Current Message
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
Those of you who have
been able to attend Worship may have noticed
that I have been connecting the Christmas
and Easter Seasons of the church.
So often, we tend to think of them separately, but we truly can not have one
without the other. We can not understand the one without the other. I
recently came across a leaflet from the
American Tract Society - The First
Christmas Wreath. With a title such as that, one would expect to read just
about Christmas. Smack dab in the middle of the leaflet there was,
however, the Passion of Christ.
First, I read about
the appearance of festive wreaths, and the warmth
and celebration from the "blazing fireplace,
the smell of pine, a brightly
lighted tree with gifts spilling out in every direction, the sense of families
drawing
closer, the shining smiles of eager youngsters .... " Then there was
the reminder that it is during this most festive
season that there also is the
most "stress and dread for many. Endless traffic and irritating crowds. ,
Financial
tensions .... Fractured families who shuttle children back and
forth .... Loneliness, alienation, depression, fatigue."
Thus Christmas is
bittersweet.
These "feelings of lostness
and despair are what Christmas is really
all about .... Jesus Christ has come to identify
with fallen humanity .... He
shared our pain ... He gives us hope." Christ was "a man of sorrows, and
familiar with
suffering"(Isaiah 53:3). Like us, He experienced the death of
loved ones. Like us, He knew the weight of
responsibility to provide for
His household. Like us, He was often misunderstood by His loved ones.
And then He
was betrayed by a friend, and wrongly accused.
Jesus "humbly submitted
to arrest, torture, and the cruelest of deaths.
He died of a broken heart." He understood
us. He lived for us; He died for
us: He rose again for us. Christmas and Easter are celebrations "of life for
God's
people, a time of triumphant rejoicing and praise .... our Savior has
come. His suffering has brought freedom and
hope to us all." And what
about the first Christmas wreath? Christ wore the first one - a crown of
thorns."
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
Previous Message
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
" ..... Even so, come Lord Jesus." Revelation 22:20
In a recent sermon I used the word "Maranatha".
For those who may remember hearing that word before, it is
also used in our Communion
Service. Maranatha is an Aramaic phrase, and is found in Paul's First Epistle
(letter)
to the Corinthians -ICorinthians 16:22. The common translation is "Come, 0Lord". It can also be
translated as "Our Lord has come", for He has, and He will. In other words Maranatha
can be seen as both a
prayer for the early return of Christ and as a creedal declaration
Speaking of Communion, there are times when people
become confused as to whether they may take
communion. The only time that one should
not take communion is when that person has malice, hatred, envy,
non-forgiveness in his
or her heart, and is not willing to confess his or her sin and reconcile. It is clearly written
that, " ... he who consumes this meal with malice consumes judgment and secures for
himself not grace but
condemnation .... " (Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 for more information.)
All who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,
are invited to partake. As it states in the Book of Order,
The Ordering of Christian
Worship, [W-2, 4011], "The invitation to the Lord's Supper is extended to all who have
been
baptized, remembering that access to the Table is not a right conferred upon the worthy, but a privilege
given to the undeserving who come in faith, repentance, and love. In preparing to receive
Christ in this Sacrament,
the believer is to. confess sin and brokenness, to seek
reconciliation with God and neighbor, and to trust in
Jesus Christ for cleansing and
renewal. Even one who doubts or whose trust is wavering my come to the Table
in order to
be assured of God's love and grace in Christ Jesus."
"The Lord's Supper has a past reference to Christ's
death.. It has a present reference to our corporate
participation in Him through faith.
It has a future reference in that it is a pledge of His return. It encourages
the
faithful in their daily walk and in their expectation.
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
"Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
Matthew 5:9
I recently mentioned
in a sermon that peacekeepers were not the same
as peacemakers. As John Drescher
wrote, "Some seek to keep the peace by
brushing conflict under the rug - by not dealing with issues that ought
to
concern us or by keeping quiet when someone needs us to speak out.
Others make peace by being
reconcilers, by building unity between
individuals and groups, by helping persons appreciate the viewpoint of
others and love them - in spite of differences and in the midst of conflict."
And then there
are those who stir things up by carefully saying things
that become rumors that eventually seem
to become fact. How do we know
what is fact and what is not? To whom do we go when we are not sure of
stories
that go around the congregation? We can go to our leaders in the
church, the Session and the Pastor. We most
definitely can go to God in
prayer - and listen carefully, that we might discern what is good and
righteous.
As we enter the
Season of Advent, we enter into a time of preparation
- of looking at ourselves - of actually seeing
ourselves. We look forward
with joyful expectation to the celebration of the coming of our Lord, Jesus
Christ. Hope
is one of the words spoken when we light the Advent Candles.
So is Peace. "We live out our identity as God's
children when we become
true peacemakers, when we take on Christ's nature of love, forgiveness, and
reconciliation." We also live out our identity as God's children when we
learn to discern what is right and good.
"Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness ... " Matthew 6:33
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according
to the plan of him who works out everything
in conformity with the purpose of his will."... Ephesians 1:11
Have you ever wondered, "What on earth am I here for?" Maybe not the best
grammar, but you get the idea.
"Why am I here?" The answer starts with God. Yes, believe it or not, it is
not about you. As Rick Warren states
in his book, The Purpose Driven Life, "If you want to know why you were
placed on this planet, you must begin
with God. You were born BY His purpose and FOR His purpose. It was not
you who created yourself. It was
God. You cannot, therefore, "tell yourself what you were created
for!"
Have you ever asked someone for directions and had him tell you. "You
can't get there from here?" That is the
way it is with your life's purpose. You cannot figure it out by
focusing on yourself. You need to focus on God.
"It is only in God that we discover our origin, our identity,
our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our
destiny." In other words, your reason for being here is
not found in a "self-help" book. The only book that will
help you in this quest is God's Book. The rest of
the opening scripture states, "Long before we first heard of
Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on
us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall
purpose he is working out in everything and
everyone."
Ephesians 1:11 is telling us that we discover our purpose through our
relationship with Christ. It also tells us
that you were on His Mind. God thought of you "long before you
ever thought of him. His purpose for your life
predates your conception. He planned it before you existed,
without your input!" God is working on a larger,
more cosmic design - and you fit into it. You ask, "How
can I remind. myself that life is really about living for
God, not myself?" . By reading God's Word, by
prayer, and by reading Bible Study helps such as Rick
Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life.
"For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or
powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by
him and for him."... Colossians 1:16
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
“I thank God…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that
is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother
Lois and your mother Eunice.”... II Timothy 1:5
The month of May is a busy month - VE Day, Mother’s Day, Armed
Forces Day, Memorial Day and Pentecost.
How do all these connect? A godly mother is of great importance
in the life of a child, and even when the child
has become an adult - for that child is still the mother’s
daughter or son, no matter the age. The Apostle Paul
wrote to Timothy, reminding him of the genuine faith
of both his grandmother and his mother. Herb Vander Lugt
puts it this way: “God used two generations of
loving mothers to prepare Timothy for the crucial work he would
have in spreading the gospel and establishing
congregations of believers in Christ.”
So it is with other mothers - preparing their sons and daughters for the
work set before them - whether that work
is defending one’s country, or supporting a family, or leading a nation.
Abraham Lincoln stated that, “No man is
poor who has had a godly mother.” Both of his mothers were godly, and
he saw many such mothers during the
Civil War. Which brings us to Memorial Day. Memorial Day reminds us of the
sacrifices our young men and
women made to protect our country. The sacrifice was not always death - often it
was loss of limb, or loss of
mind. At the very least it was loss of time in their lives. Yet, many could be
assured that their mothers were
praying for them - that whatever happened, there was a direct line to God
petitioning for their safety.
While Memorial Day brings remembrance, Pentecost brings celebration. Jesus
prayed to the Father that we
would receive another Helper. As David McCasland reminds us, “The Spirit lives
within each Christian, bringing
the peace of Christ along with encouragement and alleviation of grief.” We know
that our mothers’ prayers are
with us, and that the “sweet guest of the soul” that is, the Holy Spirit, is always
with us on any day, not just
Mother’s Day, Memorial Day or Pentecost. As we remember those who died or suffered,
or who are suffering
and dying, let us remember that “in grief, the Spirit is our consolation, the light of our
hearts, the giver of
everlasting joy.”
“I pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may
abide with You forever.”... John 14:16
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”... Genesis 1:1
The “holidays” have come and gone. February is here with ice, snow
and cold. Our pagers and cell phones are
letting us know how busy we are. Parents and children alike
are racing back and forth trying to get to all the
extra-curricular activities that we think we “must
do”. We eat irregularly, (and it shows), and we fall asleep
exhausted, and sometimes we awaken exhausted.
Why do we try to do so much? Why are we putting ourselves
under such great pressure to succeed at doing
too much? And when we do not succeed, are we able to forgive
ourselves? Is
this what God intended for us, his children?
“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it
Was very good.”... Genesis 1:31
“As we begin the book of Genesis, we see a pattern - work, enjoyment
and rest. First, God worked, he made the
universe. Next, God enjoyed; he saw that everything “was very good”. Lastly, God
rested; he was satisfied with
what he had done. He had completed a job well done. The answer to how our lives can be more
satisfying, joyful
and complete is so simple - yet seems so difficult for us to grasp. Work. Enjoy. Rest. Take time to care
for
yourself and for your loved ones. Take time to understand the quote of Redpath, “Beware the barrenness of a
busy day.”
God has created a model for us. He has created the model of work,
enjoyment and rest. He has set aside a day
in the cycle of each week - He has set aside the Lord’s Day. It is a day to come
to Worship Him, a day in which
to come in silence and to prepare ourselves to worship Him in His House. It is a time to
joyfully glorify God, and
a time to be still and listen. The Lord’s day is a day of worshiping Him both corporately, and
individually. It is a
time for our families to be together - to enjoy each other, and - to enjoy God.
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done,
and He rested on the seventh day….God
blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His
work.”... Genesis 2:2,3
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
We have had a touch of winter recently - some frigid blasts had us
wanting to be sitting in front of fireplace
with the friendly flames warming us and mesmerizing us.
Sitting in front of a blazing fire can cause us to
think and even to learn. There is a short story of
a lesson taught in front of a fireplace - a lesson taught
with no words.
“A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending
services regularly, suddenly stopped coming
to church. After a few weeks, the Pastor decided to visit.
The Pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before
a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his
Pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair
near the fireplace and waited.
The Pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he
contemplated the dance of
the flames around the burning logs.”
“After some minutes, the Pastor took the fire tongs, carefully
picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it
to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back
in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet
contemplation. As the one lone ember’s
flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then
its fire was no more. Soon it was
cold and lifeless. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to
leave; he slowly stood
up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire.
Immediately it began
to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.”
“As the Pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear
running down his cheek, ‘Thank you so much
for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall
be back in church next Sunday.” Have you been a lone
ember for a while? Those who worship God together
can find that they can be warm in God’s love. Remember,
the key phrase is “worship God together.” I wish
you continued joy of the Christmas Season and Blessings
for the New Year.
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
FROM YOUR INTERIM PASTOR
"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven."... Ecclesiastes 3:1
First Presbyterian Church of South Amboy is very much alive,
allowing God to work in you through the Holy Spirit.
It has been a few years of transition, and will continue to be
a transition time for South Amboy as God prepares
you and prepares a pastor to come together in His timing. After two
years of Pastor MacCaulay's excellent
service to you as an Interim Pastor, the Lord placed me here as your Interim
Pastor to make sure there is a
sense of continuity. As for me, I have found that God moves us from place to place,
when and where He Wills.
He moved me from a church that I had called home for nearly 40 years. He sent me to a church
where I had done
my student field education, and there was a sense of coming home. Now He has brought me to South Amboy,
a church to whom I have been the liaison for the Committee on Ministry for Presbytery. Again I have a sense of
being home.
I, and you will, find that wherever we are serving God, we will have that sense of being home.
God asks us to be faithful - faithful in caring for each other,
and faithful in bringing God's Word to others. South
Amboy has been, and is, faithful - continuing to minister to others
through the food pantry, reaching out to the
community, providing room for the Polish congregation, etc. I see the Holy
Spirit working here at First
Presbyterian Church of South Amboy. I am honored and privileged to be playing a small part
as you seek out
God's Will for South Amboy. I trust in God, and pray that the entire congregation of First Presbyterian
Church
of South Amboy will focus on God's Will, that it may be said of us, "...that (we) may walk worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with
all might,
according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy."... Colossians 1:10,11.
In His Service
Pastor Thomson (Dierdre)
