Christ-like Response

Hurricane Matthew is just beginning its assault on Florida as I write these words. The devastation throughout the Caribbean has been massive and it will be days, if not weeks, before the full extent of this powerful storm's damage is fully assessed. Early warning has been given to residents along the Florida, Georgia, and Carolina borders and many have been encouraged to evacuate to safer locations. Some have heeded this warning while others have stubbornly determined to stay in their homes and businesses. Some of our folks here have had travel plans affected by the storm as that region will pretty much shut down for days to come.

Over the next several days to a week, we will assess the response of our ministry partners in reaching out to the victims of this terrible storm and see how we might cooperate together in Christ-like response. For now, let us commit ourselves to pray for those in the path of the storm and those now left in its wake. Though the toll of this storm is yet unknown, it is certain that lives have been irrevocably changed as a result. So, pray that in the midst of the storm, God will be at work to care for the millions living in these affected areas, and also for care givers, first responders, and repair crews who will work to meet these pressing needs.

The Psalmist writes, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not be afraid."  Amen.

Jim Abernathy

World Communion Sunday

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday and across the world, Christians will share in the supper that calls us to unity in the midst of our many differences. In thinking about his disciples and for those who would come after them, Jesus prayed in the seventeenth chapter of John, "...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you."  The grace, mercy, and forgiveness God offers through the sacrifice of Christ is a blessing we all share by faith. In a way, World Communion Sunday might be considered a Pentecost moment, when people of different languages, cultures, and interests all come together, led by the Spirit to honor Christ. I hope you will join us at Westwood this Sunday morning to pray, sing, proclaim, then share the supper of our Lord. In doing so, we will join millions in hearing once more the words of Christ, "Do this in remembrance of me."

Pray also for those women of Westwood who will be on retreat this weekend. Dr. Trisha Miller Manarin will be leading the retreat.

Blessings to our women on retreat. I look forward to seeing the rest of you as we gather on Sunday morning..

Jim Abernathy

Don't Be Anxious About Anything...

I traveled with our www.GO group yesterday to Ford's Theater to see the musical, "Come From Away."  This is the story of the sleepy little town of Gander, Newfoundland that became a haven for nearly 7,000 stranded airline passengers in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 when American airspace was abruptly closed for several days. These unexpected "guests" needed food, shelter, clothing, access to communication, and comfort. The challenges seemed insurmountable, but the residents of Gander and surrounding towns exemplified to the those passengers, and indeed, the world, the significance of hospitality and community.

In one very poignant moment, a bus pulls up to a Salvation Army camp on that first night with a load of weary passengers from around the world. The folks from the Salvation Army come running toward the bus in their uniforms to greet them. An African couple was sitting in the front of the bus and were to be the first ones off, but when they saw the uniformed welcome party, they refused to get off, thinking they were a military group that might not treat them well. The bus driver tried to reason with them, but the language barrier seemed too difficult to overcome. Then the driver saw that the woman had a Bible in her hand. He asked if he could see it and opened it. It was, of course, in the native language of the African woman, but the driver knew the books of the Bible would be in order and the numbering system seemed the same. He found what he believed to be Philippians 4:6, and pointed it out to the woman. Somewhat warily, she took the Bible from him and read the verse he had pointed out..."Don't be anxious about anything..."   A sense of trust was established and the character playing the bus driver, turned to the audience, and said something to the effect that after that, they found a common language.

Words of comfort and encouragement have a place in this troubled world. There are many things that divide us, including our different languages and cultures. Truth be told, many of us who speak the same language and share the same culture still have trouble at times communicating effectively. Perhaps a kind word of respect and understanding would open doors of communication for you and someone you struggle to understand. Perhaps the message of hope we know in the living word, Jesus Christ, and written words of scripture could also break down those barriers and bring blessing to broken relationships as well as new relationships yet undiscovered.

Don't be anxious about anything...words we need to hear and share.

Join us Sunday morning for music dedication Sunday. You will hear and share in some wonderful music, and you will be blessed to witness the baptisms of Parker and Vivian Seay. An added blessing will be that Parker and Vivian's grandfather, Rev. L. Grant Carter III, will baptize his grandchildren. It will be a wonderful day to gather for worship, so invite a friend or neighbor to join you.

Jim Abernathy

Let Others See Jesus In You

In my travels across southeast India this past winter, in small villages and large cities, I was often welcomed with folded hands, bowed heads, and the traditional Hindu greeting, "Namaste," which translates, "I bow to the divine in you." It is an humble manifestation of respect which recognizes the value of each individual and the greater presence of the Divine at work within.

As a Christ-follower, thinking of this greeting, I am drawn to Baptist hymnist, B.B. McKinney's wonderful hymn, "Let Others See Jesus in You."   Verse two says, "Your life's a book before their eyes, their reading it though and through. Say, does it point them to the skies, do others see Jesus in you?"

I know of no one who manifests this message more than Leena Lavanya, founder and director of ServeTrust. We have partnered with Leena in this great ministry for several years now and have grown to love and appreciate this faithful follower of Christ whose tireless efforts to share Christ's love in her native India have made an incalculable difference. I was privileged to watch and participate first-hand in her outreach to those who have no advocate, those who are often forgotten. She truly embodies McKinney's admonition to "let others see Jesus in you." 

This Sunday, we will be blessed to welcome Leena to Westwood and to hear stories that give evidence to the hand of God at work through Leena and ServeTrust. She will be speaking to our children during their opening time of FunDay School, and then spend a few moments with our youth before sharing in morning worship. Her visits serve to remind us of the blessing of partnership we share in the ministry of ServeTrust and I encourage you to be present to welcome and honor this faithful servant of God.

At the close of worship Sunday morning, in honor of Leena's recent birthday and the life-changing work she is doing, you will have a chance to make a special financial gift for the ongoing ministry of ServeTrust. Together with other churches and individuals around the world, we reach across the miles to make a difference so that others can truly see the Divine...can truly see and know Jesus.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning.

Jim Abernathy

Remembering 9/11

Country singer Alan Jackson, asked in his powerful song in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, "Where were you when the world stopped turnin'?" It was a question that spoke of a particular moment, frozen in time. There are many such moments, milestone events, good and bad, that make us pause and remember as if they happened just yesterday. Over the last seventy-five years, some of us might cite the bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, Dallas, Texas and the assassination of JFK November 22, 1963, April 4, 1968 and the assassination of Martin Luther King, July 20, 1969 and the landing of Apollo 11 on the moon, and September 11, 2001 and the terrorist attacks on that day "the world stopped turnin'." With the exception of the events at Pearl Harbor that drew our nation into World War II, I remember where I was in each of these moments. From the shadowy images of a six year-old in 1963, to the vivid images of a 44 year-old in 2001, I, like many of you, have been changed by those moments.

Now, we are about to mark the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11. Stories, pictures, and memories will be shared and the distance of fifteen years will be bridged. The war on terrorism that was initiated in the aftermath of 9/11 is still being waged today, and most likely will be for the foreseeable future. One event...changing our lives, changing our world.

In the chorus of Jackson's ballad about that awful day, he writes, "I know Jesus and I talk to God, and I remember this from when I was young: Faith, hope, and love are some good things he gave us...and the greatest is love." Our lives, our world can change in a moment's time. Jackson's words remind us of the foundation that keeps us, as followers of Jesus Christ, grounded in an often violent, angry world. The greatest gift, the gift of love is our only hope in the midst of changing, uncertain times.

In morning worship this Sunday, we will have a conversation about our memories of 9/11 and about the power of love to heal and overcome. I will be preaching from the thirty-seventh Psalm, the same text I used that first Sunday after 9/11. I hope you will join the conversation and share in this special worship service.

Where were you when the world stopped turnin' that September day? I hope you will join the conversation this Sunday at Westwood.

Jim Abernathy

Cantankerous?

I am getting a bit more cantankerous in my old age. Perhaps it's simply an adjustment to the way I filter and disseminate information, a more straightforward approach to communication.  I still think one should exercise grace in conversation, but there might be a bit more of an edge these days to my words than several years ago.

I also find that scripture troubles me more today than in my younger days. Perhaps early on I viewed scripture from that ideal perspective one often learns from the simple truths of Sunday School. No, I am not calling into question the things I have learned over the years or how I was taught, but there is often more to God's word than the surface we so often scratch, but do not search beneath.

Take Luke 22:24-26. Jesus has just served his disciples their final meal together before he goes to the cross. In the midst of this sacred act he informs them that one from among them will betray him. Immediately they begin to size up one another to see who the guilty party might be, but that moment of judgment quickly devolves into an argument about which of them should be considered greatest. I am amazed at their lack of awareness. Why can't they understand the gravity of the moment? The One they left everything to follow has been telling them that he was going to Jerusalem to die, and now he tells them that one of them will instigate that process. I understand the finger-pointing and accusation that may have followed, but I do not understand the arrogance of argument over personal greatness. Jesus cited examples of those whose arrogance convinced them of their own importance, but then he said, most likely looking directly into their seething eyes, "You are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves." Maybe an awkward silence followed his words. Maybe the disciples finally began to wonder if the complaints about Jesus that others had voiced might be true. Who would want to be treated like the youngest? Who would risk being taken for granted or looked at as weak. And who would lead from the position of a servant? How could greatness be measured by service to others?

In political and cultural conversations today, the language is often centered around this me-first or us-first approach that measures greatness by the attention we call to ourselves. There seems to be less willingness to take on the role of servant and more of a desire to be served. Greatness, we are being told, is not found in giving, but in taking what we can for ourselves. Preserving personal privilege seems to be the mark of greatness.

So, Jesus, are you telling us that we are not to be like that? Could it be that those of us who claim faith in you betray you again and again when we focus too narrowly on ourselves instead of others? Is it possible that I, and we, have become too comfortable in our complacency so we view the immigrant, the outcast, the weak, the "other" as less valuable than ourselves?

Maybe I am getting cantankerous in my old age. Maybe that comes from having to confront my own and other's hypocrisy, and finding it difficult to do so. Maybe I am hearing clearly, or as if with fresh ears the words of Jesus as he says, "Don't be like that."

Jim Abernathy

Manassas Museum

I traveled with our www.GO group today to the Manassas Museum. This small community treasure bears evidence to the early days of the civil war and the tragic toll it took on Manassas, Northern Virginia, and our nation. Among the artifacts on display were spinning wheels used to make clothing, farm implements, reading glasses, Bibles, and hymnals alongside colt revolvers, carbine rifles, cannon balls, and battle flags. Neither the residents of Manassas nor the soldiers on either side of the conflict were prepared for the first battle of Manassas. The atmosphere was almost festive as soldiers and civilians alike seemed to revel in the exciting, even romantic quality of the impending battle. When the first battle of Manassas was over, however, thousands lay dead or wounded, homes and livelihoods had been destroyed, and the romance of war had been unmasked as the devastating tyrant it was...and still is.

I was struck by the seeming unpreparedness, even arrogance that often precedes human conflict. The pictures of the dead and wounded lying across fields that would not bear crops for years to come, and the rubble of houses, barns, and towns created by the weapons of war still give evidence to the destructive nature of humankind. After the war and throughout the last half of the nineteenth century, Manassas slowly recovered, but the stories still haunt those today who seek to learn from them.

In the often arrogant, self-serving rhetoric that marks much of our modern social and political discussion, it seems easy to speak the language of supercilious pride, but one must stop to count the costs in human terms that are all too often forgotten. Today, I read the stories of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, generals and enlisted men whose lives were irrevocably changed in a matter of days, hours, and moments. Perhaps we would all do well to revisit such stories.

The back to school celebration at Springfield Gardens is this Saturday from 10-2. Again this year we will be providing and monitoring the moon bounce and the joyous giggles and screams of young children. We still need a few folks to help so please contact Janet Curtin to let her know you will help in this happy, happy celebration!

This Sunday is our final August Sunday at Westwood. Join us for worship at 9:30 featuring special music from our handbell players and then stay for fellowship in Whitten Hall. I look forward to seeing you then!

Jim Abernathy