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01
Nov '18
Pastor’s Corner – November 2018
01
Nov '18
The End of the Year Is Upon Us
The end of the year is here! Perhaps you’re wondering if I mixed my months up – a distinct possibility! But no, I’m just looking at a different calendar. While the Gregorian calendar (the one we use on a daily basis) has two months left, the Christian calendar is drawing to a close.
The Spiritual Celebration of The King
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
Toward the end of this month the longest season of the Christian Calendar (called “Ordinary Time”) comes to a close. Ordinary Time is a season devoted to giving space to consider all the implications of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ for our day by day, week-in, week-out lives. But as the season moves on, and the chaos of the world presses in, we can begin to wonder if God is even at work any more. And so Ordinary Time ends with Christ the King Sunday (this year, November 25), the last Sunday before Advent and a reminder that Jesus is king, that all the world is subject to him, that the Kingdom of God is already at hand, and that one day soon He will come back to consummate His kingdom and His rule. The world may seem to be spiraling into chaos, but Jesus is still sovereign and holds it all in His hands. We may not understand much of what is happening, but we can trust that Jesus does.
A Secular Season of Gratitude
But what fascinates me about these calendars is how the Spirit moves in both sacred and secular seasons. I don’t imagine that those who suggested we celebrate Thanksgiving in November did so with any thought for the Christian calendar, but there are few ways better to celebrate the end of the Christian year than by focusing on being grateful for the kingship of Jesus Christ as well as for all that we have and are. Perhaps that’s one of the problems with the rampant anger and angst in our culture today – we focus too much on our discontent and not enough on being grateful for what God has provided for us. As Paul writes to the Colossians:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
May God bless each of us as we celebrate not just all we have to be grateful for, but also that ultimately we can be thankful because Jesus is King and we can trust in Him!
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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02
Oct '18
Andrew Brunson Prayer Update
02
Oct '18
Andrew Brunson’s trial resumes next Friday, October 12. In preparation for that, we have gathered the following resources for you.
The first is a blog by Rev. Bill Campbell who was in the courtroom with Andrew at his trial last July. This provides not only first-hand insight into what it’s like in the courtroom, but also how things are for Christians throughout Turkey.
This is the first 13 days of a 31 day prayer initiative. The second half will be published once the outcome of his trial on October 12 is made known. These are short, daily prayers you can easily add to your daily quiet time routine or at any point throughout your day. Paper copies were made available last Sunday and are still available to pick up at church.
Call to Prayer and Fasting (October 2018)
In an effort to stand with and pray for the entire Brunson family, the EPC is issuing a Call to Prayer and Fasting for the week of October 8. We will make these available as a bulletin insert on Sunday, October 7.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support for Andrew. May his faithfulness in spite of the adversity he’s faced encourage you in your walk with the Lord as well!
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01
Oct '18
Pastor’s Corner – October 2018
01
Oct '18
What’s in a logo?
Now that our logo is prominently displayed on the front of the church, I’ve found myself thinking about it every day as I arrive. A good logo is simple and evocative, easy to recognize and remember, but bringing to mind multiple layers of images and meanings as you study it. Our logo accomplishes both of these things very well.
In the Beginning was the Word
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. — John 1:1–4
The first thing your eye catches is the open Bible, at the bottom of the image. Visually we are reminded that the Word of God is our beginning and our foundation. All of what we believe and know is grounded in and flows out of the Bible. But a closed book doesn’t do any good. It needs to be opened and read in order for the words within to bring life and light. And of course, as the passage from John implies, the image of the Bible in the logo points to the Word of God, and that Word of God is Jesus Christ. But these aren’t just old, stagnant, dead words, Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that the Word of God is “living and active.” What is it that keeps the Word of God alive today?
The Spirit Gives Life
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. — John 6:63
The eye naturally moves upward from the open Bible and sees the dove, with wings spread, rising out of the center. The dove has long been a visual representation of the Holy Spirit (see Luke 3:21-22), and as it prepares to take flight it gives the image of being alive and free. Being centered in the Word, the dove also reminds us that the Spirit is the seal of our salvation and our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). And as the Spirit fills the Word, so also it fills us. The Holy Spirit gives life to believers and empowers us to take the Word of God into the world through our actions and our words.
May God bless each of us as we seek to be a community of faith that are “hearers and doers” of the Word (James 1:22) and “strengthened with power through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16) to serve others in Christ’s name!
Blessings, Rev. David Garrison
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01
Aug '18
Pastor’s Corner – August 2018
01
Aug '18
One Year Ago…
Do you remember a year ago? You were wondering just what this new pastor you’d called would be like; and we were wondering about this new congregation and community we’d been called to serve. There were so many unknowns and questions for us all. But just behind all of that uncertainty was our God, who holds all of us in His hands, who knows the future as certainly as the past. God has shown all of us that He knows exactly what He is doing. Without a doubt, it has been a wonderful year. One of the things I enjoyed most at the EPC General Assembly in June was being able to brag about the wonderful congregation I’ve been blessed to serve as pastor for the past year. As I told several friends and mentors, I couldn’t imagine a better congregation to serve for my first solo pastorate. It’s hard to find the words to express how thankful I am for how you’ve welcomed and loved my family over the past year. The picture to the right was taken the day we moved into our new home.
…But There’s More To Come!
As great as the past year has been, I can’t wait to see all that God has in store for the year(s!) to come. The various ministries of the church and the Session are hard at work prayerfully discerning how God is already at work in and around us, and how He is inviting us to join Him in that work. Plans are being laid for some pretty cool things in Christian Education, Missions & Outreach, Worship and Fellowship over the months to come. The best part is that you get a sneak peek at what’s ahead on Rally Day, coming up Sunday, August 26. How is God inviting you to continue growing as a disciple of Jesus Christ and what opportunities is He providing for you to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet? Plan to join us for Rally Day and you just might find out. We look forward to seeing you there!
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Jun '18
Pastor’s Corner – June 2018
01
Jun '18
“Ordinary” Time
Beginning the day after Pentecost, the church calendar begins it’s longest season of the year: Ordinary Time. After the past six months of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter; and given that it coincides with the beginning of summer; it can be easy to think of “Ordinary Time” as “vacation time,” or “back to our regularly scheduled lives time.” But that would actually miss the opportunity that Ordinary Time gives to us, a gift the Early Church recognized in making this the longest season of the year.
Philip Reinders writes, “With all the big holidays and celebrations over, 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.” (Seeking God’s Face, pg 431)
To that end, we begin this season with a brief look at the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is a masterful book that, at first glance, can seem like a pessimistic pile of skepticism and futility. But in reality, it provides an opportunity to wash us clean of our pretensions and false spiritualities that keep us from knowing Jesus as He really is and following Him as closely as He invites us to do. After a 3 week break, we’ll then take a deep dive into a book of the Bible to see how God’s word is as applicable to our lives today as it was when it was written, 2,000 years ago. Speaking of that 3 week break…
“Where’d Pastor David go?”
Due to an unusual and unexpected confluence of events, the Session has been kind enough to grant me 3 Sundays off in a row, June 24 – July 8. Over those three weeks, I’ll be heading to the EPC General Assembly meeting in Memphis, celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary with our extended family in North Carolina, and heading back to St. Louis to preside over the wedding of one of the youth from our time ministering there. I’m looking forward to each of these events, but know that I’ll miss worshipping and partnering with you all in mission and ministry over that time as well. While I’m gone, you will be blessed with the opportunity to hear the Word of God expounded by our own Michael Babcock and Bob Mills, as well as Lowell Sykes. With their excellent preaching, you’ll hardly have an opportunity to know that I was gone!
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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01
May '18
Pastor’s Corner – May 2018
01
May '18
After the Storm
Storms are used in fascinating ways in Scripture. Take a look at Genesis 6-9 (Noah’s flood), Psalm 18, and Matthew 8:23-27 (Jesus calms the storm) for a couple of good examples. But my favorite “storm story” is in 1 Kings 19. Elijah has just won a powerful victory over the prophets of Ba’al, but ends up fleeing for his life as Jezebel and Ahab seek vengeance. He hides in a cave on Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai), and God tells him, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” What happens next is incredible:
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11–13)
I think most of us would assume that God would’ve been in the storm, the earthquake or the fire. But He wasn’t. God was in the stillness and quiet that came after the storm. The same is true with the story of the flood – the rainbow came after the waters receded. And when Jesus calmed the waters? That’s when the disciples fell down in worship.
“What are you doing here?”
That’s the question God asked Elijah in the silence after the storm. Through your tireless acts of love and support, God’s presence after the storm has been made real. I have been overwhelmed with the incredible response of our community in the weeks that have followed the tornado in Elon and Lynchburg. You have answered God’s question to Elijah with your actions – by faithfully living what Paul calls us to in Galatians 5: “Serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Gal 5:13–14) The cleanup work for those affected has just begun and will continue long after the tornado has left the news cycle. May we continue to be God’s hands and feet as we pray without ceasing, give as we are able, and serve as the opportunity presents itself. You can find some helpful suggestions and guides on our website at www.npcmh.com/blog.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Mar '18
Pastor’s Corner – March 2018
01
Mar '18
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. — Romans 5:6–8
Too Good to be True?
On Sunday mornings the past few weeks we’ve been exploring the idea of Lent as an opportunity for us to have “Springtime for our Soul” (you can get caught up on that idea by reading last month’s article and listening to the sermons at www.npcmh.com/teaching). One of the central themes running through this series is that God loves us, delights in us, knows us, and desires for us to abide in Him (John 15). For many of us, this idea sounds good in theory, but in reality we suspect too good to be true. There’s no way God could love me that much. In fact, just the other day someone asked me, “Doesn’t God sometimes just turn His love off?” What a fantastic question! And aren’t there times when we all feel that way? Maybe God loves me in general, but he’s sure turned it off lately!
God is Love
Thank goodness for the apostles and the Bible! In 1 John 4:8 and again in 16 it says, “God is love.” God is entirely made up of love, so it would be impossible for God to “turn off” His love. If He were to do that, He would cease to exist. Paul writes in Romans 8, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39)
Yeah, But You Don’t Know…
No, I don’t know. I don’t know what you’ve done, I don’t know what’s in your heart. I don’t know the hurts and wounds you carry. But I know that God does. And I know this: that God loved you this much even before you were saved (see verse 8 at the beginning of this article). And I know that the verses from Romans 8 say that there’s nothing in heaven or on earth that could separate you from His love. How wonderful that God’s amazing love for us doesn’t depend on our believing or accepting it!
As the temperature slowly warms up over this month, may the warmth of God’s love saturate your heart and soul as well.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Oct '17
Pastor’s Corner – October 2017
01
Oct '17
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matt 24:3–8)
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the “End Times” and when Jesus is coming back. Christians have been trying to figure that out since Jesus first ascended into heaven. This always happens when we have an abnormal pattern of highly destructive natural disasters, or when unusual events occur in the heavens (such as eclipses, or comets, etc.), or when wars break out around our planet. Most recently, a report made the news that the “End Times” would begin on Saturday, September 23. Saturday came and went, and all is well – if not a little bit hotter than we usually expect for late September.
I’ll be honest, there’s a lot about the “End Times” that I don’t know or understand. In fact, Jesus himself said that there’s a lot about this that we’re not going to know or understand: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matt 24:36) Here’s what we do know: Jesus is coming back (Revelation 22:20). When he comes back, all that is broken will be made right (Revelation 21:1,5). Until Jesus comes back, we will have suffering and persecution for His name’s sake (John 15:18-25). Outside of those things, Jesus invites us to trust and abide in Him (John 15:1-17).
The Thessalonians were swept up in waiting for Jesus’ return. They fully believed his return was so imminent that they stopped doing the work of the Kingdom. We should be diligent in avoiding the same mistake. So what should we do as we wait for Christ’s return? The same thing Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to do:
And we urge you, brothers & sisters, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:14-22)
Note particularly verses 23 & 24:
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
In other words, be about the work of the Kingdom, and trust in the God who’s name is Faithful. He is true to his promises, and He is true to you. Amen!
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