Taste and See...

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

During this time of year, we begin to wind down in our work, plan family vacations, and begin losing ourselves in dreams of white sand beaches between naps. It’s been a long year of struggle and accomplishment, with (unending) snow covering the ground, our families are busy, and we just...need...rest.

So often, I find myself rushing to get through another month, another season that I forget to stop, slow down, and follow in the footsteps of God. I become so captive to my schedule that I begin to look for escape.

And yet God calls me to something different.

He calls me to follow him to green pastures, to slow moving rivers, to be silent and still. Why? Is God so naive to think that my schedule will obey Him? We’ve got kids, obligations, employment, when do those demands ever slow down?

I’m reminded of my son Joshua during these seasons. In the few minutes before bedtime, I read to him. My job as dad is to read the story! Finish the book! Tuck him in, all in the span of a few short moments. “Mission accomplished!” I exclaim and move to the next event.

During these times, Joshua is often the whisper of God to me - as a five year old, he asks questions, he lives in the moment, he savors the breath of life that God has given him, and he slows down.

So during this season of winding down, when it feels like you are running on fumes and desperate to escape reality, remember to slow down. Remember what it’s like to listen. Remember what it’s like to live with meaning. And then taste and see that God is indeed very, very good.

Blessings on your weekend,

Shaun Smith

Praise Him

It probably comes as no surprise to you that, as a musician, I love the Psalms. Take Psalm 150, for example:

Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet… with the harp and lyre…
with timbrel and dancing…with the strings and pipe… with the clash of cymbals...

God has clearly ordained music to be a means through which He is worshiped. But have you ever pondered what He had to do to make it possible to do so?

First of all, He came up with the idea to have all of creation be made up of tiny molecules, invisible to the naked eye. He made some of these molecules light enough to float around and bump into each other. Then He made living creatures with super-sensitive organs that these particles could collide with. Random impacts would be perceived as noise—but when governed by laws of vibration, consonance and dissonance—again, His ideas—melody and harmony became possible.

So far, it’s kind of a technical explanation… but consider that we not only can perceive music, we also are moved by it. Music can inspire us, energize us, console us, sadden us, and even frighten us. But one of my favourite things about music is the fact that it can unite us—especially when we worship our Creator together.

…which was also His idea, by the way. So let the miracle of sound and the gift of music help fuel your worship this weekend.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Blessings,
Jeff

Unshaken

 I remember a time in college when I felt that my world was falling apart. A relationship had ended, and I was stressed about what path my future would take. A gift that God gave me was Psalm 16:8. Back then we used a translation called the NASB, so that's where my memory takes me,

"I have set The Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken."

God used this verse then, and many times since, to remind me of two life-giving truths:

• I need to choose daily and sometimes hourly (continually!) to allow God to take up the most space in my line of vision. When He is in His rightful place-First-all other problems are reduced in size and significance.
• When I make this choice, I simply align myself and my thoughts with reality...God is bigger...God's got it...God's with me. He is as close as my right hand. Even if my world and the world around me are shaking out of control, the inner world of my true self can remain unshaken.

These truths gave me a rock solid place to stand while in college and countless times since.

Joy!
Rita

Hope

Have you heard the term ‘YOLO?’ Over the last year, you have probably seen it in popular culture or in your social network of choice. The acronym, which stands for “You Only Live Once,” has been used by many as an excuse to make a series of poor decisions. The basic idea at play is that if we only live once, then why deny ourselves pleasure now?

To those who do not believe in the resurrection, this actually makes sense. The Apostle Paul nods at this in the second half of 1 Corinthians 15:32:

“...If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’”

But for those who choose to follow Christ, we live a different reality. We can live with hope! Hope that comes in the defeat of death, hope in a new life! This hope of a new reality impacts the way we live daily.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

In Him,
Jeremy

Maundy Thursday

Every year on this day, I’m asked about the origin of the term “Maundy” as in “Maundy Thursday.” A lot of scholars believe the word is a combination of Middle English and Old French with a touch of Latin, emerging out of a translation of John 13:34 where Jesus instructs His disciples to “Love each other, just as I have loved you.”

The origin of the word, if it should be called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, and whether or not it’s important for Christ Followers to mark this day, isn’t a critical debate. But I do hope you’re living this week with a heightened awareness regarding the events of Jesus’ final, critical days.

Tomorrow we’ll observe Good Friday, a day of sober reflection on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On the weekend we’ll celebrate resurrection, the glorious triumph of Christ. But on this Thursday of Holy Week, I encourage you to reflect on what happened the day before Good Friday. Read John 13 - Jesus gathers with his closest friends to share a final meal. Examine slowly and prayerfully the description of Jesus interrupting the meal to wash the feet of His disciples. As He explains His actions, Jesus gives another ‘advance interpretation’ of what is to come. Observe Peter’s reluctance to let Jesus wash his feet, and consider any hesitation you may have in giving yourself fully to Jesus. Reflect on Jesus’ challenge to love as He loved. Love empowered by a supernatural source loves when it’s inconvenient, loves when it is hurt, and loves others more than self. This kind of love is difficult, but we strive to love this way as an act of worship.

“We adore you O Christ and we praise you. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”

Greg

PS ~ The auditorium at SPAC is set up in observance of Holy Thursday (9 am to 9 pm). If it works with your schedule, why don’t you consider stopping by for a time of reflection and personal prayer as we head toward the weekend.  Our Good Friday service is at 10:30 am tomorrow, and Easter celebrations will be held at our regular service times Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Two Thieves

There’s a very moving passage in Luke 23:39-43. It’s an account of the two thieves who were being crucified next to Jesus. When you read this, you will see that in their last hours of life, maybe even moments, one thief grows bitter and insulting towards Jesus and the other humbled and receptive of Jesus’ gift of eternal life.


I recently shared this passage with someone who came to meet with me. This person is dying from an illness, and the health crisis has caused long and deep reflection on relationships for them. For many years, this person’s journey was full of selfish ambitions and unhealthy choices. As we sat in my office talking about their past and future, I heard a person taking responsibility for their choices and the impact they had on the people around them. At one point, they shared that it’s time to get things right with Jesus. I immediately thought of the passage from Luke 23:42-43 and assured them that like the thief on the cross that chose to follow Jesus at the last minute, it wasn’t too late to make the same decision.

Wherever this finds you and whatever you are going through today, I pray that you recognize how loved you are and receive the gift of real life Jesus extends to you. He is relentless in His pursuit of us, and His invitation to come and follow Him never ceases. I pray that today is a day you say “yes” to Jesus…for the first time, or once again.

God Bless you!
Pastor Kevin

Peter's Denial

Hi Church Family,

This season of the church year, one story that intrigues me is Peter’s denial of Jesus.

The night before Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter brashly boasted that he would never abandon Jesus in His hour of need. Jesus’ reply was surprising. He said that even before sunrise the next morning Peter would, not just once, but three times deny He even knew Jesus. Sure enough, when Peter was confronted with accusations that he was one of the people who had been with Jesus, he angrily replied, “I do not know this man!” Then the rooster crowed and Peter bitterly wept.

It’s a little too easy for us to think that if we’d been in Peter’s shoes, we would have courageously defended Jesus. But is that really true? How often have we been ashamed to be recognized as a follower of Jesus? How often have we remained silent when there was a need for the truth to be spoken? Aren’t these denials just like Peter’s?

But now let me tell you “the end of the story.” It is found in John 21:15-24. Take some time to check it out this week.

After His resurrection, Jesus made a point of taking Peter aside. How ashamed the three-time-denier Peter must have felt. Jesus gently asked him THREE times (coincidence? I don’t think so!), “Peter, do you love me?” Then three times Peter answered that he did. The words used in the original Greek indicate that at least Peter was honest enough to say his love probably only amounted to a fondness rather than the committed love Jesus deserved. And Jesus’ response? Three times He lovingly re-commissioned Peter for His kingdom work.

Are you feeling a bit of a failure this week? Do you feel like you’ve let Jesus down in some way? Remember the end of Peter’s denial story: divine forgiveness and affirmation. Jesus responds the very same way to us. I think that’s really good news to think about this week.

In Him,
Pastor Norm