Blog Archives

4/22/2021 0 Comments

Good Shepherd Sunday

Beloved of God,

    I mentioned on Sunday that I would like us to find ways to support the ministry of our friends at New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries. We’ll be talking more about this in the coming weeks, but if you would like more information in the meanwhile, you may want to visit their website here.
    This Sunday in the lectionary is Good Shepherd Sunday, where we spend time looking at several passages that ask us to meditate on the way Jesus is our Good Shepherd. But I would like to use this letter to give us a chance to meditate on the most famous “shepherding” passage in all of Scripture, the 23rd Psalm. This Psalm isn’t very long. It’s only about 6 verses, and as is often the case it is even shorter in the Hebrew. But the most intriguing part of the poetry of Psalm 23 to me comes right in the midst of verse four:

    4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil;
    For You are with me;
    Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

There’s a tiny little shift in there. The Psalm, which so far has only spoken of God in the third person, suddenly speaks of God as if He is immediate. But notice when this shift happens:“...though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me”. It is in the moment that the darkness is so deep as to feel like death that the Psalmist notices that God is present, and begins to speak to God instead of about God.
    Now, that’s not easy to do. It’s not easy to notice God in the very midst of our deepest worry, hurt, and sorrow. But I don’t think the Psalmist writes this to shame us if we can’t do it. I think the Psalmist gives us this image to remind us that whether we recognize it in the moment or not, God is present to us even in our very hardest days. God is faithful. God is unafraid of what we fear. God does not even hesitate to set a lavish feast for us right in the moment we feel the most threatened. We must learn to rest in God the way that sheep rest in their shepherd. We may not always be able to do it, but we will certainly not learn to do so unless we practice that kind of trust. And one of the best ways we can practice this is by making this psalm our own. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics and others who work hard to keep us all well.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
Those among us who may be sick or hurt whether in mind, body, or spirit.
Little ways each day where we might be Christ’s presence to those who do not know Him, or who need Him.
In praise for the Church; for a family among whom we can live out our discipleship. And to that end…
Each other (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer ministry)

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

0 Comments

4/15/2021 0 Comments

Swiss Army Knife

Beloved of God,
     I hope you will join me in praying for wisdom as we approach our bimonthly congregational meeting this Sunday. If you would like to review the proposed changes to the bylaws that will be discussed, you may click here. At this stage, all of our discussion is taking place in the form of a working meeting, and final votes on proposed changes will come later on.
    Secret Church will be happening next Friday, April 23rd from 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm. Secret Church is an annual single session intensive seminar hosted locally by our missions team. If you are interested in participating, please email the missions team for more information.
    The Psalm for this week from the Lectionary is Psalm 4. Psalm 4 is something of a spiritual Swiss Army knife. I think about the tools that many of us have learned to help us take stock of our emotions before we act, or to deal with stressful moments. Psalm 4 feels to me like an ancient version of such things. It moves from deep upset, to words of trust in God, to advice for a holy life in times of trouble.
    My guess is that this year more than a couple of us have lain awake at night working through our troubles. It can be easy in those moments to plot our revenge, or foster bitterness at a situation, or someone else, even God. But Psalm 4 gives us a plan for dealing with moments like this: do what you know to be right, be honest with God about your trouble, and trust that God will give you rest in moments of mercy and joy. If, as Jesus tells us, each day has enough trouble of its own, then it helps us to have a plan in place to help meet today’s trouble. The beauty and wisdom of Psalm 4 is that it speaks of just such a plan. What a gift it is to find simple wisdom in Scripture.
Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Wisdom for the congregation as we gather on Sunday to conduct regular business.
Those among us who are sick or hurt in body, mind, or spirit.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics and others who are working hard to keep us all well.
Students, teachers, administrators and others doing the good work of education in our community.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
Mission: down the block, across the country, and around the world. May God help us to call our neighbors near and far toward Christ.
Each other (please email [email protected] if you would like to be added to our prayer list)

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,
Marshall

0 Comments

4/1/2021 0 Comments

Maundy Thursday

Beloved of God,

I hope you have made plans to join us for our Good Friday service tomorrow at 6:45 PM.We will be taking some time to sit with the witness of Scripture and listen to the story of Jesus’ suffering and death with fresh ears. Haley has something wonderful planned for the kiddos, but as RSVPs are already due, it will be helpful if you offer to volunteer or to shamelessly bribe her with fancy coffee.

Those of you who would like to join us for an Easter Sunrise service at Overlook Point are welcome to attend. The service will be at 6:30 AM on Easter morning. Please plan on wearing a mask and observing social distancing.

On Easter Sunday, we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. If you will not be worshipping with us in person, please know that we will have elements available for you at the church from 10 AM to 12 PM on Saturday, April 3rd. You will also have a chance to flower the cross if you would like to do so.

As it is April 1st, April Fools Day, I thought I’d pass along this fascinating video on the origin of the tradition.

It is also Maundy Thursday, a moment we read about in Mark 14:12-26. I often wonder about the deeply meaningful relationship that Jesus would have developed with the twelve disciples during his ministry. You don’t spend that much time doing that sort of work without some meaningful connections forming between folks. I’m fascinated that immediately before what was going to be the most excruciating moment of his life, Jesus chose to spend that time with his disciples.
When we are tired, or stressed, or anxious it can be tempting to abandon our discipline of prayer and study. We might even give ourselves an out since we’re “not in the right headspace” for that sort of thing. We may think (even rightly) that whatever study curriculum we use for prayer and study will feel like a chore that we cannot manage well. But if we take Maundy Thursday as an example, maybe this is exactly the time to come into Christ’s presence. Maybe we learn to sit quietly with the Lord and just listen. Maybe we move slowly through a passage we already know well, and remember what it means to be a child of God. Jesus loves his disciples, and wants to spend time with us. Let’s do that, even if we’re on the ropes.

Please join me this week in praying for:
An end to this pandemic.

Those who are in need of healing in mind, body or spirit.
Those among us facing moments of change, difficulty or uncertainty.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics and other health professionals working to keep us all well.
Those who are travelling home from a much needed time away.
Students, teachers, administrators and others as many young students head back into the classroom on Monday.
Christians around the world as they prepare to celebrate Easter.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state and local level.
One another (Please contact [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list.