One of the most profound truths of the Christian faith is easily overlooked at this time of year. We are in the season of Christmas, of course. (More technically, we are in the season of Advent; in the church year, the season of Christmas doesn’t begin until Christmas Day. But guess how long Christmas lasts? From December 25 until Epiphany, January 6, which is a total of – you guessed it – twelve days!) During this season, our thoughts turn toward the birth of a baby in Bethlehem, a small town outside Jerusalem, over two thousand years ago. We remember that birth because of what that child would do later in his life. He grew up to transform lives through his teachings, miracles, compassion, death, and resurrection. Jesus Christ changed the world as an adult, so we joyfully remember his birth. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for the gospel writers to make note of a child born to an unwed mother in a town far from her home. Right? Continue reading
See the Hope of Advent
On this first Sunday of Advent, Pastor David preaches from Isaiah 2:1-5, a prophecy about a time when all nations will stream to Jerusalem to worship God in his temple. How does this passage point back in time to Jesus’s birth? And how does it point forward to his return at the end of the age? Click here to listen in, and let’s see the hope of Advent together!
What God Suffered For
On this final Sunday of the church year, “Christ the King Sunday,” we focus in on the kingship of our Savior by looking at a well-known passage, Luke 23:32-43, dealing with Jesus’s crucifixion. Listen in as Pastor David explains the unique structure of that passage and what it means for our understanding of Jesus today. What did God really suffer for? For us or something bigger than us?
(Coming soon: images of the visual aids used in this sermon.)
What God Hears
We often take comfort in the truth that God hears his people when they call out to him. Yet this truth is a little more complicated than that. As Malachi 3:13-4:3 teaches us, the Lord hears all that his people say to him – both words of adoration and words of complaint. Malachi’s vision of the coming “day of the Lord” was intended to cause people to live differently in the present. How do all these thoughts tie together? Click here to listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this passage.
A Three-Hour Nap
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1-2 NIV)
Everyone needs rest. Whether it takes the form of a weekend getaway, a vacation to a distant location, or simply a weeknight at home with no responsibilities, everyone needs rest. Often, we work so hard that we overlook one of the most important responsibilities we have: to take care of ourselves.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3 NIV)
The creation story is a wonderful narrative describing God’s relationship to his creation. Many people will emphasize different parts of the story (or, really, the stories – there are two different creation stories in Genesis 1 and 2!). You may remember that God rested on the seventh day, thus setting the example for us that we should rest from our work as well. As Jesus said in Mark 2:23-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (NIV). In other words, we do not rest in order to please God by our obedience, but we rest in order to take care of ourselves – because God desires to take care of us in this way.
Earlier this week, I did something rather unusual for me: I took a three-hour nap. In the afternoon, after a full morning, I came home and slept. And I slept hard. You have to understand, I am not a napper; normally, even on Sunday afternoons, I am awake all through the daytime. The last period of my life when I regularly took naps was kindergarten! So when I laid down to take a nap and woke up three hours later – with a pretty foggy post-nap brain – I realized I had needed that rest.
We spend a lot of time and energy in the church on serving other people, donating goods and resources, running errands for people, loving, caring, giving, befriending, helping, … on and on and on. And this is all worthwhile, because our call as the church is to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus] has commanded [us]” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV). Christian faith is not idle faith. We are interested in seeing the kingdom of God grow in our midst, and sharing Christ with others – in a multitude of ways – is crucial to that work.
Yet we must take care of our bodies and souls, as well. It is just as important for us to allow the kingdom of God to grow within ourselves as it is to introduce other people to Jesus. For through our personal transformation, others will see the power of God to change lives – namely, our own. When we are healthy, then we can communicate the message of Christ clearly and appropriately. My three-hour nap enabled me to function well through the rest of the week – not just physically but spiritually as well.
Friends, remember to care for your own selves in the coming weeks and months. Find regular opportunities for Sabbath rest. And then, once you have rested up, resume the outward work of the kingdom of God.
Pastor David
What God Remembers
We know that God remembers the past – specifically, the covenant he has made with us – and that is reason enough to rejoice. What else does God remember? And how can that transform our lives in the present? Click here to listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Haggai 2:1-9, a passage from a short but important Old Testament book of prophecy.
What God Thinks of Us
Our reputation as believers in the surrounding community is very important: people can be attracted to Christ or turned away from him based on how we live! But our reputation before God is even more important. That is the message of Isaiah 1:10-20, and that forms the theme of Pastor David’s sermon this week. Click here to listen to his message on this challenging passage of scripture.
Pastor’s Appreciation
This past month was “Pastor Appreciation Month,” and I have to admit: I feel very appreciated! Thank you to all of you who sent cards, gave gifts, wrote notes, and participated in last Sunday’s potluck dinner after church. None of those expressions of appreciation are required; they are all “bonus blessings” from my perspective. I feel confident in speaking on behalf of Pastor Jerry when I say that we are both deeply grateful and appreciative of you, the good people of Mt. Haley Church of God.
As this month draws to a close, I think it is proper to turn things around. Another way to read “Pastor Appreciation Month” is to ask the question, “For what is your pastor appreciative?” So here is a short summary of a few reasons that I am grateful to be your pastor:
- Your hard work and volunteer attitude. Tara and I have frequently commented on how blessed we are to serve a church that serves! Any time a need arises in our congregation or community, we can count on several people – depending on the required skill sets – showing up to lend a hand. Packing groceries, hauling wood, raking leaves, cooking meals, providing transportation … you serve in wonderful ways.
- Your willingness to learn about the Bible. I am grateful that every single approach to teaching the Bible I have tried has worked – whether Sunday morning sermons, Sunday evening Bible studies, devotional booklets, or anything else! I think back to the study on Revelation we finished about a year ago, and I see a congregation full of people who are really interested in tackling the hard stuff. That’s an enormous help to your pastor!
- Your gentleness and flexibility. Do you realize that Tara and I have served here three years already? And do you remember that this is the first and only church I have ever pastored? I continue to be amazed at how smoothly you grafted me into the church family and how easy you have made it for me to work with you over the past few years. You truly are a blessing to me!
Take a few minutes to read the first eleven verses of Philippians. Those are the words Paul wrote to his beloved congregation in Philippi. I think they speak very well of my appreciation for Mt. Haley Church of God, as well!
–Pastor David
November Youth Update
Life is going to get more interesting this month. My wife sprained her ankle (or at least hurt it) this past week and has been unable to put weight on it or walk very well. Hopefully, in a few days she will be better. We have a full agenda with the Church of God General Assembly, the MSLI, Weekly youth meetings, church, a bowling party and of course, Thanksgiving. We are always active and blessed with an abundant life from God. However, it will be different in a couple of aspects – first the good news. We will be having another grandson due on November 14 with the only obstacle being that it will be in Atlanta, Georgia. Somehow we will overcome the distance.
The unexpected news is “I need to have extensive knee replacement surgery” on Thursday, November 21st. SO, this will cause some adjustments in youth scheduling, it will put me down for a few weeks followed by some weekly rehab and hopefully, have me ready to travel to Guatemala in February. Fortunately, I am blessed with a great wife and super youth counselors, Jo & Lawrence Adams, who will carry on the torch through the next couple of months. We don’t know all the adjustments, however we will keep you informed. I am asking for your prayers!! God will be GOOD all the time!
Our Sunday mornings continue to buzz along with our study of “The Parables of Jesus” and the “Circle Maker” will be coming to close just before my surgery. Our Sunday morning and nights plus Tuesdays have been experiencing great attendance with lots of energy, prayer and the Word of God. Both youth meetings have had to work through some issues this Fall and that can be shared by your son or daughter. But, youth is going well and we are growing both spiritually and in numbers. Praise God!
Our fundraisers continue. Several youth earned money working at the fairgrounds a couple Saturdays ago, we did very well at the Bake Potato Supper, Olive’s yard will begin raking on November 4th, the Gift Card sale ends on November 3rd and we will have a poinsettia & wreath sale beginning next week. Preparing for registrations for Winter Retreat and the International Youth Convention is keeping us very focused.
There will be a Bowling Party @ Northern Lanes on Saturday, November 16th and we will be packing Community Thanksgiving Baskets at Aldersgate Methodist Church on the afternoon of Sunday, November 24th. Our Christmas Party will be December 15th. There will be NO YOUTH on Sunday, November 24th because of the Community Thanksgiving Service at the Meridian Church of God and November 30 because of the Mt. Haley Hanging of the Greens Celebration Service.
We have two Big Events to register for in December. Winter Retreat is the weekend of January 10-12, 2014. A $50 registration is due to the state office by Wednesday, December 4th. To accommodate that due date, we will need your $50 and confirmation of attendance by Sunday, November 30. Registration can take place after that date, but it costs more and the registrations are limited this year. Tommee Profitt will be the band along with Michael Thigpen as the speaker. Letters are being sent to parents this week.
The second registrations is the Early Bird Bonus Registration for the International Youth Convention in Nashville, TN on July 5–8, 2014. The cost is $115 and must be postmarked by December 12, 2013. Registration will continue, however, the cost increases at different due dates. The Speakers, Worship Leaders and Christian Bands haven’t been announced but they will be “Big Name” venues. There will be many discussions about raising the funds for food, lodging and transportation. Parents should have received a letter about this already.
Parents and church, your prayers, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated and we look forward every week to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our students through interaction, study, fellowship and relationship. Thank you for sharing your son or daughter.
Love God, Love People
Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
Reengaging as the Church of God
Last week, something fascinating unfolded on Facebook. Church of God Ministries, our national office in Anderson, maintains a Facebook page to help Church of God people connect with each other. (It’s very similar to Mt. Haley’s Facebook page, but it reaches a much broader audience than ours does.) Occasionally, the people who maintain that page will ask a question, post a thought, or share a picture – and usually not a whole lot of discussion takes place.
That was not the case this week, when Church of God Ministries asked these questions: “How can the Church of God re-engage congregations, from California to the New England states? And, what would you say the Church of God needs to do to re-engage the younger generation?”
What followed was an intense, thoughtful discussion involving many different individuals. This is rather unusual for Facebook, especially for an online discussion about faith-related issues! Many of the responses were short and terse calls to “preach the Word of God alone” and “get back to the basics” – a kind of “scripture only” stance that many Christian groups have called for over the years. (In Latin, one would say “sola scriptura“; that phrase was a guiding principle of the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in the 1500s.) While I agree with the principle, there’s nothing uniquely Church of God about that stance.
Many people discussed our annual national campmeeting, which has always been held in Anderson, Indiana. Some people are calling for a moving, rotating convention so that people in all locations have equal opportunity to attend a campmeeting that is close to them. Others are concerned about programming, service opportunities, and speakers at these conventions. Several mentioned how the 20-to-30-something age bracket is missing at the national campmeeting and, not coincidentally, in our local congregations. Again, many church groups (we can use the word “denominations”) are struggling with issues like these.
But one theme kept popping up over and over. While all of the above issues are important, the identity of the Church of God resurfaced again and again as a question that needs to be answered. If we are just another church group that holds annual conventions and connects local churches together and is losing touch with people in their third decade of life, then woe to us. If we do not have compelling reasons to exist as “The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana),” then perhaps we should join arms with other like-minded church groups like the Nazarenes, Free Methodists, and Wesleyans. I would argue that history, tradition, hymnody, emotional attachment, and generational connectedness are not good reasons to exist as a denomination. (These were many of the ideas mentioned in the Facebook discussion!)
Christian faith is about one thing – salvation through Jesus Christ – and the far-reaching consequences of that salvation. We live in a time of great division and distinction among church groups, and truthfully I don’t see that changing any time soon. Denominations are here to stay. While some might question the legitimacy and validity of other church groups (and this is part of our history in the Church of God), I believe each group has something important to contribute to the conversation about salvation through Jesus Christ.
This is what we as the Church of God must figure out in the years that lie ahead. What is it about our history, theology, hymnody, and traditions that leads us to contribute something unique to the global conversation about Jesus Christ? Why do we exist as a people?
Only once we have answered these questions will we be able to address the issue of reengaging widely diverging congregations and generations.
Pastor David
P.S. You can read the full Facebook conversation here: