One Word

My daughter is in orientation as a nurse at Mission Hospital. They asked the new recruits: "What is one word by which you would like to be known?" My daughter chose the word,  "helper".

 Last month, Wim Schippers, who is known by the apt description of "absurdist artist", was remembered by a  museum in his home country of the Netherlands by  one of his signature works. They poured 800 pounds of peanut butter on a gallery floor. 

This month Jeff and I have used texts about Jacob, one of the three great patriarchs of our faith. Despite all that Jacob did, he will forever be known by the etymology of his name, "heel-grabber". He came into this world, grabbing the heel of his twin brother, Esau. He continued to grab everything from birth rights, to livestock, to a blessing from God.

 What is the word by which you would like to be known. Most likely not "absurd" hopefully not "heel-grabber". But I invite you to find word that fits the way God imagines you. Embrace it, and make yourself known. Be informed by the words of the Psalm139:14:

 I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly

and miraculously made.

Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.

Searching with you, to own my descriptive word in Christ, Tempe'

A prayer based on Psalm 139 O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down you are before me:
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
 
You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
And with love everlasting you besiege me:
In ev’ry moment of life or death, you are.
 
Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
You have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future, too.

(translated by Bernadette Farrell OCP Publications )

Hope

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.” Emily Dickinson

 I love the way Emily Dickinson uses nature to define hope. I see hope in two young eagles perched high in a tree looking out on their world. I see hope in a mother Mallard swimming to the lake shore with four babies swimming behind her trying to keep up. I see hope in a baby fawn following her mother on shaky legs, and in a little red fox that lives in a big pipe by my house. I see hope in the lifting fog over the mountains in the early morning, as I listen to the birds sing. I see new life in the woods all around me and it gives me hope. 

 Jesus said, The Kingdom of God is like...and he pointed to seeds, weeds and wheat, a mustard seed, fine pearls found in oyster shells, and fish in Matthew 13. Jesus told us not to be anxious about our lives. He told us to look at the birds and the lilies, and Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…in Matthew 6.

 So when I get discouraged I look to nature. It is a reminder of God’s goodness, beauty,  new beginnings, new life, and hope. May we “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,  faithful in prayer.” Romans 12: 12

Pastor Terry

On Grace, Gratitude and Presbyterianism

We all make mistakes, with the most common one saying something we should not.  I made the mistake of blurting out in one of my classes at Union Presbyterian Seminary that I struggled with the concept of “grace.”  My professor, a career Presbyterian pastor and teacher, pounced on me like a cat on a mouse!  He was relentless, and I was defenseless.  I could only stammer my through why I would make such a statement as a life-long Presbyterian.  I thought, “Oh, no, here comes the first grade of  ‘F’ in my life.”

But I do struggle at times.  It is hard for me to believe that I get something for nothing.  That I don’t have to work to achieve God’s love, and His grace.  It is counter to all other things we are taught about life.  Here on earth we strive to please our parents, our teachers, our bosses, and even our families to get something in return… whatever that something is.  We are told time and time again, “Nothing comes free.” 

But that’s not true.

In the Presbyterian tradition grace is the unearned, unconditional favor of God.  Grounded in Reformed theology, we as Presbyterians believe salvation is entirely a gift of God’s sovereign choice (or “election.”)  We are not required to contribute anything.  Our response to this gift of grace must only be a lifelong journey of gratitude and faithful service.

We experience and grow in this grace through specific channels known as the “ordinary means of grace.”  Those means are reading and preaching the Scripture (“the Word”), Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or communion (“the Sacraments”), and of course prayer.   It is through the Word, the physical signs and seals of God’s invisible grace we practice together, and our private and corporate communication with God that makes us who we are.

But grace is the cornerstone.

That professor became my favorite.  When I pray for knowledge and discernment as I travel this new path in life, I pray that I will someday acquire his knowledge and wisdom.  He forced me to think about a lot of things, but the one thing was how to view God’s grace:  That it is given to us freely and undeserved, and that even faith itself is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

We should rejoice every day in what we are given, and our gratitude should naturally follow God’s gift to us.

To thine be the glory.

Jeff Gray

Patriotic Month

July is the patriotic month. As Americans we hear about pride for our country, our heritage, our government, and our way of life. Speakers on the 4th of July say, “We are the greatest nation on earth.” It’s true, we enjoy many blessings. We have a strong military and we are a wealthy nation. Plus, we have certain human rights that many people in other nations envy.

            Still, with blessings comes a great deal of responsibility. As Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

            However, whenever someone says, “I’m proud to be an American,” or “I’m proud of my children,” or “I’m proud of my football team,” the words of the Christian singer Wayne Watson come to mind.

            Watson said, “The older I become, the less I find to be proud of and the more I find to be thankful for. I’m more thankful for my family than I am proud of them, because I realize that most of what they are is out of my hands. Most of the good that has happened to me in my career is not the result of me getting a record deal. I attribute those blessings to God. So, my ‘thankful’ list is growing much longer, while my ‘proud’ list is becoming much shorter.”

            Watson is right on target! When we think about our nation rightly, what comes to us is gratitude to God for this nation and all its blessings. Deep gratitude to able to live here. Deep gratitude for the blessings we enjoy.

            Blessings we have that we recognize come from God. Blessings given to us, when we rightly consider them. Given to because we happened to have been born here, or brought here -indeed all our families were immigrants at one point.

            So, America is a gift to us from God. It’s not something we personally achieved, or something we earned. America is a land we have gratitude for because of it is God’s graceful blessing to us.

Curtis Fussell

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Friends in Christ,

 This week of July 4th, we will remember together our roots and our resistance. We will embrace our demand for

                Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

 I think it is possible to thank God through the human stages of these three words. As children, we are all about the Pursuit of Happiness through DEPENDENCE on those with the power in our lives. As we originally needed assistance from Great Britain, our nation has grown in greatness through alliances beyond our borders.

 This month, we highlight our Liberty,  INDEPENDENCE, and self-governance. Much as adolescence requires physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual weaning from dependence, so too we needed to step away from being a colony of a distant land.

 But our nation is also built on INTERDEPENDENCY. We pursue Life for all, and that takes the community of our nation. All things are interdependent upon others for survival. As the Church and as mentors of the Kingdom of God, INTERDEPENDENCE is our desire.  We were created for community. It was exhibited from the very beginning, when God told Adam that it was not good for humans to be alone. God chose a nation to convince the world of the divine covenant. Even Jesus was not a one-man crusade, but pulled disciples toward him to teach the larger community of salvation and hope.

 Communion is community. Baptism binds us in a caring covenant.

 To misquote St. Paul:

Dependence, Independence, Interdependence, these three are American essentials.

But for us, the greatest of these is Interdependence.

Glad to be free and interdependent with you, Tempe'

Summer 2026

This Sunday, June 21, marks the beginning of summer for 2026. This date means that on Tuesday, June 23, the sun will come up one minute later than it did on Sunday! In other words, come Sunday, we begin a slow steady decline towards the shortest sunlight hours in December.

            It can happen that we hear the “shining” word that God loves us. It can fall on our ears and heart like the brightness of a summer day.

            Yet God’s wondrous love does not protect us from life’s problems. God’s love is not a lucky charm or four-leaf clover. Even loving parents cannot protect their children from all of life’s hardness and difficulties. Of course, even if they could, it would not be wise. We learn and grow when we deal with problems. As the Apostle Paul says, “Suffering produces character.”

            Yet, some people still say that life’s problems are actually God’s punishment on us. Of course, the cross of Jesus should have settled this issue long ago.

            The truth is God wants to give us life. God is forgiving and caring. Jesus said it like this: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet, not one of them falls to the ground without your heavenly Father knowing it. God even knows the number of hairs on your head. Do not fear, for you are of more value than many sparrows.”

            Note how God is aware that sparrows fall. They fall because they are creatures of the world; not because God punishes them.

            In this world we too “fall,” but not because God is punishing us. The Apostle Paul gives us a litany of his misfortunes; his “falls” so to speak. “Five times I received forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked and adrift at sea. In danger from rivers, robbers, people, in toil and hardship, and in hunger and thirst.”

            Yet Paul also heard God say to him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Though Paul suffered much, he also knew the abiding and steadfast love of God over-against his sufferings.

            When life is all sunshine, it’s easy to believe. It’s when the dark days arrive that faith becomes more demanding. To stay with God, to trust God, to remain steadfast in knowing that in all things God is for us and with us; that is the challenge of faith in God.

            Yes, dark days will come. When they do, hold fast to God. Bow the knee and seek the refreshing renewal and strength of God’s steadfast love. God will abide with you and give you the grace and courage you need.

 Curtis Fussell

Calling a Pastor, The Presbyterian Way

“And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent.”  Rom. 10:14

My predecessor as moderator of the Deacons quipped as she rotated off the board, “I am convinced that ‘Presbyterian’ is the Hebrew word for ‘death by committee.’”  She wasn’t too far off in her observation.  One would certainly think so.  In a 3800-member church with dozens of diaconate and Session committees we were always meeting and deciding something, or so it seemed.

Admittedly, Presbyterians are a deliberative lot.  Our democratic, bottom-up governance system is a hallmark of who we are.  Unlike the Methodists, Episcopalians and others, we are not a top-down, hierarchical denomination.  No one assigns a pastor to us.  And at the same time, we are connectional.  Every church has a stake in what every other church does.

And while every church is connected to every other church, each of our churches also has considerable autonomy.  Part of that autonomy is tremendous freedom in choosing its next Minister of Word and Sacrament.

When I was with you a month ago – and even during visits in late-winter before joining your pastoral team of preachers – I heard your frustrations with the process of calling a new, full-time installed minister.  I understand.  Over the almost 40 years as a member of my current church, I have shared your pain as we have called three pastors.  So I write this to assure you:  God has a plan for First Presbyterian Church in Sylva, and God’s loving hand is upon your Pastor Nominating Committee as they guide you through this process.

And it is a process!  One only Presbyterians could think up!  From the election of the PNC, to a Mission Study, to matching and interviews, to approval on your regional Committee on Ministry (called the “COM”), to a vote of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina to receive your new minister and approving the terms of call, it typically takes 12 to 24 months as fast as you can go.

Be patient.  The system is designed to ensure consensus among a congregation, the Presbytery, and the minister rather than an executive appointment.  This guarantees the right fit for you.

We are blessed that those before us created a system to ensure God’s will is done.

Jeffrey Gray, Candidate for Commissioned Ruling Elder

Ten Characteristics of a Spirited Church

Looking through some old files, I found the “Ten Characteristics of a Spirited Church.” I thought it was worth sharing.

First, a spirited church loves God and loves to worship God with constancy, commitment, and contagious passion.

Love each other, care for one another, and have a barrel of fun together.

Be naturally generous and know that God will provide enough to do what God asks us to do.

Recognize, honor, and use the special gifts of every one of it’s people.

Really believe it can do anything God is calling it to do.

Make a tangible difference in the local to global world.

Be a community that treats every stranger and visitor as if he or she is the Christ, thus incorporating that person into the community.

Know that even if there are only a few people, there are enough people to be a thriving community of faith.

Care little about survival and greatly about faithfulness.

Have no fear, make no excuses, and exhibit bushels of faith, hope, and love.

Be well, do good, carry on, Godspeed, gracias, and shalom! 

Terry Hanna

Ordinary Time

It was Mother’s Day. We were all gathered around the table, me, my mother, daughter, step-sister, husband, and three dogs. We were looking at old pictures of family events in the past. My daughter said, “I don’t remember much from the years we lived in Charlotte. And I replied, “It was all pretty ordinary- work, school, church, softball, life.”

The church now moves into the season of Ordinary time, and it is a reminder that so much of life is spent doing ordinary things, nothing outstanding, just the regular rhythm of life. Oliver Sacks said, “Ordinary things slip from the memory while the striking and the novel stay longer in the mind.”

In Genesis, God asked Abram to leave his home and follow him to a new land. In the New Testament Jesus called the disciples and asked them to follow him. Following God was an act of faith. But following also involved pretty regular things- packing up, moving out, pitching a tent, sharing a meal with new friends. Following God, responding to a call, meant leaving a known place for another new and different home. That is what we will be asking a new pastor to do. And we will make this journey with them.   

So, for all the drama of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, the truth of the matter is that God is the God of Ordinary Time. His presence is with us in all our ordinary, regular, familiar years. The whole of life is a journey. Sometimes we just forget to notice.

Jesus promised, “I will be with you always, even in the ordinary times, til the end of the age.”  Matthew 28: 20

 (A Beautiful Year, Diana Butler Bass, St. Martin’s Essentials, New York, 2025, p.205- 225)

Reverend Terry Hanna

A Festival Reminder

There are three great festivals of the Church year: Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost. The last is a hidden treasure waiting for the Church to continue to unwrap. Unlike the other two days, Walmart and Hallmark have not discovered Pentecost. It is a celebration of the "pouring out of the Spirit" on the people of God. In one of the churches I served, the parishioners decorated with balloons and had a large birthday cake. The children got to blow out the many candles.

Yet the name Pentecost tells us that we are celebrating even more than a birthday. Pentecost means 50. The recipients of the first gift of being blessed by the Spirit were Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem who had come to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, which fell 50 days after Passover. One of the purposes of the Jewish festival was to renew the covenant between God and Noah.

 From Noah until today, we have a relationship with God that not even catastrophic floods can extinguish. As the earliest covenant was marked by a rainbow, the covenant of Pentecost is marked by wind and the fire of the Holy Spirit.

  Like Easter, it is not only a day, but a season. Pentecost is the longest season of the year. From May 24th until the beginning of Advent in November, we have the occasion to live and celebrate the living Spirit of God that is forever with us. Pentecost renews the promise of Jesus:

       The Father will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, in my name, who will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. I will not leave you orphaned.

  With the losses of this world, we are never abandoned by God. Every time you see red in a cardinal, a sunset, a red rambling rose, a T-shirt in a crowd, a passing sports car, smile and know that God is forever close.

 Rev. Tempe Fussell

A Wider Perspective

Edith Eva Eger, Psychologist and Holocaust survivor, tells the story of visiting two soldiers on the same day at William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss. Both were paraplegics who had lost the use of their legs in combat. The first veteran, Tom, was lying on his bed knotted into a fetal position, railing against life and his fate. The second, Chuck, was out of bed in his wheelchair, explaining that he felt as if he had been given a second chance in life. As he wheeled through the garden, he realized that he was closer to the flowers and could look right into his children’s eyes.

 Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl said that our perspective toward life is our final and ultimate freedom. When you look at the same event from a wider perspective, your sense of worry and anxiety reduces, and you have greater joy.

 The Letter of James puts it this way, “Count it joy, brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach.” James 1:2,3,5.

 The month of April was a tough month for me. A mother’s fall, a friend’s death, a shooting in Winston-Salem near my sister’s home, war and violence on the world scene, there was much to be discouraged about. However, I try to have a wider perspective. When we look at the same events from a wider perspective, our sense of worry and anxiety reduces, and we have greater joy. And we know that God cries with us. God smiles with us, and we are deeply loved and precious to our God!

(Thoughts from The Book of Joy, Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams)

Terry Hanna

You can't go home again

Asheville author Thomas Wolfe’s last novel, published posthumously in 1940, was entitled “You Can’t Go Home Again.”  The story is autobiographical and chronicles the protagonist’s journey from his small hometown to New York City and Europe as he rises to literary fame.  It explores themes of belonging and disillusionment with one’s roots, as well as broader issues such as the rise of Nazism in 1930’s Germany.  But the theme most associated with the book is its realization that the past is irretrievable.

The novel was, and continues to be, so powerful that the observation that “you can’t go home again” is considered a universal truth.

Some who have analyzed the content of Wolfe’s writings say that the point was that things change after someone leaves a place, and that exposure to other people, places, and events changes one’s perspective of where they came from.  That is certainly true.  However you can go home again, and that return can be joyful.

One of the most joyous occasions for me was in the sanctuary of FPC, Sylva the day of Blake’s last sermon.  And no, no, not that it was his last sermon and that his family and he were leaving the Church and Jackson County.  It was what I witnessed and how I felt.

As you’ve likely learned by now, I grew up in Sylva and my grandparents, my parents, my siblings and me were long-time members of FPC.  I ran down the upstairs hall, sat in the organ pit turning pages for my organist grandmother, played in the yard (and later mowed it!  Ugh.), attended many, many Family Night Suppers on Wednesday nights, and sat in the balcony like the teenagers did back then.  The three pastors from my youth were a tremendous part of my life.  Their sermons guided me to grow closer to God in my faith, and their personal friendship and love strengthened me on life’s journey in my early days.  These pastors, and the members of the congregation were truly like family; not only did we worship together but we were neighbors and dear friends.  I knew everyone in the Church and they all knew me.

I cling to those days in my heart.  The memories are precious.

Yet 40 years later I was standing at the back of the sanctuary as a group photo was being taken of everyone with Blake.  I suddenly realized something that stirred my soul.  I knew very few people in the congregation.  Only a handful of members from my youth remained.  Albeit there is sadness in the loss of so many that I have loved over the intervening years, my soul was stirred by the realization that First Presbyterian Church in Sylva was alive with new members, a vibrant body of Christians gathering in worship and community sharing the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Unlike Wolfe’s fictitious character in his book, I realized that change is inevitable, and change and growth, especially in a church, should be celebrated.

I will see you on May 10th.

It will be good to be home.

-- Jeff Gray

How Birds Came to Fly

Have you noticed the birds flying in after the cold of winter? What a delight to see our summer time birds again! There’s an old story about how birds came to fly.

            Once upon a time… the birds had no wings. They crawled about in the grass like chipmucks and other earth-bound creatures. Then, one day the Lord threw wings at their feet and commanded them to pick them up and carry them.

            At first, the birds found this task very hard. The little birds didn’t want the wings, because they were heavy and cumbersome things.

            But the birds loved the Lord, and so in obedience, they picked up the heavy wings, and carried them on their backs. It was then that something marvelous happened. The wings that were such a burden, became fastened to their backs.

            But then they saw that what they thought was a burdensome weight became their means to fly freely throughout the sky. Maybe that’s how it can go with our burdens.

            At first our burdens seem cumbersome. But then, the burdens begin to carry us. That can happen when we find a way to lift ourselves up beyond our burdens.

            One day Jesus met a lame man. He asked him, “Do you want to be well or do you want to continue lying around feeling sorry for yourself?”

            The man replied with all kinds of excuses. “I’m alone. No one will help me. I don’t have a chance.” No wonder he remained in his condition year after year.

            Jesus said to him, “If you really want to get well, then do this: Get up, take up your bed, and be on your way.” When the man did what Jesus said to do, he was healed. Hear that? “Take up your burden, your bed, and be on your way.”

            Perhaps our burdens will become wings for us if we refuse to let them keep us down. If we will stop making excuses, get up, look forward and trust God, life can change for the better.

            We will be given the strength, the confidence, and the courage to change our life for the better. God will give us the power to be on our way!

My Shepherd

Scripture: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3)

Psalm 23 is a gentle reminder that God is not distant or distant and demanding, but personal, tender, and present. Calling the Lord “my Shepherd” is more than a metaphor—it’s an invitation to trust Him with every part of our lives. A shepherd knows each sheep by name, leads them carefully, and protects them from danger. Likewise, God knows us intimately, guides us wisely, and restores our weary hearts.

The psalm begins with sufficiency: “I shall not want.” Even in times of need or uncertainty, we are reminded that God provides. He leads us to places of peace and refreshment—green pastures and still waters—where we can pause, breathe, and let Him renew our souls. These moments of rest are not just nice, they are necessary for spiritual, emotional, and even physical renewal.

Even when life takes us through dark valleys, the psalm assures us: God’s presence is constant. We are not abandoned in fear, loneliness, or grief. His guidance, protection, and comfort are with us every step of the way. And finally, the psalm moves from personal care to overflowing abundance: His goodness, mercy, and blessing surround us continually, leading us into a life rooted in His presence forever.

So, as we continue our journey into 2026:

·         Rest in God’s care: Identify areas of your life where you have been carrying burdens alone. Ask God to lead you to “still waters” and let Him restore your soul.

·         Trust God’s guidance: In moments of uncertainty or fear, remind yourself that God’s presence goes before you. His “rod and staff” are not instruments of punishment, but tools of protection and guidance.

·         Recognize God’s abundance: Even amid challenges, look for ways God provides for you—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Gratitude transforms our perspective from scarcity to sufficiency.

Rev. Dennis Hysom

Running...

It’s interesting how the first Easter was marked by a kind of frenzy. The Gospel of John says the first response to Easter was not praise, or joy, or even fear. The first response was to run! When Mary saw the body of Jesus was gone, she responded by running. She ran to tell Peter and the beloved disciple. Then, Peter and the beloved disciple dashed off in a sprint to see the tomb for themselves.

            Why is there so much running in this story? Obviously, over the concern that the body of Jesus was missing. When we hear a loud clap, or receive unexpected news, we all react physically: we jump or fall back.

            On Easter Sunday, Jesus’ body was missing. Something unexpected had happened. They could not just sit still. They ran. They had to run.

            Yet, there was something else. They did not know it at the time, but they were running toward the future, toward a new way of life. They thought they were running to find a missing body. But when they finished their running, heard the voice of Jesus, the risen Lord changed their life.

            We too find our lives filled with a lot of running. Running to meet deadlines, running to see people, running to another appointment. Running, running, running!

            May I suggest taking the effort to slow down and hear the voice of God in Jesus. When Mary stopped her running, she heard Jesus speak her name. She heard the voice of God’s word of new life in Jesus. Then, she became a new creation.

            Easter is a season. It takes time to grow into the things of God. In your rushing, slow down and listen for God’s word of new life in Jesus. Mary did, and it made a difference in her life. It can happen to you as well.

Rev. Curtis Fussell

Low Sunday

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 This Sunday in the church calendar is historically called "Low Sunday". That is because the liturgy is 'low' in comparison to the 'high' liturgy of Easter Sunday. I think logistically it is known as low Sunday because there is low attendance in comparison to last week's worship swell. In the Scripture accounts for this Sunday, there is a rollercoaster of emotions from Mary Magdalene's time in the Garden with Christ, to the gathering of fearful disciples retreating behind locked doors, as well as the doubts of Thomas.

 In contrast to referring to this Sunday as 'Low', some churches in the early centuries of the faith referred to this as "Bright" Sunday, inviting celebrations and picnics to commemorate Christ's resurrection. For some, this evolved into "Holy Humor Sunday". When serving in Greensboro, NC. a clergy friend's church invited parishioners to wear crazy hats and to take noisemakers to use during the service. Co-pastors Amy and Jeff Fiet also share this Easter emphasis with their parish. In their bulletin, they placed this note:

                        Bulletin, noun

            1. something to read during the sermon

            2. a fan used in churches without air conditioning

            3. your receipt for attending church.

So, if you attend church this Sunday, congratulations! You are a faithful congregant, and you can take home your bulletin as a receipt!

                                                             Sharing the Good News with you,

                                                                        Tempe'

I Have Seen the Lord

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.”

John 20: 18

That is the first Easter sermon: “I have seen the Lord.” No Easter lilies to be ordered. No procession with choirs singing. No worries about finding something new to say about Easter this year, since the sanctuary is full with extra family and guests. Just a simple declaration of faith, “I have seen the Lord, Alleluia, Amen.”

 In John’s Gospel it all started when Jesus’ cousin, John, standing with two of his disciples pointed to Jesus as he walked by saying, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John’s disciples asked Jesus where he was staying, and Jesus said, “Come and see,” and they followed him. Then come and see eventually led to Mary telling the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” Afterwards the disciples said, “We have seen the Lord.” That is the Gospel of John: Come and see. I have seen the Lord. We have seen the Lord- to recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus.

So this Easter season listen, turn around, look, look again. Have you seen the Lord? Tell me your story. Where have you seen him? Tell me! To recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus is our story too.

Pastor Terry

The Season of Easter

We are entering the “Season of Easter” this April. Easter, then, is more than a day, it’s a season -a season for all the seasons of our lives.

The Apostle Paul understands this profound truth. So, he declares that what drives his heart and mind is this: “That I may know Jesus and the power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

For Paul it is not the crucifixion of Jesus that drives him. Paul does not give his heart and mind to Jesus’ crucifixion; imaging how Jesus took his place on the cross.

Paul does not give his heart and mind to meditate on the suffering of Jesus as a suffering he should have endured.

No. Paul tells us he directs his attention to the resurrection of Jesus and to knowing Jesus as the living Lord.

Still, Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus does not dismiss the cross. On the contrary, Jesus’ suffering on the cross reflects the work of God who resurrected Jesus. Paul says, in the cross of Jesus, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Hence, God was not against us in the cross of Jesus, but profoundly for us out of “his own love for us.”
                Paul says, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them,” (2 Cor. 5:19). Thus, Paul gives us this amazing assurance: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Suffering. All our heartaches, all our struggles, all our tears, all our deaths, come under the crucified God on the cross of Jesus and his resurrection. This then the “good news” of God in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This “good news” dominates Paul’s heart and mind.

Paul’s emphasis on Jesus’ resurrection seeks to raise up for us this: that whatever difficulties we experience, whatever sufferings come our way, whatever pain we suffer, we know that God is with us to bear us up and lead us to new life.

We then can persevere with our hearts and minds through and beyond our sufferings -and identify with the sufferings of others, to the resurrection and the living Jesus Christ. The promise and hope of the living Jesus is what sustains us in good times and bad times.

In this season of Easter, may the power of Jesus’ resurrection also sustain you. We are people with life and hope alive in us because of the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection.

Because of the power of Jesus’ resurrection, we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Join then with Paul and press forward, on good days and bad days, to set our hearts and minds on the power of Jesus’ resurrection, for it is the fullness of God’s love and grace for us.

I Have Seen the Lord

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.”

John 20: 18

That is the first Easter sermon: “I have seen the Lord.” No Easter lilies to be ordered. No procession with choirs singing. No worries about finding something new to say about Easter this year, since the sanctuary is full with extra family and guests. Just a simple declaration of faith, “I have seen the Lord, Alleluia, Amen.”

In John’s Gospel it all started when Jesus’ cousin, John, standing with two of his disciples pointed to Jesus as he walked by saying, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” John’s disciples asked Jesus where he was staying, and Jesus said, “Come and see,” and they followed him. Then come and see eventually led to Mary telling the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” Afterwards the disciples said, “We have seen the Lord.” That is the Gospel of John: Come and see. I have seen the Lord. We have seen the Lord- to recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus.

So this Easter season listen, turn around, look, look again. Have you seen the Lord? Tell me your story. Where have you seen him? Tell me! To recognize, embrace, and witness to Jesus is our story too.

Pastor Terry

The Choice is Yours

Imagine you are on a hillside in Galilee. Jesus is seated, surrounded by his disciples, a huge crowd circled around them. Jesus has been teaching for awhile. He is building towards a climax, a moment of decision. He ends his sermon with a series of vivid images, all in pairs. First there are two gates opening to two roads, one is smooth like a Roman highway and one is narrow and rocky like a mountain path. Which one will you choose? Next there are two vines on two trees. Which tree’s fruit will you choose? Then there are two groups of people, one with all the right credentials, and one group who “get” Jesus, know him, and understand what he is talking about. What group do you choose to be with? Finally there are two builders building two houses, one on sand and one on rock. The person who builds on the rock, didn’t just hear Jesus’ message, but puts it into action. What house do you choose to live in?

 It is getting to be decision time. Jesus looks towards Jerusalem. We look at our lives. And what do we choose? Do we take the easy road or the rocky mountain path? Do we eat the fruit of worldly success or the fruit of servant hood and generosity? Do we join the right group according to society’s standards or the Jesus group that includes everyone? Do we build our lives on sand or rock?  Do we take all that we have considered as we listened to Jesus on the hillside and translate his vision into our way of living?

 If you were there that day on the Galilean hillside, listening to Jesus, what would you choose?  No doubt you would have been impressed, but would you have “Yes, I choose to follow Jesus?

Pastor Terry

(Some thoughts from We Make the Road by Walking, Brian McLaren)