Surrender Daily

This morning we celebrated a baptism, toward which Pastor Brad directed his opening remarks on a Sunday morning both chilly and sunny, the baptism of Keegan Michael Clark.

"God is pursuing Keegan even now," Brad said before turning his opening comments to today's theme. "We sing surrender songs, but we have parts of our lives where we want to run from God. It is a matter of willfulness vs. willingness." And we were warmly welcomed.

Announcements included the following:
1) The next women's Bible study will be February 27. Brad conveyed the message that last Friday's study was great, and it's not too late to join us.
2) "Dr. Leonard" stood to note that Feb. 14 is our Valentine's Banquet. Put it on your calendars.
3) Paula indicated that there is a church calendar on the wall by the kitchen where all church activities should be noted. This will help in organizing our church year.
4) The Secret Friends sign up sheets are still available for all women who wish to participate.

The Worship Team led us in a number of songs to prepare us for today's message, which was followed by today's baptism, which Pastor Brad explained was a "visible sign of covenant making."

Pastor became quite emotional during the baptism, reflecting on the innocence of youth and how challenging life can be later. "There are tough things coming... we need to pray for our little ones." It was a very moving ceremony as he displayed the newly baptized Keegan up and down the aisle.

The offering was taken and today's Scripture reading conducted.
Psalm 62:5-12
Mark 1:14-20

After a time of prayer for needs in the church, the sermon commenced.

Surrender Daily

Brad noted that there will be a time when we pray one of two prayers; either, "Not my will but Yours be done," or "God, not your will, but mine be done." He proceeded to draw upon events from the life of Moses to bring alive his message.

Moses was born during a time when the Pharaoh of Egypt decreed that all male children must be thrown into the river. As "chance" would have it, Moses was placed in a basket at three months of age and floated downstream. The Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own son, naming him Moses, which means, "I drew him out of the water."

Raised as he was in Pharaoh's house gave him a Golden Boy outlook on life. He was "Destiny's Child." He had power and a future. But he was aware that he was a Hebrew and still felt an identification with his people. On one occasion he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and decided something must be done. After looking this way and that, Moses took advantage of the isolated opportunity and killed the Egyptian, hiding the body and evidence of his wrongdoing.

His intentions may have been good, but instead of looking left and right he should have looked up. Did he pray before taking such extreme action? Did he acknolwedge his dependence on God?

In the midst of this story Brad noted how children are quite cute in infancy, but at age two or so they discover a new word: "No!" It's a willfulness that seems part of our nature. God gave us a will, the ability to make choices. The problem is when we want our way, our will, even if it hurts others or even contradicts God's will.

The endpoint toward which the sermon directed us was this simple prayer: "Thy will be done." In a quick summation Brad applied this to several areas of our lives.

In the workplace, some of us are in jobs where we spend our lives in "impression management." Often making a good impression is at the expense of others. In church many are aware of the importance of tithing, but haven't made an effort to move toward this spiritual discipline. Even simple things, like who gets to use the armrest on an airplane or who will yield in a discussion to allow the other to speak, we're exerting our wills or submitting to one another in love.

We begin to bring joy to God's heart when we say, "Not my will, but Thine be done. Our willfulness or decision to become willing needs to be made today.

Images of Light

With a little warm spell (the weather was above zero) and the sun sparkling off the new fallen snow, we gathered together for worship without Pastor Brad, who was speaking at Covenant Pines this morning. Chuck Vanderscheuren welcomed us to begin the service.

A number of announcements preceded a time of worship led by the Trio (Chuck, Dale, Ken) with Darlene on the keyboards. These announcements included:

1. Women's Bible Study begins Friday at 6:30 here at the church.

2. Though still many months off, we're planning a June rummage sale to raise funds and awareness for "Breaking the Chains," a program intended to help end human trafficking.

3. The Women's Circle is encouraging all women to participate in the "Secret Sister" program.

4. Paula also shared that the Women's Circle is making blankets for children in need.

5. Before starting his sermon, Leonard reminded us that the Valentine's Banquet will be held again this year on Feb. 14. As Scripture, and especially the Song of Solomon, declares, "the love between a man and a woman is to be celebrated."

Several sign up sheets were also presented for volunteers to help with coffee hour and for women interested in receiving the e-newsletter.

Today's Scripture readings:

I Samuel 3:1-10

John 1:43-51

After an offering and hymn, Leonard Armstrong delivered today's message.

Images of Light
Leonard began by telling how he'd discovered an interesting book by Anthony Flew, a renowned atheist who in 2004 wrote a book stating his beliefs had been altered and he was now a theist. Leonard returned to Barnes & Noble with the aim of buying Flew's book but it was no longer on the shelves. Flew, he said, felt that the discoveries of modern science seemed to leave an earnest inquirer with a single conclusion: the world was created by a Creator and did not just happen.

Leonard then shared an insight about Bertrand Russell, the 20th century's other most famous atheist. Russell's daughter had affirmed that her father's life was a continuous search for God.

The passages from which the message was drawn were as follows:

Isaiah 50:10-11

10 Who among you fears the LORD

and obeys the word of his servant?

Let him who walks in the dark,

who has no light,

trust in the name of the LORD

and rely on his God.
11 But now, all you who light fires

and provide yourselves with flaming torches,

go, walk in the light of your fires

and of the torches you have set ablaze.

This is what you shall receive from my hand:

You will lie down in torment.

John 1:1-9

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

And John 8:12

12When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

The Bible talks a lot about light. In Bible times, the world was darker. In contrast, today we have light pollution, almost too much light.

Even when there is no light at all, in the military we have night vision goggles so people can see when there is limited light, or none at all.

The point Isaiah makes in the passage cited is that we don't make our own light. We are to seek God's light. The false light which we create will burn out. God's light is eternal.

On the cross, why did Jesus cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" It is because he was in darkness. It is in that moment of darkness that we're tempted to make our own light.

Having, creating your own light can seem good at first. But there are consequences, and there is always more to the story.

In Leviticus 9:23-10:3 we read an incredible story of the how God revealed his glory through fire that consumed an offering, initiating the priesthood. Two of Aaron's sons followed this up by putting fire in their own censers and offering them to the Lord. In God's displeasure they were slain. Leonard used this story to highlight the difference between God's light and our own.

One of the problems with making or following our own light is that we can become so blinded by it that we become deceived. We all know how it is when people choose to hear what they want to hear instead of hearing the truth, God's still, small voice.

He pointed out that one reason Madoff's Ponzi scheme succeeded is because people were so receptive to the opportunity he offered, guaranteed above-average returns on their savings. Unfortunately, in the end what is true will be revealed in God's light.

The classic passage on this subject is found in Matthew 5:14-16

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Gospel of John opens by noting that John the Baptist was a witness to the light, but never claimed to be the light. Jesus alone was able to say, "I am the light." (John 8:12)

Today, are you walking toward God's light or making your own light? Does the light within you point toward God?