Welcome to Northminster
We are a biblically-based Presbyterian church seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world. We hope you will join us.
Join us this Sunday!
We have Sunday school for all ages at 9:30, and the worship service is at 11:00am. We look forward to seeing you!
The Latest from our blogs…
01
Feb '22
February 2022 Pastor’s Corner – The Light Shines
01
Feb '22
“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.” (John 1:9–13)
We are about halfway through the Christian season of Epiphany. Epiphany begins on January 6 and runs up to Ash Wednesday (March 2 this year). I’ve long been fascinated with the wisdom the early church showed in the development of the Christian calendar, particularly in regard to this season — putting it in the middle of the darkest time of the year. Philip Reinders explains, “We know the word: a moment of piercing awareness, the sudden jolt of understanding. Imagine, then, that moment stretched out over a period of time. This is the season of Epiphany, a season celebrating the revelation of the Savior, the light of the world.”
This year seems particularly dark, doesn’t it? We’re almost two years into this pandemic, and we’re seeing numbers of infections that are higher than we’ve ever seen. Vaccinated or not, masked or not, it seems everyone is catching it. Thanks to the weather and the pandemic, our children have been home more than they’ve been in school. Our economy seems to be a mess. The political tensions on the local, state and national levels are stretched tighter than ever before. Internationally, we are sitting on the brink of war with Russia, a statement that frankly my mind struggles to wrap itself around. After a childhood growing up in the Cold War and worrying about nuclear war with the USSR, I thought we put that to rest in the early 90s?
These things are bad, and they are worrying. Put together with the long nights of this time of year and the darkness almost takes on a more visceral sense. That’s where the brilliance of the season of Epiphany comes in. As Paul writes in Ephesians 6, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) The real battle, the real threat, isn’t physical; it isn’t anything listed in the above paragraph at all. The real threat, the real darkness, is the spiritual darkness that envelops this world. The only thing that can stop or defeat that darkness is the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. He has already done so, the darkness just doesn’t know it yet. As John proclaims at the beginning of his Gospel, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4–5)
The wonder of Epiphany isn’t just that the Light of the World has come and that the darkness cannot overcome Him, but that when we receive Him, we become children of God. When we become children of God, we also become the light of the world. As Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:14–16) The closer we draw to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, the more brightly our light shines, and the more the darkness is diminished in and around us. This season of Epiphany is a reminder for us to focus on the Light, to draw closer to the Light, to be warmed by the Light, knowing and trusting that as we do so, the Light of God’s love and truth will shine through us into the world around us. Over the course of the rest of this month, be intentional in seeking the Light of Christ and letting your light shine to others.
“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:5–6)
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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01
Jan '22
January 2022 Pastor’s Corner – What Are The Essentials?
01
Jan '22
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24–25)
If someone were to ask you what the essential beliefs of Christianity are, would you be able to answer? My guess is that most of us would probably struggle to answer that question. In fact, most likely if you were to ask 5 different people that question, you’d get 6 different answers. And yet, it’s a pretty important question. There are some beliefs that are quite essential to being Christian, regardless of denomination or preference. There are also a lot of things that we believe as Presbyterians that our Baptist or Methodist brothers and sisters don’t — and yet we recognize each other as Christians despite those differences. These are areas we see as non-essential, areas we can agree to disagree and still be friends. While it’s important to know what makes us unique as Presbyterians, sometimes we need to be reminded about what we hold in common as Christians and why those beliefs matter.
Our denomination, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, has listed the essentials of the Christian faith in a document unsurprisingly called “The Essentials of our Faith” (you can read the whole list for yourself here). This list includes what we believe about Scripture, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, sin & salvation, the Church, Christ’s return, and our mission & ministry. It’s not everything we believe about those topics, but the most important things we believe about them. These essentials comprise the bedrock, the foundation, of our faith as Christians. They’re what makes Christianity unique from every other religious or belief system.
Over the course of the season of Epiphany (which runs from January 6 until Ash Wednesday, March 2), we’re going to take a look at each one of these Essentials to gain a better understanding of why they matter and what they mean for our faith and our lives. We hope you’ll join us as we together explore the Essentials of our Faith.
Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison
Rev. David Garrison
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08
Dec '21
A Table Laid for the Grinch – By Christy Sechler
08
Dec '21
Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come…And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” ~ Revelation 19:7 & 9
This Thanksgiving, my youngest son and I settled down to watch the latest Grinch movie. We like it because it’s funny and in this version, the dog is absolutely adorable. Together we watched the Grinch in all his “grinchiness” go to so much trouble to steal something he could never steal in the first place, but of course that’s not how it ends. Those wonderful Whos remember that Christmas is “so much more,” and their singing and kindness, their willingness to look beyond the Grinch’s actions to see the loneliness in his heart, enable the Grinch to become a kinder person as well. At the end of the movie we smiled happily as the Grinch and his long-suffering dog happily sit down with Cindy Lou and all the other Whos to enjoy the Christmas feast.
When the movie was over, I couldn’t help thinking about the truth behind the story, because as much as I’d like to think of myself as one of those well-meaning and resilient Whos, I know that I’m actually the Grinch. In fact, we all are. We’re all born, not just with a heart “two sizes too small” but with a heart that has been corrupted and corroded by sin. With hearts like that, we are more than happy to spend our days working hard to take happiness away from others if that will make us feel good. We think that we deserve to be happy, and if life won’t give us that happiness we must take it for ourselves. Like the Grinch, we think all of our efforts will give us the joy we want. And like the Grinch we find ourselves severely disappointed. That, of course, is the blessed news of Christmas—Jesus came for grinches; He came for sinners. God the Father knew that we could never find true happiness or love apart from Him. He knew we would be forever separated from all that is good and beautiful and our too-small hearts needed to be reborn. And so He sent Jesus, to live in a world full of grinches, to die on the cross for sinners.
In the final scene of the movie, a repentant Grinch, dressed in a Christmas tie, shyly knocks on the door of Cindy Lou’s house. At the sound of his knock, the door is flung open and he is joyfully welcomed inside. He’s greeted warmly; no mention is made of his sins or past misdeeds. And most important of all he has a seat at the table where he can feast with his new friends and fill his heart with the goodness and joy that are an inherent part of the Christmas season. How much more eagerly does our Heavenly Father wait for us all to accept His invitation? When we do, we find the door of Heaven flung open and a joyful welcome into the Kingdom of God.
As I watched this beautiful ending play out I thought about Jesus and how He, through His death and resurrection, purchased a place at the table for us. Right now on earth, that table is a place with other believers, joined in the common joy of His mercy and striving to love each other as best we can through His grace. But one day, that seat will be at a heavenly table where we will feast with Jesus Himself at the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb. As I read that verse in Revelation 19 it almost seems impossible that I am invited to this grand feast, and yet it’s true because of what Jesus has done for me. What a day that will be when redeemed grinches from around the world will joyfully sit down with the One who came at Christmas to prepare a table before us, a table of blessing, joy, and peace where every Grinch has been redeemed and every sinner has been given an eternal home.
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01
Dec '21
December 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Heavy Holidays
01
Dec '21
The disappointment, brokenness, suffering, and pain that characterize life in this present world is held in dynamic tension with the promise of future glory that is yet to come. In that Advent tension, the church lives its life. — Fleming Rutledge, Advent (pp. 7-8).
I don’t think this is the holiday season most of us were expecting this year. After the challenges and difficulties we faced together over the past year and a half, most of us were looking forward to a holiday season flavored particularly with joy, gratitude and delight. After all, we anticipated, the pandemic would be mostly behind us and life would have returned to normal. For some, that is indeed the case, and that is a wonderful thing.
But I don’t think that’s the case for most. Rather than coming out of the darkness feeling relief, delight, joy, gratitude and whatnot, many are finding that the darkness has dimmed the radiance of the light. I’m hearing and seeing more stories this year than most in recent memory that speak of pain, hurt, and loss. I hear stories of much loved family members leaving this mortal coil and entering the Kingdom triumphant during this holiday season. Stories of families reaching their breaking point and falling apart. Stories of bodies and minds breaking down in unexpected ways. In the midst of all of this, how are we to find the hope and joy that this season is meant to bring?
That is the plaintive cry of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” We know, of course, that God is with us all the time, right? Well, we at least know it in our minds. But do our hearts not doubt and wonder? Is God really with me when my spouse is dying? Is God really with me when my marriage is falling apart? Is God really with me when my health is failing? Is God really with me when I lost my job? With the psalmists and the prophets of old, we do cry, with all of our might, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Come, be with us, ‘God with us,’ for how else can we bear it?
Which brings us to the unique hope of the Advent season. God is, in fact, with us. When God came the first time, He was born into the midst of the noise, chaos and mess of life — in a stable behind an inn, surrounded by animals and shepherds and outsiders. God doesn’t call us out of the mess of life, He comes into the mess with us. God “with us” more deeply and profoundly than we ever could have imagined or expected. But more than that. Because Advent doesn’t look back so much as it looks forward. Forward to when Christ will return in glory, might and power. When everything broken will be made whole. When everything sad will come untrue. Advent reminds us that God is with us in the midst of the present messiness of life and our lives, but that one day, God will be with us in fullness and in truth and the mess will be no more.
If you are finding this Advent and holiday season to be particularly heavy and difficult, you are not alone. Instead of trying to ignore or drown out the heaviness and hardness of the season, cry out to Emmanuel to come and find you in the mess. It’s what He does best. Cry out for Emmanuel to fix the pain, the hurt, the brokenness of this world once and for all, because this is not the way it is supposed to be. Let Emmanuel be your hope for the present, and for the future.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” (Rev. 21:1–4)
Blessings,
Rev.David Garrison
Rev.David Garrison
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14
Oct '21
November 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Dancing With The Devil
14
Oct '21
Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? — The JokerDon’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
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 last year.
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.
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
Rev. David Garrison
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