The Sacrifice of One, Continued

Sunday morning retuning: Are you living with a forgiving attitude? That was our big idea Sunday. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you do that as Jesus leads you into the places where you will get to practice.


As I was preparing for our services this past weekend, I came across the video we used last year in our Memorial Weekend services. I found myself watching it again, and tearing up even though I pretty much remembered exactly what was coming. I know that I shared it in my Tunings/blog last year, but felt inclined to offer it again with some additional/different thought.

There are at least a couple of reasons for this. First of all consider the text of the song that is being sung as the underscore for this video. It is a powerful song of hope and rest. Honoring to the Lord, and the servicemen and women to whom it is sung.

Mansions of The Lord

To fallen soldiers let us sing
where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
to the mansions of the Lord
No more bleeding no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
just divine embrace, eternal light
in the mansions of the Lord
Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard tho the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep the mansions of the Lord.

I sometimes wrestle with how closely some people connect American patriotism with Biblical Christianity. We should be careful when we begin to draw such parallels; however, I do think their are examples from the former that are “like unto” the latter. And we see one such example in The Sacrifice of One.

But an even greater reason on my mind. Memorial Day is a chance for us to remember the sacrifice of those who have given their lives to protect our American freedoms. I think of the verse, “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay His life down for His friends.” John 15:13 The sacrifice of our military men and women is a great example of this. The sacrifice of Christ, who spoke those words, is the GREATEST example of this. He, after all, is the authority on this…and all things.

I hoped you lived some moments on Memorial Day mindful of the sacrifice of those that we were remembering. I pray you live every moment of every day mindful of the sacrifice of the One we worship.

Jesus, thank You for Your sacrifice. You laid down your life for us, and though we have committed to lay down our lives for you, we are apt to pick them up quickly when we feel we have need of them. Forgive us Lord, and help us live with a forgiving attitude.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

At Your Feet

Sunday morning retuning: What was your take-away from the time with John and Darlene Sunday?

Last week I challenged the choir with this idea of staying at Jesus feet. You remember the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10:38-42. Martha is scurrying around working and Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet. Jesus gently teaches Martha that Mary has chosen the one needful thing. But how do we live and do the things that are a part of living and yet stay at Jesus feet? How do we stay at His feet and stay a step behind Him? This is easier said than done.

Pastor Myron challenged our elders in the spring with these words from Psalm 27:4.

“One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.”

I am very literal thinker and so I can struggle with phrases like this in Scripture. Really Lord, I am supposed to ask for one thing. Like Mary, the one thing is to worship, but notice that it has different verbs used to describe it: dwell, gaze, seek. Both active and passive words. Words that require different degrees of activity to be sure, but activity nonetheless. I need to stay at His feet,

This thought is echoed in the song that we began to sing together Sunday. Here is a link for those of you who may not have been there to sing it with us. At Your Feet Even as we sang the words to this song below I was struck again by those words “be a holy fragrance in this sanctuary”. It requires us to translate this idea of the temple/sanctuary to our understanding of our being the reservoir of the Holy Spirit. It helps to flesh out this idea of living our lives as an act of worship, for we do not have to go to a sanctuary, we are the sanctuary.

I can be Martha and Mary and the same time. Does that make sense? Hear me out.

Certainly there are times when I need to be mostly Mary, with a little Martha, and other times when I need to be Martha but I better always keep some of that Mary posture in mind. In other words, I can worship as I work, and I must also work at my worship. I can stay at Jesus feet while I am engaged in a myriad of other pursuits as life requires them.

I do not have to stop worshipping to go and do other things. In fact, I had better not do that. As we continue to learn this song, I pray Jesus will teach us how to live it out every day.

Jesus, show us how to stay at Your feet. Teach us what that looks like. Help us to dwell, gaze and seek well as we live in You.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Looking Forward

Sunday morning retuning: The Williams challenged us regarding faith, commitment and faithfulness. How are you applying this to your walk?

Dear Worshipers,

I have been thinking about vacation times coming up this summer and getting really excited! My high school class is organizing a reunion, one son has a national basketball tournament, another a Cub Scout Resident camp, and some other time spent in my home among the hills all make me look forward to future events. The time of rest and relaxation fill my heart with great anticipation.

So what are you looking forward to? One of our secretaries just got married and it was really fun to watch her anticipate the wonderful event. Maybe for you it is graduation for yourself or a loved one, or some upcoming visit, reunion, celebration, etc. Whatever it is we all have something to look forward to…

Now before you correct me, or begin to become discouraged let me tell you why I say that. I will use one word: Heaven. Now I will use some other words, if you please.

Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we have Paradise awaiting us. I am thinking of our Savior’s words to the thief who offered his version of “Lord, have mercy” when he asked, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 23:42 (English Standard Version) Do you remember Jesus response? He replied “…today you will be with me in Paradise."

Have you ever stopped to imagine what that thief must have thought? He obviously had faith to ask the question he did. He had already rebuked the other thief who had joined in the crowds jeering. Was he thinking, “Really? Paradise, today? With you? But I have done nothing to deserve this.”

Neither have we. But we have the same thing, Paradise, to look forward to. So how does that shape your gaze? If you are like me, you think far more of the joys one week, one month away, and set not only your eyes, but your hearts on them. Paul told the church at Colossae, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 (English Standard Version)

Jesus, thank you for securing Paradise for us. Help us to live looking forward to it everyday. It will change us.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

What Kind of Friend are You?

Dear Worshipers,

...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

As I reflected on that verse from Pastor Myron’s message my mind trailed off to the only brother I have. He is my half brother from our father’s first marriage. I only spent a few of my adult years near enough to develop a relationship but I squandered that, thinking I would have more time. You may have some things in your life that you figure you will get to eventually. Like me you are hoping for the right set of circumstances to come along. I regret not being more proactive in that brotherhood.

There is a brotherhood in the faith. Many of you have probably experienced a relationship with someone in the faith that was closer than a blood relative. I have invested in some of those relationships through the years. Some friends in Jesus have been very dear to me. I have been a friend to them when they needed it, and they reciprocated that for me at my time of need.

I know this verse from Proverbs to be true because I have personally experienced it. You probably have as well. You may have a close relationship with a friend right now that helps you to know this as well. If you don’t, I want to encourage you today.

Take some time and consider what kind of friend you are and to whom, and determine to be a better one to the people God has placed in your life for that purpose. While you may really need a friend right now, maybe there is someone around you who needs one even more. After looking at yourself, look beyond yourself and consider how you might be the friend that sticks like the one described in the verse. Maybe you need to be the stick-er, and not the stick-ee.

Even if you have that kind of friend right now, or are investing in a friendship to develop it, keep in mind that no matter how close that friendship becomes, Jesus is closer still. Take some more time to develop that friendship. Other friends may disappointment, Jesus never will. Spend some time with Him today...

Jesus, I want to know that friendship with You so that I can mirror it in another relationship in my life. Thank You for being my friend. Help me to be a good friend for Your glory and the good of that person that needs one.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Have You Seen Jesus Lately?

Last weekend we shared a work entitled "I've Seen Jesus". While it centered about five encounters that Jesus' disciples has shortly after the Resurrection, the musical turned on the synopsis of each of these encounters and our response to them. This was captured with the question, "Why 2,000 years later, are we still so slow to embrace the presence of our risen Lord in our lives?

Here were the synopses:

Perhaps, like Mary Magdalene, we may be blinded by personal pain, unable to see Him clearly through our tears--until He calls us by name.

Perhaps, like the two travelers on the road to Emmaus, we can become so consumed in daily worries, we don't realize He is always walking beside us, desiring our fellowship.

Perhaps, like the disciples, we have hidden ourselves behind locked doors, hesitant to proclaim His name to a hostile world-until He is suddenly there among is, saying, "Peace be with you."

Perhaps, like Thomas, we can easily become hardened skeptics. demanding physical evidence of Christ's claims-forgetting that Jesus offers spiritual assurance beyond any temporal proof.When we believe without seeing, we are, indeed blessed.

And perhaps, like Peter, we let our past failings rob us of the conviction that we can still serve Christ-until we face the Cross and know we are forgiven, forever.

Perhaps...perhaps something has been keeping you from seeing Jesus. Perhaps you need to deal with that so that you can see Him clearly, again. Perhaps.

Jesus we want to see you clearly and often, but there are a lot of things that divert our attention. Rather, wold you allow those things to drive us to You and not away. We are desperate for you, more than we realize.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy