July 4

With hand upon heart I thank the Lord For this my native land,
For all I love is here within her gates.
My soul is rooted deeply in the soil on which I stand,
For these are mine own United States.
                             (Don Raye)

 

I remember singing the great American folk song, "This is My Country" in elementary school.  As a child I learned to value the nation of my birth and began to understand the responsibilities of citizenship.  Now, some fifty years later, on this 4th of July, I find myself thinking about this text, and though my perspective is hopefully a bit more mature, there is still a sense of wonder and appreciation for "this, my native land."  Citizens and friends of this nation will gather today in homes, along parade routes, in parks and backyards across our land to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and to hear again and again the stories of our country's 239 year history.

 

Take a moment today to do what Don Raye's lyric calls us to do...'thank the Lord for this my native land."  To do so is not to claim that we are favored above other nations in God's eyes, but it does mean that we recognize we are blessed to live in a free land...a place of sacrifice and service that offers great opportunity and calls us to great responsibility.   

 

We will take a few moments in our service tomorrow morning to give thanks for our country and to allow you to voice your gratitude.  Again, during July and August, our dress is more casual and worship less formal, so if you have guests from out of town, or a friend or neighbor nearby, invite them to join you.  I look forward to seeing you.

 

Jim Abernathy

Trust the Lord...In Everything!

God's blessings to you on this soggy Thursday!  I told someone in a distant city after a recent downpour here (can't remember which one because they have been happening multiple times a day!) that the ark had been completed and we were ready to set sail! They thought I was talking about water in my basement.  I assured them our basement was one of the few things dry around us, but the water outside seemed to be rising fast!  By July, things are usually beginning to look a bit dry, and the extremes of summer will probably bring that before long.  In the meantime, we will be cutting our grass more frequently, enjoying rainy walks with the dog, and trying to sidestep those puddles that seem to be everywhere.

 

Jesus is quoted in Matthew 5:45b as he speaks of the wonder of his heavenly Father's handiwork, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." In other words, what seem to be the extremes of life are part of the human experience within the context of God's creation.   There is an ebb and flow in God's creation, and we are to strive to do our best to honor the Creator in the midst of all of it. Jesus' words were offered within what we call, "The Sermon on the Mount," and meant to give instruction about how we relate to the Creator and to the creation. And so, in sunshine or rain, heat or cold, victory and defeat...soggy shoes or parched throat, give thanks with a humble heart and trust the Lord...in everything!

 

Arrangements for Rita Pearsall's daughter, Sandy, have been made.  The memorial service will be held Wednesday, July 8 at 1 p.m. at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home.  Please keep Rita, Sandy's daughter Skylar, and all the family in your prayers.  As was shared in yesterday's Westwood Express, Nancy D'Ambrosio passed away yesterday.  Nancy was a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and faithful member of Westwood in so many ways over the years. Funeral arrangements are still pending and we will share those when they are made.  Please keep Nancy's family in your prayers.  

 

VBS starts Monday, so please keep our children, workers, and parents in your prayers.  For those who still need to take the Child Protection Training before VBS begins, your last opportunity to do so is this Sunday morning at 10. I look forward to sharing in Bible study and worship with you this Sunday!  Dress comfortably, invite a friend, and come with great expectation.

 

Jim Abernathy 

Conversation

Conversation...an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people.

 

I would say that Webster's definition aptly describes the setting for our summer book conversations which begin this Monday night.  Our first "informal talk" focuses on Dr. Atul Gawande's powerful book, "Being Mortal."  The power of the book lies in its challenge to confront issues of life and death, particularly in the context of difficult decisions that often must be made in the midst of declining health.  Some might see such discussions as too difficult, even depressing, but they are significant and therefore worth exploring in that they affect the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.  Whether or not you have read the book, I hope you will join the conversation Monday evening at 7 in the music suite.  Life is indeed enriched through our conversations.

 

There is a correction to the arrangements for the calling hours for Emilie Bretz on Monday.  Originally, we posted visitation at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home from 4-6 p.m., but the family has decided to change those hours from 4-8 p.m.  The service will be at 10 on Tuesday morning, followed immediately by a reception in Whitten Hall, then burial at Fairfax Memorial Cemetery at 2 p.m.  Please remember this family in your prayers.  

Join us for worship this Sunday morning as Andre will be sharing a bit about his trip to Israel, Mindy Burts will provide special music as she plays the clarinet, and I will be bringing a message entitled, "Enough," based on Lamentations 3:22-26.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

 

Jim Abernathy

All of God's Creation

We awakened this morning to the news of another mass shooting in the United States. Nine people were killed while attending a Bible study at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C.  Some are noting the significance of this horrific event as a hate crime, while others highlight the fact that it took place in a church.  For some it is another opportunity to tout the need for gun control while others cite this as yet another example of how armed citizens could have responded in a moment like this to prevent such tragedies.  Some will see this as another example of the devaluing of African-American lives.  I suppose there is some truth in each of these arguments, and yet, there is always more at work than just what is seen on the surface. We tend to pick and choose our rallying points in the aftermath of such tragedy, but in the end, the devastation is the same; nine lives lost...Cynthia Hurd, 54, Susie Jackson, 87, Ethel Lance, 70, Tywanza Sanders, 26, Myra Thompson, 59, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41, Rev. Daniel Simmons, 74, and Rev. Sharonda Singelton, 45.

 

Black lives are important, as are those of every race, ethnicity, religious, political, or ideological perspective.  To value every life is more than simple tolerance..it is to recognize the wonder of God's creation, all of God's creation.  Then, it is to realize that the way we treat others does make a difference. 

 

Prayer is the greatest gift I can offer the people of Emmanuel AME Church and the city of Charleston tonight.  But tomorrow, I can view my neighbor, my co-worker, my classmate with different eyes.  I can look for ways to reach across the barriers that divide and risk myself in valuing others as God does. It isn't easy work.  There are great challenges that persist, but if I claim faith in the One whose sacrificial way included loving, serving, and forgiving others, regardless, then I must walk and live that way as well.

 

Pray for the members and friends of Emmanuel AME church and for the people of Charleston.  Pray for your friends, neighbors, co-workers and classmates.  Pray for leaders in small towns and big cities, churches, synagogues, mosques, and houses of worship.  Pray that the Creator God will be at work, even in the midst of such trying times, reminding us of our need for Him and for one another.

 

I will talk about these and other things Sunday morning in my message based on Job 38:1-11.  In the midst of his questions, Job found he ultimately had to trust God.  In the midst of our questions and heartache, we would do well to do the same.

 

Jim Abernathy

Music...At the Heart of Who We Are

"Music," Martin Luther once wrote, "is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us."  I agree, and from what I know of Westwood, I believe that most of us would find agreement in Luther's words.  From anthems to instrumentals, to hymns...even to Mama Mia's, music is a treasured expression of faith at Westwood that is at the heart of who we are. 

 

Living in the D.C./Northern Virginia area, we are blessed to have a number of wonderful musical opportunities all around us.  This Saturday, we have the privilege of hosting the United States Navy Chamber Ensembles in concert at 3 p.m.  We have hosted this group several times over the last few years and always enjoy the variety and quality of music they share.  Our own Lera League has participated in these concerts and has been instrumental (pardon the pun) in helping bring these musicians to Westwood.   So, recognizing this opportunity as a gift and a reminder of the wondrous treasure of music God has offered, take a few moments Saturday afternoon to enjoy the U.S. Navy Band Chamber Ensembles in concert at Westwood, and invite a friend to share this special gift with you.

 

Dee Whitten will be with us this Sunday to share a bit of the ministry of Northstar Church Network.  Northstar is one of our cooperative missions partners and Dee will be sharing about what's new in the Network, and how churches like Westwood impact this important ministry. Dick Marvin will also be sharing about a new emphasis at ECHO that Westwood will be supporting in June, and I will bring a message from Isaiah 6:1-8, entitled, "Who Will Go For Us?"  Again, I encourage you to join your Westwood family for worship and study of God's word and invite someone to join you.  Together, we celebrate all the gifts that God has given.

 

Jim Abernathy 

 

P.S. Finally, keep Andre in your prayers as he continues his class and archeological dig in Jezreel.  You can follow his experiences by going to our church website and clicking on "Andre in Israel."

Continuing Presence

"I stopped asking God to drop out of the sky to come be with me and started opening up my eyes to the reality that he was already here."  In her book, "Faith Shift," Kathy Escobar includes quotes from everyday believers talking about their struggles and challenges along their faith journeys.  The quote listed here is significant to one's daily walk with the Creator God for it suggests we see God not as elusive or distant, but welcome God as present and  engaged in our lives.  In the midst of ever-changing circumstances and distractions, finding God present in the middle of it all gives strength and help to face whatever comes.  This is the message of incarnation...the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us."

 

Sometimes we look at the world and wonder where God is as if God has done the work of creation and then left us on our own.  I believe that God is at work in the world, particularly in the hearts of those who will listen and learn, then act upon faith.  The words of Jesus after his resurrection and shortly before he returned to His Father, came in the context of his physical departure, but they spoke of continuing presence.  "I will be with you always..."  God continues to work in the hearts and minds and actions of those who welcome the Holy Spirit, not as an occasional rescuer, but a trusted friend and guide for every step.  That is our strength and hope and joy for the living of each day.

 

Arrangements have been confirmed for Bernard Bretz.  Visitation will be held this Tuesday, May 19, at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m.  The memorial service will follow Wednesday morning at 11 at Westwood with a reception immediately after the service.  Prayer is the continuing recognition that God is indeed here among us and at work, so please continue faithful in remembering this and other prayer concerns.

 

Sunday in Youth Sunday at Westwood.  We are always blessed when our youth lead in worship.  Plan to be present to encourage and worship alongside them.  It will be a blessed time for us all.

 

Jim Abernathy

Cooperation

To cooperate is to work together with others.  Sounds pretty simple, but whenever human beings get involved, the simple has a way of becoming complicated.  Emotion, politics, race, finances, family relationships, even religion can make cooperation at times more challenging than it has to be.  People are often compelled to rally to a cause or work together for the common good and that is cooperation at its best.  In reality, I suppose cooperation is an intentional approach to the circumstances of life that makes one think beyond him or her self to consider a bigger picture...a broader perspective.

 

On four of the next five Sundays, I will be focusing on this theme of cooperation from the pulpit, particularly as we think about how we work together with mission partners around the world to share the love of Christ.  Twelve percent of our undesignated offerings at Westwood go to cooperative missions, supporting ministry work locally through the Northstar Church Network, regionally through the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, and globally through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  By cooperating with brothers and sisters in Christ here and around the world, you and I are able to accomplish more than we could do alone or in our particular congregation.  The Vision Council has been asked to evaluate our cooperative giving and they have appointed a team to review and report back to them.  My hope is that over these next several Sundays, you and I will come to have a better understanding of how we partner together with others for the cause of Christ, and that we will hear in fresh and powerful ways how God can use our resources to reach around the corner, and around the world with the transforming message of hope in Jesus Christ.

 

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for Bible study and worship.  Invite a friend to join you.

 

Jim Abernathy