Let us pray that we love God in our hearts and in our actions: Almighty God, you have called us to serve you, yet without your grace we are not able to please you. Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit, who leads us in the way of Christ, direct and rule our hearts in all things. Amen.
(New Zealand Prayer Book)
December was a joyful month. We celebrated the joy of Christ’s birth at Christmas Eve Communion. We have shared meals and enjoyed family gatherings. Most of us, if not all of us, received
a present or two. We had our fill of good food and cheer. December with its Christmas season is a special time of the year, but if I had my way, Christmas Eve would begin the Christmas season
and we would shop until January 5th. Presents and gifts would be shared on the twelfth day of Christmas, the day of the Epiphany when the Wise Men delivered their gifts. That is the time we celebrate the Wise Men bearing their gifts to Christ; but, alas, I know that is not going to happen in that order in my lifetime.
December was also a surprising month. The surprising part of December was 22 inches of snow in Galax. My Subaru could not even drive through it. For these parts, I hope 22 inches of snow
is an oddity and not the norm. If is the norm, I may have to look at a vehicle that needs a ladder to ascend into the cockpit. I have seen a few around town. Even though a very small pile of snow
sits in the churchyard from the “big one” a few weeks back, we now transition into the new year. Let’s hope that pile of snow is not waiting for more of its snowy friends to arrive.On a positive
note, the hours of daylight are beginning to slowly lengthen in January. Looking at the weather forecast, it looks good; but, as we know, that can change quickly in January. The last college
football game for the season is played next week. The NFL playoffs are played in January. College basketball teams begin playing their conference opponents, and by the end of the month,
we will know who the top contenders will probably be, come March Madness.
Church calendar-wise, January is the season of Epiphany. The day of Ephinay is always January 6 (twelve days after December 25). This year we celebrate Epiphany on Sunday, January 6.
Now, I debate whether I should still call it “Epiphany Sunday” as opposed to the day of the Epiphany. Epiphany celebrates the day when the star shone over the manger and pointed the way
to the Wise Men to come and pay homage to the newborn kind born in a manger.
Concerning Epiphany, which means “shines upon,” I myself love the image of a “light shining in the darkness” as Isaiah puts it (Isaiah 6). Think of the birth of Christ as a dawning whose brightness only grows as time marches on. Think of it in a personal sense as the light of Christ points out our flaws and leads us to turn from sin. Think of it in the social sense in that we can
create a better society, both today and for the future. Epiphany tells us that God has not forgotten us and left us in the darkness. There is a light!
Living the light of the revelation of God’s love in Jesus Christ, we celebrate Baptism of the Lord Sunday on Sunday, January 13 during Sunday Worship. We will be given the chance to renew
our Baptismal vows in conjunction with the beginning of the new year. To help us celebrate the new year, we have a feast after Worship on Sunday, January 13. Come, bring a dish to share.
Dessert will be provided (I hope you like cookies!)
Pastor Mark McFadden
Welcome to December! It is a month in which we not only anticipate the celebration of God becoming human in Jesus of Nazareth, it is also the time in which we anticipate family get-togethers, special meals, and a time to renew old acquaintances. It is also a time of dread. I personally dread it becoming dark so early. It can be 6:30 p.m. and it seems to be 9 p.m.!
It can also be a month of sadness and nostalgia as we remember our loved ones not with us, and we miss their presence. This is my second Christmas with neither my mom nor dad. I feel their absence as I am sure they felt an absence with my grandparents passed. This season of festivity is a season to spend with those we love and those who love us: Family and friends. May we cherish it and not take it for granted.
May we remember those that have few friends and little family in this season of family and friendship. If the opportunity presents itself, become family and a friend to someone who has neither. hrist himself was born into a family as you and I were. His mother was Mary and his supposed father was Joseph. Among his brothers was James, an early leader in Christ’s Church. Jesus was surrounded by family and friends. Jesus was surrounded by his “tribe.”
Nevertheless, his tribe and family did not prevent him from reaching out to those not of his tribe and family. His particular social situation did not limit those with whom interacted. He healed the daughter of a Gentile Syrophoenician woman after she pointed out to him that God looks after everyone. He healed the daughter of a Gentile Roman Centurion. He conversed with a Gentile Samaritan woman of dubious reputation. He embraced the lame and blind and overcame their supposed uncleanness.
The good that Jesus did was not limited to his family and friends, but it certainly included them. May this be an example to us as we celebrate with family and friends for as John says: “God so love the WORLD….” When we see anyone in distress or dire straits, may we ignore the politicians, political pundits, and voices of the world; rather, may we listen to the Holy Spirit who leads us in the way of Christ!
Pastor Mark McFadden
It is November. I think of it as the “in-between time.” The time between Halloween and Christmas. Although Advent and Christmas are a high season on the Christian calendar, there are important special dates this month. All Saints Day is November 1, and we celebrate it the Sunday after Nov. 1 as All Saints Sunday. Veteran’s Day is November 11. Thanksgiving is in the latter part of November and then the last Sunday of the Christian Year: Christ the King Sunday!
November is also the month for pledging in our congregation and many others. It is a time to evaluate our support of Christ’s Church for the coming year. Sports wise, the college teams going to bowls are beginning to take a rough form, and if you follow pro football you begin to know which teams are really the better ones this season. As for baseball, I know the world series is going on but I do not watch baseball. I have not learned much about professional baseball since the Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds, and that has been a few decades ago. Sorry baseball fans.
November is also the “in between season time.” We go from late Autumn to anticipation (or more likely dread) of long, cold winter nights and days. We do get an extra hour to sleep on the first Sunday of November. The drawback is that darkness arrives much earlier in the evening. Everything has a price from time changes, to seasonal weather changes, to celebrations that may renew our grief over lost loved ones.
Following Christ has a price. We die to the self. What does that mean? I take it to mean that we realize that the world is larger than our world; and, if the world is larger than our world, what steps are required of us to conceive and implement plans for a better world? Ah, the mission of Christ’s Church is global and international, yet it is also local and personal. When the opportunity presents itself, may we make that change or move or even a genuine smile or show of compassion that makes the world a better place in which to live, not just for us, but for others. This is part of dying to the self. Christ has given us an example; may we follow it.
Pastor Mark McFadden
P.S. Glenna and I appreciate your thoughtfulness in October from flowers to the gift of theatre, to a beautiful, humbling, bulletin board. Most of all thank you for our support in our ministry together here at First UMC, Galax.
It was a wet September. We witnessed a five-inch rainfall night and then a week later, Hurricane Florence, downgraded to a tropical depression, moved through our area. Perhaps October will not be as dramatic weather-wise. As I sit here writing the first draft of “pastoral ponderings” for October, the sun is shining brightly! There is hope!
We hope to have a beautiful fall foliage in late October. We hope our respective teams win. We hope the weather to be that perfect mix of cool nights and cooler (not cold) days.The drives in this region during this time of the year are among the best. We hope to find time for those drives. There is hope!
We hope in God, that is, we trust that God is with us. This is easier to proclaim when things are going well than when things are not going well, but it may be that at our lowest points we have a greater hope in God. What I mean by that is that when things are going well, we have received that for which we hope. Perhaps we get complacent.
It is easy to overlook those who hope for many of the things we have. This can be anything from material goods to social situations we take for granted. For instance, we do not have to worry that the neighboring town will invade our town, burn it to the ground, and murder everyone over the age of 30 while enslaving the rest, but what about those in such a situation?
In Nigeria? Yemen? Syria? Myanmar among the Rohingya? On a personal level, if we have good mental and physical health we may overlook those who have ill health.
The world is big and far from perfect, just as we ourselves are, yet when we consider in our prayers those still hoping for the things we already possess, we pray and hope with them so that when the opportunity presents itself to make a difference, we are ready for action.
How big and broad is your hope? Does it extend beyond you personally? Does it include God’s hope for the world: Peace, kindness, fairness, justice? May our hope and faith be broad
and grand.
Pastor Mark McFadden
It is late summer. I anticipate the crisp, cool autumnal days ahead. Football season is in full swing: First, high school, then college, and pro. I have attended two Maroon Tides games. They play well and appear to be well-coached. I am also impressed with the field and stadium. It is a nice spot for a high school football game.
I also noticed that FUMC is well represented in supporting the community from concessions to parking. Part of being a Christian is certainly being a help to the local community. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to make a difference for the good. This is indeed spreading Good News of peace, and far more often than not, this is accomplished is the small, everyday things we do in life from a genuinely warm greeting to selling popcorn to raise fund
for scholarships.
It is difficult to believe that Jesus was only in public ministry for three years, yet his words and way of life have made a grand impact upon human life and in history. Of course, being resurrected from the dead is the ultimate impact in that resurrection demonstrates that God’s love cannot be defeated by hatred, malice, and corruption.
Be encouraged that following Jesus Christ is the way of life that God intends for human-kind. Do not be swayed by the corruption and evil around us; rather, be a light shining in the darkness. No matter our profession, or place, or situation in life, we can always bear witness to God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit leads us in this way.
Pastor Mark McFadden
Let us pray to God for the courage to be faithful to God: Faithful God, in the daily choices we make, give us the courage to opt always for the way of our example, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through the Holy Spirit, guide us on the difficult road we sometimes take without seeing where it will lead us. Keep us from making half-hearted decisions where we have not enough faith. Keep us always faithful through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Claretian Publications, alt.)
In spite of all the misery and evil we do to each other, the book of Ephesians tells us that Christ has ultimate Lordship over the world. This happens not through instruments that inflict pain, injury, and death upon others, but through instruments of peace, truth, and righteousness.
Ephesians tell us that our strength is not in force of arms but in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:10-20). We challenge and engage evil by living lives of truth, love, compassion, and faithfulness. These are our instruments of warfare, and in this way, we bring the hope of a greater peace in the world.
I look forward to this month. I have always heard of the Fiddler’s Convention in Galax but never attended. Not only do I get to hear it from my lawn, I even have the privilege of saying a prayer at it.
I also checked out the BBQ competition in late July. I sampled about 19 varieties and made a People’s Choice vote. Although a few were already empty by the time I sampled, my vote was #5. If anyone knows what #5 was, let me know. I thought the BBQ teams would sell BBQ during the competition; however, I did learn that you could obtain it later in the afternoon/evening. I went about 7:00 in the evening. I was disappointed. It was too late, but I did purchase a local Brisket sandwich and was culinarily happy.
Life is full of disappointments. Some are minor disappointments and some are major. What do with when we are disappointed? The disciples were sorely disappointed with Jesus. They witnessed the miracles of Jesus and learned what they could of what he taught. They were there when Jesus was gloriously received into Jerusalem. They were also there when he left Jerusalem on the way to crucifixion.
Disappointment perhaps does not describe fully what they must have felt when Jesus was arrested. It was abject disappointment mixed with fear and anxiety. Nevertheless, we know how the story turned out: Resurrection! In light of the resurrection, the disciples made adjustments. They found the courage to not only proclaim the Good News of Jesus. They found the courage to be faithful to God in the midst of difficult painful times.
According to traditions, many disciples suffered martyrdom. Not the type where they died with a weapon in their hand, but the type where they, like Christ, suffered because they chose to follow the way of Christ and its message of non-violence and sharing God’s kindness and love with the world. They glorified Christ with their lives to the degree that what they shared was not their life and legacy but the life and legacy of Christ.
The disappointment, fear, and anxiety of the disciple gave way to courage and hope. Life does not always flow the way we anticipate or the way we wish. Events happen in life that devastate us. May we trust God, especially in those times.
May we be faithful to God and others in the way of Christ; no matter the situation, no matter our disappointment. May we not give up on sharing the love and kindness revealed in Jesus Christ. Christ suffers with us. May we suffer with those going through hard times, and in life, we will all go through hard times where we need one another.
Pastor Mark McFadden
Paul had great confidence in God and what God can do through Christ’s Church (Ephesians 3:14-21). Having been rooted and grounded in God’s love, God works through us, doing far more than we imagine. We are strengthened with an increasing comprehension of God’s love, and its great capacity to flow from us to others and transform the world.
What type of world do you imagine? What do you imagine that God could do through a local congregation of Christ’s Church? Remember, God can do far more than we imagine because, through the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in our hearts and fills us with the fullness of God (C. H. Talbert).”
