106 Clearview Rd, Madison Heights VA, 24572
Northminster Church © 2017
Find us on
29
May '25
June 2025 Mills’ Musings — Rivers Of Living Waters
29
May '25
Quick, what’s the first image that comes to mind when you read the words “Holy Spirit?”
A dove? Tongues of fire? A mighty wind?
Did anyone choose “rivers of living water?” Me either.
Although the connections between the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit and rivers of living waters probably aren’t top of mind for any of us, they are linked in three easily overlooked verses from the seventh chapter of John’s Gospel:
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, ESV)
The feast, as we learn at the outset of John 7, is the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (in Hebrew, Sukkot). The seven-day feast, celebrated in the Fall, was a time both to remember God’s past provision for Israel in the wilderness and to praise God for the harvest that had just been gathered. Since late autumn usually brought a drought, this festival also was a time of corporate prayer that God would refresh the land and refill the cisterns by sending once again his life giving rain.
This context helps us understand why a water bearing ceremony was central to Sukkot. Each day of the feast, priests would use a golden pitcher to draw water from Jerusalem’s Pool of Siloam. They would then bring the water to the Temple where it would be mixed with wine and poured out on the altar as a drink offering. This ceremony was accompanied by joyful music, dancing, and huge public celebrations, a fulfillment of Isaiah 12:3, “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”.
Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus had told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this [well] water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). Now, at the Feast of Booths, he plainly tells his disciples that the living water he had promised was the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In these few words, spoken on the last day of the feast, Jesus laid a foundation that later would help his disciples understand the Holy Spirit’s connection to his own person and work. In the moment, Jesus’ first disciples couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of his words. But once he was “glorified,” John’s term for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, the Spirit would be poured out in all his fullness. That outpouring wouldn’t end with the disciples in Jerusalem on the first Christian Pentecost. Those disciples would themselves become conduits through whom rivers of living water would continue to flow.
Today, you and I are Jesus’ disciples. One of our responsibilities is to continue to let the presence and the power, the goodness and the blessings, of God’s Holy Spirit flow through us and thereby nurture and nourish a dry and weary land.
Quick, what’s the first image that comes to you mind when you read the words “Holy Spirit?”
Read more...
20
Nov '24
News & Announcements for Sunday, November 24, 2024
20
Nov '24
SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE CHANGE BEGINS SUN. DEC. 1
Beginning Sunday, December 1, the worship service will begin at 11:00 am. Sunday School will meet from 9:30-10:30.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY – MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 7:00PM
The Women’s Bible Study will meet at 7pm Monday evening, December 2nd at the home of Debbie Irvine. We wanted to study something related to the “real” Christmas story. So read or reread Joseph and Mary, complete your workbook or look over what you did last year and come prepared to discuss Mary, Joseph and Jesus. As always, if you don’t get a chance to finish your lesson, come anyway. However, if you don’t get it done, come anyway and always feel free to bring a friend.
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 11:00AM
The Northminster Book Club will meet at Depot Grille on Thursday, December 5th at 11:00 a.m for our Christmas party. Please bring a story, poem or story about Christmas that they can share with the group. We are also asking each person to bring a book (it doesn’t have to be new, just in pretty good shape), wrapped in gift paper. We are going to exchange books with one another. See the newsletter for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!
HANGING OF THE GREENS – SATURDAY, DEC 7, 9AM-Noon
You are invited to join us on Saturday, December 7 from 9-noon as we prepare our church to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We will gather together to decorate beautiful trees with Chrismons, set up Advent candles, wreaths, and banners as we enjoy light brunch refreshments, Christmas music playing in the background, and above all, each other’s company.
CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS – ORDER YOURS TODAY!
It’s time to order poinsettias to help decorate our sanctuary for the Advent-Christmas season. You are welcome to donate one in memory and in honor of loved ones. To place an order, please sign your name on the bulletin board outside the sanctuary and fill out the form provided for payment. They are $10.00 each and the deadline is Sunday, Dec. 8. Please contact Anne Wilkins if you have questions.
NOVEMBER MISSION FOCUS – CHRISTMAS BASKETS
The November Mission Focus is the Christmas Baskets. Please bring items to help bring a little joy to needy families in our area. Details can be found in the November newsletter.
Read more...
11
Apr '24
April 2024 Pastor’s Corner — Refuge
11
Apr '24
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. — Psalm. 28:2
As I come to a half-century of walking this earth, I find that the frenetic nature of our culture is wearing on me more often than not. Everything seems to operate at a “hurry up and wait” pace that leaves me stressed and exhausted, and there are few places to go to find a respite from it. Social media stirs up my anxiety and my discontent. The news stirs up my fears and worries. The pleasure of eating out is often tainted by slow service due to understaffed restaurants and higher prices due to supply chain issues. The advancements of technology that were meant to improve the quality of our lives (and in many ways it has) seems to have had the opposite effect more often than not. It’s not just our youth and children whose faces are plastered to their phones, but all generations. Instead of having more time to rest and relax, we are constantly pushed to do more in less time. We need sanctuary. Sanctuary from the frenetic pace of our culture, our lives, and our selves.
“Sanctuary” is defined as “a place of refuge or safety.” For thousands of years, the spaces we set aside for encountering God have been called a sanctuary. Even still today, we refer to these spaces as a sanctuary, and in those spaces we experience and do things that are different than any other place to which we go. A sanctuary is an inherently counter-cultural space, it is intrinsically different from anywhere else in our lives. Everywhere else we go is designed to meet some need or want in our lives. We want to go to those places because we expect them to do something for us. A sanctuary, though, is different. We do things in a sanctuary that is unlike anything else we do, anywhere else. The sanctuary provides refuge and safety because it enables us to look beyond ourselves, to see and experience God.
The fundamental flaw with the typical rhythms of our lives is that it all revolves around us. I structure my life in order to meet my wants and needs. “I” am the center of my life. While that’s somewhat obvious, it is also the primary problem, because “I” can not satisfy myself. “I” can not meet the deepest longings of my soul, as hard as I might try. And trying is exhausting. What we do in a sanctuary is designed and intended to move our eyes off our navels and onto the cross. Away from myself, and onto the Lord. In the sanctuary, we move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. From what we know to what we don’t. From what we want to Who we need. In the sanctuary, we are reminded that we are not the center of the universe, or even our lives. That it’s not always all about me, or you, but rather about Him.
Ultimately, sanctuary isn’t a particular place but rather a Person, Jesus Christ. And technically we can find sanctuary wherever we find Him, which is anywhere. But practically we need particular places of sanctuary, spaces intended for refuge and safety for our souls. Places where we do things differently than anywhere else in our lives, where we worship our God, confess our sins, receive His word, practice His sacraments. Come to the sanctuary, and find refuge and safety from the frenetic world in which we live.
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. — Psalm 59:16
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...
29
Jun '23
Upcoming Sunday Morning Schedule Change
29
Jun '23
Beginning Sunday, August 27
Sunday School moves to 9:00 AM
Worship moves to 10:30 AM
Beginning on Sunday, August 27, we are changing the Sunday morning schedule. Sunday School will now start at 9 AM, and the worship service will start at 10:30AM. We believe this will enable us to be more effective in our discipleship, fellowship and worship.
Discipleship: With a Sunday school time of 9-10am, we are able to provide a full, unhurried hour of discipling opportunities. While we currently schedule an hour of Sunday school each week, practically speaking it’s usually 30-40 minutes. By spreading out the end of Sunday school and the beginning of the worship service, we will be able to focus more fully on our study and application of the Word of God to our lives.
Fellowship: With a “break” in the schedule from 10-10:30, we are able to offer a time of “purposefully unstructured” fellowship to the congregation. This provides time for those who attended Sunday school and those who are arriving for worship to visit together prior to the start of the worship service. This is separate from the regular fellowship receptions we offer, since with the earlier start time for worship, there will be ample opportunity for the receptions after the service without feeling like we need to dash off to lunch.
Worship: One of the challenges we face every Sunday is the transition from Sunday school to worship.Many of those attending Sunday school are also involved in leading the service, and often the transition is rushed and harried.By starting the service at 10:30, those who need to prepare for worship are able to do so without missing out on Sunday School and without feeling rushed. This also provides a better opportunity for us to be fully present in worship, knowing that the service will end earlier, leaving us with the sense that most of the day is still available to them.The service itself will also feel less harried as a result.
Sometimes when we settle into a routine, it becomes comfortable. This change provides us with an opportunity to think intentionally about the rhythms of how they seek to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). There are a lot of things in our lives that “compete” with Sundays — such as chores, sports, family gatherings, and the always important Sunday nap. Nevertheless, Sunday is meant to be given to the Lord and to worshipping Him first and foremost. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing you at 10:30am for worship on August 27!
Read more...
01
Mar '23
March 2023 Pastor’s Corner — Stay Thirsty
01
Mar '23
“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?”
— Psalm 42:1–2
As many of you know, I am an avid coffee drinker. While medical tests have never proved it, there have been times I’ve been pretty sure there’s more coffee running through my veins than blood. It’s not so much about the caffeine (caffeine doesn’t really wake me up, it just keeps me from going to sleep), I just simply love the taste and the smell.
For no particular reason a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t drink any coffee for three or four days and instead drank several glasses of water. Just water, with nothing added. A few days later, I noticed that my quality of sleep had significantly improved and that some of the aches and pains that come with middle age had lessened. The only thing I had changed was decreasing the amount of coffee consumed each day. It’s not that I had been dehydrated; I was definitely getting plenty of fluids. There’s simply no substitute for a nice, cool glass of perfectly mixed dihydrogen monoxide.
I’ve often said that going to church for Christians is the air we breathe. I think that was the wrong analogy, because you can only go without air for a few minutes. However, one can live and exist just fine without water. As long as you’re still getting fluids (coffee, tea, your carbonated beverage of choice, so on and so forth), your body will continue to function, and probably fairly decently. But if you want your body to be at its best, then we need water. You don’t need water in order to be human (most any fluid will suffice), but the human body can’t be at its best without water. For the Christian, going to church isn’t the air we breathe, it’s the water we drink. Going to church won’t make you a Christian, but I don’t know how to be a Christian without going to church.
In the Psalm at the beginning, the psalmist is in exile in a far off land. He is unable to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem; he hasn’t been able to go to church for a very, very long time. As a result, his soul is drying up. Three times in the Psalm he says his soul is “cast down within me.” In addition to sleeping better and the aches and pains lessening as I drank more water, my mind also seems a bit sharper and clearer. Who knew that sometimes depression can be eased by drinking water? The same is true spiritually. We were created to worship God, together, with the other saints, on a regular basis. We need water daily. Our spirit needs corporate worship at least weekly.
If your spiritual life seems a bit dry lately or if you’ve found your soul “thirsting for the living God,” maybe it’s because you’ve “neglected meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25) with the saints in worship, prayer and Bible study. I didn’t realize how much my body was craving pure water until I started drinking more. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how thirsty our soul is until we gather together with other believers to worship the Lord and pray together. We drink best from the well of living water when we do so together with other believers.
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” — John 4:13–14
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...
01
Dec '22
December 2022 Pastor’s Corner — Christmas Tradition
01
Dec '22
“The tradition I handed on to you in the first place, a tradition which I had myself received…”
— 1 Cor. 15:3
Of all of the seasons of our lives, the one most rooted and grounded in tradition is Christmastime. Every family does the Christmas season differently, and every family is convinced their way is the right way! There’s the right time to put the tree up, the right way to do the decorations, the right way to hang the lights, the proper time for Christmas dinner, and, of course, the correct way to open the stockings and the presents. For many of us, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas unless the traditions are maintained and practiced correctly. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!
In fact, “tradition” plays an important role in our lives, beyond just Christmas. Traditions help ground us in our lives; they provide a way to make sense of how the world works and where we fit into the world. Sociologists call this a metanarrative, a “big story.” That “big story” becomes explicit during the holidays, but is always there, whether we’re intentionally thinking about it or not. In fact, the Bible is very clear that the traditions of our faith are very important tools for helping us understand our faith, how to live out our faith, and how to pass our faith to others. The traditions aren’t the end in and of themselves. They are there to help us see the deeper life of faith to which Christ is inviting and calling us, signposts that remind us of what God has done in the past, is doing in the present and what He has yet to do in the future.
Over the course of Advent this year, we’ll be looking at the various parts of our Christmas Tradition. While the details are different for everyone, in general we all have particular traditions to help us prepare for the season, to get into the spirit of the season, lights that brighten the season for us, songs that carry the season into our hearts, ways of celebrating and rejoicing in the season, and the joy of presents given and received. All of these traditions help us delight in all that Christmas offers, but are also meant to point us past the holiday itself in order to remind us that, just as Jesus Christ took on human flesh 2,000 years ago in his First Advent, He will just as surely return for his Second. Celebrate how the world and history changed 2,000 years ago. But don’t lose sight of that for which we all deeply long: His imminent and certain return.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. — Rev. 22:16–17
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...
01
Apr '22
April 2022 Pastor’s Corner – The Son Rises
01
Apr '22
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matt. 28:1–8)
They say that it’s always darkest just before the dawn. I’ll be honest, I’m rarely up early enough to find out if that’s true, but I’m glad to trust those who are early risers. It was certainly true for the disciples the weekend Jesus died. Never had they experienced so dark a night as they did after Jesus died on Good Friday. I imagine that Saturday was spent in a grey fog of shock, fear, dismay and denial, with probably very little sleep. Their hopes had risen so high over the past three years, and in just a few hours, the heights of hope were replaced with the depths of despair.
I wonder if the two Marys had slept at all that weekend. Perhaps getting up and going to the tomb was something like, “well, we’re not asleep so we might as well go to the tomb” kind of moment. Luke tells us they took spices to place on Jesus’ body (Luke 24:1). It was the beginning stage of reluctant acceptance. But as they arrived at the tomb, just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, their world was shaken once again — literally, this time. A thundering earthquake, the piercing brightness of light — not the sun rising, but the Son rising! This light came from inside the tomb, not the sky.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5) The darkness of night can not stand against the light of the sunrise. The darkness of our souls can not stand against the light of God’s love and forgiveness. The darkness of this world can not stand against the light of God’s power and might (Ephesians 6:12).
You’re invited to join us as we celebrate the Light of Jesus Christ rising and pushing back the darkness of our lives this Easter Sunday. Rev. Bob Mills will lead us in an Easter Sunrise service at 7:30am, and we’ll have a full Easter Celebration at 11am. Join us for both, or just one. Let’s celebrate the Light of the World together this Easter.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...
01
Jun '21
June 2021 Pastor’s Corner – The Air We Breathe
01
Jun '21
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. — Hebrews 10:23–25
I’ve been thinking about breathing lately. If you cease to breathe, do you cease to be human? Certainly you cease to be alive, but you are still a human being… just not a living human being. Air is necessary for life, but it does not define us as human beings. When we have problems with our breathing due to illness, allergies or something else, it affects how well our bodies function, but still does not change what we are. Breathing is essential for living, but not for making us human.
This directly relates to the importance of gathering with other believers for worship, what we commonly call “going to church” (that’s an important distinction – bear with me). For a long time, many thought that if they simply “went to church” regularly, that would make them a Christian. But that isn’t true. Just “going to church,” no matter how active or “good” you are, isn’t going to save your soul. Only placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can do that. “Going to church” doesn’t make you a Christian, just like breathing doesn’t make you a human being.
However, just like breathing is essential for living, gathering together with other believers for worship, fellowship, encouragement and mutual discipleship is essential for our faith. That’s what happens when we “go to church” each Sunday, and, honestly, I don’t know a better time during the week when that happens. Does it only happen when we go to church? No, it happens whenever and wherever believers gather for worship, fellowship, etc., but it most commonly happens at church. And it is essential for the health of our faith and our souls that we are intentional in doing so. As a friend of mine said, “We were MADE to worship together, collectively. We were made to practice the liturgy; to pray, to sing, to confess, to rejoice in our pardon, to hear the word preached, and to engage with one another. Literally, we were made for this. And not participating can really disrupt the Lord’s desire to fine-tune our hearts.”
Breathing doesn’t make us human, but it’s really hard to keep living without breathing. Worshipping together with other believers regularly (ideally weekly) is the air we breathe as Christians. Breathe deeply the breath of God this week, whether you do so by joining us at Northminster or another church. Your soul needs its air, just as your body needs to breathe.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! —Psalm 150:6
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...
17
Feb '21
Ash Wednesday – Out of Dust
17
Feb '21
As is obvious by now, we are not having an Ash Wednesday service this year, nor are the Community Lenten Services happening. The pandemic continues to take its toll. I know that for many of us, the Ash Wednesday service and the Community Lenten Services play a significant role in helping us mark the season of Lent. Not having those services makes it hard to feel like it’s really Lent. It would be like having Advent without Christmas music or decorations. It’s just not the same.
I spent a large chunk of today working on a video about Ash Wednesday, something to tie together the beginning of Lent, the significance of Ash Wednesday, and the struggles we all face dealing with a pandemic that is working through its 11th month. To be honest, it was a frustrating process that just never quite came together the way I was hoping it would. So, I took a break and went for a walk. Sometimes, you just need to clear your head for a bit.
While I was walking, one of my favorite songs started playing. The song is Beautiful Things by Gungor. As I let the song wash over me, I realized that this song pretty much covers everything I wanted to say, much better than I could have said it. So, I’m including the video here, for your encouragement, enjoyment and edification. May it help focus and center you for this season of Lent.
Read more...
01
Aug '20
August 2020 Pastor’s Corner – Essential?
01
Aug '20
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14–17)
Essential?
As state and local governments imposed increasingly strict rules regarding public gatherings in response to the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic this past spring, churches found themselves facing a difficult position. “Essential” businesses were somewhat exempt from the closures, but most states did not classify churches as “essential.” While most churches and pastors submitted to the guidance (and thanks to the blessings of modern technology were able to continue worshipping online or in outdoor settings), the restrictions chafed, particularly the determination that churches were not “essential.” To be honest, for many of us pastors, it chafed because the government was saying out loud what most of us have been feeling for a long time. It’s one thing to feel like you don’t matter… it’s entirely different when someone else says it.
As Virginia and many other states have begun reopening and churches, including ours, have resumed in-person worship, this question briefly moved to the background. But as the COVID-19 numbers continue to increase rapidly, many people think it’s just a matter of time before public gatherings are again restricted. Additionally, the Supreme Court recently ruled on a case in Nevada that imposed tighter regulations on churches than on casinos. In his minority dissent, Justice Gorsuch wrote, “In Nevada, it seems, it is better to be in entertainment than religion. Maybe that is nothing new. But the First Amendment prohibits such obvious discrimination against the exercise of religion.” This has returned the question of whether churches are essential or not to the foreground.
The Essential Church?
What is it that makes a church “essential”? Frankly, it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) matter what any government says. The Church is not subject to the government, but to Christ. The First Amendment doesn’t give the Church its authority or make it essential, it merely affirms and protects the authority given through Christ to the Church. As Edmund Clowney writes, “The great mark of the church is in the message it proclaims: the gospel of salvation from sin and eternal death through the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (The Church, pg 103). The proclamation of this message comes through what we say and what we do. We proclaim the Gospel through our words by preaching and sharing our testimony and lives with others. We proclaim the Gospel through our actions by the administration of the sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) and acts of service and ministry in which we love our neighbors as ourselves and care for “the orphans and widows” (James 1:27). It is my belief that we, the church in general, have become “non-essential” because we have failed to love and serve our communities well in Jesus’ name. A question I often ask myself and the Session is this: “If Northminster (both the building and the congregation) were to disappear from the corner of Clearview Road and Route 29, would anyone notice?” If the answer to that question is “no” then we have made ourselves non-essential.
But there is another reason the Church is essential, one that likely won’t be discussed in many of these conversations. One of the roles of the church is to intercede on behalf of the world. In addition to the call to pray for governing authorities (1 Timothy 2:2), there’s the example of Abraham’s intercession for Lot and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:22-33). We are here to seek God’s healing and blessing for Caesar, our communities and the world. The opportunity we have through our corporate prayer on behalf of the communities and world around us is an enormous privilege and opportunity.
As we continue through this pandemic, may the question of whether Northminster is essential or not be answered, not by a government edict, but by the ongoing faithful proclamation of the Word through our words and even more through our acts of love and service to our community.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
Read more...