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31
Jan '24
February 2024 Pastor’s Corner — A Slow But Steady Process
31
Jan '24
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” — Isaiah 1:18
Being the snow lover that I am, I delighted in our most recent winter storm. While far from the largest snow, it was the most we’ve received in a couple of years and more than enough to blanket everything in a beautiful coating of white. It was a slow process that took most of the day, so slow you almost couldn’t see it happening. But surely enough, as the hours ticked by, the world was transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland.
As I watched the snow falling and the slow transformation of everything, I thought of the passage from Isaiah quoted above. No matter how deep our sins, God’s grace will cover them like snow. Isaiah uses the color red for sin because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). The more crimson the color, the worse the sin. And yet, no matter how crimson our sins might be, they’ve all been paid for, atoned for, by the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our souls are made as pure white as a fresh snowfall.
But we aren’t finished with our sin, are we? Even though our forgiveness and salvation are assured, as long as we’re on this side of Glory, we continue to wrestle with our sinful nature. As Martin Luther famously said, “We are at once justified and sinful.” Our journey with Jesus is a journey of becoming ever more sanctified (which means holy, or more like Jesus) and ever less sinful. Sometimes we make great strides toward holiness, sometimes we slide back into our sins. It’s a process, a journey, and it takes time. Kind of like how it takes time for the world to turn white while the snow falls.
When the snow first started, the ground was still fairly warm. Most of the snow melted immediately. In fact, a lot of the snow melted before the ground cooled enough for the snow to begin to stick. The tree branches were the first to collect the snow, but roads took a lot longer, and even when the snow began to stick, the roads first turned to a mushy grey. Puddles in the yard where the already melted snow collected held out for as long as they could, but even they eventually froze and were covered over with snow. Yet the snow was persistent and relentless, persevering until all was remade under a beautiful white blanket.
It is the Holy Spirit that is restoring our souls, one day at a time, moment by moment. Just like the snowfall, the Holy Spirit is persistent and relentless with you. Often, you might not notice that anything is changing at all. But over time, as we continue to walk with the Lord in faithfulness and pursue Him in all things, we’ll begin to notice that we aren’t who we used to be, that our soul is gradually becoming more and more pure and white. Set your mind and your heart on the things of God, and freely confess your sins — old, new, even the repeats —so He can “purge you with hyssop” so you can “hear joy and gladness” in your soul.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. — Psalm 51:7-8
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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30
Nov '23
December 2023 Pastor’s Corner — A Season of Promise
30
Nov '23
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” — Jeremiah 33:14-16
Advent is one of the most popular seasons in the church calendar, it’s certainly one of mine. Of course, culturally its popular because it means Christmas is coming and most of us look at Advent as a time to prepare for the celebration of that holiday. But there is a depth and richness to Advent, an irony even, that runs much deeper than merely getting ready for Christmas. “Advent” is a Latin word that means “coming” or “arrival.” Yes, it is a season of preparing to celebrate Christ’s first coming 2,000 years ago, but even more it is a season of preparation for Christ’s return. This dual focus makes Advent a season of promise — promise fulfilled and promise yet to come.
As foretold in Jeremiah (and Isaiah and the other prophets), the incarnation of Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of God’s promises to redeem His people from sin and exile and restore His Kingdom on earth in a fuller and more beautiful way than ever before. As the New Testament makes clear, every one of God’s promises about the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Every single one. We can spend our entire lives contemplating the wonder of God’s promises fulfilled in the incarnation of Christ and find there’s always more depths to explore, which is why Advent is necessary to help us prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
What no one expected, though, was that the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ was just the beginning, the inauguration, of that work. The completion and consummation of that work is yet to come, which is why we use this season to prepare for the glorious return of our Savior. As certainly as He came the first time, He will surely come again. The guarantee of His return is that He has already come, let alone how many times He said He would return (Matthew 16:27; Luke 12:40; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Revelation 22:20, to list just a few). A full and complete celebration of Advent and Christmas not only looks back, but also looks ahead, anticipating the joyous return of our Savior and the consummation of the Kingdom of God.
Advent is the season that shines brightly the hope, love, joy and peace of Jesus Christ in the darkness of this world. The irony of Advent is this: as cold of winter sets in and the leaves fall and flowers die, as the dark of winter grows longer each day, Advent reminds us that death has been defeated (1 Corinthians 15: 54-57) and the Light of Jesus Christ continues to shine forth and can not be overcome (John 1:1-14). God will be faithful, and the promise of this season will bear fruit. So this Advent, hold fast your hope. Love, because He first loved us. Rejoice in your salvation now and your salvation yet to come. Rest, knowing that God has brought you peace, even in the midst of your enemies.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. — Hebrews 10:22-25
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Nov '23
November 2023 Pastor’s Corner — Show & Tell
01
Nov '23
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? — Rom. 10:13-15
One of my favorite quotations is often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. “Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words.” I love this quote because it emphasizes how important our actions are in backing up what we say we believe. Telling others about the Gospel is good; living the Gospel is better. In last month’s article, we talked about how we live the Gospel in our lives, thinking purposefully about how we live in “uniquely Christian” ways in our areas of influence and the places we go. As the quote above stresses, it is important that we live what we say we believe, and through those actions, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who do not know.
But the quote does not say to not use words. Words are important, and when it comes to sharing the Gospel and good news of Jesus Christ with others, we do need to use our words. As the words of the Apostle Paul at the top of this article make clear, there comes a point where we have to invite others to learn more about Jesus Christ. How are people supposed to know about the goodness of the Lord and the joy of our salvation if we aren’t telling them about it? When God meets you where you are and you experience His love and grace in a new and different way, that is something we should want to share with other people. As Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15, “…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the hope that is in you.”
Telling others about what God is doing in our lives doesn’t have to be a full exposition of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You don’t have to have all the answers, actually, you don’t have to have any of the answers. Just Jesus. To paraphrase the (formerly) blind man’s answer in John 9:25, “I don’t know everything there is to know or understand about Jesus. One thing I do know, I once was blind, but now I see.” Or even better is Philip’s answer in John 1:46, “Come and see.” Invite others to “come and see” Jesus for themselves. Show people what Jesus has done and is doing by living in uniquely Christian ways, and tell them they can come and see for themselves! It might simply saying something along the lines of, “I had the most incredible experience with God in church this past Sunday. You should come next Sunday so you can experience it too.” Or maybe, “I’m so grateful for my church community because they {fill in the blank}. If you’re looking for genuine community, come with me next Sunday.” It might even be “Yesterday, my pastor said {fill in the blank}, and I’d never realized that about God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit/etc, and I’m so encouraged!” Although, it’ll more likely be, “Yesterday, my pastor put his foot in his mouth so badly, and it was hilarious. Come and hear him do it again this Sunday!”
By all means, seek to love and serve others wherever you go and in whatever you do in uniquely Christian ways. As much as you’re able, live out the Gospel in which we have found our hope and our life. Live in such a way that others want to ask you about your hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and tell them about Him!
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” — Is. 52:7
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Oct '23
October 2023 Pastor’s Corner – Uniquely Christian
01
Oct '23
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
— Matt. 5:46-47
There’s a prayer that pops up in my daily devotional (Seeking God’s Face by Philip Reinders, if you’re interested) every few days: “for God to equip us to serve in uniquely Christian ways in the public arena.” Praying for God to help us to serve in “uniquely Christian ways” seems such an obvious and unnecessary thing, doesn’t it? And yet, over the past several months, this particular prayer has needled away at the back of my mind.
The hard truth most of us probably don’t want to admit is that there is very little that is “uniquely Christian” in how we go about our daily lives. When it comes to living as a Christian, long as we’re generally nice to others, basically good in most respects, and overall relatively happy and content in our lives, we figure we’re doing pretty good. And there’s nothing wrong with any of those things. Most every person should attempt to live that way. But that’s just the thing. Most every person does live that way. There is nothing wrong with that, but there’s nothing uniquely Christian about it either. If that’s the extent of our witness, of how we represent the hope and joy of the Christian life to others, it’s not all that surprising that people aren’t interested in learning more about the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It’s pretty clear from Scripture that there is supposed to be something about how we live our lives that is fundamentally and uniquely different from how the rest of the world lives. Consider what Paul writes: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” (Eph. 4:17) For the Hebrews, there were only two kinds of people: Hebrews and Gentiles. “Gentile” is simply a name for someone who is not Hebrew. But when Jesus and Paul, and the other New Testament writers, use the term, it’s more helpful to think of it as “people who don’t believe in Jesus.” So Christians aren’t supposed to live their lives the same way non-Christians do. But what does that look like? Paul continues, “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:22-24)
What does living and serving in uniquely Christian ways look like? Pretty much every book of the New Testament talks about this, but a great place to start is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, a portion of which is quoted above. In summary, Jesus says that a uniquely Christian life is one that seeks reconciliation with others, honors the image of God in all people, is a person of their word, turns the other cheek instead of seeking retribution or revenge, loves their enemies, gives generously to those in need, seeks God in all things without flaunting their faith in front of others, radically trusts God in the present and in the future, focuses first on personal holiness rather than judging what’s wrong in others. There’s obviously a lot of nuance in what Jesus says that I just skipped for the sake of summary, but you get the gist. Another great place to continue your study of what it means to live and serve in uniquely Christian ways is to read the rest of Ephesians 4, which we looked at in the previous paragraph. Start with Ephesians 4:17, and read through the end of chapter 5.
As followers of Christ, our lives ought to be fundamentally different than those who don’t follow Christ. Peter writes, “…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Pet. 3:13-17) Our very way of interacting with others and the world around us, the love we extend to each and every person, the faith we hold on to, the hope that secures us, should be captivating and intriguing to those who don’t know Jesus. We are called to be different.
Take some time to look at yourself and your life. How are you serving and living in uniquely Christian ways? What might need to change so that you reflect Christ more clearly and brightly to those around you. These are great questions for any Christian to ask, at any point in their walk with the Lord.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
— Matt. 5:14-16
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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31
Jul '23
August 2023 Pastor’s Corner — Faith & Prayer
31
Jul '23
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matt. 17:19–20
And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” — Mark 9:28–29
Sometimes you come across something in the Bible that seems small and innocuous at first, but over time you realize what you thought was little is actually a lot bigger. Jesus is really good at doing that when he is teaching us things. In this case, the little thing I came across was a small difference in how Matthew and Mark relate the healing of an epileptic, demon-possessed boy. This scene takes places immediately after the transfiguration of Jesus. The disciples were not able to cast the demon out, and the Pharisees mocked them for it. Jesus, of course, was able. After Jesus and the disciples entered the privacy of the house they were staying in, they asked Jesus why they weren’t able to drive the demon out. That’s where the difference in the stories comes in, as well as the revelation the Holy Spirit impressed upon me.
As you can see above, Jesus gives a different answer in Matthew compared to Mark. But it’s not actually a different answer, and that’s the part that’s stuck with me for the past few days. What did the disciples need to drive the demon out, more faith or more prayer? Yes. You see, faith and prayer are intrinsically linked together. As William Hendriksen writes, “Where there is little faith, there is little prayer. Conversely, where there is an abundance of genuine, persevering faith, there is also fervent, unrelenting prayer.” When our faith lags, our trust in God erodes. If we aren’t trusting in God, then why would we pray, for is not prayer itself an act and expression of trust? The more deeply I trust in God, the stronger my faith will be, the more constant will then be my prayers.
It is hard, sometimes, to know how our walk with the Lord is going. If someone were to ask you, “how strong is your faith today?” how would you know what to say? It’s such a subjective question. We can often think our faith in God is strong, when we aren’t actually trusting in Him very much at all. However, being asked, “how is your prayer life going?” is much more concrete and objective. As the Holy Spirit has needled at me about this, I’ve come to see a strong and direct correlation between my prayer life and my trust in God. I encourage you to look at your prayer life as well. Are you trusting in the Lord as much as you say or think you are? Does your prayer life reflect that trust and faith? There’s no time like right now to pray!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. — 1 Th. 5:16–19
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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29
Jun '23
July 2023 Pastor’s Corner – Priceless
29
Jun '23
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
— Matt. 13:44–46
Much like a pearl inside an oyster, sometimes the greatest and most profound truths come in the pithiest of sayings. These two sayings of Jesus are definitely fantastic examples of that. They are very simple parables that are easy to grasp and understand. And yet, just like the point they are making, there is so much more within once we slow down and enter the story.
Imagine yourself as the man or the merchant. Smell the soil of the field or the salty water where the oysters are. Visualize coming across the treasure in the field — did you have to dig to find it, or was it poking out of the ground? What was it about the pearl that caught your eye as it sat under the water? What could possibly be found in that treasure, how large must that pearl have been, to motivate you to (don’t miss this) sell everything you have in order to purchase the field or the treasure? Not just doing that, but doing it with great joy and excitement? Take a moment more — when was the last time you felt that kind of joy about, well, anything? Honestly, this is a ridiculous story, almost ludicrous. No one in their right mind would actually do anything like that, right? Which is exactly the point, but not the entire point.
Now consider what Jesus says is the treasure hidden in a field and the pearl of great value. Jesus is talking about the kingdom of Heaven. Often, we think the treasure being spoken of is salvation, which it is. But it’s also so much more. The treasure that’s worth more than anything else in our lives is more than just accepting Jesus Christ as your savior, it’s embracing the way of life that Jesus introduced to us and the world. Walking in the way of Jesus — loving God with all our being (Matt. 22:37-38), loving our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39), loving even our enemies and praying for those who persecute us (Matt 5:43-48), living a life of Christ-like service to the rejected and hurting (James 1:27), resting in the grace of Christ (Matt 11:28-30) — that is the treasure beyond all value. That is worth more than all of our earthly possessions or dreams.
The apostles and countless saints throughout the centuries have experienced the truth of these parables. Paul experienced this so viscerally he proclaims, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Phil. 3:8) Most of us, though, are scared off by that idea. As Brennan Manning once said, “We want to draw close enough to the blazing inferno of the love of God that we stay warm, but not so close that we might get burned.” It makes you wonder if we’re missing something, doesn’t it?
As we continue through this summer, be intentional in reflecting on your walk with the Lord. Have you found your relationship with Jesus to be a treasure worth selling everything you have to gain? What is holding you back from knowing Jesus so well that everything else becomes “rubbish”? How would it actually feel to let yourself be burned by the blazing inferno of the love of God? There’s more to this life than just living and dying, waking and sleeping. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you could merely be forgiven of your sins and receive the promise of eternal life, He meant for you to have more and better life than you’ve ever dreamed of (John 10:10), and that life is best found and pursued together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
— Psa. 51:12
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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30
May '23
June 2023 Pastor’s Corner – Always Only Jesus
30
May '23
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but 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. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. — Hebrews 1:1–4
I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago about faith and spirituality. He was sharing with me the story of his own faith journey and how he’d come to believe in the divine spirit, that sense of love, peace and acceptance that is so essential to human existence. It was an impersonal spirit that accepts no matter who we are, loves no matter what we’ve done, is always present no matter how far we run. It was an interesting conversation because it was so full of half truths, while missing some of the most important truths of all. It’s actually kind of marvelous, because you get all the benefits of a personal relationship with God, without any of the pesky things that come along with a God that is actually intimately, personally present in our lives and actually expects anything of us.
We live in a time where “spirituality” is perhaps more important to people now than ever before. It’s a somewhat unexpected development, given modernity’s efforts to eradicate the spiritual from all areas of life. Where many feared what postmodernism might do to matters of faith, it turns out that the door has been opened in many unexpected ways. The door hasn’t just been opened, it’s actually been flung wide, so that it’s almost an “anything goes” spirituality. When people talk about their faith and spiritual journey, like my friend above, it’s almost always a belief in a non-specific, impersonal “deity” that only loves and never rebukes, always accepts and never holds accountable. If we’re honest, many of us have allowed these kinds of ideas to get woven into the fabric of our faith as well. While we say it’s “always only Jesus,” in practice our faith is a lot of “Jesus and…”
That’s why the Letter to the Hebrews was written. As Eugene Peterson writes,
In the letter, it is Jesus and angels, or Jesus and Moses, or Jesus and priesthood. In our time it is more likely to be Jesus and politics, or Jesus and education, or even Jesus and Buddha. This letter deletes the hyphens, the add-ons. The focus becomes clear and sharp again. God’s action in Jesus. And we are free once more for the acts of faith, the one human action in which we don’t get in the way but on the Way.
This summer, we’re going to get back to Always Only Jesus, with the book of Hebrews as our guide. We’ve all added on to our faith, probably without even realizing it. Let’s shed the extra baggage and get back to living the free and light life of faith Jesus died to bring us. We look forward to worshipping with you.
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
— Hebrews 13:20-21
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Apr '23
April 2023 Pastor’s Corner — The Only Difference That Matters
01
Apr '23
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.— 1 Cor. 15:12–19
There are a lot of things about the Christian faith that are unique and special, that differentiate it from all of the other religions and philosophies throughout history. But nothing is more important than what we celebrate on Easter Sunday. It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that makes all the difference. As Paul writes in the passage above, if Jesus Christ wasn’t bodily raised from the dead on Easter, then everything we believe as Christians completely falls apart. Even more, our eternal hope disintegrates. It’s easy to become complacent about our Easter celebrations, but we should make the effort to avoid falling into that trap.
In the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul explains so well how essential the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to our faith. As quoted above, he first says that if Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, then our faith is futile. He then points out that Christ has, in fact, been raised from the dead so that “as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22). It is because of the resurrection that we are baptized, which is a symbolic dying and rising again. It is because of the resurrection that we are able and even willing to endure hardship, persecution and suffering for the sake of Christ.
Paul then describes what the resurrected body will be like: a very real body, but also a spiritual body. All of the weaknesses and imperfections of the natural body replaced with the perfection and strength of the spiritual body. It is because of the resurrection of Christ that the power of death has ultimately been broken. What causes fear for the unbeliever is the source of our greatest hope.
We are all looking for God to restore and redeem our lives. What we’re looking to have restored varies from person to person. It might be mental, physical, or emotional restoration, but it’s certainly spiritual as well. Christ’s death on the cross provided for our spiritual redemption. Christ’s resurrection from the grave promises our eternal restoration. Sometimes, God brings restoration to us while we’re on this side of glory. Whether He does or not, because of Easter Sunday, we can know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that one day our restoration will be full and complete, because if Christ rose from the dead, so shall we. Praise the Lord!
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.— 1 Cor. 15:54–57
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Mar '23
March 2023 Pastor’s Corner — Stay Thirsty
01
Mar '23
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”
— Psalm 42:1–2
As many of you know, I am an avid coffee drinker. While medical tests have never proved it, there have been times I’ve been pretty sure there’s more coffee running through my veins than blood. It’s not so much about the caffeine (caffeine doesn’t really wake me up, it just keeps me from going to sleep), I just simply love the taste and the smell.
For no particular reason a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t drink any coffee for three or four days and instead drank several glasses of water. Just water, with nothing added. A few days later, I noticed that my quality of sleep had significantly improved and that some of the aches and pains that come with middle age had lessened. The only thing I had changed was decreasing the amount of coffee consumed each day. It’s not that I had been dehydrated; I was definitely getting plenty of fluids. There’s simply no substitute for a nice, cool glass of perfectly mixed dihydrogen monoxide.
I’ve often said that going to church for Christians is the air we breathe. I think that was the wrong analogy, because you can only go without air for a few minutes. However, one can live and exist just fine without water. As long as you’re still getting fluids (coffee, tea, your carbonated beverage of choice, so on and so forth), your body will continue to function, and probably fairly decently. But if you want your body to be at its best, then we need water. You don’t need water in order to be human (most any fluid will suffice), but the human body can’t be at its best without water. For the Christian, going to church isn’t the air we breathe, it’s the water we drink. Going to church won’t make you a Christian, but I don’t know how to be a Christian without going to church.
In the Psalm at the beginning, the psalmist is in exile in a far off land. He is unable to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem; he hasn’t been able to go to church for a very, very long time. As a result, his soul is drying up. Three times in the Psalm he says his soul is “cast down within me.” In addition to sleeping better and the aches and pains lessening as I drank more water, my mind also seems a bit sharper and clearer. Who knew that sometimes depression can be eased by drinking water? The same is true spiritually. We were created to worship God, together, with the other saints, on a regular basis. We need water daily. Our spirit needs corporate worship at least weekly.
If your spiritual life seems a bit dry lately or if you’ve found your soul “thirsting for the living God,” maybe it’s because you’ve “neglected meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25) with the saints in worship, prayer and Bible study. I didn’t realize how much my body was craving pure water until I started drinking more. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how thirsty our soul is until we gather together with other believers to worship the Lord and pray together. We drink best from the well of living water when we do so together with other believers.
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” — John 4:13–14
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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