May 17, 2015

Tim’s Tidings Today is a big day in the life of Eastminster. First, it is Joining Day. It is a day in which those who desire to become members of Eastminster may do so at the end of the service. Becoming a member of Eastminster is an expression that Jesus is Lord and that you desire to serve God through participating in the worship and mission of the church. Both full time and seasonal residents of the area may do so. Becoming a member is a “yes” to God and God’s family that often results in deeper personal devotion. It also allows one to elect church officers as we will do at the conclusion of Sunday’s worship. Presbyterian literally means “ruled by elders.” Today we elect Elders who serve as the officers of our church. There are twelve Elders who serve terms of three years each. We elect four Elders each year. Your Nominating Committee is presenting Dick Dunn, Nancy Fowler, Jill Hoffman, and Timothy Leech to serve three year terms. In addition they are presenting Stacy Reeder to serve a one year term due to the death of beloved Judy Roach. Biographies of these elders are found on an insert to your worship guide. Today we also commission Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministers are an essential part of the care offered to members of Eastminster. They come alongside persons who are in grief, illness, relational difficulty or other times of trial as trained caregivers. The Stephen Ministers we commission today have completed a rigorous course of training facilitated by many persons who have expertise. Stephen Ministers include Melinda Miller, Kate Crook, Barbara Allen, Donna Hildebrand, Esther Chinnery, Tom Sylvester, Ginny Leslie and Kendra Ro. These persons are highly qualified, spirit-filled individuals who I commend to you as “the hands and feet of Christ,” called and present to serve as you have need. If you would like to know more about receiving care form a Stephen minister, please contact me! A special thanks in the development of this class of Stephen Ministers goes out to the Rev. Dr. George Lashley. The strength of this church is the Holy Spirit working through passionate, caring members. Together we worship, learn, serve, give and grow as we seek to share Christ’s love with the world. What an honor it is to be united together, doing together what none of us could do alone. It is a joy to be your pastor! May God bless you in every time and season, Tim

May 10, 2015

Lately we’ve experienced some wonderful weeks of worship. Thanks for all who coordinated the events of Easter, for Gibby Gibson for guest preaching (pray for him as he enters seminary this month), for beautiful music from bluegrass bands, to bells, to flautists, to bagpipes at Law Enforcement Sunday, and our very wonderful choirs, including the Children’s Choir who, under the direction of June Leech, participated in the world premiere of Kyle Jones’ musical, Soul Train, to the praise bands at contemporary worship and Praise and Pizza II. There is a lot of great talent used to glorify God in this place. As one who is spiritually affected by music, thanks be to God! Today we continue in our exploration of the Beatitudes, from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7. The focus text today is Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This text seems germane to me on many levels. One is the persecution of Christians worldwide. Many today are suffering and dying for their faith, even as we enjoy relative freedom to express ours. I remember speaking with Avo Bonerian who is president of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut Lebanon, when he was a Ph.D. student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Avo had just come to the United States. The fighting was so great and so constant in Beirut that he could not sleep for four nights in a row when he came to Princeton Seminary because the silence was so eerie. The lack of conflict was literally “disquieting” to him. Here is the USA our persecution is increasingly taking the form of “uncivil discourse.” From politics to homeowners’ associations to blogs and chat rooms people’s characters are assaulted and reputations are being ruined, often with absolutely no regard for the truth. In many cases there seems to be little regret in doing so. This is disquieting to me. In the face of persecution, issues of rightness, of justice and relationship come up. For many years I’ve questioned, “Is it better to be right or to be in relationship?” as I’ve dealt with others in conflict situations. Today we will go a step further and look at “Is it better to be right or righteous?” Jesus has a lot of practical wisdom to bear on this in the Sermon on the Mount! Finally, I want to give a shout out to women today, particularly mothers. One of the most groundbreaking aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry is how he valued and treated women. It was much more honoring than the society of his day and perhaps ours as well. May you always be respected and honored, and may that respect and honor encourage and inspire you as you give your best to the Lord and to others! Blessings, Tim

May 3, 2015

Tims Tidings What a joy it is to have the Eastminster children lead us in worship today! They are teaming with me in the Beatitudes series as they present “Soul Train.” Soul Train is a musical written by Director of Music and Organist, Kyle Jones. Kyle started working on this musical when his kids were toddlers. They liked the Jim Henson show, Dinosaur Train. Kyle wrote Soul Train in a similar style to teach kids the message of Jesus in the Beatitudes so that they might grow in faith in a fun and creative way. Kyle is excited to serve with Children’s Music Director, June Leach, who is bringing this musical to life. This is Kyle’s first children’s musical. It is exciting to be at its premiere! Today we also celebrate the ministry of the Eastminster Presbyterian Church Preschool. This will be Director Elizabeth DesChenes’ last year with the Preschool, and we are extremely grateful for her leadership, as well as that of the preschool faculty. These teachers and staff have done an incredible ministry to benefit the families of our community, some of which also worship here. Their nurture and guidance is a bright light in our midst. Elizabeth will certainly be missed! As I have told her, she leaves a legacy in the lives of hundreds of families as well as here in our school and church. Thank you Elizabeth! Thank you teachers! Finally this Friday May 8 at 7 p.m. will be our second Praise and Pizza. This is an event that is sponsored by our Outreach Committee and is a time in which the community can come together for Pizza and wholesome Christian music suitable for persons of all ages. There is no charge for food or entertainment, though donations are welcome so that we can continue to reach out in the name of Jesus. Please attend and bring friends! As I look back at the wonderful events of Lent and Easter, the successful Art Auction and Women’s Tea which together raised over $7,000 for worthy causes such as Vacation Bible School and the Master’s Workshop, as I continue to be blessed by the meaningful worship and fellowship of Law Enforcement Sunday last week, I am filled with energy for the journey ahead. May God bless you and use you as “salt and light” this week! Blessings, Tim