"Restore to me the joy of your salvation." ~Psalm 51:12
I know how you feel ... cold temperatures, brown grass and nature lying dormant has taken a toll on us all. Surely it was years ago since we lamented "Can't we just make this Christmas thing last?" Now here we are, creeping through the months following the holiday season, looking for signs of hope, renewal and life. It seems as if we are limping through these days, looking for something.
I wish I could fast forward a little, move past these "blah" days and get to the good stuff, the warm breeze of spring, the greening of the foliage and the beginning of a new life cycle.
Truth is, that is how every disciple of Jesus Christ feels this time of year. Can't we just fast forward past this dark and horrific time? Can't we just skip the stories this year of Christ's tempting, suffering and death? Can't we just fast forward to Christ emerging victorious from the grave? The answer, thankfully, is "no".
To do that, we may know the ending, but not why the ending is so powerful and complete. That would be like reading only the last chapter of a book ... we would know what happens - but not why it matters.
During this time, we journey with Jesus, behold his ministry, witness his betrayal and death and will get swept up in the joyous news of His victory over death.
During this time of repentance and self denial, may we be attune to Christ's suffering for our sake, and be renewed again. Sisters and brothers, we must first limp to the cross to be able to run to the empty tomb.
Grace and strength this season of Lent,
~ Pastor Todd
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Heart For Hunger Spaghetti Supper Benefit
There will be a free will offering dinner at the Mt. Olivet fellowship hall on Saturday February 8th from 4:00 - 7:00pm to benefit the Stokesville Area and Verona Community food pantries. The menu includes spaghetti, salad, rolls and butter, assorted desserts, coffee, tea and water. Combined, these two agencies serve over 2,800 households in the Stokesville, Mt. Solon, North River area and beyond.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Pastor's Penpoint - "Sweet!" - February 2014
It's the month of valentines, chocolates, flowers and those little heart candies that read "SAY YES" and "ONLY YOU" and "BE MINE". Sweet! This time of year always reminds me of grade school, when the teacher allowed us to make an individual homemade "mailbox" so we could hopefully receive a landslide of paper valentines. I never got that many but each year I found myself surprised by receiving one or two valentines from kids I never dreamed even knew my name. It's possible those came from kids whose parents made them send valentines to everyone so no one in the class would feel left out, but I didn't care. At least my mailbox had valentines in it.
Wouldn't you be surprised to know that someone is crazy in love with you!? Well, it's true ... and it's God himself.The whole purpose of us being alive is to know Him and His love for us. Each day He sends a unique and personal valentine. A gorgeous sunset, a peek at a newborn baby, spring flowers popping out of the ground, the beat of a song you like, the endless and tasty variety of food... Well, you get what I mean. God's valentine never stop.
I still have trouble grasping a love that deep from the Creator and Lord of the universe. I mean, who am I to deserve something like that? And God doesn't love us as a mass group. He loves us individually! It's hard to get my arms around - but I sure feel His arms around me to know it's true.
Whether you're having a joy-filled morning, a ridiculously busy lunch, a boring afternoon, a crazy chaotic evening, or a sleepless night, you can be sure that God feels everyone of your emotions and wants you to talk about it with Him. And when you speak to Him, He cherishes your voice, did you know that? Yep, that's why He made it sound just the way it does.
God himself tells us He is the lover of our souls. He has planned our lives with all the anticipation and excitement of a surprise party. Each day is an opportunity to open His presents and presence. But instead of looking for these loving gifts, we sometimes become numb and bored toward them. We even stop noticing they occur.
So this February 14th, please don't only look in your mailbox for valentines. Because God's expressions of love don't always fit in there. Look around you and inside of yourself for messages of passion from the One who loves you more than anyone ever could ... God. I promise you will hear His voice calling out to you with the words "SAY YES" and "ONLY YOU" and "BE MINE". Sweet!
~ Todd
Wouldn't you be surprised to know that someone is crazy in love with you!? Well, it's true ... and it's God himself.The whole purpose of us being alive is to know Him and His love for us. Each day He sends a unique and personal valentine. A gorgeous sunset, a peek at a newborn baby, spring flowers popping out of the ground, the beat of a song you like, the endless and tasty variety of food... Well, you get what I mean. God's valentine never stop.
I still have trouble grasping a love that deep from the Creator and Lord of the universe. I mean, who am I to deserve something like that? And God doesn't love us as a mass group. He loves us individually! It's hard to get my arms around - but I sure feel His arms around me to know it's true.
Whether you're having a joy-filled morning, a ridiculously busy lunch, a boring afternoon, a crazy chaotic evening, or a sleepless night, you can be sure that God feels everyone of your emotions and wants you to talk about it with Him. And when you speak to Him, He cherishes your voice, did you know that? Yep, that's why He made it sound just the way it does.
God himself tells us He is the lover of our souls. He has planned our lives with all the anticipation and excitement of a surprise party. Each day is an opportunity to open His presents and presence. But instead of looking for these loving gifts, we sometimes become numb and bored toward them. We even stop noticing they occur.
So this February 14th, please don't only look in your mailbox for valentines. Because God's expressions of love don't always fit in there. Look around you and inside of yourself for messages of passion from the One who loves you more than anyone ever could ... God. I promise you will hear His voice calling out to you with the words "SAY YES" and "ONLY YOU" and "BE MINE". Sweet!
~ Todd
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Pastor's Penpoint - "Walking Close to Thee" - January 2014
It's the start of a New Year so we all begin thinking towards those resolutions. Actually I am not a big fan of them. I think that we generally don't follow them anyway. When we really resolve to do something to change our lives, it is usually at a time in our life when we see the need for change. Of course if a resolution works for you, then great!
A resolution usually means that we want to resolve to improve or better ourselves and that's always good, especially in the spiritual areas of our lives. I'm always for anything to improve our lives and relationships with our Lord. When it boils down to it, bettering ourselves as Christians involves bettering our relationships with God. We have to draw closer to Him before we can improve our Christian lives. Sure we can make a New Year's resolution to do that but I think just resolving, day by day, gets the job done in a better way.
Do you remember the old hymn? "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." I can remember that playing off a record when I was little. Okay, some of you don't know what those are? Round things us ancient people used to play on machines that went round and round called record players. An old form of a cd:) We had a record in our family, I think by Tennessee Ernie Ford with that old song on it and I can remember learning the words when I was quite young.
I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk let me walk close to Thee!
Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it Jesus, is my plea;
Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be dear Lord, Let it be.
We've all got to walk the Christian life just one day at a time. That in turn will cause us to have that improvement in our Christian life that we all so greatly need. Just resolve to live better for God, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment and that will add up to our best for Him not only for this New Year but for our entire lives as well.
May you New Year be blessed ... and may you be a blessing!
~ Pastor Todd
A resolution usually means that we want to resolve to improve or better ourselves and that's always good, especially in the spiritual areas of our lives. I'm always for anything to improve our lives and relationships with our Lord. When it boils down to it, bettering ourselves as Christians involves bettering our relationships with God. We have to draw closer to Him before we can improve our Christian lives. Sure we can make a New Year's resolution to do that but I think just resolving, day by day, gets the job done in a better way.
Do you remember the old hymn? "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." I can remember that playing off a record when I was little. Okay, some of you don't know what those are? Round things us ancient people used to play on machines that went round and round called record players. An old form of a cd:) We had a record in our family, I think by Tennessee Ernie Ford with that old song on it and I can remember learning the words when I was quite young.
I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk let me walk close to Thee!
Just a closer walk with Thee, grant it Jesus, is my plea;
Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be dear Lord, Let it be.
We've all got to walk the Christian life just one day at a time. That in turn will cause us to have that improvement in our Christian life that we all so greatly need. Just resolve to live better for God, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment and that will add up to our best for Him not only for this New Year but for our entire lives as well.
May you New Year be blessed ... and may you be a blessing!
~ Pastor Todd
Monday, November 25, 2013
Upcoming Events for December
- Sunday, December 1, 2013 - Christmas Caroling - Meet at church at 2:30pm to pack the plates, and leave around 3:00pm.
- Sunday, December 22, 2013 - Youth Sunday - Breakfast will be served at 9:30am and the youth will lead the morning worship.
- Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - Christmas Eve Service at 6pm.
Pastor's Penpoint - "It's a Present, Not a Past" - December 2013
Christmas is the yearly celebration of the birth of Jesus, but it is truly a gift that we must experience each day. I share with you the following thoughts -- based on a meditation by an anonymous author -- which enlighten us during the busy holiday season and sums up the true meaning of what we hope to celebrate as people of faith.
Hoping your Christmas is merry and bright!
~ Pastor Todd
- Christmas is a present, not a past.
- Christmas should not be just a historical date to remember, but a gift to be lived.
- When you decide to love those around you, that day is Christmas.
- When you take the first step to be at peace with a loved one, that day is Christmas.
- When you meet someone who asks for help and you assist them with all your heart, that day is Christmas.
- When you take time to talk to someone who is lonely and sad, that day is Christmas.
- When you understand that resentment can be transformed by forgiveness, that day is Christmas.
- When you let go of something to give to someone who needs it more than you, that day is Christmas.
- When you realize that love, service and authentic concern are the best gifts, that day is Christmas.
- When you decide to live with joy and hope rather than surrender to fear and sadness, that day is Christmas.
Hoping your Christmas is merry and bright!
~ Pastor Todd
Monday, November 18, 2013
Pastor's Penpoint - "A Little Birdie Told Me" - November 2013
He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm46:10)
The office I work in at Bridgewater College is a little off the main campus. It is actually in an old house that sits alongside residential neighbors. As I look out my bay window from time to time, I see the neighbor's cars parked right outside. Something caught my eye this week ... a movement around the cars ... and I sat for a full 10 minutes watching what was happening.
A bird was responsible for the action ... but it was the action itself that was so interesting. The bird would fly to the top of the car, and then systematically move from window to window trying to fly in, or at least I first thought. What I realized is the bird was moving from window to window trying to fight its own reflection. It would take on the fight and then it would catch its reflection in the next window ... constantly moving on to the next fight. I don't know if it was frustration, fear or anger that motivated that bird, but this went on the entire time I was watching. I don't know how the fight ended because I was distracted by a phone call.
I've thought about that bird a lot this week. I think its story is important for us - especially as we enter the rush and chaos that is the holiday season. We too, like that bird wear ourselves out and down by fighting our own reflection (or more to the point what the world convinces us our reflection should be). We move from fight to fight with ourselves from one holiday to the next. Self-imposed deadlines and expectations is our enemy - and we see within ourselves something worth fighting ... but the battle is never ending because expectations and deadlines never cease.
Is it frustration, fear or anger that causes us to fight so hard against ourselves? God tells us ... be still and know that I am God. What a simple message - but one wrapped in so much truth and promise. I know it will be hard to not fight our reflection this holiday season - but God still counsels us ... be still ... and know ...
As the holidays gear up let us look into the reflection of our Lord, and in him find peace for our souls.
~ Pastor Todd
The office I work in at Bridgewater College is a little off the main campus. It is actually in an old house that sits alongside residential neighbors. As I look out my bay window from time to time, I see the neighbor's cars parked right outside. Something caught my eye this week ... a movement around the cars ... and I sat for a full 10 minutes watching what was happening.
A bird was responsible for the action ... but it was the action itself that was so interesting. The bird would fly to the top of the car, and then systematically move from window to window trying to fly in, or at least I first thought. What I realized is the bird was moving from window to window trying to fight its own reflection. It would take on the fight and then it would catch its reflection in the next window ... constantly moving on to the next fight. I don't know if it was frustration, fear or anger that motivated that bird, but this went on the entire time I was watching. I don't know how the fight ended because I was distracted by a phone call.
I've thought about that bird a lot this week. I think its story is important for us - especially as we enter the rush and chaos that is the holiday season. We too, like that bird wear ourselves out and down by fighting our own reflection (or more to the point what the world convinces us our reflection should be). We move from fight to fight with ourselves from one holiday to the next. Self-imposed deadlines and expectations is our enemy - and we see within ourselves something worth fighting ... but the battle is never ending because expectations and deadlines never cease.
Is it frustration, fear or anger that causes us to fight so hard against ourselves? God tells us ... be still and know that I am God. What a simple message - but one wrapped in so much truth and promise. I know it will be hard to not fight our reflection this holiday season - but God still counsels us ... be still ... and know ...
As the holidays gear up let us look into the reflection of our Lord, and in him find peace for our souls.
~ Pastor Todd
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