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Blogs

May 15, 2012

8:30

It has been a great year for the youth program. As we honor our seniors in the 11 o’clock service, I want to take a moment to share some reflections from the year. I have a video that will be shown in both services and I will share some of our memories and lessons from the year. It is a good time for reflection and I hope we can all benefit from these conversations!          Chris

11:00 Service

This Sunday is Youth Sunday and our youth will be leading in worship. They will be sharing prayers, litanies, and their gift of music. They have chosen the theme “Remembering the past, moving forward” to describe our worship. Youth Sunday is also a chance to honor our graduating seniors. There will be a special presentation for our seniors, Cory Eaton and Jackson Triplett, and they will be our two preachers for the service. Hope you’ll come and share in this special service.             Chris

May 8, 2012

8:30

In the old days if you were called upon to share your faith or personal experiences in faith, it was called giving your testimony.  Today we’re more likely to share our experiences of faith in small groups or even one-on-one.  Sometimes during a meal or an evening out with close friends, someone will open up enough to share their faith or their journey.  Several of you have asked how I came to the point in my faith journey that I’ve asked to be ordained into the ministry.  While my calling has more to do with music than preaching, I’ve felt a sense of calling for a long time.  I would like to share some of the details of my personal faith journey with you at this week’s 8:30 service.  Since the 8:30 service is less formal than a testimony suggests, let’s just call it a conversation.  See you Sunday.

Dave

11:00 Service

 

Change, change, change.  Ugh.  It gets exhausting after a while – doesn’t it?  I’m not talking about a different color napkin on the dinner table, or a new colored shirt and tie with an old suit.  I mean foundational, game changing, life altering, soul stirring change.  Acts 10:44-48 is the final scene of a bizarre string of Spirit orchestrated events that evoke and affirm a fundamental change in the early Church.  It seemed to rip apart all that had defined who they were – but it helped them along The Way to becoming all that God was calling them to be.

Don

 

May 1, 2012

8:30

A lot of us are comfortable with male imagery for God.  Yet we often overlook the female side of God’s nature.  Is God limited to a gender? Or does God transcend and also include what we know as male and female?  Perhaps understanding the female imagery for God broadens our understanding of who God is and what God is like.  We will explore this theme with the help of one of Rob Bell’s Nooma videos.  Come and see! Rebecca

11:00 Service

Two travelers on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, couldn’t have been any different.  As the story unfolds in Acts 8:26-40 there doesn’t seem to be much reason for either of them to have anything to do with the other, except for the leading of God.  In this chance encounter between two strangers, all there was to do was to follow the spirit.

Don

 

April 24, 2012

8:30

While we may enjoy being with our own kind of people – those who are like us ethnically, economically, culturally, intellectually, socially, or politically – the nature of the Christian Church brings these groups together, united in worship of Jesus as Lord.  Consider that the small band of the first twelve disciples called by Jesus included Simon the Zealot and Matthew the Tax Collector.  Simon would have regarded Matthew his enemy, yet they were called to eat, talk, and pray together as one community. As Christ followers, we will reflect on our unity amid diversity, while we hear a first-hand account of how Simon the Zealot came to be counted among the apostles.  Come and see! Rebecca

 

11:00 Service

On this side of Easter, the Sanhedrin is surely second guessing their strategy for squelching the movement of followers of that radical nobody from Nazareth – that Jesus.  In Acts 4:5-12 Peter stands on trial in the very spot where Jesus would have been just a few weeks before when he was charged with crimes and ultimately sent to the cross.  Peter and John participated in healing a man who had been lame from birth.  Rather than celebrate this miracle, the religious folk in the Sanhedrin are still asking the same kinds of questions they had asked Jesus; questions about authority, power, and who’s in charge.  Even on this side of Easter they still don’t get it.  Do we?

Don

 

April 17, 2012

8:30

This is the Second Sunday of Easter and also Earth Day. Because of that, I am drawn to two questions: What is resurrection? And where does it happen? I think immediately of a few thoughts. The first is the women who come to the tomb early on the third day, expected to find the body of Jesus wrapped in death raggs and instead find a messenger of life telling them Jesus is resurrected. The second is a phrase from my church in Louisville, spoken to the congregation on Easter Sunday: We are called to be Easter people in a Good Friday world. Easter, resur-rection, Earth Day. Are they all calling us to proclaim that new life is possible, even in the midst of a dead landscape? Chris

11:00 Service

It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since our church was the guest of the First United Methodist Church, Elkin, for a joint service featuring the Rutter arrange-ment of the Fauré Requiem. Both choirs joined together that day with a small or-chestra to present a wonderful program. Our Methodist brothers and sisters were gracious hosts. Now it’s our turn. This Sunday at the 11:00 o’clock service we will host a joint service that will feature a work entitled “Feel the Spirit,” by John Rutter. The musical work is a series of Spirituals that will be accompanied by pi-ano, trumpet, trombone, soprano sax, flute and percussion. As with most spiritu-als the music expresses deep emotions that range from the sorrow of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” to the celebration of “Every Time I Feel the Spirit.” Come join us this Sunday with a welcoming spirit and a song in your heart. See you there.

Dave

 

April 11, 2012

8:30 Service

This week’s 8:30 service features the music of Mountain Heritage: RG Absher, Vaugh Brown, Keith Hall, Chris Shore and Wess Tuttle.  It’s been awhile since we’ve heard  some of their toe tapping bluegrass gospel, so I know you won’t want to miss it.  See you there.                                                                Dave

 

11:00 Service

On this side of Easter, life is different.  In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke writes the unfolding story of how life in the Christian community is different when the Gospel is lived through the lenses of the resurrection. We will see glimpses into the early life of the Church over the next few Sundays.  This week we begin with Acts 4:32-35 and look at the life of generosity among the early believers.                      Don

April 3. 2012

Sunrise:

“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb…”  (John 20:1)  We still come together to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.  Join us at 7am this Sunday morning to await the rising sun!                   Don

8:30 and 11:00 Service

Our celebration of the risen Christ continues as we remember his life, death and resurrection while we share in the Lord’s Supper.  It will be a morning full of rejoicing on this, our holiest day of the Christian year.  Come and delight in the wonder of Easter.

Rebecca

11:00 Service

For us the tomb is always empty.  We know the end of the story!  We’ve never experienced the initial confusion of recognizing Jesus in the garden.  Or, have we?  John 20:1-18 introduces us to the risen Christ again as he calls Mary Magdalene by name renewing her recognition.  May we always know Jesus as he knows us. Don

 

March 27, 2012

8:30 Service

Life is a story.  Sometimes the story is a comedy, sometimes it’s a farce, sometimes it’s inspiring, and sometimes it’s a tragedy.  Sometimes the story is re-written.  Join us at 8:30 and pick up a pen…

Don

11:00 Service

Lent.  Sacrifice.  Repentance.  Laying down.  I remember the common plea of most of the young ministers I studied with in college and seminary.  “Dear God, I will follow you any where, I will go where you send me, I will make any sacrifice, but please God – just don’t send me to Texas…”  Perhaps you have a similar spiritual boundary in your life.  Sacrifice.  We all know the sacrifice Jesus made in the end.  Philippians 2:5-11 reminds us that sacrifice was in the mind of Christ from the very beginning.  “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”

Don

 

March 20, 2012

8:30 Service

It is hard going through life unnoticed.  Nothing you do or say is thought to be notable.  And if you’re James the Less, also known as James the Younger, it’s hard always playing second fiddle to your brother, as well as eleven other disciples.  Even so, James the Younger was in the company of Jesus for three years.  Surely he had his own story to tell.  Surely someone listened and learned, and came to believe that Jesus was the Christ.  This Sunday at 8:30 we will take more notice of James the Younger disciple through the eyes of one of the women who traveled with Jesus and the disciples.  As Eeyore always says, “Thanks for noticin’ me.”                                                             Rebecca

11:00 Service

“We want to see Jesus.”  Those are the words spoken to Philip by seekers who had heard of Jesus but didn’t know him.  It’s hard to imagine anyone in our day who hasn’t heard of Jesus.  That isn’t really the question though, is it?  The better question is, “What have we shown them about Jesus?”  In John 12:20-33 even Philip doesn’t seem sure about who Jesus will and won’t welcome.  He takes the inquiry to Andrew rather than directly to Jesus.  Jesus answers with a word of welcome for all.

Don

 

March 13, 2012

8:30 Service

“Who do you say that I am?”  The most important question Jesus asks us all (Mark 8:27-30).  Different Christian traditions have answered that question differently in different times and places.  In worship at 8:30 we will explore the visions of Jesus celebrated by different branches of the Christian Family and what we can learn from them.  Come prepared to share the Jesus you know…                  Don

11:00 Service

John 3:16 is one of those iconic verses from the New Testament. It is all over billboards and posters at football games. In fact, in college, one of my mentors asked me what the Gospel was and proceeded to trim down my response to a short paraphrase of this verse. Jesus died for your sins and you need to believe it – and that was the Gospel in a dozen words or less. But if you know me and what I have preached on before, the Goods News of Jesus for me is much bigger and broader than that. What if it’s not just a story about death, but about a story of God coming into life, or of God being committed to humankind time and time again? What kind of Gospel are we committed to preaching anyway? And how far are we willing to take it?

Chris

 

March 6, 2012

8:30 Service

“O Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way,” was the first line of a song by the same title that came out about 20 years ago…maybe 25 years, I don’t recall.  I do, however, recall hearing people singing along with tongue in cheek, although many who sung it probably meant every word.  What’s wrong with a healthy self image?  Why is humility a virtue?  Aren’t we supposed to feel good about ourselves?  Aren’t we taught as children to achieve and be proud of our accomplishments?  How about adults?  Are we not supposed to strive for a position of importance and to achieve some measure of success?  What are the pitfalls?  We’ll look at humility and the parable of the Chief Seats, this Sunday at the 8:30 service.  See you then.

Dave

 

11:00 Service

When we think of Jesus standing with a braided leather whip in his hands running the unjust offenders out of the temple, we’re often torn between the impulse to cheer a hero and the worry that we might be among the unjust.  John’s version is this story, John 2:13-22, is different from all the other gospels in a few notable ways.  Join us for worship at 11am as we note those differences, and ask what difference such an encounter with Jesus would make in our lives.

Don

 

February 29, 2012

8:30 Worship

Cleaning up God is no easy task.  It’s dirty work, but someone’s got to do it.  An honest reading of the Bible is, well – it’s offensive.  We mostly skip those parts, or translate them to conform to our own sensibilities.  Join us at 8:30am as we discuss the idea that “God is much more interested in honesty than pietism.”  There’s an article posted on the First Baptist Church Elkin Facebook page which will inform our conversation.

11:00 Service

The T-shirt usually says something like, “Not Ashamed.”  They’re mostly worn by eager youth or devout college students.  Adults are less prone to wear their faith on a t-shirt.  We find other ways to advertise the success of our piety.  The question is whether or not we have the right standard of success.  Jesus asks and answers that question in Mark 8:31-38.  Join us for worship at 11am when we will take up the cross of success.                                         Don

 

February 21, 2012

This Sunday we will be celebrating Martha Stearns Marshall Day of Preaching in both services.  Martha Stearns Marshall, an eighteenth-century Separate Baptist, was a preacher – and a good one – who preached alongside her husband.  This day provides us all with a chance to celebrate–to celebrate God’s good work in our midst as heard through the voices of women in ministry. Each year, since 2007, Baptist Women In Ministry has chosen the month of February to encourage churches to have a woman preach one Sunday.  This helps to raise awareness of how God calls women and men alike to preach the Gospel.

We are fortunate to have among us Evalynn Davis, who has recently completed her Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Columbia Theological Seminary.  She has many gifts for ministry and chooses to share them through her numerous activities among us.  She will be leading the 8:30 worship service.  See below for her description of the service.

In the 11 o’clock service, the Rev. Rhonda Davis, Evalynn and Ron Davis’ daughter, will be our preacher.  Rhonda is an ordained United Church of Christ minister.  She is presently working as a Social Worker for Hospice of Davidson County.  It is appropriate for her to preach on the day we will present her mother with her Certificate in Spiritual Formation.

Come and join us and see what God is doing among us!

Rebecca

 

In Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God gives Israel a choice: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity…Choose life…”  Women through the centuries have given life to children and life to God’s calling on their lives.  Birthing is a painful, lonely process that requires courage and sacrifice.  What woman or women in your life’s story affected your choices?  Come share these experiences with us at the 8:30 service.

Evalynn Davis

 

February 14, 2012

8:30 Service

This week’s 8:30 will follow up on Don’s sermon a few weeks back on fishing.  You’ll remember that he described what a difference there was in the experience of fishing between using nets or hooks.  Most of us are more familiar with fishing from a safe distance, keeping dry and clean, while the hook does all the work.  Fishing with nets however requires you to take a risk and commit to get in the middle of things with all the muck and mire, get up off of your chair or pier and get wet.  We’ll ponder how the disciples were not asked to attend a series of lectures or even “hands-on” workshops to help them make a decision if this “faith” thing was right for them.  They were asked simply to follow.  Come and see.

I’ll use some thoughts from Michael Lindvall, the author of some of the stories I’ve used in the past to help us get an idea of how faith is truly a risky business.  We can certainly learn about God with the knowledge that we can gain from reading about and listening to how others experience God.  Or we can decide to jump in and get wet.  We’ll talk about both.  See you Sunday.                                                                                                                             Dave

11:00 Service

Most of us take a somewhat skeptical stance toward people who say they’ve heard the voice of God telling them this or that.  Rather than inspiring us to worship, such confessions usually inspire us to the gentle suggestion that the confessor seek therapy of some kind to work out their unresolved personal and religious issues.  Yet, most every believer lays claim to some experience of the divine – what makes ours different?  Does the experience matter as much as the response it inspires?  In Mark 9:2-9 we get a glimpse of the response of Peter, James, and John to a spectacular experience of the divine.  What response will it inspire in us?

Don

 

February 7, 2012

Focus on WMU/Baptist Women’s Day

WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union) includes Women on Mission for adult women, Acteens for girls in grades 7 through 12, GAs for girls in grades 1 through 6, and Mission Friends for preschoolers.  Through these organizations our women and children are learning about, praying for, and being involved with missions.

This Sunday, February 12^th, please join us as the women and girls of our church lead in worship.  Our focus for the day will be “Set Free to Answer the Call.”  In the 8:30 service we will see pictures and hear about the WMU NC Women’s Prison Ministry.  In the 11:00 am service Joan Ayscue, a volunteer with WMU NC Prison Ministry, will speak about answering the call, and, in particular, her call to be a mentor to women who attend the retreats as inmates and then as they are released.

In the order of worship next Sunday there will be a prayer guide concerning the missions and ministries of WMU NC.  There will also be an envelope for your contribution to assist WMU NC.  Quite a few of the ladies and girls of our church have benefited from the ministries of WMU NC through Camp Mundo Vista, training sessions, retreats, Missions Extravaganza, etc.  Your offering will help to make sure these opportunities continue.

Come and join us as we all are challenged to find out how God has set us free and how he wants us to serve.

Betty Pittman

 

February 1, 2012

8:30 Service

What constitutes a good day for you?  Is it a day filled with sunshine or children or music or friends?  Each day we are given a gift – a new day full of opportunities and possibilities.  How we perceive the day, what we do with it, and how we respond to its rhythm has much to do with whether we consider it a good day.  This Sunday at the 8:30 service, we will consider what a good day means to us as we contemplate gratitude.  To prompt our discussion, we will view a short video from Louie Schwartzberg, an award-winning cinematographer, whose visual imagery in films can take your breath away.  Come and see; come with gratitude for the gift of a new day. Rebecca

11:00  Service

Perhaps you’ve enjoyed as much as I have the Day in the Life Of… series of photo journals published occasionally by Time Life Books: A Day in the Life of America, A Day in the Life of Africa, or any number of other countries or continents.  A couple hundred of the world’s best photographers take snapshots of “life” through their own eyes and submit them.  The selected photographs capture the essence of the place.  Mark 1:29-39 concludes a picture of a day in the life of Jesus.  Join us at 11am for the deacon ordination of Gray Brown and to see the beginnings of faithfulness in both Jesus and his followers. Don

 

January 24, 2012

Israel can bring Scripture to life – the sights, the sounds, and smells – for any Christian pilgrim. But it can also be a test of faith as the history of many holy sites can bring up many questions about which ones are authentic places where Jesus walked and talked – and which ones are merely places of tradition. In Jesus’ day, it was a region wrought with imperial tensions, international conflict, political and religious anxiety packed to the rafters, as well as a whole heap of people left on the margins. As my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land has shown me, not much has changed in 2000 years. Come see the sights and hear words of reflection as I share stories from a trip that has brought up as many questions as answers for faith, politics, and the contemporary world we live in.

Chris

I was sad not to be with you last week and appreciate the prayers and well wishes.  This Sunday we will pick up with our series of reflections on our Missional Vision statements.

Peter and Andrew, and James and John learned an altogether different way to live when Jesus called them to fish for people.  In worship at 11:00am this week, we will gather again to see what we can learn from Jesus in Mark 1:14-20 about our commitment to discipleship as a congregation.

Don

 

January 17, 2012

We often crucify politicians for changing their minds.  When they do, we say they have
“waffled.”  It is often a damnable
offense in one’s political career to risk being a waffler by changing one’s
mind too much.  But, really, they all do
it…  Here’s the interesting
question.  Does God Waffle?  Holy Scriptures tell us in the story of Jonah
(Jonah 3:1-5) that God changed God’s mind.
We nearly crucify politicians when they do that.  What will we do with God?  Oh, wait, nevermind…

“You get a line and I’ll get a pole, honey

You get a line and I’ll get a pole, babe

You get a line and I’ll get a pole

We’ll go down to the crawdad hole

Honey, baby of mine.”

I learned that song from the Andy Griffith show.  I learned how to fish from my Grandpa
Handy.  Peter and Andrew, and James and
John learned an altogether different way to live when Jesus called them to fish
for people.  Come to worship at 11:00am
and see what you, and we, can learn from Jesus in Mark 1:14-20 about our
commitment to discipleship as a congregation.

January 10, 2012

This week at the 8:30 service, we will continue our quest to know and understand the early apostles.  We will hear about Philip, a quiet Galilean fisherman, and how he helped to spread the Good News of Jesus throughout Asia.  Through the voice of our historic visitor, we will, hopefully, be able to get a better sense for who this man was as he learned from Jesus and how his questions helped influence Jesus’ ministry.  Come along on our journey back in time to see what we can learn for our faith journey today.

Rebecca

 

Nathanael met Jesus through a friend.  It was a fairly casual encounter on its face.  Philip said, “Come and see.”  Jesus had an intensity to his interactions with these earliest disciples that Nathanael could never muster, but he didn’t have to.  Philip didn’t have to BE Jesus to represent the love of Christ in his life – he just had to pay attention.  Come and see this Sunday at 11am as we learn from John 1:43-51 what representing the love of Christ can look like.

 

Join us for the next 6 weeks on Wednesday nights at 7pm as explore and discuss what we mean when we say:

- We are learning how to follow Jesus and helping others to follow, also.

- We are a loving and accepting community of faith.

- We are committed to representing the love of Christ in our lives.

- We are committed to Worship, Faith Development, and Forming Disciples.

We will spend one week each discussing how we understand — and more importantly, how we live out — each of the six statements (looking at each of the three parts of the fourth line individually).

The congregation has lived with these statements for a little over a year now.  It’s time for us to reflect on what we mean by these descriptions of who we are as a church, and how live as followers of Christ.

Don

 

January 3, 2012

Quick…what are the names of the three wise men?  Give up?  Ok…it’s Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.  Now pronouncing them correctly is another thing entirely.  Wish me luck.  This Sunday we observe Epiphany, the coming of the magi.  They were given unusual names to represent the all of humanity coming to the Lord.  The gifts they brought were no less exotic: gold for the sovereignty of Christ, incense for his divinity, and myrrh to foreshadow his suffering.  We’ll discover that by following the star (light) and encountering the light of the world (the Christ child), they were now commissioned to carry the light, to be the light for others.  William Bausch, the author of this week’s story puts it this way: “they who came out of the darkness to follow the star’s light to the Light of the World, were to go back to let their light shine before others.”  One who lets their light shine is known as a Christopher.  Do you know any modern day Christophers?  We’ll ponder how to let our light shine for the world to see.  See you Sunday at 8:30am. Dave

 

 

Are we finished, or are we being finished?  We all walk at our own pace along the path to completion in Christ.  None of us is as far down that path as we might like.  Wherever Paul went, he invited people farther along.  This Sunday at 11:00am we will learn about his invitation of continued discipleship to believers in Ephasus.  Be careful – it’s dangerous…

Don

 

December 27, 2011

Well, I just did it.  In writing this little blog for the Herald, I wrote the date 1/1/’12 as the title of my word file.  It always feels a little funny doesn’t it?  To write the date of a new year on a check or a letter or a document seems like we’ve crossed a new dimension, uncharted territory, to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before.  Perhaps a bit dramatic, but it still causes you to stop and think for a moment about the New Year.  What questions will be answered?  What new questions will emerge?  Where will I be a year from now: physically (will my health hold out?), spiritually (am I ready to take steps to have a closer relationship with God?), emotionally (will I take hold of opportunities that are meaningful to me and actually do something?).  Since this Sunday’s date is New Year’s Day, we can’t help but look ahead.  We may need to look over our shoulders just long enough to steer our future in a direction that we feel God is leading us… no small task.  We’ll hear a couple of stories, look at some quotes, and see what direction the scriptures take us.  See you Sunday!

Dave

 

I knew someone once who believed he was called to the ministry of lip-syncing Christian songs in churches.  He found a limited pool of churches who had a need for his particular gift.  I know another person who seemed ordained to the calling of encouraging pastors.  With regular phone calls he’s helped countless pastors battle back discouragement and find new depths of commitment.  Some ministry callings are recognizable to us all and some seem, well, a bit bizarre.  Where does yours fit?  Come reflect with us, at the 11 o’clock service, on the culmination of Simeon’s lifetime of faithful waiting and watching for the Messiah.

Don

 

December 20, 2011

Don’t you love a good Christmas story!? Join us this Sunday, Christmas Day(!), at 8:30am for stories of Christmas from members of our community – some recent, some ancient, some surprising.  All will help you reflect on your own meaningful stories of Christmas.

At some level we all know that Christmas is more about giving than getting.  Honestly though – the “getting” part always enters in.  As the old song says, “You can’t always get what you want…”  Of course we’re also familiar with the old saying, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”  John’s version of the Christmas story, which we’ll look at in the 11 o’clock service, is like that.  It isn’t the version we’re all accustomed to – that’s Luke – but the whole story is there.  Just goes to show, “…if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

Don

 

December 13, 2011

The coming Sunday is our annual “music” Sunday, filled with the sound of instruments and voices of members and guests.  Our 8:30 service will be led by R.G. Absher and Jim Taylor.  The service will feature familiar sounds of string instruments that include the hammer dulcimer, guitar, banjo, and maybe even a little sing-a-long.  This is the third year in a row that R.G. and Jim have shared their Christmas music with us.  It’s already become a tradition of the holiday that I look forward to each year.  Thanks, guys, for sharing with us again!

 

And speaking of tradition, this Sunday’s 11:00 o’clock worship will be led by the Chancel Choir.  They will present “Sing Noel,” by Hal Hopson.  The cantata will be accompanied by a string quartet and organ.  I am very thankful to the choir members for their hard work in preparing beautiful music throughout the year, and especially the added work of an extended presentation.  Next time you see them in the hall, be sure to express your thanks as well.  Be sure to join us for both services.  We hope you’ll leave with a song in your heart.  See you Sunday!

 

Dave

 

December 6, 2011

“Rejoice in all things!”  Some translations say, “Give thanks in all circumstances!”  Either way you put it – let’s be honest – some days it’s easier to do than others.  This was Paul’s encouragement of an expectant posture to the believers in Thessalonica as they were waiting for Jesus.  As we wait for Jesus in Advent, for what do we give thanks?  Come prepared to share!

In Mark’s gospel last week we saw John the Baptist through the lenses of his place.  The wildness of the desert stood in stark contrast to the majestic holiness of the Messiah he came to proclaim.  This week in worship at 11am John’s gospel (1: 6-8, 19-28) gives us a rather different perspective on John the Baptist.  Rather than his place, we encounter John’s purpose.  No matter where he came from, John’s purpose to point to the Messiah.  He was “sent” by God, the gospel writer says, to be a witness to both the person and brilliance of Jesus.  As a community of faith committed to learning how to follow Jesus and to helping others follow also, how can our purpose be much different from John the Baptist’s?

Don

 

November 29, 2011

This week, our 8:30 alternative worship service will be filled with the sounds of music.  We will begin our worship with the melodic voices of our Playschool children, directed by Pat Eaton.  The rest of the service will focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus.  There will be music, sacred and secular, spoken word and images of Mary as she has been perceived by various artists through the ages.  Following worship, we will have breakfast, graciously provided by our Playschool parents.  Be sure to join us on this second Sunday of Advent for a morning of worshipful music and good food.

Rebecca

 

If I were going to come from heaven to save the world and call people back into reconciled fellowship with God, with each other, and with all of creation – I don’t think I would have hired John the Baptist as my publicist.  Of course, I wasn’t asked to fill that role so what do I know?  John the Baptist knew he wasn’t fit to untie Jesus’ sandals, much less to announce the coming of the Messiah.  Sometimes there is a wildness in God’s plans for reconciliation and redemption that only a John the Baptist can fill.  Thank God – maybe there’s hope for you and me to have a part.  Come worship with us at 11am this Sunday and listen for the God News in Mark 1:1-8!

Don

 

November 22, 2011

It’s been a couple of years since we met Alvina Johnson.  Alvina was the lady who directed the Christmas pageant at her church in North Haven, Minnesota for the past 48 years.  The phrase “we’ve always done it that way,” originated with Alvina.  Anyway, we’ll meet Alvina again in the story for this week’s 8:30.  This week it’s an issue of right and wrong, an issue of fairness.  Alvina only has one maple tree in her yard, so why should she have to get up all the leaves that have blown into her yard from the neighbor’s trees. She’s spent considerable time coming up with a solution to the problem.  It almost works.  See you Sunday.

 

Dave

 

“As slow as Christmas” is not a compliment.  It is reserved for the most lethargic and pokey among us.  It derives its power and meaning, of course, from that childhood phenomenon of waiting forever for a promised day that seems to be forever in the future.  The coming of the Kingdom of God was like that for early believers.  The coming of Jesus is still like that for many.  And still, we wait…

 

Don

 

November 15, 2011

We are kicking off our Global Missions emphasis on New York City this week. Each of us is impacted by the call of Jesus on our lives and the experiences that shape us as disciples of Jesus. This past summer, I had the opportunity to serve at Metro Baptist Church in New York City and it has had a tremendous impact on my own calling. In the 8:30 service, through stories from this summer and reflections on the role of Metro Baptist in Manhattan, I hope that you will see the connections that we share with other Baptist churches, and the importance of our commitment to CBF’s global missions work.

In the 11 o’clock service, our text is Matthew 25:31-46. The question “What Would Jesus Do?” was a very popular idea when I was growing up. But the idea seemed to relate only to your own personal decisions. Should I obey my parents? How should I spend my money? But in this passage, Jesus calls us to much bigger questions. What would Jesus do in response to rising poverty and growing inequalities? What would Jesus do about the clean water crisis that leaves almost 1 billion people on earth thirsty? What would Jesus do for prisoners on death row? And what are we going to do about it? Jesus says that the way we respond in these situations might be the most important answer we ever give as Christians.

Chris

 

November 8, 2011

Being generous is in our very nature – when we live true to ourselves.  Every profession has its own form of gallows humor.  I worked a long time as a fundraiser for a variety of different church related charities.  One of our jokes was, “If you want to live forever, put a charity in your will – those folks NEVER die…”  Doug Lawson, United Methodist minister, wrote a book called, “Give to Live” in which he explored the actual, observable truth of the phenomenon behind that joke!  Don’t be afraid, this won’t be a “stewardship sermon,” but do come to the 8:30am worship service prepared to share a brief story of your earliest memories of being generous.

 

It must be a gripping kind of terror which would drive one to take a large sum of money, bury it in the ground rather than use it or invest it, and keep it for the sole purpose of having it until giving it back someday.  With all sorts of other options for being carefully and prudently productive, the burying-in-the-ground option seems a bit extreme.  Then again, sometimes people are like that in the face of fear – we retreat from proper action and insure the very disaster we’d like to avoid.  It’s all right there in Matthew 25:14-30.  Come to worship this Sunday at 11am and we’ll see what we can dig up.

Don

 

November 1, 2011

Greetings, Elkin Baptist family. I can hardly wait to be with you in the coming days. On the men’s retreat, we’ll be looking at tangible ways men express their spirituality and how we can grow closer to God and one another. There will be times of prayer, discussion, laughter, and learning!  No prolonged periods of silent prayers but lots of good, rich, honest discussion.

At the 8:30am service, I’ll be sharing with you a story from a recent visit with my family doctor.  I hope you’ll find some humor in it, some truth for your own life, and be able to relate it to the church and your journey.

At the 11am service, I’ll be sharing from Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  Paul and the church seem to be in an in-between time; an interim if you will!  He writes to help them see what they need to be doing to get ready for the time to follow.  He gives instructions on how to behave and how to focus.  I’m hopeful that this may guide your thinking as you lean into the interim time, thinking about how you do church, and about how God is preparing you and your next pastor.

I am so excited about being with you, sharing love and laughter!

Bo Prosser

October 26, 2011

We’ll look at a meditation by John Bell this week in the 8:30 service that talks about how we, as human beings, tend to hold on to our past.  Some people call it “baggage,” some people call it “dwelling in the past,” some say “not being able to live in the moment,” etc.  Whatever you call it, we’ll have the opportunity to at least look at it for what it is.  We’ll also hear a great song by Rascal Flatts, entitled “Movin On.”  The song speaks of someone who has already defined their past and is ready to move on.  We’ll have a chance to talk about the meditation and the song.  See you then.

Dave

 

The phrase “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” came to be associate with the Statue of Liberty as a symbolic invitation from our country to the world.  Similarly, the Beatitudes in the beginning of Matthew’s recording of the Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount serves as an invitation to the Kingdom of God.  We invite you to join us for worship at 11am this week to hear Jesus’ invitation.

Don

 

October 19, 2011

One would think that James the apostle would be remembered as a great leader.

After all, he was in the “inner circle” of apostles, along with Peter and John,

who were closest to Jesus. Both Peter and John went on to become great leaders

in the new Christian movement. Why don’t we hear much about James?

This week at our 8:30 alternative worship service we will hear more about

James and his life after Jesus’ resurrection. Come to learn and see what traits

of James you may wish to emulate.

Rebecca

I Thessalonians is perhaps the oldest and earliest of all the writings in the New

Testament and provides a helpful insight into the developing beliefs of the

early Church. Perhaps more important than that, it gives us a helpful glimpse

of the methods of Paul and his co-workers among the believers they served and

sought to nurture in the faith. Join us at 11am to experience the gentleness of

the Gospel as Paul shared it with the Thessalonians.

Don

October 12,2011

The leaves are beginning to change and fall is in full swing. It is a season where

the beauty and weather seems to beg us out into Creation. But often, it seems that

we think that the environment is something out there, something for us to enjoy

like a far off destination. Or worse, it is something for us to bring under our control.

God’s ordering of Creation in Genesis 1 shapes much of our thinking about

the world and about humankind. I wonder if we have ever taken the time to stop

and think that maybe it isn’t telling us that we are above creation, or separated

from it, or meant to control it. I wonder if instead, God asks us to look at this

wonderful story and recognize our part in it. I hope you’ll join me as we reflect on

the wonder of Creation and where we fit in all of it this Sunday, at 8:30am.

Chris

This week’s selection from the lectionary passages is well timed. In 1st Thessalonians

1:1-10 we get an encouraging glimpse of Paul’s pastoral relationship with

the believers in Thessalonica. What can we learn about their relationship that will

offer helpful encouragement as this congregation prepares for its next pastor?

What pastoral postures does Paul model and what guidance does that offer for a

congregation like ours? Come and see.

Don

October 5, 2011

Faith, for those who have the habit of seeing life through those lenses,

is a sensible comfort. It’s not like that for everyone. If one has never

experienced the patient and powerful presence of Christ through the

loving and judgment free presence of another, faith doesn’t always

make sense. Join us this Sunday for unlikely stories about being the

presence of Christ in unlikely places, with unlikely people. Following

Jesus, and teaching others to follow him, is like that sometimes.

“Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner!” Just like the controversial movie

from the late 60′s starring Sidney Poitier, we will surely be surprised in

heaven at all the folks with whom we end up sharing fellowship. Jesus

said the Kingdom of God is like a party – and everyone is invited.

Good or bad, rich or poor, clean or unclean. In this week’s passage,

Matthew 22:1-14, God sends his servants out into the streets to fill the

banquet hall with people who want to join the celebration of the wedding

feast. Join us in worship this week as we review the guest list.

Don

September 29, 2011

We will celebrate World Communion Sunday this week at both services. In 1940 the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established World-wide Communion Sunday—originally a Presbyterian observance—as a global, interdenominational event. On this day we celebrate our oneness in Christ in the midst of the world we are called to serve. In our 8:30 alternative worship service, we will explore what it means to celebrate communion and to be in communion with one another through the love of Christ. We will experience this in a variety of ways. Come join us on the journey.

Rebecca

It’s bad enough to get in trouble. It feels bad. It’s embarrassing. Sometimes getting in trouble is downright painful – whether from the punishment, or just the consequences. Did you ever have one of those parents who would ask you what you thought your punishment should be? “What do YOU think should happen to someone who: stayed out too late on purpose? Skipped school? Hit her sister? Cheated her brother? Stole something? Lied? The added stress of having to pronounce one’s own sentence is a pretty effective teaching tool. In the heat of the moment you had to perform the emotional calculus of weighing your guilt and formulating a sentence harsh enough to be accepted, yet as much lighter than the one feared as you think you can get away with. Or, you just cave to remorse and go all in on the worst possible punishment and beg for mercy at the same time. Maybe you’ve been that wily parent? In this week’s sermon text Jesus still has the chief priests and elders reeling in the heat of the moment as her turns their questions back on them. In this parable about an absent owner, mistreated messengers, arrogant stewards and justice to come, they realize they are not the characters they want to be in the story. Be careful as you look for yourself in the story. That can get you in trouble…

Don

September 21, 2011

 

A few weeks ago, we learned from an insider more understanding of the nature of the apostle Andrew.  In this week’s 8:30 service we will gain insight into the personality of Andrew’s brother, Simon Peter.  There are lots of stories about Simon Peter in the New Testament.  He was the one apostle who frequently spoke and acted impulsively.  We recognize Peter as the leader of the twelve apostles, but there is more to Peter than what we read.  Once again, our visitor from the past will join us, allowing us a glimpse of what it was like to be in Peter’s

presence as he sought to follow Jesus.   Join us!

Rebecca

 

Not every question deserves an answer.  If you find yourself sitting around with a Bible close by and some time to invest toward your spiritual development, perhaps you will read through the gospels and count how many questions are asked of Jesus which he never bothers to answer.  Just because someone asks a question doesn’t mean it is a good question, or a fair question, a genuine question, a helpful question, an enlightening question, or even a decent question.  If you do read through the gospels counting questions, by the time you get to this Sunday’s sermon text, Mathew 21:23-32, you will have probably noticed a pattern.  Most of the questions put to Jesus were malicious, manipulative, disingenuous, deceitful or, at best, selfish or misguided.  Despite all of this, I maintain that asking questions is a most excellent way to approach most situations in life.  By all means, bring questions to worship with you – but, be prepared for Jesus to ask some in return.

Don

 

September 14, 2011

As we come away from the 9/11 benchmark last Sunday, we are left with some of the same feelings and emotions of the tragedy ten years ago.  Although we were given a choice of how much we invested in remembering, those of us who allowed some of the loss and grief to resurface, also remembered how we dealt with the healing process.  We watched as our neighbors used some of the loss and tragedy to springboard into an outpouring of love to counteract the evil of the attacks.  As I write this, it’s Sunday night 9/11, and I still see the images on television of not just the aftermath but the coming together of communities to help each other begin the process of healing and restoring order in the midst of chaos.

 

In this Sunday’s 8:30 service, we will look at the passage in Luke where Jesus heals the lepers.  The detail that stands out in this story is that Jesus doesn’t cure them instantly.  He tells the ten men to go show themselves to the priest.  And somewhere on the journey they are healed.  In our world of instant everything, we are reminded that the journey is all we have.  Our tragedy and triumphs are built and sometimes torn down on the day to day journey.  Quoting our story for next Sunday, there are “new and different opportunities ahead:  new charities beyond the tears, new hope beyond the losses and new spiritual growth beyond the despair.”  We’ll look at some of the choices that those who have gone before us have made.  See you Sunday.

Dave

 

 

Exodus 16:2-15 tells a frustrating story of God’s provision in Israel’s time of need as they wandered in the Wilderness.  The Israelites were frustrated that times were hard and some even wished they’d died back in Egypt.  God was frustrated that even when provision was made, there was still hard headed grumbling.  Granted, surviving isn’t thriving, but sometimes in a bad situation you take what you get.  As we gather this Sunday at 11am in our own time of worship, and to reflect on this interesting little vignette in Israel’s sojourn with God in the desert, let’s not forget that it all happens on the long, hard way to the promised land.

Don

 

September 6, 2011

This Sunday happens to be the ten year anniversary of 9/11.  This week’s 8:30 service will begin by looking at the parable of the weeds that appears in Matthew 13:24-30.  The parable confronts the age old mystery: so much evil in the world.  We’ll hear some short stories that relate to the parable and, as time allows, perhaps some stories about 9/11 or its aftermath.  You might want to bring a story to share.  See you Sunday.

Dave

 

I had to give up arguing about theology for Lent this past Holy season.  It’s been a favorite sport of mine through the years, but I thought I was over it.  However, in the space of a week I found myself in two full blown, no punches pulled, everything except insulting the opponent’s mother kind of theological debates on the internet through facebook.  I don’t remember what they were about – which is telling of the folly in such things.  One of my verbal sparring partners was not even an acquaintance, just an opinionated passerby on a friend’s comment.  I confess that debate was the most fun and least productive.  The other opponent was never close to me to begin with and is now even less a friend.  Even if the topics had mattered more and the relationships been strong enough to contain the intensity of the back and forth, well, let’s just admit that facebook isn’t really the venue for substantial theological intercourse.  If you’ve ever been similarly tenacious about how others should agree with your favorite theological point, or moral practice, you’d have probably been as good a New Testament Christian as me.  Apparently, Paul had his hands full of people like us and took time in Romans 14:1-12 to offer some wisdom for our benefit.  Join us in worship at 11am on September 11^th to hear of the spiritual necessity of a gently forgiving and tolerant faith.

Don

 

August 31, 2011

This Sunday marks the beginning of our time together as we seek to be faithful to God and to one another.  As a congregation you have spent many months discerning God’s calling for you as a congregation in a changed, and changing, community.  You have been preparing for the missional journey of being faithful to that calling.  I look forward to getting to know each of you as I also take a journey from institutional ministry to congregational ministry.  You are learning how to be a different kind of church.  I am learning how to be a different kind of minister.  We will learn from one another as we make mistakes together, grow with one another, heal one another, and prepare with one another to be faithful to God’s calling in our lives as individuals and as a congregation.  What an adventure!  I cannot imagine a more challenging and exciting time to be called by you to join you as your interim pastor.

In the 11 o’clock service we will focus our attention on Exodus 12:1-14.  As the Hebrews prepared for the Passover, they made sober preparations for a journey of faithfulness.  They set aside old burdens and prepared to travel light.  Passover is about both continuing the faithfulness of the past and being delivered by God to a new life together.  This journey was so important to the Hebrews that it marked time for them, a new beginning.  They knew as they prepared that they were living in a time they would look back on and celebrate.  Join us in worship this Sunday as we mark a new beginning.  Join us as we prepare for a future from which we will look back to celebrate the journey for which God prepared us.                                                                                                        Don

 

Can you name the thirteen apostles?  Reading Matthew 10:1-4 and Acts 1:15-26 may help.  There won’t be a test on Sunday; rather we will have a look at one of the first apostles to respond to Jesus’ call of “Come and see.”  Andrew, a disciple of John, is recorded in the New Testament as the first of the Twelve whom Jesus called.  A friend of Andrew’s will join us at our 8:30 alternative worship, sharing her perspective and insight into Andrew’s personality.  “Come and See!”Rebecca

 

August 24, 2011
Sunday will be an exciting day in the life of our faith community. We will begin with the
8:30 alternative worship service, where we will focus on stories and news from our Operation
Inasmuch activities. After breakfast and fellowship around the tables, we will remain in
the fellowship hall for a joint Sunday School time, 4th Grade through Adult, to hear reports
from our class discussions from the week before and learn more about our experiences during
Operation Inasmuch. Our 11 o’clock traditional worship will highlight a few special stories
from Operation Inasmuch, recognize Peace Sunday, focus on Romans 12:9-21 for our
sermon, and culminate with the ordination and laying on of hands of four new deacons –
Debbie Brown, Susan Neaves, Gary Sebastian, and Hasten Wall. What a great morning!
The lectionary text for 11 o’clock is right in tune with our activities for the day. Romans
12:9 begins with the words, “Let love be genuine…” We will pursue Paul’s directive and
consider its influence in our lives. We will dig deeper into verse 16: “Live in harmony with
one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than
you are.” Simple words, simple thoughts, but not so simple living. Paul loads our scripture
from Romans with lots of instruction for daily living. How now shall we live as a transformed
follower of Jesus the Christ? Come and join us Sunday as we continue along our
journey of faith.
Rebecca