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Aug '26
News & Announcements for Sunday, September 6, 2026
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Aug '26
SUNDAY SCHOOL IS ON SUMMER BREAK
Sunday school is on summer break. We will resume in September with a study on how Christians can faithfully engage in politics. More information coming soon!
MIDWEEK PRAYER – WEDNESDAYS @ Noon
Please join us on Wednesdays at noon for a time of prayer in the sanctuary as we bring our needs before our loving God.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – NEXT SUNDAY, 12:15PM
The Session has called a congregational meeting for next Sunday, September 13 immediately following the worship service for the purpose of electing three members of the church to serve on the nominating committee.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – TUESDAY, SEPT. 8, 3:00 PM
The Women’s Bible Study will begin our new year on Tuesday, September 8th at 3:00 p.m. We are continuing to use the book Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkin. Please work on week 6 – pgs. 96 – 113, Secret Righteousness. Thanks so much Karey for continuing to be our teacher. Grab your Bible, your book and a snack that you can share with the whole group and join us as we learn together! This would be the perfect time to bring a friend!!
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY – SATURDAY, SEPT. 12, 9:00 AM
We’re partnering with our friends at Elon EPC and starting a new monthly men’s bible study, beginning Saturday, September 12. We’ll use Zach Wagner’s book, Men of Virtue, to guide use through a study of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. We look forward to seeing you there!
MISSION FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER: NHN4KIDS
Our mission focus for the month of September is Neighbors Helping Neighbors 4 Kids (NHN4Kids). NHN4Kids is a collaborative effort of school, community, churches, and individuals to provide weekend, holiday, and summer food to the neediest students in the Amherst County School System. You can support NHN4Kids by putting “4kids” in the memo field of your donation to the church, or by purchasing any of the needed products on the list posted on the bulletin board outside the sanctuary. You can place your donations in the bin in the narthex of the church.
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27
Aug '26
SEPTEMBER 2026 PASTOR’S CORNER — FOR THE GLORY OF IT ALL
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Aug '26
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha… When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
— John 11:1, 4
Bear with me, we’re going to get a little nerdy about the Gospel of John for a minute. The Gospel of John has traditionally been divided into two sections, generally referred to as the Book of Signs (chapters 1-12) and the Book of Glory (chapters 13-21). The Book of Signs earns its label because much of the action in the first half of the gospel surrounds Jesus’ signs (or miracles), beginning with Jesus turning water into wine in Cana and ending with the resurrection of Lazarus. His miracles are all done publicly, and most of his teaching is delivered to crowds of people. These chapters also cover the longest period of time, about 2 or 3 years. The Book of Glory, on the other hand, covers one week. Additionally, beginning with chapter 13, John’s gospel becomes much more intimate and focuses on the private interactions between Jesus and the disciples (other than his trial and crucifixion in chapters 18 & 19). There is a pronounced increase and focus on the glorification of Jesus Christ and the glory of God the Father in the second half of the Gospel, which is why it’s called the Book of Glory.
This increased emphasis on glorifying God the Father actually starts to become more prominent in chapter 11, with the raising of Lazarus from the dead. As mentioned, this is the last major sign that Jesus performs in the gospel. As quoted above, the chapter opens with Jesus saying that all that is happening to Lazarus is for God’s glory and the glorification of the Son. Then, right in the middle of chapter 12, Jesus says, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28) A few verses later, John says, “When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.” (John 12:36) In this way, chapters 11-12 serve as something of a bridge between the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory.
We’re in the middle of the longest season of the church calendar, the season called “Ordinary Time,” which runs from the Sunday after Pentecost until the Sunday before Advent, which is called Christ the King Sunday. Philip Reindeers writes,
Ordinary Time offers us the space to find our place in God’s story. We’ve celebrated and taken in the momentous life of Jesus; now we need a long stretch of days to absorb and assimilate it. In Ordinary Time, we fully take in the gospel, allowing it to take shape in our daily living, making connections between Jesus’ story and our lives.
“Ordinary” doesn’t mean boring or second-rate but simply “everyday.” The Christian faith is not an otherworldly faith; it’s about this creation, your life, these days. Ordinary Time gives us the space to consider all the implications of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ for our day by day, week-in, week-out lives.
On Sunday mornings, we spent the first half of Ordinary Time looking at the Book of Signs, John 1-10. Each week, we saw how Jesus takes ordinary people, things and moments and does extraordinary things in and through them. For the rest of the season of Ordinary Time, we’ll journey through the Book of Glory, John 11-19. We’ll start with the death and resurrection of Lazarus and then, appropriately enough, on Christ the King Sunday, we’ll wrap up this series with the death of the King of the Jews. John intentionally draws a lot of parallels between Lazarus and Jesus, parallels that make the differences stand out all the more loudly. In between, we’ll see how John helps us see God’s glory in each chapter.
The Westminster Catechisms open with, “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and fully to enjoy Him forever.” It’s easy to talk about glorifying God in the abstract, after all, what believer doesn’t want to glorify God? It gets harder when we start getting into the weeds. Consider that Jesus explicitly states that He allowed Lazarus to die so that He would be glorified through it. That’s also easy to say when we know the end of the story, but outside of Scripture, we don’t usually get to know how the story ends. Which means we’ll be wrestling with difficult questions, like: how can we say or it be true that some of the worst tragedies and moments in our lives or our world are “for the glory of God”? I don’t promise that we’ll find satisfactory answers to questions like that, but I can promise we’ll find the beginning of an answer in verses like John 12:16: “At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.”
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
— Romans 8:28-30
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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27
Aug '26
SEPTEMBER 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS – COMMON CARRIERS
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Aug '26
It’s a phrase you don’t hear all that much any more: common carrier. As I understand it, it primarily identifies a person or a business that transports passengers, goods, or services for a fee and makes their service available to the general public. Examples of common carriers include railways, airlines, shipping companies, and bus lines.
It was a bus ride that brought to my mind that obscure terminology and, along for the ride, a memory of a simpler time.
As a young child, I rarely saw a bus, not even a school bus. My hometown encompasses less than a square mile. The one school was K-8. There was no bus. All of us walked to school, running if necessary to make it to our seats before the late bell rang at 9:00. Technically, by the time I attended that newly built school, what was still called “the bell” had become an electronically amplified buzzer. But I’m pretty sure it was an actual bell when my dad at that age had walked to the old school building in that same town.
At noon, we kids all walked home for lunch. Then we walked back to school, where we stayed from 1:00, when the afternoon late bell rang, until 3:15, when the dismissal buzzer/bell sent us scampering home. The routine varied only on days when it was pouring raining. Then, you and as many other kids as would fit, scrambled into a car driven by your mom or another mother. Seat belts were still a novelty, so if your backside could find a bit of vinyl to call home, you were welcomed aboard for the three-minute ride.
The summer before I started sixth grade, my family moved to a new home just outside of town. Walking to school in the township wasn’t an option, so I became acquainted with the school bus. But for me, public transportation still remains terra incognita. So, part of my recent European trip with Tim was devoted to learning how to travel by bus and train.
Shortly after we boarded a nearly filled bus one morning in Salzburg, there was a prerecorded announcement, first in German, then in English, “Please give your seat to someone who may need it more.” No guilt, no shame, no threat of enforcement. Just a few simple words that evoked an earlier time, a time when recorded announcements were technologically unfeasible – and when reminders to treat others with common courtesy were unnecessary.
A few minutes into our journey, an elderly woman, leaning heavily on a cane, stepped up into the middle of the elongated bus. As she did, a slightly less elderly couple stood up from their seats just across from the door. They motioned to the new arrival, and went up two more steps to take another pair of seats. The woman used her cane to help her settle slowly into a seat they just had yielded.
According to a website I visited, “Historically, common carriers were bound by public obligations arising from statutory or common-law duties.” According to the Bible, so are Christians, “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6;31).
Even after our trip, I don’t think I’m at risk of becoming a big fan of city buses. But I pray that I, and all of us, might learn to see ourselves as common carriers of God’s kindness and compassion.
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29
Jul '26
AUGUST 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS – MOZART, MUSIC, AND THE CHURCH
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Jul '26
As I noted in last month’s newsletter, Tim and I recently visited Salzburg, Austria. While there, we toured the small, third-floor apartment in which the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had been born. We also visited the Mozart Residence, the much larger apartment to which his family moved when Wolfgang was 18.
The Residence was more of a museum and research facility than was his birthplace. One room was set aside for what is known today as “installation art.” As I walked into the darkened room, I saw four smallish TV screens mounted on the wall in front of me. They were showing shifting shapes that, at least to my still squinting eyes, seemed to lack any discernable pattern. Then the music started. As my eyes adjusted, I saw that I had stepped onto a small, round plate on the floor that seemed to have triggered the recording.
I’m not a Mozart expert, but I quickly recognized the music as the last movement of his last symphony. That movement introduces five separate musical themes. Mozart then weaves all five together in one of the most brilliant passages of contrapuntal music ever written. Contrapuntal music, or more simply, counterpoint, is music in which two or more melodies are sounding simultaneously. If you’ll forgive me a couple didactic paragraphs, perhaps the best way of describing counterpoint is by comparing it with monophonic and homophonic music.
Monophonic music (from mono, one, and phonos, sound) is music in which everyone is playing or singing the same note at the same time. There is only melody, no harmony. Examples of monophonic music include you singing alone in the shower and monks singing Gregorian chant in a cathedral.
Homophonic music (homo = same) has a melody, usually in the highest voice or instrument, with chords below it providing harmony. The four-part hymns we sing in church are homophonic. The sopranos sing the melody while the alto, tenor, and bass parts supply the harmony. The praise songs we sing are designed to have everyone singing the melody while the piano plays the harmony.
Counterpoint is a form of polyphonic music (poly = many) in which each voice sings or plays its own melody. The composer’s carefully combination of these melodies results in the desired harmonies. It might seem that chaos would be the inevitable result of many melodies sounding simultaneously. But in the hands of a master craftsman such as Mozart, the end product is one of nearly incomparable beauty.
The idea of a Master Craftsman blending many voices into a beautiful whole brings to mind Paul’s description of the Church as the body of Christ, “12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. … God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (I Cor. 12:12, 18-20).
To be sure, music that consists of nothing more than melody can be beautiful, as can a choir or congregation singing a hymn in four parts. But there is a special kind of beauty that emerges when many different melodies are skillfully combined to form a single, seamless whole, a musical tapestry in which each voice makes not only a unique but an essential contribution.
Musical counterpoint depends on independent voices making their entrances, and exits, on time and in tune. Similarly, as Paul’s inspired imagery so wonderfully illustrates, the Church, its mission conceived and orchestrated by God, displays its full glory only when each of us play the part we’ve been gifted.
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29
Jul '26
AUGUST 2026 PASTOR’S CORNER — DANCING WITH THE DEVIL
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Jul '26
Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
— The Joker. Batman
Don’t… tempt me Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo. I would use this ring from a desire to do good… But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.
— Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings
Note: I originally wrote this for the November 2021 newsletter, the last time Rosie’s was on the ballot. As it is coming up again, and my thoughts on the matter haven’t changed, I felt it appropriate to share this again. — DG
Something’s been nagging at the back of my mind for the past several months, and I thought I’d work through it with you in this space. Sometimes things happen in our lives and culture and we wonder how to think it through biblically, and that’s what I hope to do here.
Have you noticed the incredible surge in advertisements for sports betting apps recently? You can hardly watch anything on TV or stream on the internet without being barraged with advertisements for these apps. This has happened because sports betting became legal in Virginia as a result of two bills that passed through the Virginia General Assembly in 2020.
Now a referendum is coming up for Amherst County on the November ballot. Voting “yes” on this referendum will allow pari-mutuel wagering in the county. If it passes, a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium will open in Seminole Plaza. By this point, this should be old news — the amount of money and effort being spent to promote this referendum and change is pretty amazing (that alone should be cause for concern). It’s being presented as a “win-win,” particularly for Madison Heights and Amherst County. Bringing in Rosie’s, we’re told, will jumpstart a much-needed revitalization and transformation of our community.
I suspect this isn’t going to work out as we expect. Every time I see an ad for those betting apps or Rosie’s I keep thinking about the quotes at the top of this article. Take the lottery for example. It was supposed to provide a financial windfall for public education. But how has it worked out? The amount the state spends on education has been significantly reduced, a reduction almost directly related to the amount received from the lottery. So instead of a significant increase to education spending, schools have the same amount of money available.
This is what happens when you try and dance with the devil. He lets you think you’re leading and makes all sorts of wonderful promises, but it’s always too good to be true. He offers us shortcuts to the things we want, often even the things we need, but never comes through on delivering. Satan even tried the same thing with Jesus, telling him that if Jesus would serve Satan instead of God, then Jesus could accomplish all he came to do without the pain and suffering of the cross. But Jesus didn’t bite, because he knew it wasn’t true (you can read about this in Matthew 4).
We, as a church, have committed to being an active part in “transforming our homes, community and the world.” But there’s a key part of the transformation we want to see happen: the power of God. In fact, our purpose statement says that we are “seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world” (emphasis added). We want to see the Kingdom of God come so that Amherst County can experience and be transformed by God’s love and grace. There are no shortcuts in this work, and you can’t use the devil’s tools to accomplish it. Jesus said, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (Mark 3:23–24)
Honestly, I am sure Rosie’s might well provide some good for our community and our county. I’m sure you can win some easy cash using those betting apps. However, when the devil comes promising blessing, you can count (I was going to say bet, but the irony stopped me) on there being a catch. As Paul warned the Corinthians, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Cor. 11:13–15) There might be some good… there will certainly be more bad that comes from it. Is it really wise and good to promote anything that will surely increase addiction, poverty and family dysfunction — issues that are already running rampant in our area?
As the saying goes, “the house always wins.” At the very least, you can count on Rosie’s getting more out of Amherst County than they put into it. There are better ways to revitalize Madison Heights and Amherst County. It might take longer and more work, but it’ll be better for the people and the community in the long run. In the five years since we first voted on this issue, we now have Starbucks, Cookout, and Planet Fitness. Chipotle will open soon and Amazon is about to open a local warehouse. A new residential community is (slowly) being built. Growth is coming. We don’t need Rosie’s, and the price we’ll pay for it, to get there.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. — 1 Peter 5:8–9)
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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30
Jun '26
JULY 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS – MOZART, MUSIC, AND MEDICINE
30
Jun '26
Emblazoned in white letters on the black t-shirt for sale in the gift shop were the words, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” I smiled at the sentiment. I also suspected my appreciation of the slogan was enhanced by the location of the gift shop – the ground floor of the apartment building where, three floors above and 270 years earlier, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had been born.
As many of you know, Tim recently took me on a long-discussed visit to several German-speaking cities in Europe. His German language skills are considerable and, apart from the record heat, the trip was wonderful. I had opportunities to see, hear, and experience places and events that I had read, heard, and taught about. (I’ll share more observations from this trip in future newsletter articles.)
We spent the first night of our trip in Salzburg, Austria. The city has a long relationship with music. Not only is it Mozart’s birthplace, it’s also the setting for the events that became the basis of the film The Sound of Music. We heard a wonderful concert in the cathedral, which traces its history back to 774 and still contains the baptismal font in which Mozart was baptized.
Tim pried me out of bed that first morning. Two short walks and two bus rides later, we were standing in front of the home where Mozart was born 1756. Tragically, he would die in Vienna, Austria in 1791 at the age of 35. The cause of his death remains unknown. But his body suffered some sort of disorder that the medicine of his day simply couldn’t overcome. That leads me back to the t-shirt in the gift shop.
The quote “Music is the medicine of the mind” is attributed to John Logan (1748-1788), a minor Scottish poet whose brief life almost exactly overlaps that of Mozart. I find his poetic parallel between medicine and music compelling. Music and medicine both recognize that human life has a natural tendency toward disorder. Each in its own way, tries to restore at least some small measure of what’s been lost.
Physical and mental illnesses abound. Many in our communities suffer from emotional distress and spiritual confusion. Modern medicine effectively addresses many of these disorders, from colds to cancer to depression. But as the Bible recognizes, music can also play a role in healing both the body and the soul. “And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him” (I Samuel 16:23).
This wasn’t an isolated incident. Throughout history, music has often served as a pathway that leads God’s people into God’s presence. The singing and sharing of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” (Ephesians 5:19) continues to bring healing to those who are suffering. The more I study such topics, and the more I experience of sin-induced disorder in our world, the more convinced I am of the restorative power of music in our lives.
Whether the music of Mozart or different composers or styles, I pray that all of us may grown in our recognition that God’s gift of music can be medicine for the mind.
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30
Jun '26
JULY 2026 PASTOR’S CORNER — CAN A CHRISTIAN BE A PATRIOT?
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Jun '26
What role does or should patriotism play in church and congregational life (in Northminster, specifically, as well)?
Instead of a regular sermon on Father’s Day, we did a “Q&A Sunday.” Folks submitted questions about faith, the Bible, the church or Christianity in general, and I did my best to answer them that morning. We received way more questions than we had time for, so I will be addressing some of them through the newsletter and others in Sunday School. As this month we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I thought the above question was particularly timely.
This is also timely due to how Christian and biblical values are being politicized (in some good and some not so good ways) in our current cultural moment. There are a lot of issues that very quickly come up when we start to talk about how to be a faithful Christian and a good citizen, so we’re going to keep our focus pretty narrowly on the question asked. To that end, it would probably be helpful to start with defining our terms. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, “patriotism” is defined as “the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and rigorous support of one’s country.” Dr. Case Thorp, moderator of the 39th EPC General Assembly and current theologian in residence at First Presbyterian Church of Orlando provides a more helpful definition of patriotism for our conversation: “love of one’s country — its people, its history, and its common good — without ultimate allegiance to a nation or people group above Christ.”
As we think about what patriotism looks like for a faithful Christian, I think there are a few principles we should keep in mind. First, our love for country should follow the biblical counsel on love for self. Scripture holds two truths that exist seemingly in tension with one another. On the one hand, we are created in the image of God and as such are the “crown jewel” of God’s creation. On the other hand, we are fallen and sinful human beings. As a result, we do not ignore our brokenness, nor do we wallow in our sins. We give thanks that God created us as we are (Psalm 139:13-14), while also confessing our sinfulness (1 Tim. 1:15-17). So, we should give thanks for the country in which we live with all the freedoms and blessings that come with that, while also acknowledging our country is as imperfect as the people who comprise it. Our country has done great things, and terrible things, and a faithful patriotism holds those truths together, in tension.
Secondly, our love for country should be balanced by remembering our true citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. It’s easy to miss how radical it was for the Apostle Paul to write, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Eph. 2:19-20) In Paul’s day, all of the rights and privileges one enjoyed was entirely contingent on one’s status as a citizen of the Roman Empire. For Paul to put his citizenship in heaven above his citizenship in the Roman Empire was to put himself a great risk. The risks are not as great for us, but the truth is no less the same. When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we become citizens of the Kingdom of God, and that citizenship should be first and foremost in our hearts and our lives, over and above any citizenships in the kingdoms of this world.
That leads to our third principle, which is that our love for country should never supplant our first love — Jesus. As Jesus says in Revelation 2, “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Rev. 2:3-5) Our primary love, above love for our selves, our families, and even our country, should be our love for Jesus Christ. That’s what Jesus means when he said, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:37) This is why, in our Sunday morning services of worship, we might acknowledge the national holidays, but we do not build the services around them. Worship should be centered only around God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Finally, our love for country should never compromise our love for neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40) and enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). We should be able to express our patriotism without showing favoritism. As James writes, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” (James 2:8-9) What set the Christians of the first century apart was how they loved all people, regardless of economic, social, or political status. Scripture is replete with commands to love the alien and the stranger, because that is what we once were (see Ephesians 2:19, cited above, as well as 1 Peter 2:9-17).
There is much more that can, and probably should, be said on this topic, and so I recommend these resources for further reading and study (underlined text are links that work in the online versions of the newsletter):
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- Michael Babcock, Unchristian America (this book is apparently out of print, but you can borrow my copy if you’d like)
- Russell Moore, How to Have a Patriotic Worship Service Without Making America The Point, christianitytoday.com article
- Case Thorp, Four Political Postures, Substack article
- Tim Keller, Kathy Keller, Reflections on Faith and Politics, gospelinlife.com article
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. — Hebrews 11:14-16
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Jun '26
JUNE 2026 PASTOR’S CORNER — OVERWHELMED
01
Jun '26
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” – Isaiah 30:15
The situation in Isaiah 30 is about as bad as it can get. The Assyrian Empire is growing and expanding, and Israel and Judah stand between it and Egypt. Basically, Israel found itself between a rock (Assyria) and a hard place (Egypt). The threat wasn’t imaginary, nor was it implied — it was very literal, and very visceral, and completely overwhelming. Both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah knew that, without help, they didn’t stand a chance. There’s a lot of politics and a lot of history in this story, but for the sake of this article, the point is that both Israel and Judah found themselves facing a massively overwhelming force they were utterly incapable of dealing with themselves. It was the working definition of a doomsday scenario.
We often find ourselves facing our own doomsday scenarios. There is a lot to be afraid of in our world and our lives, and many of those threats are absolutely overwhelming. Some of them are more literal, like when you lose a job, your marriage starts to fall apart, or a natural disaster threatens. Others are more imaginary, such as how political candidates predict the end of life as you know it if their opponent wins. Perhaps it is the ambiguity of those predictions make the threats more frightening. Whether real or imagined, literal or figurative, the end result is the same: we find ourselves facing a massively overwhelming situation we know we are utterly incapable of dealing with ourselves.
During one poignant scene in Batman Begins, a young Bruce Wayne falls down a well into a cave. As we see his father rappelling down the well to rescue Bruce, he says, “Why do we fall down, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” That mentality is deeply embedded in our culture. The only one who is going to save you, is you. You need to fix your problem, you need to pick yourself back up, you need to do the hard work, you need to find someone or some thing to help you out of your situation. After all, we all know that God helps those who help themselves… which, if you take a moment to think about it, is kind of ridiculous. If I’ve already helped myself, then what do I need God to do?
Israel and Judah faced an overwhelming force they were incapable of dealing with themselves, so what did they do? They tried to deal with it themselves. They tried to figure it out using their own wisdom and strength. They tried asking Egypt for help. They made plans to flee. They tried ignoring the obvious evidence in front of them, thinking (hoping) Assyria would just ignore them. They paid lip service to trusting God (see Isaiah 7:10-12), but only trusted in themselves. Much of Isaiah is calling Israel out for this. As Isaiah says, “‘Woe to the obstinate children,’ declares the LORD, ‘to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.’” (Is. 30:1-2) Their failure was not that they tried to make an alliance with Egypt, or that they developed plans for how to deal with the “Assyrian problem.” Their sin was that they didn’t turn to the Lord first. They didn’t ask Him what they should do. They didn’t seek His direction. They didn’t turn to the One who is their refuge and their strength (Psalm 46:1).
The means of our deliverance, as verse 15 states (quoted at the beginning), is through repentance and rest, through quietness and trust. It is by turning to the Lord at the beginning of our woes, not waiting until the end of our rope. Time and again we are told to let the Lord fight our battles. Notice what happens every time Israel went into battle: God overwhelmingly stacks the deck against Israel. Even when Israel showed up with military might and power, God had them send soldiers home, and not just some, but almost all (see Judges 7), so that no one would question who it was who delivered them. Yahweh is our deliverer, in Him is our salvation and strength. If we will let him. If we will receive the salvation He offers.
The doomsday scenarios that lie before you are probably very real, and I have no doubt they are overwhelming. Most everyone around you will tell you that you would be foolish to trust in the Lord. But trusting in the Lord doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use your wisdom, or that you shouldn’t seek help from others. It does mean asking God what you should do first, letting the Holy Spirit guide you in the steps you should take, and trusting that however God chooses to deliver you, even if it doesn’t make sense in the moment, is the right and the best way. There is no problem too big for God to handle, no threat so overwhelming that He can not handle it. And He wants us to bring it all to Him in prayer, trusting that because we know He loves us, He will deliver us… in His way, and His time. Be still and know that He is God. Be still and know that He will fight the battle for you. Repent of your distrust, and rest in His salvation.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. — Proverbs 3:5-7
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Jun '26
JUNE 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS — FLAG BIRTHDAY
01
Jun '26
I’ve been a fan of Flag Day for quite a while, although probably not for any reason you’d expect.
Flag Day, in case you haven’t thought about if for a while, is June 14. On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” The flag was quickly designed and produced. It took a bit longer for Flag Day to become a holiday.
That process began with Bernard J. Cigrand, a Wisconsin schoolteacher. In 1885, he encouraged his students to celebrate June 14 as “Flag Birthday.” He then wrote an article for a Chicago newspaper in which he urged all Americans to set aside this date to celebrate the flag. Three years later, William T. Kerr joined Cigrand’s cause and founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed June 14 as the official date for Flag Day. Finally, in 1949, almost 200 years after the flag was authorized, the U.S. Congress officially established the date as National Flag Day, although it never has made Flag Day an official federal holiday.
So, what’s the big deal about picking a day to celebrate the flag? Well, my personal appreciation has more to do with family than with country. June 14 is Marge’s birthday (a day she shares with a current U.S. president). So when I see U.S. flags flying in more places than I do most other days, I’m reminded that I’ve once again forgotten about her birthday. Conveniently, the flags also remind me that exactly two weeks later, I will have forgotten our anniversary. (I told you probably wouldn’t expect the reason I appreciate the holiday!)
But, truth be told, there are other, more widely shared reasons for my appreciation. Among these, the most important is that our nation’s flag isn’t just a piece of colored cloth. It’s also a sign or a symbol. A sign, says Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) “can be said to be anything … by means of which some other thing is known.” Much more recently, Paul Tillich (1886-1965) wrote, “symbols participate in the reality which they represent.”
Although widely separated by time and theological perspective, both Aquinas and Tillich recognize that a sign points beyond itself; that a symbol is more than just a tangible object. In that sense, seeing a flag on a building or a battlefield can be compared to seeing a cross atop a church. The flag brings to mind ideals and events that characterize our country. The cross reminds us of God’s eternal plan for our redemption.
This summer, as we approach the 250th birthday of our nation, it may be time for our country’s flag to be shown more respect than it’s received in recent decades. Honoring the flag doesn’t mean America is perfect any more than seeing a cross on the steeple of a church means that all the church’s members are perfect. Like the cross, the flag reminds us who we are, how we got here, and what we’re striving to become.
I think that’s worth a day of celebration.
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01
May '26
MAY 2026 MILLS’ MUSINGS — HAPPY ASCENSION DAY TO YOU
01
May '26
Author’s note: For most of the 1990s, I wrote a monthly devotional called Settings, taking my title from Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on things above.” In May 1995, I wrote the following reflection, which I’m still rather fond of. (Actually, what follows is about half of what I first wrote, but I think this condensed and gently edited version still conveys the spirit and intent of the original.)
Tim turns five this month. His birthday falls on Ascension Day.
Ascending to the ranks of the five-year-olds is a significant milestone, for it means that this fall Tim starts kindergarten. No longer will he be numbered among the preschoolers.
Perhaps the major practical effect on Marge and me (after, of course, preparing for and cleaning up after the requisite celebration) is that we will no longer be Tim’s principal instructors. Certainly, we will remain involved in both the formal and informal aspects of his ongoing education. But it would be foolish to deny that this part of our interactions with him will change.
Although the transition was not unexpected, its abruptness and irrevocability have caught me somewhat off guard. And perhaps it was my sudden recognition of this inevitable alteration to our relationship that led me to reflect on the confluence of Tim’s fifth birthday with that day the Christian calendar marks as Ascension Day.
As Luke describes Jesus’ ascension, “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:10). Jesus’ sudden departure seemed to leave his disciples stunned. Jesus no longer would be physically present with his spiritual children. Instead, his presence now would be mediated through the Holy Spirit. Historically, the Christian Church has used Ascension Day to articulate and celebrate that change.
Ascension Day is the sixth Thursday (the 40th day) after Easter. However, at least in my experience, most Protestants tend to overlook this important celebration. Perhaps as a result, the theological significance of the Ascension seems to receive correspondingly little attention in our daily Christian lives. That is an unfortunate oversight, for, as John Leith notes:
“The ascension means that the earthly ministry of Jesus has ended … that the incarnate life of Jesus Christ is taken into the very being of God; that the ministry of Jesus Christ, formerly limited by space and time, is now universal by the power of the Spirit of God, that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God; that he makes continual intercession for us and has opened for us the way to the presence of God; and that he has been given all authority in heaven and earth. … a new epoch in human history has begun with the sending of the Spirit and the mission of the church.”
To consider even briefly the implications of Leith’s observations is to gain a glimpse of the ascended Christ’s pervasive presence in our lives. For some 30 years God’s only Son had so emptied himself of his heavenly prerogatives that he was confined within space and time, ministering to individuals, the twelve, or perhaps several hundred people on any given day. Since his ascension, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, now ministers at every moment to all of his disciples.
Jesus’ ascension marked a new phase in his eternal ministry, with corresponding changes required of his disciples. Similarly, Tim’s fifth birthday marks a transitional moment – in his life and in mine. Both events, which occurred at specific moments in time yet are celebrated simultaneously this year, have implications that will continue to unfold far into the future.
So, although I suspect it will never become a terribly catchy jingle, I find myself inclined to sing “Happy Ascension Day to you.”
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