) the ministry teams. The ministry teams will help equip and release the church for mission and ministry.
Releasing
In the Great Commission, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:18-20) He has released his disciples to do the work of the Kingdom of God. It is a work every believer is called and released to do, and it doesn’t require a committee approving it beforehand. We want to be a church that is equipping, releasing and sending disciples into our homes, community and world in order to transform them through experiencing and sharing God’s love. We believe that the Holy Spirit is already at work in and around us, and is inviting us to join Him in that work today. For Northminster to continue to impact our community for the Kingdom of God, we need to embrace our calling as disciples of Jesus to “go.”
I imagine you’re feeling something similar to what I’m feeling right now: a little bit of excitement, and a little bit of anxiety as well. This is a pretty big shift in how we understand ourselves as a church as well as how to go about the work of the church. I imagine it’s not too different from what the early explorers felt when they set out from the “old world” to discover the “new.” They knew where they were headed, had a pretty good idea of what they were looking for, but also knew they’d be figuring out most of it as they went along. God has given us a strong vision for the future of Northminster, and we have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to look like, but we also know we’re going to be figuring out much of it as we go along. As we head into both the known and unknown of our future, we can step out boldly, trusting fully in the very last words Jesus spoke in the book of Matthew:
“Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matt. 28:18-20
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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25
Aug '22
September 2022 Pastor’s Corner – Left On ‘Read’
25
Aug '22
“O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O LORD—how long?” (Psa. 6:1–3)
If you are looking for a way to annoy a teenager (and really, who isn’t? It’s so much fun!), one of the best ways is to read a text they send you and not respond to it. This might be a trick that only works on iPhones, but here’s the basic idea. iPhones can send a status update for texts sent to other iPhones, letting the sender know when the message was delivered and read (you can see an example in the picture, look below the text bubble that says “on”). It absolutely drives my daughter crazy when I read her text messages and don’t reply promptly. It upsets her because she knows I’ve received her message, and I’ve even read it, but I haven’t yet answered her. The first time she called me out on it, she exclaimed, “Dad, you left me on ‘read’!” I had no idea what she meant until she explained it to me. While that time was accidental, I now do it all the time, just to annoy her.
The thing is, though, I always respond to her messages, but I don’t always do so via text. I might wait until the next time I see her. I might choose to respond with actions instead of words. I might respond to the text message with an email or a phone call. Sometimes, I’ll respond through her mother or brother. I don’t actually do this to annoy her (most of the time), but because I think those might be better or more efficient ways to respond in the moment.
This has been on my mind lately, because I think there are a lot of times when it feels like God has left us on ‘read.’ We pray, but we don’t hear an answer… or maybe the better way to say it is that we don’t receive an answer from Him in the way we would prefer. If my daughter texts me, she would like a text message back. Promptly. Sometimes, God answers our prayers in very different ways from what we might prefer or desire. Sometimes, He answers our prayers weeks, months, sometimes even years after we lift them up to Him. We know God hears our prayers, the Psalms remind us of that all the time (see Psalm 3:4, 4:3 17:6, 55:17, and 116:1), but it seems like God leaves us on ‘read’ when He doesn’t answer our prayers when or how we would like.
But God does, in fact, always hear our prayers. And He always answers them. Our task is to trust in Him and wait patiently for His answer. His timing is always perfect, and His methods are precisely what we need. The question is, when God seemingly leaves us on ‘read,’ will we continue to trust in Him?
I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. — Psalm 40:1–3
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Aug '21
August 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Does It Matter?
01
Aug '21
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” — John 6:11–14
I heard of a preacher recently who, when talking about the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 in the Gospels, asked if it really mattered if this was an actual miracle where Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fish and managed to feed 5,000 people with it, or whether he simply inspired the crowd to share what they had with each other. The preacher’s point was that the real miracle wasn’t the method, but the end result. What matters is that Jesus provided for the people; it doesn’t matter if it was supernatural (the multiplication of the loaves and fishes) or inspirational (motivating the people to share what they already have with each other).
However, I think the means is equally, if not more, important. Of course the point is that Jesus provided for the people’s needs, and he’ll provide for yours, too. But the question of whether he did so miraculously or inspirationally is crucial. If it’s merely the latter, then Jesus is simply really good at motivational speaking. He pretty much gave the best TED Talk ever on the importance of sharing with others. That’s impressive, but have you watched a TED Talk before? They’re all impressive. The thing is, that isn’t how the Bible talks about Jesus. Do these passages sound like they’re describing a really good motivational speaker?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. — Col. 1:15–17But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. — Heb. 1:2–3
And commenting on this event to the disciples, Jesus himself explains,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” — John 6:32–35
The divine power and might of Jesus is what makes his provision so wondrous and incredible. And it really isn’t even that Jesus provided bread and fish for the people — it’s that Jesus himself is the provision for the people. Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus is what we need. Whatever it is we’re wanting or needing, Jesus is both the means and the ends of our provision. When we cry out to the Lord in need, He has the power, authority and ability to literally move heaven and earth to meet our needs. Nothing is impossible for him, no matter how unlikely it might seem to us.
Does it matter whether the miracles of Jesus are actual supernatural events or just powerful motivational moments? You bet it does. The supernatural aspect of this miracle shows that Jesus not only meets our physical needs, but our spiritual needs as well. I don’t know what you need today, I don’t know what the emptiness or brokenness is in your life or in your heart. But I do know that when you turn and cry out to Jesus, He will meet you in your need with himself. He will provide for you in ways you can not dream or imagine, ways that might very well defy explanation and reason. He will provide for not just what you think you need, but what He knows you need as well. He will care for your person, and for your soul. He truly is “the Bread of Life.”
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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31
Mar '21
April 2021 Pastor’s Corner – It’s Just Not The Same
31
Mar '21
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
One of the most incredible aspects of the past year is how businesses and people adapted to the realities of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders. Things we used to only be able to do by leaving the house transformed in a few short weeks into things you could do from the comfort of your couch. Need groceries? Place the order online and you can pick them up without ever leaving your car. Want to eat out? No problem, they’ll bring the food and leave it at your door. The latest blockbuster movie? Catch it on release day right there in your living room. A year ago only the largest and wealthiest churches were live-streaming, but now almost every church is doing so, including ours. These are amazing and wonderful advances and changes, for which there is much to be thankful.
But can we be honest for a moment? As great as all of that is, it’s just not the same. How many times have you purchased the wrong quantity of something because you couldn’t tell how big it was from the teeny picture on your phone? We’ve almost finished a 25lb bag of flour we accidentally bought last April. Being able to use Doordash and UberEats is great… but no matter how quick they are, nothing beats the ambiance of the restaurant and eating it fresh from the kitchen. And Greyhound and Soul were amazing movies… but something gets lost when you’re not seeing it on the big screen.
All of that is even more true when it comes to church and corporate worship. We’ve learned a lot over the past year about what it truly means to be the church, that in many ways we are able to do more “Kingdom work” outside these walls than within them. And we are so grateful to be able to provide the ability to worship together when we can’t physically be present at the church. But, again, can we be honest? It really isn’t the same. And it shouldn’t be the same.
Much moreso than eating out, going to the movies or shopping for groceries, worshipping our Lord and Savior is meant to be done by being physically present with other believers. Yes, the Holy Spirit is still present with us and unites us together even when we’re apart, but there is something crucial and important that happens when we gather together for Sunday worship. Whether it’s singing our praises to the Lord, praying for one another, celebrating the Sacraments, or hearing the Word of God proclaimed, it’s meant to be experienced in-person, not over a screen.
You’ll see throughout this newsletter how we are moving back to in-person worship, ministry and mission. We’ll be talking about it more as the weather warms up as well. Right now, we’re looking at Pentecost Sunday as our “target date” for coming together as the Body of Christ. You are welcomed and encouraged to join us for in-person worship before that date or on it. Please know we’re not choosing to ignore the realities of the pandemic or letting our guard down. We are recognizing that great strides have been taken over the past few months and that we are now at a place where we can, with confidence, say, it’s time to gather back as the Body of Christ and get to work on the mission Christ has given to us in Madison Heights, Amherst County, and around the world. As our website says,
We are a biblically-based Presbyterian church seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world. We hope you will join us.
See you soon!
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Mar '21
March 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Casting Your Cares
01
Mar '21
Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken. — Psalm 55:22Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7
How are you doing, really? By the time this month ends, we’ll have lived in this pandemic with the ensuing quarantine and social distancing for an entire year. While some are anticipating that we’ll reach “herd immunity” by April, President Biden is suggesting that we shouldn’t expect a return to “normal” until Christmas. I think we’re all feeling the weight and strain in a heavier, more difficult way right now. It’s the weariness of being under stress and anxiety for a far longer period of time than our minds, our bodies and our emotions were meant to endure. And, of course, on top of the pandemic sits all of the pain and hurts that simply come with being human and being alive — pains and hurts that can be difficult enough to bear when we aren’t in a pandemic, but become nearly impossible to bear due to the pandemic. What are you doing with your hurts and pains (emotional and physical), the anxieties and fears, the weights and burdens of living in these hard times?
As the verses above remind and encourage us, God wants us to bring all of our cares and anxieties to him. But just what does that look like? I’m sure most of us have, at some point in time, cried out to the Lord and verbally thrown everything at him at once. That can be therapeutic — much like the whistle of a teapot lets off the pressure of the boiling water — and if you haven’t unburdened your soul that way in a long time, I absolutely encourage you to do so. But, if you have done that, you’ve probably found the same thing I have: while the immediate pressure release is helpful, the burdens and weights are still there. I’d like to invite you to try an ancient spiritual practice that helps us to hand our cares to the Lord in a more intentional way, a way that invites the Holy Spirit to sustain us more deeply.
The Daily Replay
The process is called The Daily Examen and was developed by St. Ignatius centuries ago. It is a 5-step process of prayerfully reviewing your day and anticipating the day to come. While meant to be practiced each day, it can be prayed at any point during the day. How long you take to work through the prayer is up to you — it could be as short as 5 minutes or as long as you need. Here’s an overview of what the process looks like:
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
Take several moments to breathe, relax, and invite God to be present with you.
Sometimes settling our body and mind is really difficult, especially when we have a lot going on.
One trick is to focus on our breathing. When we breathe slow and deep, we let our body and souls know that it is okay to relax and rest in God’s presence. Slowly take three seconds to breathe in through your nose, making sure to fill your belly with air . . . and then take three seconds to breathe out slowly through your mouth. Pause, then breathe in again. Repeat that a few times.
As you continue to breathe deeply and slowly, acknowledge God’s presence with each breath.
(Pause for a few moments)
2. Review the day with gratitude.
Look back through your day as if you were watching scenes from a movie. What happened? What were you like? What were others doing around you?
What are the good things that have happened today? What can you give thanks for?
(Pause for a few moments)
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
Ask yourself about how you felt at different points during the day.
What moments throughout your day have been difficult or tense?
When did you feel happy, excited, or at peace?
(Pause for a few moments)
4. Forgive, and ask for forgiveness.
Who are you angry or frustrated at?
Are there things you can forgive and let go in order to have peace?
What would you like to be forgiven for?
(Pause for a few moments)
5. Look toward tomorrow.
How might tomorrow be different?
What would you like to ask God to help with?
(Pause for a few moments)
Take some time to wrap up your conversation with God silently.
This kind of contemplative prayer can seem strange at first, but once we settle into the rhythm of it, I think you’ll find your awareness of the presence of God is growing stronger. Instead of just throwing our cares at God, through this process we more intentionally place them in God’s hands. Here are a few online resources to help you with The Daily Examen:
- A video walk-through of the prayer: https://fullerstudio.fuller.edu/prayer-of-examen/
- Using The Examen with teens and children (the above walkthrough is from this site): https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/teaching-young-people-a-daily-way-to-pray
- A deeper look at The Examen: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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17
Feb '21
Ash Wednesday – Out of Dust
17
Feb '21
As is obvious by now, we are not having an Ash Wednesday service this year, nor are the Community Lenten Services happening. The pandemic continues to take its toll. I know that for many of us, the Ash Wednesday service and the Community Lenten Services play a significant role in helping us mark the season of Lent. Not having those services makes it hard to feel like it’s really Lent. It would be like having Advent without Christmas music or decorations. It’s just not the same.
I spent a large chunk of today working on a video about Ash Wednesday, something to tie together the beginning of Lent, the significance of Ash Wednesday, and the struggles we all face dealing with a pandemic that is working through its 11th month. To be honest, it was a frustrating process that just never quite came together the way I was hoping it would. So, I took a break and went for a walk. Sometimes, you just need to clear your head for a bit.
While I was walking, one of my favorite songs started playing. The song is Beautiful Things by Gungor. As I let the song wash over me, I realized that this song pretty much covers everything I wanted to say, much better than I could have said it. So, I’m including the video here, for your encouragement, enjoyment and edification. May it help focus and center you for this season of Lent.
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03
Feb '21
February 2021 Pastor’s Corner – The Power of Love
03
Feb '21
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor. 13:1–3)
The Longest Shortest Month of the Year
There isn’t much in February to celebrate. For most of us, by the time February rolls around we’re tired of winter and ready for spring, and that makes the shortest month of the year feel all that much longer. Of course, sports fans get the Super Bowl and Daytona 500, and baseball fans start to get excited because pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Outside of that, though, pretty much all there is in February to look forward to is Valentine’s Day. This is a day in which we celebrate romantic love, named after a 3rd century saint who was martyred for his care of the faithful during times of persecution. How a ‘holy day’ commemorating him became associated with romantic love is something of a historical question, but nevertheless, that’s what’s happened. Interestingly, this year Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday, and is also the same date as the Daytona 500, which means my wife can look forward to a romantic afternoon watching a car race…but that’s beside the point… however you might want to pray for her.. or me…
It All Boils Down To…
As I’ve been thinking about Saint Valentine, and Valentine’s Day, and all that’s going on around us this year and last, I’m reminded of what Jesus said when asked what the greatest commandment is: ‘“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”’ (Mark 12:29–31) Love. That’s what it all boils down to for us. Many of us have grown up singing the hymn, They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be what Christians are known for these days. Mostly we seem to either be known for what we fear or what makes us angry. Maybe this Valentine’s Day (and month) we would do well to get back to the way of love.
“Full Of Sound and Fury, Signifying Nothing” — Macbeth
As Paul writes in the passage quoted at the start of this article, if we don’t have love, we’re just making noise, having nothing, gaining nothing. The way to truly experience and share the love of God in our homes, neighborhoods and world is through love. Loving God (Mark 12:30), loving one another (John 15:12), loving our neighbors (Mark 12:31; “Who is my neighbor?”: Luke 10:25-37), even loving our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Pretty sure that covers most everyone in our lives…at least, I can’t find any exceptions in there. Loving others day in and day out is hard…but the path of love is relatively straightforward. Simply ask yourself, in each conversation and action, “Is this word or deed a way to show the love of Christ to this person?” Again, it’s an easy thing to think and ask ourselves — it’s in the doing it that becomes more difficult. But wouldn’t it be nice if we were known for our love rather than our anger and fear? That might just be enough to change the world.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:19–21)
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Jan '21
January 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Reset
01
Jan '21
We are a biblically-based Presbyterian church seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world.
Last year was something special, wasn’t it? The trouble we knew was brewing when the year began pales in comparison to how 2020 actually unfolded. We faced challenges and difficulties that we never could have dreamed or imagined. We found our lives disrupted in unprecedented ways. And what we thought was going to be a problem and challenge for a few months has persisted into this new year as well. Out of necessity and concern for our own well-being, and that of others, we have found ourselves retreating from much of the normal rhythms and patterns of our lives. Some of us haven’t left the house, other than for work or groceries, since April. In times of trial and struggle, it is a natural, human reaction to withdraw and become insular, to focus on yourself and your family. Sometimes, doing so is a necessity in order just to survive.
What is true for us as individuals has also been true for us as a church. We have had to adapt to an entirely different way of being and doing the work of the church, and that adjustment is still ongoing. The changes and shifts in our culture over the past decade or so kicked into overdrive because of this pandemic, and to be honest, we were kind of caught off guard. While some adjustments happened quickly and relatively smoothly (such as shifting to online worship), many of the changes and shifts we need to make are still ongoing. As we’ve wrestled and struggled this year, as a church we have focused more on ourselves than on our community and our mission. Not entirely, but significantly.
Time for a Reset
When your computer or phone starts acting weird, one of the first things to try is to reset your device. Often, this is as simple as doing a restart — just shut it off and then turn it on again. Sometimes, you might need to reset the device — erase everything and restore it from a backup. A reset is more time consuming, but is also more effective at cleaning out the bugs and the junk that build up over time. I wonder if we, as individuals but perhaps more as a church, aren’t in need of a “reset” as well?
The quote at the top of this article is the first sentence on our church website. It is Northminster’s purpose statement, a sentence that explains in a succinct manner why we exist as a community of faith. While the world and culture around us has changed, our mission and purpose have not. While we are all struggling to address and adapt to our pandemic-ravaged world, the Gospel has not changed. How we present the Gospel might change, how we go about Gospel work might change, but the Gospel itself is timeless and unchanging. “…to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12–13)
Perhaps we need a reset — as Christians and as a community of Christians. Reset our faith and our mission by doing a “factory reset” on our spiritual lives. Get back to the simple basics of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. Let’s start this year off by asking if we are truly experiencing and being transformed by God’s love in our lives and in our homes, and if not, why not? Let’s resolve to get rid of anything in our lives that is keeping us from knowing that love which surpasses all understanding (Eph. 3:12) so that we might love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:28-34). Then, let us come together as a community of faith ready to take the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ to those who don’t yet know the hope, life and love that can only be found through Him.
The challenges of 2020 haven’t stopped with the flipping of the calendar, but the Gospel has never been hindered by worldly circumstances. In fact, the Gospel has often thrived in circumstances much more challenging than what we’ve faced this past year. I believe the best is yet to come for Northminster and that God is going to do some amazing and special things through this congregation in the months and years to come. Let’s commit together to resetting our faith and lives so we can embrace the mission He is inviting us to join Him in doing.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:17–19)
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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Oct '20
October 2020 Pastor’s Corner – Pulling Together — For The Kingdom
01
Oct '20
He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.— Eph. 4:11–13 THE MESSAGE)
I’ve been watching a trend recently that has me concerned. It has become increasingly difficult to find people who are able and willing to serve in the various ministries and missions of the church. Our committees have been shrinking and appeals for folks to get involved and help out have gone unanswered. As a pastor, I am concerned about this trend and spend much of my time praying about why this is and what we might do about it.
Perhaps you might be thinking, well, we are in a pandemic. We are discouraged from participating in the very things that are part-and-parcel of church ministry. This is true. But what the pandemic has done is accelerate what was already happening. Even in my short three years at Northminster, I’ve noticed a very steady decrease in volunteer activity in the church. The pandemic creates problems with solving this issue; it doesn’t explain the cause.
A better diagnosis might be found in the reality that we are an aging congregation. Many of you have served the Kingdom of God and this congregation faithfully for decades. You have tirelessly poured yourselves out for the sake of Northminster, and have done so willingly and gladly. There are not enough words to express the gratitude I, and everyone else, feels, for your service. You have earned a rest, and you deserve a rest.
The hard truth is that aging congregation or not, global pandemic or not, the work, ministry and mission of the church goes forward. No church can function without its volunteers — for small churches like ours, though, it’s more than essential. God has gathered this congregation together, and He has given each of us gifts and abilities meant to be used for the building up of the Body of Christ. An essential part of our growth as disciples, of our maturing as Christians, is putting into practice “skilled servant work” as we read above. In order for the church to be healthy, we all need to participate. How we go about that work might look a little bit different in the midst of a pandemic, but nevertheless the work goes on.
Why do I bring this up? For several reasons. While some ministries are still on hold due to the pandemic, others are still moving forward and we need folks to serve in those areas. One such example is the youth ministry — we have enough students and a broad enough age range that we need to have separate high school and middle school groups. But more than that, it’s time to find our next class of elders to begin serving in 2021. We have two or three elder positions to fill. One of those positions has remained empty since I arrived in 2017. Each year, the challenge before the nominating committee to fill the open seats has increased. This year, we go about this work in the midst of a pandemic.
I invite you to search your heart humbly and prayerfully to see if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to step into one of those positions. Under normal circumstances, that can be an intimidating nudge. I know that under these circumstances it’s even moreso. I leave you with these verses to guide your prayers:
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. — 2 Tim. 1:6–7The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. — 1 Tim. 3:1
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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