April 26, 2015

Today we welcome Law Enforcement Officers and their families to worship. It is an honor to have you in attendance and get to say a deep and sincere “thanks” for your courageous stands to make our communities safer. Words are not enough. We hope to show you our thanks, even as you so graciously honor Eastminster Presbyterian Church by your presence. Law Enforcement and Christianity have both been under attack in contemporary society. It is a shame that these two strong threads of physical and spiritual freedom face stress. Yet these are chords that will not be broken. Today we will give medals to all Law Enforcement Officers. On the Medals are written the words of Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” We believe that there are forces of evil in the world against which both Law Enforcement and Christians take a stand. Sometimes our mission seems hopeless. But today we remember that God is stronger than evil, that right will triumph, and that we are equipped to minister in the world with Power under control. Power under control. This is the essence of meekness. God does not call Christians or Law Enforcement Officers to be wimps! We are to be strong like powerful horses, yet bridled by the Holy Spirit to express that strength in the service of truth and goodness. This is a God sized task! I love the way that II Timothy 1:7 puts it: “God’s Spirit does not make us timid: instead his Spirit fills us with power, love and self control.” May we all be filled by that Spirit and express love, even tough love, to the ends that goodness and light prevail! Again, welcome Law Enforcement Officers. We are proud of you and support your mission as kindred spirits! Blessings, Tim

April 19, 2015

Matthew 5:4 Last week Julie and I enjoyed a wonderful week of vacationing in Sarasota and on Cedar Key. We learned how to alter plans to dodge rain, kayak around sharks rather than bother them, and ride bicycles to take in adventures. We were truly blessed. And being blessed is what we will consider in worship over the next several weeks. Today we start a sermon series on the “Beatitudes.” Some have heard that word, some not. A beatitude is a blessing. Jesus opens his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7, with a series of blessings called the Beatitudes. Jesus takes these blessings from familiar Old Testament concepts and reinterprets them in the wisdom he brings from God. The concept of blessing in the Beatitudes may run counter to cultural ideas of happiness and well being. They point to deeper God-given contentment, health and well being—even in the tougher times of our lives. The reality here is that God is in control, and that God will help us overcome any hardship… and even help us find deep lasting joy from those places we hurt, struggle, or are challenged. The Beatitudes point to the reality that God is doing a new thing, and that we may get the best view of God’s work by being “surprised by joy” in the midst of our darker times. The Beatitudes also call for certain behaviors from us—behaviors that are spiritually deep. They call for us to develop the capacity to let God do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. God is a God who gives glimpses of the kingdom when we are weak, who comforts us when we mourn, who blesses the humble who are directed by God, who grants mercy even as we grant others mercy, who gives us experiences of God’s power and compassion when we seek purity, who calls us children even as we reconcile with our neighbors, and who grants us God’s very presence when we are persecuted for being faithful. The picture that forms from the Beatitudes is a blessed life in this world… even in the midst of tough times. Many of you have experienced this, and I’d love to hear your stories! This is a spiritually maturing congregation. Young and older persons here have experienced trials and tribulations and have stories of how God has not only seen you through, but has deepened your lives in the process. One of the blessings we have as a community is that as we share our stories of God’s faithfulness, we encourage one another and grow. And as we grow and share, our lives are seasoned and our light shines beyond us. This is God’s desire! May our commitment to Christ and to one another pour out like a fountain. As we learn and live the concepts in the Beatitudes, may Christ’s very Spirit be our Teacher, Comforter and Guide! Blessings, Tim

March 29, 2015

Today is Palm Sunday. It is a day we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and begin what is commonly referred to as “Holy Week” which extends from today through Easter. During this week we will celebrate baptisms and receive new members, continue our Wednesday Lenten Music, Worship and Lunch Series, commemorate Good Friday, hold a Saturday “Eggstravaganza” where the Good News of Jesus will be proclaimed, participate in an evening Eater Vigil, and Celebrate Easter beginning at Sunrise. We will also celebrate the life and bear witness to the resurrection of Harry Villhardt, husband of Terry and father of Susan Vallette, this Tuesday at 11 a.m. In one week the Good News of Jesus will be proclaimed meaningfully in many ways. It is a week that shapes our identity and community together. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem Palm Sunday people sold him short. They thought he would be an earthly leader of a revolt that would throw off the yoke of Roman domination. Little did anyone know, despite his teachings that Jesus was to lead a cosmic revolution that would overthrow sin and death and bring us close to the loving reign of God Almighty. It was just too huge for even his disciples to grasp. It’s huge for us today! As we baptize Jonah Earp on Palm Sunday we claim his participation in God’s love, life and redemption by an action of God, not us. We promise to nurture Jonah until the point that he claims Jesus as his Lord and Savior. We will do the same for Malakai Hausmann next Saturday as he is baptized during the Saturday Easter Vigil. The fulfillment of such promises result in the attention we give to ministry to children and youth. EPC’s efforts such as Sunday School, Children’s Church, choirs, youth group, VBS, youth camps and confirmation are led by faithful members that are engaging in ministry to nurture believers and so fulfill the promises we make at baptism. On Palm Sunday we welcome Ann Hearin, Sharon Bowman, Betsy Marvin, and Rick Schuette into membership of EPC. These new members claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. They renounce evil and claim dependence on the grace of God. They promise to be faithful members of this church, giving of their time, talents and treasure to further the mission of Christ. We promise to nurture and support these members in their journeys of faith, to comfort them when afflicted and strengthen them in all of life. Some new members are seasonal residents who will affiliate here and with another congregation. Such affiliation creates strong bonds of community wherever they may be. Having a church home, or homes, is a powerful statement of belonging to God and intending to serve and grow in concert with others. I highly encourage membership as a means of being faithful to God and to God’s mission. The next opportunity for membership at Eastminster will be a “Discover Eastminster” experience beginning at 8:45 and concluding at noon on Sunday April 19. I’d love to speak with those contemplating next steps of faith at any time! So, I look forward to this week and to the years ahead with all the comings and goings that are involved. Wistfully, we will say “so long till next year” to many wonderful seasonal residents. Your participation here has surely touched the lives of many! Make sure the church office has your contact information so we can keep up to date and encourage one another from afar. You are an important part of the fabric of faith God is weaving at EPC. At the same time we will seek to be faithful, strong and vibrant as led by the God’s Spirit this Holy Week and beyond. Have a blessed Holy Week and Easter all!

Tims Tidings March 15 2015

Today we will explore the text of a woman who “gives God what she had.” Last week we observed a woman that “did what she could.” It is noteworthy to me that the subjects of these two Scriptures are not rich, powerful or famous. We don’t even know their names. Yet their devotion to their Lord resounds through history. Like these women, we are called to have hearts that care and to give gifts that cost in the name of the Lord who provides. We are called to prayerfully listen for God’s guidance and to follow it in our daily living. We can reliably discern God’s will as we reflect on scripture, listen to the counsel of Christian friends, hear the voice of God’s Spirit in our hearts, and pay attention to circumstances. Many of you do just that and God is blessing your lives and ministries in good times and tough times alike. Sunday after the 10 a.m. worship service we will have an Irish Potluck that reminds many of Saint Patrick. Protestants don’t believe that saints have any special powers; they are examples. People like you and me that God uses in extraordinary ways. Here is part of his story: Patrick grew up in England son of well to do parents. In the early 400’s AD, when Patrick was about sixteen, he was captured and carried off as a slave to Ireland. Patrick worked as a herdsman, remaining a captive for six years. He writes that his faith grew in captivity, and that he prayed daily. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home. Fleeing his master, he travelled to a port, two hundred miles away, where he found a ship and, after various adventures, returned home to his family. But that’s not all… Patrick recounts that he had a vision a few years after returning home: “I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Folcut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us." Patrick left the good life he had, and he returned to Ireland, the country of his captivity. There he served as a powerful evangelist and led thousands and thousands to faith in Jesus Christ. Like the women in our scripture, we see Patrick having a heart that cares and a gift that costs. God used him powerfully. May God do the same with us today!

March 8, 2015

Raspberries. When I say that word does it make your mouth water? That sweet-sour taste. The sticky red-purple juice. That beautiful smell of ripeness. Raspberries. In the city of Boston is a memorial to the Holocaust. On one of the clear plastic walls of the memorial, built in a corridor that runs for about a city block, is a moving story attributed to Gerda Weissman Klein. Gerda experienced first-hand the horror of the German concentration camps in World War II. It is hard for us to imagine the stark conditions in those camps. However, in the midst of the hate and violence of the Nazi regime Gerda tells a lovely story of beauty and grace. Gerda is befriended by a young Jewish girl named Ilse. One day coming home from a work party, Ilse finds a delicious raspberry. A raspberry was a delicacy in such an environment. Ilse places the raspberry in the ragged pocket of her overcoat--to lovingly share it with Gerda that night. Gerda writes, "Imagine a world in which your entire possession is one red raspberry and someone shares it with you, a friend." It is a haunting story. To think that in such a hostile place such a lovely act could still live on is a testimony to the enduring power of love and the triumph of the human spirit over great odds. Ilse left a lovely fragrance that helps us overcome the stench of hatred and evil from that terrible time in history. In a like manner today’s text speaks of a woman who anoints Jesus with expensive nard, and Indian spice. She does a beautiful thing for Jesus… a fragrant, extravagant act of love and sharing. An act that showed the value of Christ being broken for our sins, even when the world could not understand. At the moment of Jesus’ anointing, it’s raspberry time. It’s time to focus through an extravagant, costly act of love upon his extravagant costly act of giving his life for the sins of the world. As we imagine the strong aromatic fragrance of that perfume filling the room and the head of Jesus still damp… I wonder, What is your raspberry? … What is your focus? … What is your good and beautiful thing… that extravagant gift of love that God calls out from your life? For what purpose does God desire the priceless vessel which is you to be broken open and poured out like expensive perfume? Where does God want the sweetness of extravagant love God has bottled up in you shared for the sake of others? Raspberries. There’s a whole sanctuary filled with them here today. May we remember the extravagant love God gives us, and like this woman, pour our love out in a way that the world will remember. Jesus says, “She has done what she could.” May we do likewise!

February 15, 2015

Can you believe that the season of Lent, the 40 days excluding Sundays before Easter, starts this Wednesday February 18? Eastminster Presbyterian Church will open its observation of Lent with an Ash Wednesday Service at 7 p.m. on February 18. This is a time to reflect and worship. A time to ask God to forgive past wrongs and create in us “clean hearts and renewed and right spirits” as we live into the future. Persons who have attended know it can be very freeing, even healing. If you have not been before, I urge you to come. It is a sacred time, with beautiful music and a brief message. Those who desire receive a cross of ashes on their foreheads as an outer sign of God’s grace towards those who turn to Him. All receive a blessing. As I think of Lent and journeying toward Easter, the word “willingness” comes to mind. So often we think of Lent as a time to give up something as an act of denying ourselves and being open to God. We often focus on denial, which is indeed a spiritual discipline and a life skill. But to stop there and not be willing is spiritually short sighted. Being willing during Lent is to open ourselves up for God’s best in our lives. It is Jesus’ stance when he says, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Some of the more stubborn might at first pray “Lord make me willing to be willing.” Others might open each day with a prayer, “God I’m willing to be yours today.” Yet others might pray, “I’m willing to have that sin or resentment removed, so I can be more fully Yours.” In your bulletins today you will receive a flyer on our Interchurch Lenten Music, Worship and Luncheon Series. This series will run from Wednesday February 25- Wednesday April 1 and will feature some of the best preachers and musicians in our area. Plan to attend and invite friends. It will be an uplifting part of your day and week. Another special event will be a presentation on the Shroud of Turin by Ron Marshal at 6:45 p.m. on March 24. This has met with rave reviews in the past and Ron has new information. You will hear more in the future concerning ways we might grow during Lent and information of the “Masterpieces of the Gospel” sermon series that looks at Scriptures concerning Jesus’ last days through the lens of great art accompanied by great music from our choir. For now note that our main Lenten Communion will be at 7 p.m. on Good Friday, April 3, where Faure’s Requiem will be presented. A family-oriented Easter “Eggstravaganza” will be held the morning of April 4 as well as an evening Easter Vigil. Easter Sunrise service will be April 5 at 6:45 a.m. followed by Easter Services of praise at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. May we all observe a Holy Lent, drawing closer to our Lord of Love and Grace. Blessings, Tim

February 8, 2015

Lately we have had a lot of deaths in our church family and in the extended families of many members. It is a season of grief. At such times many of us wonder how we might respond appropriately when trying to convey our sympathies. As a result, during a recent Committee Night Worship, I asked those present to share what seems to work well when they are grieving and/or when they are comforting those in grief. Here are some of the responses: 1. Show how much you love them. Actions can speak louder than words. 2. Really listen to what the grieving person is trying to tell you. 3. Don’t be afraid to talk about the person who has died. 4. Relate stories, even the humorous ones. 5. Be a friend. Be present. 6. Send notes that the grieving can read when they are ready. 7. Make a phone call. 8. Invite the grieving to a lunch or dinner. It is hard to eat alone. 9. Give hugs. 10. Ask questions, share favorite memories. 11. Help the grieving keep busy. 12. Celebrate the legacy that the departed has left behind. 13. Tell about how that person has changed your life. 14. Celebrate anniversaries of the death of loved ones 15. Know that people grieve differently. Be attentive. 16. Don’t be afraid to cry. For those who grieve… know that grief is a natural response to loss. The grieving process takes time, yet there is no timetable to it. It takes what it takes… and part of what it takes is patience. Know that grief that is shared with others is more bearable. Draw upon the support of your church, turn to friends and family members, join a support group, talk to a pastor, Stephen Minister or a therapist. Some might feel like Job, who states, “My eye has grown dim from grief, and all my members are like a shadow” or Jeremiah who cries, “My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.” Yet many, like David, persevere to affirm, “By you my sorrow is turned into dancing; you have taken away my clothing of grief, and given me robes of joy.” May God be present in all our losses, all our grief. May this church be a place of support to the grieving. May we feel deeply and empathetically together, “bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ.” Blessings, Tim