Midweek Message: Play Joyfully

Psalm 33:3 Sing to God a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. (NIV)

Yesterday, the whole world was stunned with the news of Dolly Parton’s death. She was such a joyfully charismatic person, whose songs brought a great deal of happiness and meaning to millions of people across the globe.

For those of us who live in East Tennessee, it feels as though a dear and beloved family member has passed away. Dolly’s commitment to the folks who live in this region was wonderful to behold. She never forgot her humble roots and her international success meant that she could invest in the lives of East Tennessean families and children with her book ministry. Dolly cherished the richness of her own education and wanted to ensure that millions of children throughout various states were sent a book to read each month.

Dolly’s talents have been admired and celebrated since she was a teenager. Her positive attitude endeared her to many Americans. Her passing made us realize how much we all loved her as a person, as well as a performer. She was a National Treasure and one whom we will all dearly miss. She treated everyone as a child of God’s grace and showed us what really makes America great – compassion, tolerance, faith, and love.

Every year, Evelyn and I go to Dollywood in the Fall. It’s not just a beautiful season, but Dollywood is such a charming place to walk around, to see other people, to go on the rides, and, of course, to listen to the music being played all over the park. Dolly’s legacy will continue there for years to come and the good folks in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville will always be grateful for what she accomplished as an artiste, a Tennessean, and a Christian.

Just like the psalmist of old, Dolly sang joyfully to God and played skillfully. We have all been truly blessed by a remarkable woman.

May God be with you all.

Pastor John

Midweek Message: Keep Going

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (NIV)

 When I was in High School, I enjoyed all sorts of athletic sports, especially anything to do with running. I was on the school’s senior sprint relay team, but I much preferred the middle and long distance events. I enjoyed running laps around the track and usually ended up as one of the first three runners to finish a race. The secret was to pace myself and to endure the number of laps required and then, with a burst of speed on the last lap, overtake most of the other runners.

 One season, my gym teacher invited me to represent the school in a cross-country race. I had never done this before, but I thought it would easy because I could cover the distance. When the race started, I was determined to keep up with the leading pack, but they were running much faster than I anticipated. I very soon got winded and fell back down the field. I had not anticipated the difficulties of running up and down hillsides, instead of being on a flat track. As I watched many other competitors gleefully run past me, I realized I was in the wrong kind of race. After it was over, I was glad to get back to running on a flat field.

 I still admire cross-country runners to this very day. Their perseverance and stamina, as well as their focus and determination, are qualities I deeply respect. They taught me a lesson about endurance which I often find relevant in today’s church world.

 Maintaining our faith in these trying times frequently requires patience and perseverance. The ups and downs of our daily lives are sometimes difficult to endure. Congregations like our own sometime experience bumpy roads and even a few setbacks. Thankfully, however, just as today’s verse amply expresses, God’s love always guides us while Christ’s perseverance helps us to prevail.

 May Jesus continue to bless us as a church of God’s people who faithfully keep going on.

Midweek Message - Troubled Times

Midweek Message – Troubled Times

 Psalm 29:11   May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace! (ESV)

 When we go through troubled and anxious times, we can quickly use up our energy and strength by worrying about current things we cannot change or negatively focusing on events beyond our control. The present instability in the world can make us fearful which impacts our faith and diminishes our connection to God. We can feel weak, isolated, and vulnerable, especially when we are affected by the uncertainty and chaos that is currently happening globally.

 During these critical moments, I find comfort in many verses from the Book of Psalms. It seems to me that the writers of those ancient holy songs experienced a lot of turbulence and trouble in their lives, too. In the midst of their difficulties, they relied on God instead of themselves, making them seek strength and peace from the Only One who could provide it. This is why verses like today’s highlighted one can restore our confidence and build up our faith in God’s power. God promises to give us strength to endure and grant us peace in our lives.

 Whatever circumstances you experience this week, whatever’s happening to you or your family, whatever is going on in your lives, please know this: God has more than enough strength to carry you through this time; God will graciously help you find the peace that you need.

 Q: What issues am I currently experiencing? How can God’s strength and peace help me endure and overcome them?

 Prayer: Loving Lord, You know everything about us, so You perfectly understand what we need at this critical moment in our lives. If we are weak become our strength; if we are agitated, be our peace. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

 Pastor John

Midweek Message - Living in Love

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (NIV)

As part of the history class that I took in High School, I had to study the origins of World War 2. Our class spent several weeks focusing on FDR’s Presidency and how he motivated the American people to deal with the Great Depression, as well as leading them through the dark days of the global war. We also had to learn his exceptional words - which are still often quoted - from his first inaugural speech in 1933: ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’

There’s no doubt that we are living in anxious times. Most of the good folks I know are fearful of the future because uncertainty has robbed them of their confidence. Others feel that partisan politics have become an extreme problem and that we are heading toward a severe conflict which will divide our communities, our congregations, and our families. The longer this insecurity continues, the deeper our divisions; the more our unfettered concerns grow, the fewer connections we will have with one another. Fearing our fears will erode our trust; fueling our fears will break our nation.

All this has happened before. Centuries ago, when Christians were actually being persecuted and the survival of the church was questionable, old men like the Apostle John called upon the community of faith to face their fear by replacing it with love. To be fearful was to punish yourself with anxiety; to be faithful was to replenish yourself with love. John fully believed that our lives were meant to be focused on love and not overwhelmed with fear.

Today, Christ’s Church, as always, has the remedy to reduce our fears and relinquish our anxieties. The Spirit of Christ within us has the power to overcome the spirit of spite outside us. Fear is a manipulator which imprisons our souls with lies; faith is a motivator which frees our spirits with love.

May you bring all your fears to Christ and exchange them for His love.

Prayer: Loving God, help us to live lovingly rather than existing fearfully. Enable us to follow Jesus faithfully and share His love generously. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Midweek Message: Brief Encounter

Isaiah 63:7       I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. (NIV)

I remember years ago when my car was in the shop being repaired. It practically took all day to be fixed, but I used the time to read a book about ministry, written by one of my favorite authors. I personally met the writer years before in California at a clergy conference. I was really impressed with his gentle and compassionate manner. He had been a real pastors’ pastor and had a lifetime of congregational wisdom, as well as relevant church experiences which resonated and connected with other ministers like me.

Anyway, I was sitting in the shop reading this book, looking at a chapter on reaching out to other people. Sitting beside me was a young man, who noticed that my book bag had “History Book Club” imprinted on it. He turned out to be a history graduate from UT called Eric, whose grandparents had emigrated from Jamaica. His area of specialization was in World War II and when I asked him why he chose that era, he told me that his uncle had been a Tuskegee airman in North Africa and Italy.

We talked for about two hours, sharing our life stories, cultural backgrounds, and historical interests. It was one of the best conversations that I have ever had. We both felt completely at ease with one another.

And then a news story on the television in the waiting area interrupted our conversation. It was all about a popular radio host, who made an appalling insult concerning a ladies college basketball team. Students, administrators, and teachers at the college were staging a protest, calling for the radio personality to be fired from his TV/radio station. Some commentators were talking about vengeance and vanity; others were mentioning forgiveness and fair play. It was a hostile and divisive situation which was being instantly broadcast on the car showroom television.

Eric and I looked at each other.

“So long as we keep talking together, we can overcome these issues,” I said.

“So long as we have dialogue, we’ll always respect each other,” Eric replied.

We continued our great conversation and filled the rest of the day with hope, not hatred.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the people we meet, the sharing of stories, and the mixing of cultures. Thank You for the varieties of experiences that we all have, which enrich our lives and enhance unity, purpose, and faith. Bless all whom we encounter this week, and may we discover new ideas, new lessons, and new lives that will touch our hearts, strengthen our souls, and broaden our minds. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

 

God bless you all.

Pastor John

Midweek Message: Making Mistakes

Midweek Message: Making Mistakes

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (NIV)

              You and I are going to make mistakes during the coming New Year. We’re going to say something we regret. We may do something that will disappoint or hurt others. We’ll probably let pride overtake our spirits and allow impatience to damage our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls, as well as our relationship with God and others.

              We constantly make mistakes because we are human and far from being perfect. We can try our best to avoid these sinful things with prayer, meditation, and patience, but then, just when we expect it the least, someone will say or do something to annoy us and before we know it, we will stumble down that old familiar road which causes us to find faults in others and do something wrong in return. Sadly, we may quickly experience regret, guilt, or even shame which could leave us isolated, ornery, and perhaps even alone.

              Despite our continuous faults, God will not leave us there to woefully marinate in our mistakes. The Lord has redeemed us from all of these things in the past. We may have our flaws, but God will still forgive us. Long ago at Calvary, Jesus died for every wrong thing that we do, or have done, or have still to do, so He will forgive us if we take time to sincerely come to Christ and humbly ask to receive His pardon and grace.

              Friends, we will all make mistakes during the coming year, but Christ will also be with us, too, when we need Him most to grant us mercy, grace, renewal, and hope.

Prayer: Lord God, in the past You constantly allowed Your sinful people to be restored to Your sacred presence by loving them continuously, despite their faults and failings. We now know that Christ sacrificed Himself for us, so we may also be rescued from our guilt and despair, our mistakes and sins. Thank You for these gracious blessings of love and restoration which mean so much to us every day of every year. In Jesus’ Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

Pastor John