Recently, I found an old photo of myself and my sister. As I looked at it, I did not see myself - I saw a little boy... a little boy that had not specific purpose, no responsibilities, nothing to worry about.

I had a home (shelter), plenty of food to eat, and loving parents - nothing to worry about. I look at that picture again and wonder what has changed. Why have I become so obsessed with looking at that picture? What is that little boy trying to tell me? Can it be that we often look to Bible verses about children for guidance and encouragement? Is this what my inner childlike self is telling me?

Galatians 3:2-3

Paul reminds us that we are to continue in Christ exactly the same way we began in dependence, surrender, and the admission that we can't do it, but HE can.

Deuteronomy 1:30-31

The Lord God will lead the way. He will fight on our side, just as He did when we saw Him do all those things to the Egyptians. And you know that the Lord has taken care of us the whole time we've been in the desert, just as you might carry one of your children.

Psalm 36:7-8

God, your love is so precious! You protect people as a bird protects her young under her wings. They eat the rich food in your house. You let them drink from your river of pleasure.

Psalm 63:7-8

For You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

The kingdom of God belongs to the children. What is blocking you from finding your way into Jesus' arms today? Or not just you, a family member, friend, coworker, even a stranger looking for guidance.

When we sense anyone being hindered from coming nearer to Christ, we must intervene. We must place our trust in God and rely on God.

Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father,

It has been so easy to get caught up in the "adult" life; with responsibilities and day to day functions. Sometimes we forget to let you guide our life and act as if we are in control. Please remind us, help us to be more "child-like" and remember You have us under your wing. You are in control and guiding us. Remind us constantly to look towards you when we need reassurance and protection. May we learn to take refuge in the shadow of your wings. We lovingly embrace that You are the one that does the heavy lifting in our lives. Amen.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen!" (Revelation 7:9-12 ESV)

I believe this passage from the book of Revelation describes the ultimate worship service. Right now, Christians gather weekly to worship all around the world, and we do our best to praise and glorify God with everything we have. We've all seen some pretty impressive worship services at some pretty impressive cathedrals or mega-churches or revivals.

But can you imagine this scene from Revelation that talks about worship at the actual throne of God? What will that be like??? According to this text, there will be worshipers including Israel (read earlier in the chapter), angels, elders, the four living creatures, and a great innumerable multitude from EVERY nation, ALL tribes, ALL peoples, and ALL languages, falling on their faces before the throne, and praising God with a loud voice!! What an amazing picture!!!

This Sunday, we are celebrating World Communion Sunday. Music will be sung in many languages at both services (come early to hear the extended prelude!). At the 11:00 a.m. livestream/in-person service, our friends from Casa Brasil and Crossings Community Church will be joining us and offering their musical gifts as we worship together. And of course, we will all celebrate communion together as we look forward to the great marriage feast of the Lamb!

So if you are coming to drive-in worship (9:00 a.m.) or in-person worship, come early! And if you are worshiping with us online, get your bread and juice (or wine) ready, and celebrate with us this Sunday!

Prayer for Today

Salvation indeed belongs to you, Lord, and to the Lamb! Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen!

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; the faithful God, keeping the covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love God and keep God’s commandments.

-Deuteronomy 7:9

Psychologists say there are nine critical minutes for children. The first three minutes after they wake up, the three when they return home from school, and the three before bed. I’d add the moment before they leave for their day. Like many parents, we try to establish routine and schedule for our boys. They thrive in stability and familiarity, especially with the chaos of this past two years of pandemic. I used to drive our oldest to school most days and had a list of little affirmations and reminders I’d rattle off as he jumped from my jeep like a paratrooper. I would say some version of, “Be good, do your best, be kind, we love you.”

Now, he takes off for the high school bus with even greater speed as I clean up in his wake and look for items he might be forgetting. But I still try to remember to say those things as he departs. Some mornings are busier than others, or I’ve already begun to check emails. Yesterday was such a day. He paused in the doorway. “You have to say it!” I looked up from my Gmail confused. Then I realized. So I said it. He beamed. Then he fled. Ready for his day, the battle of high school.

It occurred to me how important those reminders are to him. He knows them by heart and there’s nothing new. But the reminder centers him, prepares him to learn, to do his best, and to be kind... and that he’s loved. As a Presbyterian, I always hope I’ll learn something new in worship from scripture, the music, or the message. But as a disciple, it’s just as important that I’m in worship every week to be reminded what I’m called to do, who I’m called to be, and that I am loved. I know all of that. But being in worship, hearing those reminders, that is my doorway to the week, before I rush out into the chaos. Hope I see you there. And I hope you hear God say, “be good, do your best, be kind... I love you.”

Prayer for Today

Lord, remind me of your hope, your call, your expectations, and your love for me today. Amen.

This past Sunday we honored Allison Shearouse and celebrated her time with us as Director of Christian Education. We wish Allison and her family the best as she senses God’s call to serve First Presbyterian Church in Savannah. So, what's next for JCPC? How will we find the right staff to lead in the area of Christian Education in the years to come?

Our Personnel Committee has already met with the elders and members of our Christian Education Ministry Team to seek their input on what is needed, both in the short term and the long run. Our Christian Education Ministry Team is committed to stepping up and supporting the most important ministries that need to continue. We are also considering the idea of an interim, or perhaps a seminary student, to help in the short term. However, there is also a desire to take enough time to discern what we need in the way of Christian Education in the years to come. While we do not want to waste any time, we also do not want to hurry the process in order to find the right person.

In recent years, the field of Christian Education has gone through significant change. Traditional ways of education, such as Sunday School for children and youth, are experiencing decreased participation in almost all churches. So, how do we continue to teach learners of all ages in this changing world -- changes that were taking place even before we were hit with a pandemic? During the pandemic, we have adapted our methods of education using things like Zoom and online resources. Some have actually found these better suited to their way of learning. However, in looking for the right person to lead us, there may be new skill sets needed now and in the coming years. Our overall goal of making Christ followers of all ages remains the same. But the strategies, methodologies, and leadership skills required to make that happen are changing.

Our Personnel Committee will soon create a Search Committee to find the right staff member to fill these roles. We plan to survey the congregation and ask for your input on what you think we need now and in the coming years. So, please respond when you see the survey. Also, if you could offer some of your time to help our Christian Education Ministry Team during this time of transition, I know it would be appreciated. Feel free to contact me so I can connect you with the right person. Above all, please be in prayer for those on our Search and Personnel Committees as they seek to discern God's will for JCPC in the years to come!

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, as we seek to fulfill your Great Commission -- to go make disciples and teach them all that you have said and done -- we ask that you would guide us to the right staff person to make this happen now and in the years to come. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ, who taught us to love you and one another, and who gave his life for the whole world! Amen.

By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.

-Psalm 119:105

What parts of God’s word have been guiding you in this season?

Over the past few years I have spent more time in prayer through movement. 

One of the most meaningful prayer practices has been walking the labyrinth. This ancient pathway, on canvas in our Great Hall or on stone outdoors, has helped me center my connection with God. 

Last year in January, I spent two days in Charlotte on a retreat. This experience offered a deeper understanding of movement, art and prayer through the labyrinth. When making the plans to attend, I did not have any idea what would unfold in March with the pandemic and continue into this fall. 

Our children at JCPC have walked this prayer path in multiple experiences over the past few years. On Sunday as we prepared for my last Children’s Worship, Will and Chap helped me to create space in the Calvin Room for the labyrinth as one of our interactive prayer stations at the end. Will has helped set up the labyrinth in the Great Hall, in the church parking lot and in the Calvin Room listening to mentors and guides in our church community.

It was a blessing to me that he was eager to help set up the space for prayer on Sunday and then said, “Mom, we need to put candles in the center.” He found the battery operated ones in our cabinet and carefully placed them in the center for each child to have space for a pause and deep breath as they walked.

This village of faithful followers at JCPC have helped Will see and know God’s light on our path. You have nurtured him in each season of his faith so far.

As we continue down God’s path and answer the call to ministry in Savannah, we take each one of you with us in the ways you have helped us grow in our faith. Thank you for this blessing and we look forward to the ways we will continue to share God’s love in the world together.

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, Thank you for the gift of your word as a guide for our lives. Help us to be open to the ways we can share your Word and your love each day. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.

-1 Corinthians 12:28, NRSV

The last quarter of the year presents the church with some operational tasks. The two big ones are setting a proposed expense budget for the upcoming year, and the elections of new Elders as the third year Elders rotate off Session. Last Monday evening the Stewardship team after consultations with the ministry teams presented a proposed expense budget for the new year. The suggested budget fulfills the requests from the ministry teams and will be the basis for the upcoming “Give, Go, Live – Again!” fall stewardship campaign. The proposed budget is modestly bigger than the 2021 budget. The session voted unanimously in favor of the proposed 2022 expense budget.

Identifying and securing a new class of six Elders is the next big item. The Elder Nominating Committee will have its first meeting this week, mainly to review the mechanism of Elder selection and to ask the congregation for its input. The qualifications for an Elder as identified in the Bible will guide JCPC’s nominating committee who will seek nominations from the congregation. Elders should model a Christlike lifestyle, by living a faithful stewardship of time, talents, and gifts in support of God’s work.

Elders must participate in the governance of the church and participate when asked to serve on the various ministry teams. You will see Elders serving Communion, participating in worship, and attending church activities and special services. We seek Elders who while serving on the Session seek to discern the will of God as opposed to representing various agendas. As JCPC has needs such as meeting payroll and mortgage, supporting its missions, maintaining its physical plant and teaching future generations, the church needs Elders who are gifted in many different fields. Every Elder I have met has told me that they did not, when first asked, feel qualified enough to serve as an Elder. All of us are at different levels of our personal faith journeys. There is no mandatory level for an Elder. Living a Christian lifestyle is enough.

We will be asking for nominations from the congregation over the next weeks. Elders must be members of JCPC for at least three years and model a Christian lifestyle. Please participate in the Elder nomination process and if you believe one of your fellow church members should be guiding the church, then offer their name in nomination. 

Prayer for Today

Heavenly father,

We ask that today you guide us in doing your will. Help us to not insert our desires and agendas when doing your work. Help us to remember that Christ prayed for a unified church filled with followers who had been instructed in Christ’s teachings and who would model Christ’s love each day. We pray that our church as seen through its programs and actions functions in a manner that is pleasing to you. We ask for this guidance in Christ’s name.

Amen.

When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

-Deuteronomy 6:10-12

I remember something that happened in high school when I worked at the local grocery store. While waiting for a customer, one of the other workers said something to the effect of, “Isn’t it interesting how only weak people are Christian? I mean, no CEOs or other powerful people need any religion because they have everything they need. It’s only the weak and poor who pray to some god to get what they don’t have.”

Being 16 at the time, I was not prepared to hear this nor respond in a meaningful way, so I just shrugged and dropped the topic. But it is something that I’ve thought about from time to time since then. I wondered if his misconception was a modern issue brought about by great abundance, technology, and an increasing disdain for religion in society.

But look at the verses from Deuteronomy above. These were written long ago, but the people are warned not to forget God in their future wealth and abundance. There weren’t cell phones, cars, or even Twitter back then, but clearly that didn’t matter. So the problem of forgetting or “not needing” God is not a modern one, but a human one. What is it about having stuff, being in a position of power, or feeling great that makes us forget God?

I’m sure we have all prayed in times of pain and distress. When we hurt, we want to reach out to God because we know God will not forget us amidst our deepest despairs and longings. But once things are going well, it’s all too easy to forget to praise God. Initially, I might thank God for the help, but I become satisfied with my positive situation and can sometimes forget to sing for joy. Being a Christian is more of a journey than a one-time decision. We are always oscillating between being close to God and being further away than we want. But we are loved unconditionally by an unchanging God who is always waiting for us, even when we “forget” God. Take a moment today and say a prayer of thanksgiving for something in your life. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Prayer for Today

God of Abundant Grace, thank you for this day and the countless blessings you have given each of us. Despite this abundance, we are caught up in our own despair at times. Help us to remember your generosity in everything, in all we do, so that we can rightfully praise and worship you with our hearts. Amen.

If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.

-Psalm 139:9-10

Two weeks ago, I took some time off work and I was able to spend a lot of time with the boys, especially the youngest. He’s blessed that his mother works from home and was also one of our fine JCPC preschool teachers. Their mornings are filled with learning and skills. One morning, my wife pulled out the paper and his egg-shaped crayons for coloring time. I sat with him on the floor and helped him arrange his materials. He had trouble holding the fat green crayon upright and make a mark. I gently placed my hand on his to help him draw a swirling pattern. And then a square. Then I let go.

That’s when he surprised me. Instead of drawing his own new shape, he put his own back into mine and pulled me back to the paper and waited. So I helped him draw a triangle. Then I let go. Again and again, he moved his hand back within mine and back to the paper. He seemed to delight in seeing what he could do with my help. He took comfort in my gentle guidance and what we produced together. Even as a child, he could appreciate the deep mystery and magic of being a part of something he couldn’t yet do on his own. He didn’t want me to draw for him. He didn’t want to draw for me. He wanted to collaborate and create together.

The psalmist reminds us that God’s hand can guide us, even from far away. We can collaborate with the creator of the universe. The hands that shaped galaxies and comets and formed you and me from star stuff can and will guide our hands, if we place our trust and curiosity in God. Imagine the care, the growth, the healing, the work, and the beauty we can create when we place our hands in the creator’s. When you pray this week, pray with your hands open and ask God to take them and use them. Imagine what we can do.

Prayer for Today

Lord, take these hands and help me to do beautiful things. Amen.

For more than eleven years I've had the privilege of serving as the pastor of Johns Creek Presbyterian Church. During this time, I have worked with many staff members who have used their gifts to do God's work in this church and in our community. We are saying goodbye to two of our staff members -- Allison Shearouse and Elizabeth Uhles.

I began working with both Elizabeth and Allison when I was first called here. Elizabeth was already on staff serving as our Summer Youth Intern, but when our Youth Director resigned even before I started, we asked Elizabeth to step in as our Interim Youth Director, and she did a great job. Soon after that our Interim Director of Christian Education resigned for another position, so we asked Elizabeth to fill that role on an interim basis, which she did again. Soon after that, we found Allison to be our Director of Christian Education. Elizabeth later shared with us that she was returning to get her degree in counseling.

A few years after that we needed a bookkeeper, and one of our church members suggested Elizabeth. I was surprised because I thought she was counseling, which it turned out she was doing. But she also had some bookkeeping experience, so we interviewed her and hired her because we knew how well she had done everything else here at JCPC. So, in addition to her growing counseling practice, Elizabeth did a great job as our bookkeeper. And now because of the pandemic, her client load has increased to the point where she needs to do it full time to help hurting people.

As I mentioned above, Allison was hired early on. She was the first full-time program staff we hired after I came. Allison brought experience, a positive attitude, and a knack for accomplishing everything that made it onto her list. As she has served JCPC, we have celebrated the addition of Will to her family. We wish Allison, Chap, and Will God's blessings as she follows God’s call to serve the First Presbyterian Church of Savannah, Georgia.

We honored Elizabeth last Sunday in worship and we plan to honor Allison this Sunday. I hope you will make a special effort to be there at 11:00 a.m. in our Great Hall. There will be a time to gather in the Atrium afterwards and to express your appreciation to Allison for her faithful service here at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church.

Prayer for Today

Thank you, God, for faithful servants like Allison and Elizabeth -- who have given their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of others. Bless them as they each enter the next chapter of their life with you. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7

This has been a familiar passage to me since 7^th grade. That’s when I memorized it and it’s been imprinted on my heart ever since. What words come to mind when you hear the word peace? Where are the places that really need peace right now? What relationships are required? How might God be a part of bringing that peace through us?

Perhaps peace in our world begins with peace in our own lives. We each have places of unrest, and perhaps if we work for peace here, inside our lives, we might be able to know more of God’s peace in the world.

Do you think all of the noise and busyness in our lives makes it difficult to find peace? Do our schedules, our time, our lives look like that of a person who wants to experience God’s peace? Is it possible that sometimes we search for God in the winds, earthquakes and fires, but God is waiting to speak to us in the silence and peace?

After a conversation a few years ago, I received this wooden dove from Jamie Traylor. I keep it on my desk as a reminder of peace. At that time, I was navigating some challenges and needed to find a path towards reconciliation. Since then, this dove is a visual prompting for me to consider peace.

Over the past few seasons, I have noticed spaces of unrest and spaces of peace. I have always been drawn to those peaceful places: ocean waves, chirping birds, gentle breeze…

What are the sounds of your peaceful places? How might you move towards reconciliation in one aspect of your life?

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, Help us to see the needs of others around us. Help us to know those needs which we can fulfill. Help us to fulfill them and make your peace known. In Christ’s Name, Amen.