Gifts

Sunday morning retuning:  Pastor Myron Daum continued to walk us through Luke, every trying to encourage us to stay one step behind Jesus.  He challenged us to deal humbly with God’s word.  Have you done that at all since Sunday? Are you committed to getting into it so it can get into you? If you are not sure, maybe you can find some inspiration here.

Who doesn’t like receiving gifts?  I mean really.  When someone has a beautifully wrapped present and says, "This is for you", who doesn't get excited?  Probably most of what you're thinking about his material and that's understandable. But what about the immaterial, eternal gifts that God gives us in the season were about to celebrate?

Next Sunday signals the beginning of another Christmas season with the first Sunday of Advent. Over those five Sundays we will ponder together the gifts that God has given us through his son, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.  We will think of Jesus, grace, adoption, reconciliation, and expectancy, each of them gifts of immeasurable value, all expressions of God's great love for us.

The series is called “The Gift of Christmas”. We are putting together a postcard and some other resources for you to be able to share these precious gifts with the people in your lives over this next season. Who will you offer them to?

It makes me think of Romans 6:23.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. “ I am confident there are people in your life who do not know this.  This is the Gospel.  Good news.  Even if you feel unequipped to share it with them, will you please invite them to come and hear it at church over these five Sundays?  I do not want you to feel guilty, but I hope you do feel some conviction!  We must tell them, and what better time and way than through this amazing season.

Let me tell you a story to drive this point home.  Many of you know that Julia leaves for Jordan in January.  Julia, Jordan, January.  She has been such a blessing to our worship ministries I felt inclined to bless her as she goes to be a blessing elsewhere.  She had mentioned a desire to purchase a guitar to take with her.  Perfect!  We purchased this for her from our Music Fund last week.  YAY!

Here’s the point.  I wish you could have seen her face when we opened the box.  It is a beautiful guitar she will play beautifully to reveal the beauty of our God.  She was so excited!  And yet that pales in comparison to how excited the people you invite will be when they receive the gifts Jesus offers them.  Will you offer the gifts of Christmas to someone this season that you might usher in a whole host of blessings they currently do not even realize are theirs for the taking? I know I will.

Jesus, overwhelm my heart again today with the extravagance of your gifts to me, and compel me to share them with others. In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Reflect

Reflect

Sunday morning retuning:  Pastor Myron Daum continued to walk us through Luke, every trying to encourage us to stay one step behind Jesus.  He told us to reflect on our resurrection.  Have you done that at all since Sunday.  How will you reflect on this life-altering reality ? If you are not sure, maybe you can find some inspiration it here or below.

I’m curious.  When you think of reflecting, what is your default setting?  

Do you immediately look inward, or outward?

Do you look down or up?

Neither is inherently flawed, though there probably is a better choice.  It is important to see ourselves clearly, but we can easily get caught up staring at our belly buttons.  The first Scripture that comes to mind for me is, Psalm 121:1-2, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”.  No surprise coming from this mountain boy who has walked my share of valleys.

Here is my challenge today.  You could take four more minutes to read my thoughts as you might normally do, or you could spend them reflecting on your resurrection.  Get some Scripture before your eyes and do the latter.  The link at the top takes you to sermon notes that can guide you, or you could read I Corinthians 15, the most developed place in Scripture regarding Christ’s resurrection and the implications on those who follow Him.  

Take some time to reflect on that today.  Please.

Jesus, open my heart to the power of Your resurrection again today.  It is the foundation of my hope. In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Inspired

Sunday morning retuning:  Pastor Scott Praxl took us to Luke 20:19-26.  We looked ito Jesus spiritual response to a temporal question.  He elevated the discussion with His words “likeness and inscription”.  We are made in God’s likeness, but we must choose to be inscribed with His name.  What’s your next step? If you are not sure, maybe you will discover it here.

Over the weekend I, along with 12 other members of our worship bands, had the opportunity to attend a worship workshop in Akron offered by Paul Baloche called leadworship.  Paul Baloche is the author of such songs as "Above All" and "Hosanna (Praise is Rising)”.  It was a great time of learning, and simply just being together.

I challenged everyone and prayed for them hoping that each would be able to walk away with one thing that would have an impact on their service to our Lord in worship.  Right from the opening session, it became clear that the Lord had something for each of us. For me, though much of the information was not new, it was good to be reminded of it, and to laugh along the way.

The opening session of worship and teaching with Paul was encouraging, especially being lead in worship using a song that's become very familiar to us at North-Mar, "The Same Love".  Making the trip would've been worthwhile for just that session, but the Lord had much more in store for each of us as we had to break out sessions with excellent clinicians.

None of our drummers were able to attend. This, coupled with the fact that we are poised to make a transition to using an acoustic kit in our worship services, caused me to be inclined to attend the drum master class. Little did I know that our instructor would be Carl Albrecht.  I am immediately recognized his name as a drummer on numerous worship recordings I have benefited from over the years.  Not all performers can teach well though. Not so with Carl I would quickly see. I knew that I would learn a lot in those sessions, but I walked away more than simply informed.

The first thing that struck me about Carl was his humility. Even though a professional drummer for over 30 years, he quickly admitted his need to continue to grow, learn, and adapt.  He spent time working through a number of practice rudiments, breaking down drunk grooves, talking about tuning and clicks and preparation, amidst a myriad of other things.  Spending the morning and afternoon sessions with him left me, in a word, inspired. I went up at the end and told him as much.

I am not sure if it was because it was mostly new, or simply because I was in the presence of someone who is world-class in his discipline,but those moments spent in those master classes changed me.  They reminded me of a need to think creatively and be disciplined to work that creativity out. I am thankful to God for that experience.

It leaves me with a few questions for you.  How are you being inspired? Can you remember the last time you had an experience that left you aspiring to be something different than you were before it? What are you doing to act on that?

I want to encourage you to take the next step.  Get inspired and act on it.  Do something! If you're looking for resources there are a bunch of them online, but we also have some at our disposal to grow in your worship leadership.  If you're not sure where to look, please do not hesitate to ask.

Jesus, inspire me again today as in the hour I first asked You to inscribe Your name on my heart.  My Your love, creativity, grace and Presence be ever seen in me.  And help me to enjoy the journey, even as I long for my destination. In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy