December 24, 2020

December 24, 2020

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. – Colossians 3:14.

            Advent Lighting – Light the four candles of Advent; hope, peace, joy and love.

NOTE: If you are following Advent at home, the Christ candle will be lit in tonight’s Christmas Eve Service, or can be lit with tomorrow mornings devotion.

It is Christmas Eve, and perhaps the festivities in your household have already begun, or the preparations for Christmas dinner.  In our house, while things are different, and plans gather with some family members are paused.  There is one part of our tradition that will remain – cookies will be made from scratch.  This is not a tradition I grew up with, but it one that Samantha and I started when our first born was a baby.  We wanted to make sure St. Nicholas was rewarded with some wonderful Christmas cookies, should he happen to stop by. 

Samantha is quite the baker, and I very much look forward to ‘sampling’ the batches of chocolate chip cookies she makes.  But as anyone may tell you about their special recipe, we all know the secret is love.  Love may come in the form or real butter, or a pinch of salt, but it is really is the in the shared event of making something together, creating something that is meant to be given away.  Love invites us to give, because love gave us Christ.

On this day, we remember that God sent His son into the world.  We are the people whom God so loved, that he would give the very best to us.  And the apostle Paul reminds us that love is something that we choose, we ‘put it on’ or ‘clothe’ ourselves with God’s love.  The love of Christ we have inside of us binds us together – even in a year when we are apart. When we choose to do something, or give something out of love we are reflecting the love of God in our lives, and sharing it with others that we might see that perfect harmony with those in our world.

Today, as we sit back and enjoy the celebration of the coming of Christ, our Emmanuel, as we get on the video or phone calls with family and friends, let us be sure to share the love, the joy, the peace, and hope of Christ. Let that love warm the hearts of the faithful, and bind us together until we can gather together again.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 23, 2020

December 23, 2020

…love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends… - 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

            Advent Lighting – Light the four candles of advent; hope, peace, joy and love

It’s getting closer, the day of Christmas is almost here.  At our home, children are anxious to open the presents under the Christmas tree.  I’m sure they have tried to spy which ones might have their names written on them.  They will surely find something of which to love when the gifts are opened on Christmas morning. 

Love is a lot of things, and is found in a lot of things, and maybe if you find yourself with the opportunity to ask a child during these holy days, you should ask, ‘what is love to you?’ The answers might be genuine, or humorous, but children do start to get the concept of love even at an early age.  Sometimes, I think the ideas of a child are so genuine, that we forget as adults, the genuineness of love that we may have once had.

We might realize that we don’t show love as often as we should, or in all the ways that we could. Yet, if we stop and listen for a moment, especially at Christmas time, we might hear love speak directly to our hearts.  We might even find love is present in that very room.

There’s an old hymn that says; “love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sign.” While love came incarnate at Christmas, the love of God was working long before that. Some theologians say that the first incarnation of love was found in creation itself. that everything around us was and is created out of love.  Love is a grand legacy it can endure all things because it is in al things. It binds us, unites us, and leads us ever closer to the source of our love, which is in the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

John Wesley wrote: O grant that nothing in my soul may dwell, but Thy pure love alone!  O may Thy love possess me whole, my joy my treasure and my crown. Strange fires for from my heart remove – my every act, word, thought, may it all be love!

For Wesley, and for us, the great legacy of Christmas is the love that can be born in us anew, and shared as the light of Christ for the world. It begins as we love one another as Christ first loved us.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 22, 2020

December 22, 2020

…as it is written:  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9

            Advent Lighting – Light the four candles of advent; hope, peace, joy and love.

“What wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul, what wondrous love is this oh my soul. What wondrous love that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul…”

I would love to know what Alexander Means felt as he penned these mighty words.  He must have gotten a glimpse of that love of the love with which God loves him and all of us.  I believe we all get glimpses of that love form time-to-time, we just never know in full what the Father knows in full, but only a portion as has been given.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “…now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.”  God knows how much he has loved each one of us, yet he also sees what each of us has done with such love.  So what do we do with God’s love once we have it? 

Much of that answer depends on the openness of our relationship with God.  If we have a completely open relationship with God then there is nothing holding us back, and as we grow closer in that relationship we see and begin to know more fully the love that God has for we. We also see the way we can show such love to others and fulfill the promise of God’s love in our sharing. The is becomes true, that we are Christ’s disciples because we love as he first loved us. (John 13:35).

If you hold back, and try to hide from God; things in your innermost self, then God is pouring his love out, but you do not know it fully, only partially.  You may find yourself wanting to know God more, but are unable to attain it, because you are holding back, and that which you hold back has become a barrier in your relationship.  When we create such barriers we cannot know the love of God, fully, because God is not fully welcomed.  That is not to say that we do not know God, but we lack letting God love us and convict us, which keeps us from the experience of joy overflowing because of God’s love. 

Finally there are those who do not know the love of God at all.  For one reason or another, their backs are turned away from God, and their sin has built a solid barrier around them that keeps the out-pouring of love and grace from sinking into their soul.  However, in all situations the power of Jesus blood is enough to wash it all way, to break down any barriers and build a stronger relationship one based on love between that person and God.  Alexander Mean tells us how in his hymn wonderful hymn.  Verse 2: when I was sinking down…Christ laid aside his crown for my soul. Verse 3: I began to pray for my soul…thus the word of God said Christ is the truth and the way.  Verse 4:  He shed his heavenly light…to disperse the gloom of night, now it shines with radiance bright.  Verse 5: To God and to the lamb I will sing…who is the great “I AM” while millions join the theme.  Verse 6: And when from death I’m free…I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity I’ll sing on. 

May the love of God lift us up, and allow us to sing on for all eternity because of the love with which God has poured out upon us through the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 21, 2020

December 21, 2020

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. – John 3:16

            Advent Lighting – Light the four candles of advent; hope, peace, joy, and love.

John 3:16 is, perhaps, one of the most quoted verses in Scripture. It is often one of the first verses that many of us had committed to memory, and some might say the very heart of God’s message to humanity or the gospel summed up in one simple verse.  The verse is so recognizable that even people who have never attended church have probably heard it.  So what makes this verse so widely known?

I would submit that it is become it is a message that people long to hear.  In a world that is often seen as cold and cruel, to know that one is loved is a powerful and penetrating message.  Especially during this year and all of its hardships, or this time of year and the loneliness that so many feel.  We, as a people, desire love.

Please allow me to remind you of something today, you are LOVED.  Above all else that is between you and God, you are loved.  You have been loved since before the stars began to shine, and you will be loved long after they no longer flicker with light.  God’s promise to you is that He loves you, and regardless of what you have done, or what you could do, He will always love you.  

The very nature of God is love; therefore, there is nothing apart from love that God could ever be.  1 John 4 explicitly tells us that “God is love,” and that we should love because we are part of God, but regardless of our ability or inability to show love, because we belong to God, love is a part of who we are. 

I’ve met people in life that don’t understand why they don’t feel happy, or are constantly insecure, but the reality is those people often forget that they are loved.  God loves all His people and all His creation.  Some might say “God does not love me because of _____.”  Though it is untrue, and a construct of their own minds. God does love that person very much, but the world has made this person feel so unloved and so insecure that they can’t realize that love. 

God sent the Son, the very incarnation of love to let us know we are all loved. Though we may be far from understanding that love, just like the son who returned to his father after walking away, when we turn back to God’s love we will find it waiting for us, ready to wrap us in celebration.  You, my friends, are loved, and together we celebrate such love now and always.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 20, 2020

December 20, 2020

To join our online service at 9 am or after, please visit: stmarkknox.org/sermons

            Advent Lighting – Light four candles, hope, peace, joy, and love

…and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger… - Luke 2:7

As we come to the week of celebration, anticipation growing for the coming of Christmas morning, we stop and reflect for a moment on the last light of advent, the candle of love.  Love is many things, and can be found in many ways. Love is seen in the way we care for those who first loved us. Love is seen in kind gestures to strangers. Love is seen in the giving away of toys to those who might not have a Christmas otherwise. Love is offering a warm meal to someone who is hungry. Love is sitting next to the bedside of someone who is ill. Love is sharing a cup of coffee with someone you care about.  Love is found and seen in so many things; yet as we turn to the Scriptures, we find that love is found as the very nature of God.

God is love we might read, and at Christmas we see the love of God become incarnate in more than just the baby Jesus in the manger bed. We see the love of God in the young mother who does what she can to offer the baby somewhere warm to lay. We see the love of God in a unprepared Father who does whatever he can for his betrothed to find them shelter. We see the love of God in the shepherds who come to see this wonderful thing God has done among humankind.  The love of God is found in so many faces, and in so many ways.

The idea that love becomes incarnate is also found in us.  We celebrate Emmanuel (God with us) during this time of year, but the truth is that God is with us always, and God’s love becomes incarnate in us as we do, speak, and act out of His love. 

The days may be getting closer to the great celebration, and that celebration may seem strange this year, as we remain apart from one another. However, the love of this season is very much with us, and in us as we share in the love of God that binds and unites us even while we are yet apart.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 19, 2020

December 19, 2020

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believer, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Jurgen Moltmann is a German theologian whose career spans six decades —he is 94 and his latest book was published in 2019.  He writes about what he calls “theology of hope.” I know very little about theology; I haven’t read much of what Moltmann wrote and probably would not understand much of it if I did.  However his basic idea seems pretty straightforward.  (You don’t have to be an aeronautical engineer to appreciate what the Wright brothers did.)

The word ‘hope’ occurs 291 times in the Bible, by one count.  Most of the usages fall into two categories, which I will call national and eschatological.  “National” hope, the predominant type in the Old Testament, is hope for Israel, either hope to reach the promised land or, after the exile, to return to it. “Eschatological” (end times) hope, which is mostly New Testament (there’s some overlap), concerns a future life in heaven or “heaven on earth.”  Moltmann speaks of eschatological hope, but he means something a little different from what I mean.

For Moltmann, eschatological hope is not simply a consolation that sustains us until we reach some better time in the future.  Rather, it infuses and energizes the present, such that we are moved to work to advance God’s kingdom now, in real time.

Sam here with a little addition – The idea of eschatological hope comes from an ancient idea that the Christ that has already been here is the same as the one who is to come.  It’s why we have our great creeds that reminds us that He “was, and is, and is to come” the combination of these things helps us to recognize that we are part of a hope, a peace, and a joy that is “already and not yet” at the same time.  Therefore, even if our present circumstances aren’t as great as we would hope, we can look both backwards to good time, and forward to better time, and know that God has it all in his hands.

Here are some [Moltmann] quotes: “Christian hope draws the promised future of God into by the present day, and prepares the present day for this future.”  “Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it ...” this hope “makes the church the source of continual new impulses towards the realization of righteousness, freedom, and humanity here in the light of the promised future that is to come.”  

I have written that John Wesley believed in an “active peace.”  Somewhat similarly, Moltmann seems to believe in an “active hope.”

At the end of this horrible year, it’s good to have a season of hope.  May we carry that hope with us as we enter a challenging new year.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

December 18, 2020

December 18, 2020

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. – John 16:22

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles; hope, peace, and joy

If you’ve ever spent time in southern Louisiana, or perhaps even if you haven’t, you might be familiar with the word “lagniappe.”  Lagniappe is a Cajun-French word that means “something extra” or “a bonus.”  For example , if you open a new bank account and get a free calendar, radio, calculator, etc., that’s lagniappe.  At some Cajun restaurants the word is used on the menu to indicate dessert.

For me, joy is the lagniappe of Advent.  All the other themes of advent — hope, peace, love, and Christ — are things we desperately need (this year hope seems especially needed).  The scriptures repeatedly promise us all these things.  But what about joy, which perhaps we don’t actually need?   Do we get that too?  Yes, we are promised even that.  It’s an extra.

The difficulty is in the waiting.  It can be helpful to remind ourselves of something we already know (but might have overlooked), that the relationship between joy and happiness is a bit like the relationship between climate and weather.  One is a long term state and the other is a temporary condition.

Merry/joyful Christmas to you all.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

December 17, 2020

December 17, 2020

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. – 3 John 1:4

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles; hope, peace, and joy

No matter how deep, or poetic, fervent, or passionate words may be, the idea of joy is almost impossible to describe. Joy is best understood through our own experiences, it is an internal language, or song that reverberates in us to let us know that something great is happening.  We do find joy in the experiences of our own lives, and that joy is deep, penetrating, and even defines a little of who we are.  Yet, I would venture to say, that this joy is amplified even more when as we read in John’s third epistle, that we see or hear our ‘children’ walking in truth.

John is referring, of course, to those who have believed the message of the messiah, and have become children of God. However, there is something to be said of all who would be considered children. Whether biological, adopted, or simply loved by an older generation.  When they walk in a way that brings honor to Christ, especially if we have imparted any wisdom to them, their actions amplify our teaching, and more importantly, amplify God in this world. Our hearts burst in joy when the greatness of our God is expanded.

Theologian and Evangelist Charles Spurgeon wrote about this once. This is why he had to say about expanding on how great is our God.

First, we must think on His greatness, really praising him. If our minds are focused upon him.  There is no reason to speak in this, just concentrate, ponder, wonder, meditate, ruminate on the great attributes of our Lord Most High.  Begin with his mercy and move towards His holiness, concentrate on each attribute and let it fill your mind.  In this, you are giving your mind to God, He will allow you to think on Him, to let your imagination run wild as your concentrate on him.

Second, we make God great by drinking Him in.  The lilies of the field simply stand and worship God by their beauty, drinking in the sunlight, and the rain, which simply adds to their beauty.  So, us too, let us stand before the Lord, daily, let us stand and drink Him in, let Him pour into you His love, mercy, grace, delight, and let it grow you faith.  It’s like going to the ocean and breathing in the salty air, putting your feet in the tide and letting all the worries of life slip away, while you are being filled with all the goodness of the Lord, and being remade into His likeness, His perfect holiness, then you make Him great by what you do as you walk forth. 

The Joy the rises as we are being made in the likeness of our Lord, that we are His lowly servant being given a new life, begin lifted from the ashes, having such gratitude in our hearts at what God would do for us, that we can't help but share that message of joy to the entire world.

Jesus was not born into the most usual circumstances and definitely not the most kingly, however, the joy of his birth burst forth through the generations and meets us year after year as we celebrate a great beginning of a new or deepening relationship with God.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 16, 2020

December 16, 2020

make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. – Psalm 100:1

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles; hope, peace, and joy.

It is amazing how many times the psalms equate joy with singing. The tones, rhythm, vibrations in the sounds found in music do something to uplift our spirits and give us hope. Music is said to open up a gateway to the soul.  Having grown up in a house full of music, and with a mom who taught music to others, I greatly appreciate music’s place in history.  There is a history behind the different chord structures, and sounds, and tonal vibrations and how they impacted a peoples long ago, and continue to do so even now. 

Some classic sounds remain with us throughout the times. And as we approach the seasons of advent and Christmas, there are those melodies that ring true in our ears and bring joy to our hearts.  Hearing ‘joy to the world, the Lord has come…’ or ‘O Come, o come Emmanuel…” and many, many other wonderful hymns of this season we are reminded of the joy we have found in Christ, and at Christmas.  Even when we are apart from the one’s we care for and love most, hearing and singing the songs of the season is a way to reflect, remember, and rejoice even today, as God uplifts us through the music that helps us focus on the joy he brings to us every day, through Christ our Lord.

So, today, I hope you put on some joyful music to help you through your daily tasks, and enjoy the sounds that bring you hope in this season and beyond.

Grace and Peace,
Sam

December 15, 2020

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. – Matthew 2:10

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles of advent; hope, peace, and joy.

A few years ago, on Christmas Eve night as I was finishing up at the church’s 11 pm candlelight and communion service, as storm came upon us.  It wasn’t the typical winter storm brining snow. Instead it was a strange thunderstorm and all of a sudden the lights went out.  Our power had been lost at the church.  They were only off for a moment, and returned as I said the benediction, concluding the service.  In the back of my mind, however, I wondered about our home.  The parsonage was a couple of block away, but on a different power grid.  The difference often meant that our power would go out when the church did, but hardly ever came back on as fast.

As I locked up the church and made my way home in the dark, I arrived at a suspectedly dark house.  I went in and tried to do my normal Christmas Eve activities of preparing for the morning ahead.  Though some aspects where much more difficult by lantern light, and it was already getting colder in the house with the power out.  I went to bed hoping the next morning would be better and our power restored, but skeptical since it was Christmas Eve.  When the kids woke up the next morning, it was still a little dark outside, and cold because the power was still out. We had the boys put on their winter coats, and sat down by the tree and opened presents. We already had plans to leave the house and visit with family, and Samantha and I decided to go ahead and get out earlier than planned.  We loaded up the car, and were relieved by the heat of warm car as we made our way to Knoxville. The night had been long and cold, but now we were on our way to somewhere warm with family, and warm food waiting, and the joy of Christmas was restored. 

We’ve all had those times that seem difficult as we go through them. The pandemic of this year has made some previous difficulties seem miniscule in comparison. The days seem to have gone by slower, and seem longer.  It seems darker than at other times.  But like the star stopped over the place where the baby messiah resided, so too, this dark journey will end. At that time we will rejoice with great joy. However, we have reason to rejoice even now, as we know that even in dark times, we have our Emmanuel, our God is with us.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 14, 2020

December 14, 2020

…the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…” – Luke 2:10

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles of advent; hope, peace, joy

At the birth of Christ, we hear of the great pronouncement to the shepherds, who are in the fields watching their flocks by night.  We might wonder why the good news of great joy was given to those who were working the night shift? Perhaps it is because they were the only ones outside at the time. However, I tend to believe the inclusion of the shepherds in this Christmas story is part of Luke’s inclusivity of all.  Luke is the only gospel writer who is not born Jewish.  Luke is a Greek, and so the focus of his gospel has an underlying theme that all are included in the salvation that comes from God through Christ.

The beauty of this message begins even here in the opening chapters as the shepherds, those who would be unnamed, who by societies standards would be consider unimportant, yet, they receive the great announcement of the birth of their and our savior.

The Savior of the world, is exactly that, the one who came to save the entire world, including all people and all creation.  The great joy we have is when we become aware that we are a part of this great salvation.  It is a sign that we are loved by God, no matter our past, because God has plans to give us blessed future of hope in Christ name.  My hope is that we would remember the great joy of our salvation, and in that joy seek to share it with others as we proclaim the goodness of our God.  In such joy we are revived, because we know we are alive in Christ now and forevermore.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 13, 2020

December 13, 2020

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
- Luke 1:46-47

            Advent Lighting – Light three candles: hope, peace, and joy.

On this, the third Sunday in advent, we celebrate the joy that is the gift of Christmas. We exclaim with great joy the Savior who is come of Mary and who will reign with peace and justice. 

Mary’s Magnificat has long been seen as Mary’s joyful acceptance of God’s will for her life.  But to magnify (where we get the word Magnificat) means to make something bigger to our eyes. So like a telescope or binoculars might magnify an object that is far away, it doesn’t mean the object is actually bigger, it just allows us to see it more clearly.  Mary’s joy in knowing the good news of the babe she carried was seeing God’s plan more clearly, and knowing her God more clearly.

Mary could have magnified her fear of a thousand or more different questions, but instead, she chose to reflect the joy of what she knew to be true. She possibly thought - My God is good. He is kind. He is faithful to His promises. He is answering the prayers of His people. God is merciful. How do I respond when I receive unexpected news? What do I magnify? My circumstances, anxieties and questions – or the Lord? “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Mary didn’t simply accept God’s will with a sense of dutiful determination. “Well, if someone has to bear the Messiah, it might as well be me.” She was overjoyed that God had called her to this unique role in salvation history. But her joy was rooted not so much in her favored status as in God Himself. “My spirit rejoices in GOD my Savior.”

How often our joy springs from position, or the way God seems to be using us. When either of those change, so does our attitude. Mary’s joy was secure, grounded in the never changing faithful love of her God and Savior. “For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” Mary had an exalted view of God, not herself. Her response is an example for us because she didn’t consider herself special, unique, or in any way worthy of the honor that God had bestowed on her. She didn’t think, “I must be some kind of woman for God to trust me with this assignment!” No, she understood that God using her was due to His mercy, not her competence. 

I pray that our joy would be found in the truth of our relationship with God, knowing that God is working in us today, as he did in Mary and so many more in ages past.  May we find joy in serving God’s good, pleasing, merciful will.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 12, 2020

Sharing from the Congregation – David Petty

            Advent Lighting – Light the first two candles, hope and peace.

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope; and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. — Romans 5:3-5

The Bible says a lot of outrageous things.  Granted, those of us who have attended church and read the Bible frequently may have become numb to the outrageousness. If we step back and take a fresh look, though, the shocking nature of the claims is apparent.

This beautifully written passage from Romans contains two outrageous claims.  First, it claims that suffering leads to hope.  Really?  Apparently Paul’s thinking is this: Hope is not something we can make ourselves feel.  It only comes when it is an outgrowth of our character, a character forged by surviving hardship (the Greek word for character also can be used for metal tempered by heat).

I can’t honestly say that have experienced “suffering” because of the pandemic — boredom certainly, and frustration, and perhaps discomfort.  But some people have actually suffered; some physically if they had the disease, and many more that have had true emotional suffering.  To cite just one statistic, a recent study reported a depression rate of 24.3 per cent in June, 2020, versus a rate of 6.5 per cent for a similar period in 2019.  That’s not very hopeful sounding in the short run.  Yet Paul, who surely knew something about suffering, assures us that in the long run it will strengthen us and give us hope.

A similar line of thought is presented, although not as eloquently, in James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7.  If you’re interested, the literary device here — stringing together parallel statements, with each picking up the last word of the one before it — is called anadiplosis.  Another fine example of anadiplosis (also called a cadena) is found in 2 Peter 1:5–7.

The second outrageous claim is that our hope will not be disappointed.  It may be helpful here to recall that the Greek word for hope has a stronger meaning than our word.  For us hope means, roughly, that we would like for a thing to happen, and we’re optimistic enough to believe that it could.  In Greek the word means “expectation,” or near certainty.

I have no proof, here and now, that our hope for the future will be fulfilled, but clearly Paul had no doubt.  Let us pray for that kind of faith.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

December 11, 2020

December 11, 2020

Sharing from the Congregation – Ann Hale Troutt

            Advent Lighting – Light the first two candles of advent, hope and peace.

On the occasion of Sawyer’s 6th Birthday, I’m thankful for Ann’s message:
To Heal the Brokenhearted

Read Luke 4:14-21

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors, and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.” - Luke 4:18-19 (The Living Bible)

Sometimes while grieving over the death of a loved one or grappling with a serious illness or tragedy, a person will say, “I just don't feel like celebrating Christmas this year.” Jesus spoke specifically to those who were struggling with such difficult experiences. He proclaimed that he was sent to heal those who were brokenhearted. How comforting to realize that Jesus was born into a world of sadness to bring peace and joy!

Perhaps this year you are one of those persons in need of healing of the heart. If so, remember that Christ came especially for you and he continues to come daily. Let his healing love draw you toward an observance of the Christmas event even if you do not feel like celebrating in the usual manner. Quietly let his inner peace fill your being with assurance and strength.

If you have not experienced heartbreak during the past months, offer yourself to God to be used to encourage someone in need of understanding and hope. Reach out to someone who has had a tough year. Like the Master, bring good news to the poor in body and spirit and proclaim the promise of healing for the brokenhearted. Express the possibility for release from the captive emotions of depression and hopelessness. Declare the promise of spiritual insight and freedom from the oppressors of grief and pain. Offer the assurance that God is surely ready to comfort and bless each of us.

May we each experience the coming of Christ anew in our lives and may we in turn be channels of God's love and peace.

Ann Hale Troutt

Worship Online Only Update

St. Mark Church, 

When we made plans to reopen late summer, St. Mark Church Council was required to create a protocol plan for reopening and have that plan approved by our District Superintendent. The protocols in that plan set metric numbers at which we would move church online only.  In addition, we had set in that plan a protocol that we would follow Knox County Schools guidance, and if they went to a district wide 'red' mode of learning (all students virtual) we would also move all activities online for that period of time. 

 Given these approved protocols, St. Mark will be online only for the next 2 Sundays, December 13 & 20.  Myself, and church leadership will speak soon about plans for Christmas Eve and we will notify you of any changes to those planned services. I know this is hard news for us all, and it is heartbreaking the number of traditions that this year has taken away from us. However, the memory of what we have already experienced in years past cannot be taken away. The hope of a better tomorrow cannot be taken away.  Let us remember that Christ makes all things new, and though we will remain apart, the love of Christ unites us.  

 Stay safe, stay well, and let the grace of God lead us on.

December 10, 2020

…for God is a God not of disorder but of peace. – 1 Corinthians 14:33

            Advent Lighting – Light the first two candles of advent, hope and peace.

Life can feel pretty chaotic, hectic, disordered at times, but when it does, I realize that it is probably all my fault.  I know, it’s hard to admit when we are at fault for our own situations.  We love having someone else to blame with things are not going as smoothly as planned.  Occasionally, we might have a leg to stand on in blaming someone else, but it is, as Jimmy
Buffet sings, “…my own dang fault.”

The same is true for not finding a way to be at peace.  Yesterday, we learned together about how peace begins with us; but how? Many Church fathers throughout the centuries have taught that finding peace within is about finding ones center in Christ.  There are a number of practices to help with this, the utmost of which is prayer. These practices are to help us move our focus from the things which seek to disorder our lives, and focus on the One who makes order out of chaos.

If find during this season, is a great time to practice such teachings, as we typically are simply moving from task-to-task, place-to-place, event-to-event.  However, this year is already something different.  We have already slowed down a bit, the hard part is using the extra time we may have found for something beneficial.  It takes a bit of dedication to get started, but it’s worth the effort.  Simply find a quiet space, read a passage of Scripture, if you wish, to get your mind focused on God.  Then, sometimes, I just begin with talking to God about all that is going on in life, as if he were sitting right next to me.  It doesn’t take long, but the peace of knowing God is listen tends to come over me. Sometimes there is nothing more that needs to be said, but ‘thank you.’  Sometimes, I fall asleep, but that’s okay too, because what better place to sleep than in the arms of the heavenly Father?

The point is, when we make that time for God in our lives, we find that God wants to put our chaos into order, wants to help us find that peace within, so that we can be at peace with all. I hope you will find some times to rest secure today, and in the days ahead.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 9, 2020

December 9, 2020

If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. – Romans 12:18

            Advent Lighting – Light the first two candles of advent, hope and peace.

The husband and wife song writing team of Sy Miller and Jill Jackson-Miller, in 1955, were tasked to compose a piece of music for a newly formed choir retreat held in the mountains of California.  The group, now known as the International Children’s Choir,  was formed of a group of selected teenager. The young people were purposefully selected from different religious, racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, brought together to experiment with creating understanding and friendship through education, discussion groups, and living and working together in a camp situation.  In his own words, this is what Sy Miller wrote about what happened:

“One summer evening in 1955, a group of 180 teenagers of all races and religions, meeting at a workshop high in the California mountains locked arms, formed a circle and sang a song of peace. They felt that singing the song, with its simple basic sentiment – 'Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me,' helped to create a climate for world peace and understanding.”

The song, Let there be Peace on Earth, has gone on to inspire peace in many places ever since that summer in 1955.  We may not always see peace active in our world, but there are those who wish to inspire it, who desire to have it, and would love to see peace everywhere. Yet, we all know that peace must start with ‘me.’

In Paul’s letter to the Roman church, they don’t know peace in their world either, they have conflicts about the mixing of Jews and gentiles, they are not at peace with their political powers, they are struggling even to find the peace of a Christian lifestyle.  However, they are reminded that peace depends on them.  It is not always possible to have peace around us, but when possible, as it depends on us, we can live peaceably with all. Let the peace of Christ live in us today, and let the peace that comes to the earth inspire us to live at peace within, and with all.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

Christmas Eve Service Online Only

Join us online this year!

After listening to your church council, and watching the COVID numbers continue to rise in our area over the weekend, we have decided that it is in the best interest of the church and community to hold our Christmas Eve service ONLINE ONLY.  The worship team is working to make this online service extra special with special music and communion.

We want everyone to be able to participate. If you would like to pick up a premade communion packet here at the church you may do so this week or next in the office.  Please just call ahead to make sure there is someone in the office to prepare your packets.  In addition, there will be a later scheduled time for ‘drive thru’ communion pick up the week of Christmas Eve. Even if you are not able to pick up a packet, you are welcome to join in the service and sharing of Christ’s holy liturgy and meal on Christmas Eve with us online. 
The service will be made available at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and can be shared in your house with your family any time thereafter. 

I know these continue to be challenging times, but allow me to remind us all that even in the dark challenging times of life, the light of Christ shines brightly in us.  Christ light is eternal, and we hold hope that Christ light will shine brighter and brighter in the days and months to come.

December 8, 2020

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9

            Advent Wreath – Light the first two candles, the candles of hope and peace.

Who are the peacemakers in your life? We might have a simple answer to that, and know with whom we are most at peace. However, to really understand how to answer the question we might need to know what makes someone a peacemaker.

We might think of a peacemaker as someone who has a calm demeanor, who never seems rattled, and helps us find calm in every situation. We might think of a peacemaker as one who is an activist, working for the rights of the marginalized and the outcast. We might think of a peacemaker of the negotiator who brings compromise in all situation.

A peacemaker might do all of these things, however it is what brings them peace that allows them to find peace and bring peace to these situations. John Wesley believed that peace was active, and one should work at it at all times.  Thomas Merton, a catholic monk worked and taught an active peace in his life as well.  Merton, like Wesley both saw active peace as something that stemmed from the inner peace of knowing God. 

They both taught the importance of knowing God intimately, of finding time and space to be still, and allow the voice of God to move you. They both knew that in order to be a peacemaker, sometimes a situation would have to move to and through chaos first before there can be peace.

This might sound odd to us, but there is a great truth that when we are struggling with sin, regret internally, or externally working in activism we find times when the struggle is real and might cause us internal or external turmoil.  Yet, in either case, when the peace of Christ moves in and through us, we find that peace anew, and that peace begins to spread.

The peacemakers, says Jesus, are blessed, they are children of God. This is because the peacemaker understands that God is a God of peace, and his will is for us all to know His peace.

May we all learn to be peacemakers within, with those around us, and in this world that all might know the everlasting peace of Christ.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

December 7, 2020

I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! – John 16:33

            Advent Candle Lighting - Light the first 2 candles of advent, hope and peace.

Humanity has a profound ability to build, destroy, rebuild and repeat the process all over again.  Some might say that this is what makes the world continue to spin.  We desire to take what we have learned from a previous generation and build something we think is better.  However, our ideas of better aren’t always so. Sometimes our ideas of improvement makes things harder on others, or don’t work out as planned. For the Christian, we must realize that what we build should bring honor and glory to God first. No matter what is build, it is God who consecrates.

God knows that we will struggle, and have trouble, and that we will most likely bring it upon ourselves. However, if we are his people, humble ourselves and pray, seek His face and turn back to God, we will find forgiveness and peace.

As Jesus spends some of his final hours with his disciples, according to John 16, he tells them of the promise of the Advocate. Jesus knows that the disciples will have trouble in the ministry they will build in his name, but God is with them, and through the Holy Spirit, God will remain with them.  It is for this reason, that even in trouble, they can have peace.

In our world, today, we see all kinds of trouble. Some it we have brought on ourselves, or society has shifted and caused pain. However, we who believe, know God is still in control.  We believe that the Holy Spirit of God is alive in us as it was in the disciples generations ago.  We believe in the hope and peace Christ brings in our lives, and have good news to share.  I pray we build on that Good News, we build and rebuild for the glory of God, living with all in the peace of Christ.

Grace & Peace,
Sam