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30
Apr '25
May 2025 Mills’ Musings — PROTESTANTS AND THE PAPACY
30
Apr '25
Some years ago, a Baptist friend was trying to help me understand Baptist theology and practice. “There are three things Baptists don’t recognize,” he summarized: “1) the authority of the pope; 2) the validity of infant baptism; and 3) each other in a liquor store.”
The third requires no additional elucidation, while the second could be (and indeed for the past 500 years has been) constructively debated. But I assume that what triggered my recall of that long-ago conversation was the recent death of Pope Francis I. That recollection in turn suggested this reflection on some basic disagreements between Protestants and Catholics in their understandings of the office and authority of the pope.
Roman Catholic Church teaching, defined at the First Vatican Council in 1870, declares that Jesus established the office of pope with the apostle Peter. Their support for this belief is Matthew 16:18-19, “18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Volumes have been written about these verses. Most follow one of two main lines of interpretation. The first, endorsed by Catholicism, teaches that Jesus gave this authority to Peter personally. Peter then exercised this authority by serving as the first bishop of Rome. Since his death, the power given to Peter has been handed on through an unbroken line of successors – the popes. This practice, known as apostolic succession, is seen as guaranteeing the unity and doctrinal purity of the Catholic Church.
The other main interpretative approach, held with some sectarian variations by Protestants, disagrees with at least three key elements of the Catholic understanding. The first is the question of who, or what, is the rock Jesus mentions. For Catholics, it is Peter himself. Protestants generally understand that the rock to be Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The second disagreement concerns the extent of the authority Jesus gave. Catholic teaching says it was given to Peter alone and has been passed down to each successive pope. Protestants traditionally believe either that this authority was given only to Peter for his lifetime or that it is now shared among believers. Historically, Presbyterians have held that the presbytery functions as a “corporate bishop.”
That raises the third point of disagreement, which concerns the way in which the Church structures itself for its God-given mission. Catholics view these verses as supporting a hierarchical model, one headed by the pope and descending through cardinals, bishops, and priests. Not seeing that structure in this text, Protestants have generally favored either congregational (Baptist) or collegial (Presbyterian) models of church governance.
The differences between Protestants and Catholics about things like the role of the pope and the structure of the Church are not inconsequential, but neither are they insurmountable. Recognizing and accurately articulating our differences lays a foundation for open and honest conversation. And I continue to believe that as Western culture becomes increasingly post-Christian, Catholics and Protestants, clear-eyed about our disagreements, will increasingly rally around the beliefs that unite us.
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30
Apr '25
May 2025 Pastor’s Corner — All It Takes Is An Invitation
30
Apr '25
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? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” — Romans 10:14-15
Last Wednesday we held an “Inquirer’s Class.” This is the class we offer to new visitors and regular attenders who would like to learn more about Northminster, our denomination (the Evangelical Presbyterian Church), and where we believe God is leading us in the future. While the class is open to anyone who would like to attend, we extended specific invitations to 11 folks who have been visiting and worshipping with us regularly since last fall. Of those 11, 6 were able to attend (those missing were family members who had conflicts). It was a fun evening with a lot of great conversation.
We began the evening by asking for folks to share what brought them to Northminster. Four of the six had variations of the same answer: someone invited them. Here’s the thing: whittle every evangelism and church growth strategy down and ultimately they all are about the same thing: inviting someone to church. The best tool we have, and really the only one that matters, is relationships. Every story I’ve ever heard about how someone came to faith in Jesus Christ boils down to someone in their life caring enough to tell them about Jesus.
This is exactly how God intended it to be. The Gospel spreads primarily and almost exclusively through word-of-mouth. At the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the reason Nathanael ended up as a disciple was because Philip invited him to “come and see” for himself. (John 1:46) Jesus repeatedly told His disciples and those He healed to tell others about Him (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Mark 5:19; Matthew 10:7). After Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven, the apostles were so amazed and transformed by all they had seen and experienced but when told to stop talking about it, they responded, “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20).
That’s also exactly the way God intended it to be. As we grow as disciples and are transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, that change should be something of which we cannot but speak. That’s what a “testimony” is — telling others about what you have seen and heard, about how Jesus has changed and blessed your life. What have you seen and heard from Jesus lately? How has He transformed you and changed you? Maybe you’ve experienced a miraculous physical healing, or He has healed your heart or soul. Maybe you’ve learned something new about the depths of His grace or the wonders of His creation. Whatever it is, tell someone about it, and invite them to experience the same transformation you’ve seen. You don’t need to give a sermon or a thorough theological discourse, all you need to do is “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19).
Maybe you don’t know what to say to someone about Jesus, or the thought of it makes you too nervous. Then let your actions tell the story of how Jesus is changing you. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” and in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” When we live lives consistent with the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, people around us won’t be able to help but notice, and when they ask you why you’re so weird, follow Philip’s example and invite them to come to church and see for themselves. If we’re doing things right, the Gospel is proclaimed at some point in every worship service. You might not be comfortable telling someone about Jesus, so let us do it for you.
The Holy Spirit will bring to salvation all those whom God has chosen, it might just be that the means by which he does that is the invitation you extend to someone. Take a few minutes to think of two or three people in your life who don’t already know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Add them to your daily prayer list, that the Lord would begin softening their heart to hear the Gospel and that He would provide an opportunity for you to invite them to come with you to meet Jesus, whether that’s through a conversation you have with them or by bringing them to church with you. All it takes is an invitation.
“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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19-20
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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26
Mar '25
April 2025 Mills’ Musings — Waking Up on Mars
26
Mar '25
“The odds of that happening are 0. It’s just not possible. It would violate the laws of nature.”
That was the answer given by a person in a space travel video I watched recently. He had been asked to estimate the odds that he would wake up the next morning on Mars. Since, at least as I write this, no human being has yet set foot on Mars, let alone slept there, and since no known human technology can transport someone between planets overnight, his response seems perfectly reasonable.
But is it accurate? Most of us, I suspect, would say it is. But some would disagree.
Chief among the naysayers would be those who embrace and promote a field of study known as quantum mechanics. A fundamental dogma of quantum theory is that no one can ever say with absolute certainty that something can or can’t happen. That’s because, in their worldview, uncertainty is built into the subatomic fabric of the universe.
In practical terms, that means we can never say never. We can only speak in terms of likelihood and probabilities. Confined within the canon of quantum physics, the most emphatic statement we could make is that waking up on Mars tomorrow morning would be a low-probability event.
Of course, if that were true the same could and indeed must be said about Jesus’ resurrection.
For the better part of the last 2,000 years, standard arguments used to deny the reality of Jesus’ resurrection have included claims that no one has seen someone come back to life after he has died and been buried; that the resurrection of the body would violate that laws of nature; and that, therefore, Jesus’ resurrection never could have happened.
Wrong, wrong, and wrong – at least according to the best thinking cutting edge of today’s science has on offer. While I would find it fun to watch atheistic physicists become enmeshed in the web they have spun, that possibility raises a red flag for Christians: We should never succumb to the temptation of using any science – past, present, or future – to validate any article of our Christian faith. Galileo helps us remember why.
Galileo’s story actually began around 150 A.D., when Ptolemy taught that the earth was an immovable mass located at the center of the universe and that all celestial bodies, including the planets of our solar system, revolved around it. In the following millennium, Ptolemy’s scientific theory became Roman Catholic Church doctrine.
In 1530, Copernicus published On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, which proposed replacing Ptolemy’s geocentric model with one in which the planets orbited a central sun. A century later, Galileo wrote Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World – Ptolemaic and Copernican, in which he sided with Copernicus and, for his troubles, was convicted of heresy. Three hundred years after that, Pope John Paul II announced that the Inquisition’s decision concerning Galileo was mistaken.
Science is a wonderful gift from God to his human creation. I’m grateful for things like electricity and antibiotics. I’m intrigued by the possibility of traveling to Mars. But God’s people need to keep in mind that truth isn’t true because science says it’s so. Scientific “truth” is constantly changing. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings” (Heb. 13:8-9).
I doubt I’ll get to see the first human footprint on Mars. But I do not doubt the day will come when I will be seated at a banquet table in heaven. My certainty about heaven doesn’t rest on what science says. Rather my assurance is rooted in the reality that the Lord is risen. He is risen indeed.
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26
Mar '25
April 2025 Pastor’s Corner — The Fear of the Lord
26
Mar '25
“My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD Almighty. — Malachi 1:11
One evening several weeks ago, my daughter came to me with a question. She had just read the story of Moses and the burning bush (Exodus 3). When God speaks to Moses out of the burning bush we’re told that “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (Exodus 3:6) My daughter didn’t understand why Moses would’ve been afraid. Since our God is a loving God (Jeremiah 31:3, one who is merciful and gracious (Psalm 86:15), who treats us with tenderness (Luke 1:78) and gentleness (1 Kings 19:12), why would we be afraid of Him?
I think a lot of us approach God in a similar manner. We have heard so much about the love and grace of God that fear has fallen by the wayside. After all, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7) But I think we are misunderstanding how the Bible is using the word “fear” when it comes to our relationship with God. There is “fear” in the sense of terror and fright (which is what most of us think of), but there is also “fear” in the sense of awe and reverence. As the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery explains, “The fear of God is distinct from the terror of him that is also a biblical motif. Encompassing and building on attitudes of awe and reverence, it is the proper and elemental response of a person to God… The very frequency of the references signals that the fear of God is central to biblical faith, and the relative absence of this ancient way of thinking in our culture should give us pause.”
If we do not have a proper awe and reverence for God, then we lose just how radical and powerful His grace, mercy and love truly are. The God we serve is an all-powerful, almighty, glorious, holy, righteous God. He spoke, and stars and planets burst forth (Genesis 1:14). He moves His hand, and waters part (Exodus 14:21-25). He measures galaxies with the width of His hand (Isaiah 40:12). He binds the Pleiades and looses the cords of Orion (Job 38:31). He gives orders to the morning (Job 38:12), and maintains the storehouses of snow and lightning (Job 38:22-30). He is a God who rides thunderstorms to rescue His children (Psalm 18, specifically verses 6-15). When God says “My name will be great among the nations,” (Malachi 1:11) He does not do so as a braggart but as the only One who can rightly claim and demand such greatness. When we think of our God, a fearful awe and reverence is an essential component. “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31)
The warning to fear God echoes in both the Old and New Testaments. “Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.” (Jer. 2:19) When we think of God’s goodness, fearing Him should be included: “I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.” (Jer. 32:40) And Jesus Himself, God incarnate, says, “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:5) We focus so much on Jesus as “gentle, meek and mild” that we forget the disciples quaked in terror of Him after He calmed the storm (Mark 4:35-41). Even at the end of history, when Jesus returns in power and glory and evil is destroyed forever, when everything sad comes untrue and every broken thing is made whole, we are told, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Rev. 14:7)
It is because our God is very much a God to be feared (first in awe and reverence, but also with a dose of terror and fright) that the good news of His grace and mercy is so very good indeed. That, for those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, there is no longer need to fear God’s righteous judgment. All of the things the Bible says of God’s gentleness and tenderness, His kindness and His mercy, His steadfast lovingkindness, are all true, and made all the more awe-ful and awe-some because of His might, power and majesty. Grace is all the more amazing when we maintain a healthy and appropriate fear of the Lord. As we continue to draw ever closer to the darkness of Good Friday and the triumph of Easter Sunday, may the fear of the Lord deepen your gratitude and faith this Lenten season.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline. — Proverbs 1:7
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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03
Mar '25
March 2025 Pastor’s Corner – How Has He Loved Us?
03
Mar '25
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” — Malachi 1:2
It’s a conversation that happens with all too much regularity in a marriage. A husband tells his wife, “I love you,” to which she replies, “How have you loved me?” As the 90s rock band Extreme famously crooned, it takes more than words in order for someone else to know they are loved and valued. Words matter, but just as much are the actions and symbols of love. Every relationship goes through periods of complacency, where we take the love and presence of the other person for granted and just assume they know they are loved. Sometimes, though, the husband might be doing everything right, but the wife has stopped paying attention. It isn’t just our relationships with other people that go through these seasons, we also experience it in our relationship with God — perhaps even moreso.
In our Bibles, the book of Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament. It’s one of the shortest books in the entire Bible and is unique in that it is basically a series of six disputations. “God lays a charge against his people concerning some failure in covenant, to which the people respond by asking how they have failed. The response always begins with “But you say” (which was perhaps not stated verbally—Malachi may be exposing only half-conscious resentment and resistance to God). The third step in this pattern shows God answering his people’s question; the fourth closes each section with the Lord applying this answer, with warnings and promises for the future.” (ESV Expositor’s Commentary)
We don’t know exactly when Malachi delivered his prophecies, but we do know it was after the exiles had returned to Jerusalem and the temple rebuilt — at least partially. And yet, the Messiah had yet to return. It had been hundreds of years since the Israelites had received God’s promises of restoration and redemption, and even longer since they had last seen the miraculous works of the Lord. It would still be yet another 300-400 years before Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, finally came, bringing with him miraculous works and fulfilling all of the promises of God. But over the course of hundreds of years of waiting, the Israelites began wondering if God still loved, let alone cared, for them. No word from the prophets, no miraculous signs and wonders, no change in their circumstances. At best, the people and the priests started taking God’s love for granted; at worst, they began to treat God with disdain and disrespect — going through the motions of love but without any feeling or intent.
In the big-picture sense, like the Israelites we’ve been waiting a really, really long time for Jesus to return and come through on His promises. How close we are to that moment depends on who you ask, but it’s probably pretty safe to say it’s not going to be tomorrow. But that’s not the only way we’re waiting on God or wondering if He still loves us. We’re all waiting on God for something. Maybe it’s deliverance from a particular sin we’ve been struggling with for a long time, or fractured relationships in our family, or a job situation that is… less than desirable, or a medical diagnosis we didn’t see coming and don’t know how to endure. Maybe it’s something else entirely. When God goes silent, it becomes really hard to continue to trust Him and we begin to wonder if He still loves us.
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar that provides us with an opportunity to sit in the silence of God and raise our broken-hearted plea to the Lord, “How have you loved me?” Lent is an old English word that means “springtime.” Spring is the season when the blossoms break forth and new growth appears, but before that the dross and refuse left over from winter needs to be cleared away. In the earliest days and weeks of spring, it doesn’t look like anything is happening. It looks as if winter succeeded in killing everything off. But appearances are deceiving. Through the long, cold, dark weeks of winter, a lot has been happening underground and out of sight. Necessary work without which the blooms and blossoms of spring will not thrive, if they sprout at all. It might seem like God has forgotten His love for you and that He is no longer at work, but the truth is the exact opposite. He has never stopped loving you, nor has He stopped working for and on you. Hold fast. Pay attention and look for the evidence of God’s presence and His love. Be patient. Easter is coming, and the Son of Righteousness has come and will come again for you.
But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. – Malachi 4:2
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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03
Mar '25
March 2025 Mills’ Musings – Rediscovering Rhythms
03
Mar '25
I’m teaching a music appreciation course at CVCC this semester. In the opening unit, I covered major elements of music including melody, harmony, and rhythm.
When we think about a piece of music, the melody is usually the first thing that comes to mind. Melody is defined as “a succession of single pitches, perceived by the mind as a unit.” When you look at the bulletin on Sunday morning and see “Amazing Grace” listed as the opening hymn, you probably hear the melody in your mind.
Harmony is the result of three or more pitches sounding at the same time instead of one after another. The way chords are constructed and how they follow each other fall under the heading of harmony. By the end of the course, I expect my students to listen to the harmony of a musical example and identify the musical era in which it was written.
Then there’s rhythm, from a Greek word that means “flow.” Music takes place in time. When we hear a melody or a chord, each pitch lasts for a specific number of seconds or fractions of a second. Rhythm helps us perceive the order inherent in music.
But rhythm isn’t confined to music. One author writes:
The ancients discerned in rhythm the creative principle of the universe, manifested alike in the regular movement of planets, the cycle of seasons and tides, of night and day, desire and appeasement, life and death. … This universe was art, and its controlling principle was rhythm. The symmetrical proportions of architecture, the balanced groupings of painting and sculpture, the patterns of the dance, the regular meters of poetry – each in its own sphere represents man’s deep-seated need for rhythmical arrangement.
Christians long have felt those needs, and the Church has responded in a variety of ways. One is through its music. For the first millennium of Christian history, almost all Christian music was written in triple meter. That is, each beat was divided into three equal parts, an intentional expression of the doctrine of the Trinity.
Another way the Church acknowledges the value of rhythm in our lives is through our observation of the Christian year. We start with the season of Advent, a time of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’s coming. We move through the seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. Then, this month, we enter the season of Lent, a time of self-examination as we prepare to celebrate Jesus resurrection. After the season of Easter comes Ordinary Time, which leads back to Advent and the repetition of the rhythm of our life as the people of God.
This year, as I was teaching about melody, harmony, and rhythm, I came across the following quote: “In our global digital age, many Christians are rediscovering the importance of community, the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances, and the need for deeper commitment to spiritual formation.”
For many of us the past year or two has seemed especially chaotic. As together we continue our journey through this still fairly new civic year, may we also share the joy and peace that can result as we rediscover the value of rhythms and routines amid chaotic circumstances.
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29
Jan '25
February 2025 Mills’ Musings — Happy Birthday, Nicene Creed!
29
Jan '25
If someone does make a cake for the occasion, I’d like to be there when the candles are lit. The occasion is the 1700th birthday of the Nicene Creed. While I doubt anyone will make a cake, at least not one with 1,700 candles, I believe the event is certainly worth celebrating. Here is a short look at why.
Early Creeds
Our English word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, which means, “I believe.” A creed, broadly defined, is a statement of what it is that I believe. More technically, in the Christian tradition a creed is a concise, formal, and authorized statement of essential Christian doctrine.
The earliest Christian creed was spoken by Peter and recorded in Mark 8:29. At Caesarea Philippi, in response to Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am,” Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, replied, “You are the Christ.” Writing to the Philippians some three decades later, Paul concluded his marvelous Hymn to Christ with what remains the foundational creed of Christianity, “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:11).
But after the last apostle had died, after the canon of Scripture had been closed, Christians began to sense a need for clear and succinct summaries of the basic doctrines of their faith. So they drew on the language of Scripture to formulate brief statements of their core beliefs. The most prominent of these – the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, are still accepted (with some variations) by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant denominations.
Creeds Today
Today, many congregations still make use of these creeds along with their longer, younger cousins, confessions. For example, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, to which Northminster belongs, uses the Westminster Confession of Faith and its catechisms as our doctrinal standards. In Sunday morning worship, we often recite in unison sections of this Confession. Other Sundays we say the Nicene or Apostles’ Creed. These public affirmations of our faith remind us of what we believe about the nature and work of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and the Church.
Creeds also have uses outside Christian worship. In his book This You Can Believe, John Brokhoff describes three purposes these historic creeds and confessions continue to serve in the Church today. The three purposes are: definition, defense and declaration.
Definition, The first purpose of creeds, Brokhoff writes, “is to define the Christian faith. What does a Christian believe? Are your beliefs in harmony with the Scriptures and the Church’s teachings?” Once we have learned Nicene Creed, we will always have an answer to fundamental questions about our faith.
Defense is the second purpose of creeds. Even before the last apostle had died, some in the Church were attempting to redefine the Christian faith. By 325, a young pastor named Arius was causing divisions in the Church by denying the Church’s historic teaching that Jesus was both fully God and fully human. Crafting language we still use today, the authors of the Nicene Creed decisively refuted that false teaching.
The third purpose of creeds is Declaration. Knowing the Nicene Creed helps us fulfill Jesus’ command to be his witnesses. The Creed is a positive, fearless declaration of the essentials of our faith. It is not just for church on Sunday mornings. We can use it to declare our faith in our everyday lives.
Happy Birthday, Nicene Creed. And someone please let me know about the cake. It would give a lot of light.
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29
Jan '25
February 2025 Pastor’s Corner — Your Happy Place?
29
Jan '25
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Phil. 4:4-7
We all have somewhere we call our “happy place.” It might be at the beach, perhaps on a mountain, or maybe beside a lake or river. It might be in an easy chair in front of the fireplace with a good book, or perhaps with a game or movie on the TV. Your happy place might be standing (or sitting) at a workbench working on your favorite hobby or craft. I’ve been told that there are some strange people who say the gym or dance studio is their happy place. For some, their happy place is wherever and whenever the family is gathered together. Exactly what our happy place is can vary, but what they all have in common is that our happy place is, well, the place that makes us happy. It’s a place where we are at peace, content, relaxed, and feel safe and secure.
There’s something else all of these “happy places” have in common: they are externally defined. We “go” to our happy place, and if we are not there, then we must not be happy. Not only that, but how often do we find the peace and comfort of our happy places shattered? Yes, our happy places do indeed make us happy, but that happiness is fragile, and it is fleeting. There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to have a happy place, but what’s important is to recognize what that desire is pointing us toward.
In The Weight of Glory CS Lewis writes,
Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter.…The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself, they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited.
The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:17 and the writer of Hebrews in 8:5 and 10:1 talk about the things of earth being shadows of the true substance of Christ and of Heaven. The feelings of peace and contentment we get in our happy places are gifts from God, in order to point us to what will truly satisfy the longings of our soul — Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul is able to talk about the “peace that surpasses understanding” in Philippians 4. The church in Philippi was dealing with internal strife and conflict and external persecution. Paul wrote this letter while sitting in prison. And yet, he tells us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice.” There is a peace and a joy that is available to us no matter where we are or what we are going through. It’s a peace that comes from the Holy Spirit and a joy that springs from a soul that is at rest in Christ. The happy places of this world are meant to remind us of the happy place for which our soul yearns: being in the presence of God.
When it all comes down to it, that is what Heaven is. Whether Heaven is some ethereal place in the clouds, or the remade earth at the end of history, or the glorious City of God, what those places all have in common is the presence of God. The longings of this life are meant to remind us that in Christ the deepest desires of our souls are met, and that one day, we will long no more for we will see God face to face and exult in the joy and delight of being His children with Him forever.
When we set our eyes on Jesus Christ and allow Him to be our peace and joy, then we discover our “happy place” is wherever He is, doing whatever He has called us to do. Then, even the most unlikely situations or circumstances become our “happy place.” Our true happy place is Jesus. Instead of trying to satisfy your longing for a happy place by going to somewhere particular, go to Jesus, and rest in the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. — Phil. 4:11-12
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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08
Jan '25
January 2025 Mills’ Musings – Do You See What I See?
08
Jan '25
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)
I’ve been interested in astronomy ever since I was a child. That may in part be an accident of timing: I had just turned six when President Kennedy said America would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. I was a rising 8th-grader when I watched Neil Armstrong make one giant leap for mankind.
Through the years, the intensity of my interest in things beyond our planet has varied. But it never disappeared. In 1986, I saw Halley’s Comet make its only swing by earth in my lifetime. Earlier this year I went to Indiana to observe a total solar eclipse. (As I wrote in the May newsletter, it was spectacular.) And in 2020, I looked through my son Tim’s telescope to see Jupiter and Saturn appear closer together than they had at any time in the last 800 years. Indeed, they came so close that the naked eye might have mistaken them for a single, new object.
The astronomical term for such unusual proximity is “conjunction.” Conjunctions are not rare. But they are sufficiently uncommon that those who study the night sky tend to take note of them. That’s why some today believe it was a conjunction of planets that the wise men saw and followed to Bethlehem, looking to worship the newborn king of the Jews.
Their theory does have some scientific support There was a rare triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C. This “new star” could have been interpreted as a sign of a royal birth, with Jupiter symbolizing kingship. Less likely astronomical theories sometimes used to explain the celestial phenomenon that led the wise men to Bethlehem include the appearance of a comet and the explosion of a star.
As Scripture regularly reminds us, God is quite capable of using natural phenomena – storms, floods, earthquakes, fire – to reveal his will to his human creation. But the appearance of a previously unknown celestial entity, what many now call the Star of Bethlehem, does not require a naturalistic explanation. The Maker of heaven and earth is certainly capable of putting a new star in the sky, allowing only those he chooses to see it, and then having them let us know what they saw.
For example, think about the army of angels that was initially invisible to Elisha’s servant (II Kings 6:15-17). The servant, constrained by the physics of human vision, thought he and Elisha were hopelessly outnumbered by the army of the King of Aram,. But Elisha had been given the gift of seeing what God saw. And when God answered Elisha’s prayer, the servant saw not only the chariots of fire but also the truth of Elisha’s words, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Perhaps more so than in years past, it is understandably easy for you and me to look out our windows as this new year begins and see only the forces arrayed against God and those who do his will. Each time we look, their numbers seem to have grown. In such moments, may we be strengthened by the example of the wise men, who saw for a sign then followed it to Jesus. And may we be comforted by the knowledge that, today and always, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
Blessings,
Rev. Bob Mills
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Nov '24
December 2024 Pastor’s Corner — Through Time and Space
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Nov '24
And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. — Revelation 12:3-6
There is something in us that loves fantastic stories about the supernatural, “fantasy” in its truest, literary sense. We love epic tales of good versus evil, of supernatural beings and superhuman people. Stories that stir our imagination, encouraging us to see the larger, cosmic story unfolding when we look past the merely physical world we live in and interact with on a daily basis. Whether we call those stories fantasies, myths, science fiction, or something else, we find them speaking to something intrinsic in our experience that knows there is more to this life than the physical world we see and touch.
I am willing to bet that when you go to read the Christmas story with your family, the verses above are not the ones that first come to mind. When we think of the Christmas story, we usually turn to the opening chapters of Matthew or Luke. If you’re wanting a more existential version, then John is the gospel for you. The last thing we think about when we it comes to the Christmas stories are dragons and cosmic battles. The incarnation of God the Son in the form of Jesus Christ is the first miracle of Christmas, a truly fantastic moment when the heavens came to earth, the spiritual took on the physical. It is the heart of what we celebrate at Christmas. But even in the midst of this epically mythical occasion, our focus centers on the stuff of earth — a pregnant teenager, a messy barnyard, a baby taking its first breath. The birth of Jesus Christ is so exceptionally visceral, it’s easy to forget how the incarnation transcends time and space.
In Revelation 12-14, John recounts human history from heaven’s perspective. It’s a truly cosmic and fantastic story that involves dragons and beasts, angels and people. It’s so different from the rest of Scripture, its hard to understand, let alone know who is who. Here’s your cast of characters: The dragon is Satan. The woman is Mary (at least in these verses – the woman changes throughout the chapter from Eve, to Israel, to Mary, to the Church… it’s complicated). The baby is the easiest one to figure out – he’s Jesus, clearly identified by the reference to Psalm 2:8-9 (“the one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron”). In the verses above, we have not only the story of Christmas, but Jesus’ entire life and ministry consolidated into one short sentence. Chapter 12 captures all of human history in 17 verses. What’s been eons for us is but the blink of an eye in heaven (2 Peter 3:8). Quite a different version of the story we all know so well.
We know the incarnation is a wondrous and miraculous event. Even with that, it’s so easy to miss just how truly wondrous and miraculous it was. It’s so much more than nativity sets and advent wreaths. It’s a true story that is so much more and better than anything we’ve ever dreamed or imagined. The incarnation is a miracle of cosmic degree and impact, breaking through heaven and earth, shattering the boundaries that separate the spiritual from the physical, bringing together the divine and the human in a way that had never happened before, and will never happen again. Through Jesus Christ, Satan (the dragon) has been barred from heaven (Rev. 12:8) and thwarted at every turn (Rev. 12:13-17) until his ultimate defeat when Christ returns (Rev. 14:1-6).
The Christmas season is one of the most tangible and tactile seasons we celebrate. It carries with it so many unique sights and sounds, textures, aromas and tastes. It is very much an imminent celebration. But Christmas is also a transcendent season extending through time and space. In the midst of your Christmas celebrations this year, allow time for your imagination to take hold of the cosmic dimensions that are very much a part of the Christmas story. Jesus has come. God is with us. And evil has lost. Joy to the world, indeed!
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:9-14
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
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