Reflections

“…But They’ll See Me”

By on August 22, 2012 in Women

The following post is from: Jen Broad, President of the Women’s Council.

1 John 1: 5-10
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

In The Great Divorce, CS Lewis writes of a ghost in his imagined heaven who is fleeing while looking over her shoulder as if she is being pursued. Lewis describes this ghost as “a well-dressed woman…but its shadows of finery looked ghastly in the morning light.” When an angel encourages this ghost to join him and become “solid” like him in the light and truth of heaven’s Savior over her own false-worthiness, we read the following exchange, led by the retreating female ghost:

“But they’ll see me”
“What does it matter if they do?”
“I’d rather die.”
“But you’ve died already. There’s no good trying to go back to that.”
“But I tell you, they’ll see me.”
“An hour hence and you will not care. A day hence and you will laugh at it. Don’t you remember on earth — there were things too hot to touch with your finger but you could drink them all right? Shame is like that. If you will accept it — if you will drink the cup to the bottom — you will find it very nourishing: but try to do anything else with it and it scalds.”

Just like the ghost in Lewis’ story, just like Adam and Eve in the garden, we often hide instead of walking in the light of obedience, repentance, and freedom in Christ. We are continuously tempted away from believing the promises of our faithful God and toward believing in our own visible idols that we dress up as temporary saviors or cling to to help numb our shame. We hide in so many things, good things, that we pervert. Reputation, fashion, food, wealth, friends, technology, fitness, and family are but a few examples. We can often misuse these blessings to hide ourselves so that we do not have to think about what we truly look like in the crosshairs of the curse. The shame that we hide away scalds us deep within while we don’t even notice its wounding effects. When we cling to false saviors, we are robbed of our fellowship with our heavenly Father and fellowship in truth with one another.

In the midst of our absolute imperfection, we hear the resounding “BUT GOD!” which is the very thing that begs us to confess our sin and be cleansed from our unrighteousness. Ephesians 2:4, 5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved.”  I love that this verse says, “made us alive together with Christ.” We’ve heard it hundreds of times, but please tell me again: The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead pursues each of us ferociously to overcome our sin and to give us that same LIFE; the enduring, neverending spiritual and eventually physical Life of our Savior. Our salvation is in Him together with all of the saints. Our salvation is a salvation away from isolation and fully into the arms of our Father and the community of believers who have been brought to life by this amazing work of our covenant God.

Romans 5:1-5 greatly informs my understanding of the concept of repentance. In these verses we are called to “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God,” and then Paul leads us through a beautiful progression: We rejoice in our sufferings “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” That very hope that we are called to rejoice in at the beginning of Paul’s argument is a God-given result of our suffering, our endurance, our character, all which are gifts from Him. The process of finding true hope does not put us to shame, therefore we have the freedom to stare our suffering and sin in the face and proclaim Jesus’ work on our behalf.

How can we as believers stand before God in fellowship, in light and in truth without looking fully into the darkness of our own hearts against the blinding backdrop of His Light? We have the freedom to fall before Him and confess our sin knowing that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We are robed in HIS majesty. Unlike the ghost in Lewis’ imagined Heaven, we need not fret in the shame of our translucent, weak and meager state. We are all the same in that. As I wrestle with my own sin and walk with others who are in battle, I remember John’s words in Revelation that our robes are washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Oh, why, then do I so often try to muddy my robe in my own prideful mechanisms when I am in truth washed perfectly in His blood?

As I pray for our church and the women of our church, I pray that the LORD will be faithful to bless us with true fellowship and community with one another, because of His faithfulness to teach us all to walk in the light, according to 1 John 1:5-10. We have been given His Word through which we can and should know Him. I hope that we can encourage one another as we grow in understanding of the character of our covenant God.  I pray that He will be faithful to shine light on the areas in our lives where we do deceive ourselves about our own sin, and that we will be given the gift of repentance and the true knowledge of freedom in our Savior Jesus Christ.

New Director of Music Ministries

By on August 16, 2012 in Jim Bachmann

Dear Congregation,

It is with great pleasure that I announce the hiring of Mr. David German as our new Director of Music Ministries. At this time we are not sure precisely when he will assume his duties here, but it will be as soon as possible. Please pray for the sale of his home and for a smooth transition for his family.

David is currently serving as Minister of Music at Grace PCA in Peoria, Illinois, where he has lived since 2004. Previously, from 1995 to 2004, he served at Christ Covenant PCA near Charlotte, North Carolina. While there he was mentored by Dr. Harry Reeder, currently the senior pastor at Briarwood PCA in Birmingham. At Christ Covenant David was exposed to and cheerfully embraced the Reformed doctrines of grace. His prior experiences were at the very large non-denominational Calvary Church in Charlotte (1984-1995) and the Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield, Michigan (1977-1983), where he served under Joe Stowell. He earned undergraduate degrees from Moody Bible Institute and Olivet College, and a Master of Music Education from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

David has a lovely wife, Kathleen, to whom he has been married for 30 years. They have four children: Dominic (22), Dimitri (21), Sophia (15), and Eli (12). They were also blessed to have Lucy, born in 1992, who lived for two years before going to be with the Lord.

David is 58 years old, an accomplished organist, composer, gourmet chef, and master carpenter!

Our search committee received an overwhelming number of resumes from many extraordinarily gifted candidates. Three leading candidates emerged near the end and as we prayed and sought the Lord’s wisdom we were led to select David. You will enjoy not only his many talents but also his humility, sincerity, great listening skills, shepherd’s heart, and easy laugh.

Please give David your unqualified support. In David, Thomas, and Julie, God has blessed us with a wonderful team leading our music ministry who deserve our enthusiastic support. If you can “make a joyful noise,” join the choir. We are eager to have two full choirs for both services. Or if God has blessed you with the ability to play a musical instrument, talk to Thomas and use that gift to enhance our worship. Since worship is the most important activity of life, let’s do it well and have fun in the process!

In closing, join me in thanking the search committee for their hard work these past many months. Scott Troxel and Brent Roberts served as co-chairs with able assistance from Tom Allison, Rachel Brooks, Lori Casteel, Wayne Herring, Tammi Hollis, Linda Lamb, Dan Russell, and Michael Speck. Thank you all.

The Lord is good.
Pastor Jim

Girls Just Want to Have Fun???

By on July 25, 2012 in Jen Stegmann

In the words of one iconic 80’s singer,  “Girls Just Want to Have Fun!” This certainly rang true this June in Orlando sitting with Jen Broad listening to men and women share the truth of God’s word at a women’s conference hosted by The Gospel Coalition (TGC).  Absorbing 15+ hours of theological teaching within a 48-hour period may not seem like ‘fun’ to many, but indeed it was.  What made this conference unique was the great challenge issued to women to search the Scriptures and see for themselves who this God of redemption truly is.  Knowing Him allows us to see more clearly His desires for our relationships, our work, our marriages, our children and even how we treat the woman in the grocery line!

The Apostle Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:11-16 (ESV):

“And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

How easily we can be swayed by “every wind of doctrine.”  Paul tells us here it is crucial to know what we believe, why we believe it and what that means for a Christian living in a broken and fallen world.  As women seeking to know our Lord, we must know His Word to know Him.  And we must know the Word, Christ.  Knowing Him moves us to greater faith, repentance and obedience to His word.  The conference rightly entitled, Here Is Our God, did just that—point women to ‘our God!’

What can be more ‘fun’ than being transformed by Him who is the lover of our soul and who delights in His children and longs for His children to know Him more fully?

The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing.
-Zephaniah 3:17, ESV

As Saint Augustine says so well, “You have made us, O Lord, for Yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” -Confessions, Book 1, Chapter 1

Sisters, my prayer is that our restless hearts would seek after the heart of a faithful God who steadfastly pursues us and that we share this God of redemption with those whom God has placed around us.

To listen to the conference lectures click here,  http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2012-womens/

A Wonderful Blessing….

By on June 26, 2012 in Nathan McCall, Pastor, Reflections

What is your response when you hear a child in the worship service?  Do you turn and stare?  Do you wonder how a parent could be so daft as to allow their child to be disruptive?  Let me confess: if it is my own child who is loud or disruptive, my first inclination is to be embarrassed, upset, or self-conscious.  I think you may know the feeling.  If my daughter’s foot taps the pew it sounds like a hammering that echoes throughout the building.   If she whispers, it might as well be a scream.  My son seems to blow raspberries at all the wrong times.  They stare, they cry, they speak during prayers, they wiggle, they cover their ears, and they challenge our concentration.  It is so hard to be a parent in the pew.  There are times when I look at my children and wish they would just sit there and act like adults.  When I consider these thoughts, I think of the many churches that I have sat in, in which the silence is stifling.  The pews are empty, the atmosphere is quiet, not in reverence, but in tension to the way  things should be.  Families with children are nowhere to be found.  Despite whatever reasons have led to this reality, which can be many in number, a church without children is a church that lacks one of God’s greatest blessings.  Psalm 127 would refer to a family as a “heritage from the Lord“ and as a “Blessing!”

James Montgomery Boice says, “Children are a blessing from God, and they, with their parents, are among the vital foundation blocks of a healthy, thriving society.  God’s blessing on the city begins with his blessing on the family, and where our families stand, our cities will stand too.”  From the balcony, one can look out and have two different reactions to seeing the people of God gathered together for worship.  They may look out and see children moving and wiggling and proclaim, “Why are all these children in worship?”  Others may peer out and see families together worshipping Jesus.  It is a great encouragement to me to hear and see families together.  I am reminded of my first encounter with Covenant Presbyterian Church as I drove up the hill.  The stones literally declared the majesty of God and His faithfulness to us.  These stones of witness sit high on the hill and can be seen for miles.  In much the same way, one can look out at our congregation and see the “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) of God’s spiritual temple, both young and old.  Children are a gift from God.  There is nothing better than seeing a family or church filled with children.  May we pray for and support our families.  Let us pray for those who desire children and have not had them.  Let us pray for those who have raised their children and now inherit grandchildren.  Let us pray for our children that they may be planted firmly by the water and grow into strong oaks fed on the Word.

Parents, continue to bring your children to worship.  It is not only your duty assigned by God, but it is the place that they will find LIFE!  J.C. Ryle says, “I suspect we have no idea how much a little child can take in of the length and breadth of the glorious gospel.  They see far more of these things than we suppose.  Fill their minds with Scripture.  Let the Word dwell in them richly.  Give them the Bible, the whole Bible, even when they are young.”   Our children will wiggle, scribble, and talk.  Gently train them to hear and respond to God and His Word.  Let the training begin and let us have joy to see it happening in our congregation!

 

“There’s no place like home.”

By on June 19, 2012 in Jim Bachmann, Pastor, Reflections

“There’s no place like home.”  How true it is!

For the last two months our family has been “homeless,” relatively speaking.  God surprised us by selling our home last spring.  Our search for a new one was hindered by my mother-in-law’s illness and subsequent homegoing.  Thus on April 20 we moved into a cozy little cabin on a beautiful farm in Kingston Springs.  We love the 168 acres, two ponds, gentle breezes, hot tub, and quiet escape graciously provided (at a VERY reasonable rate) by family members.  We don’t love the mice, snakes, ticks, or long drive to town however.

God has a sense of humor.  This entire undertaking was driven by our desire to live closer to the church.  In the future we will try harder to be content.  Somewhere the Bible mentions that.

What really shocked us though was the internal struggle of not having our own home.  Since moving we have felt aloof, lost, and detached.  Our determination to find a new home was repeatedly defeated by either the cost, location, floor plan, or some other “deal breaker.”  Most of our belongings are tucked away in storage.  We miss them, even the beat-up kitchen table that badly needs refinishing and the mattress full of peaks and valleys.

Somewhere along the way it struck us that the home we were looking for is not on this planet.  Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.”  Paul said, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

We hope we have learned our lesson. Soon enough we will settle into the new house and begin to make it our home.  Even so, we are but aliens and strangers on this earth until we arrive at our heavenly destination.  Hopefully that one will have all the perks!  (“Lord, I would really like a golf course in that back yard…”)

Pastor Jim

Catalyst: A new young adults ministry!

By on June 12, 2012 in J Hager, Pastor, Reflections

A year or so ago I was approached about spearheading a new ministry focused on building community among young professionals in our congregation.  After a few months of praying and thinking an initial “interest meeting” took place to see who was interested. Over 60 people attended and confirmed the great potential for this ministry to flourish.  A core group was formed and  decided to have bi-monthly cookouts, Bible studies on the book of James, and monthly Sunday lunches together.

Last Sunday at our first cook-out and Bible study the Lord again encouraged us by bringing out over 50 people. We had a great time eating, studying God’s word, and singing hymns.   Our prayer is that this ministry may continue to grow and become a vital part of our church. Please ask the Lord to bless our efforts to connect young professionals in friendship, build new relationships, provide service opportunities in and outside the church, transform us by His word during our Bible studies, and give all of us a heart to take the good news of the gospel into our places of work, homes, and friend groups. This fall we hope to add a vibrant small group ministry and have a retreat.

A catalyst causes a reaction between two or more persons without being affected itself. The Holy Spirit is our catalyst who creates change in our hearts while never changing. He is always the same yesterday, today, and forever. He effects true Christ-like change in the human heart. We want the future of Covenant to be bright because of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of young professionals connecting them to each other and to the  the church in service, worship, and fellowship.  A catalyst may also serve as a catapult that lifts an object and throws it toward a certain destination. May our Catalyst ministry catapult  our young adults into their workplaces, homes, and friend groups  with the intention of reaching the lost for Christ and being a light to our city!

Spring Father/Son Campout

By on June 5, 2012 in Nathan McCall, Pastor, Reflections

The Spring Father/Son campout was a time of adventure, fishing, camping, fellowship, and the best campfire food one could hope for. Enjoy camping vicariously with us through this video. Make sure to sign-up for the fall Father/Son campout.