An Event Worth Participating In

In case you haven't heard, there is a football game being played just outside New York City on Sunday.  I believe they call it "the Super Bowl."  Television advertisements for this year's game are said to cost four million dollars for a thirty-second ad.  It is estimated that more than one-hundred ten million people will watch the game across this country, many at parties in homes and a variety of other establishments.  The opposing teams this year are the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, featuring the best offense against the best defense in the National Football League.  I remember the first Super Bowl, played in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in January of 1967.  The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10, before a crowd of just sixty-one thousand, thirty-three thousand tickets short of a sell out.  One reason given for the poor attendance was the exorbitant price of the tickets, a whopping $12.  By the way, television commercials for that first Super Bowl were forty-two thousand dollars per each thirty-second ad. 

 

One can see that this annual event has grown exponentially through the years, watched now on television sets, computers, smart phones, and other  electronic devices around the globe.  For three and one-half hours, not counting the eight or nine hours of pre-game coverage, life as we know it will stop to observe this championship football game.  Monday morning productivity will most likely be down as many workers won't make it in to work after a night of partying.  Is it worth it all?  I guess it depends on who you ask. Does it change the world? Well, I suppose that depends on who you ask as well, though beyond the losing and winning team's fans, the game's impact probably matters little.

 

Such energy, such expense, such mobilization of resources and human involvement...all for a football game!  Makes you wonder what we're truly capable of when looking at the challenges before us as a nation and world. Perhaps it reminds us that we can do incredible things when putting our minds and muscles and checkbooks to work.  Perhaps it reminds us of the significance of making good use of these resources in ways that truly make a difference in our world.  Perhaps it calls us to prioritize our lives, gaining a perspective not for the largess of these events, but a smaller focus of energy and resources where you and I can truly make a difference.

 

February 9-16, millions of people won't be watching and millions of dollars certainly won't be spent, but our Westwood family will partner with others to provide food and shelter for folks who would otherwise truly be left out in the cold.  It won't be a week of competition pitting opposing teams against one another, but rather will feature a unified community of believers investing themselves in the lives of others.  Yes, I'll watch the game, probably laugh at a few commercials, and find it a good excuse to eat more than I should, but the better investment of my time will come in quiet gestures of hospitality shared with you and our guests in the shelter of God's house, known as Westwood Baptist Church.

 

We won't affect the outcome of the Super Bowl, but you and I will impact the lives of men and women whose need for shelter, food, and warm welcome will be displayed during hypothermia week.  That's truly an event worth participating in!

 

Jim Abernathy

Quarterly Church Conference

Blessings on this chilly Friday!  Students and teachers are back to school today and many of our routines are returning to normal.  "Normal" may be a matter for debate when the ground is covered with a blanket of snow and wind chills are in the single digits or below zero.  It is, of course, winter, and these extreme conditions do occur from time to time, though we seem to be shocked by them nonetheless.  Cindy's brother, Kevin, emailed us this morning to say there was snow on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, just outside of New Orleans, La. where he lives, closing schools and wreaking havoc with a region not used to snow.  Now that is indeed unusual! 

 

These extreme weather conditions are temporary.  Temperatures will moderate again and the frozen ground will thaw in a few days.  In the meantime, we make the necessary adjustments and dream of spring.  (For you baseball fans, Nationals pitchers and catchers report to spring training February 13, just 20 days away!)

 

My notes today take more the form of announcement as our quarterly church conference will be held this Sunday, immediately after morning worship in Whitten Hall.  Soup, salad, dessert, and drinks will be served, with peanut butter sandwiches and mac n cheese for children.  Reservations are not required, so just make your way to Whitten Hall immediately following the service.  Child care and activities for older children will be provided.

 

The agenda for the meeting will included two major recommendations.  The first is a recommendation to replace the roofs on the sanctuary and Whitten Hall.  The recommendation will call for the cedar shakes on these two buildings to be replaced with asphalt shingles at a cost of $46,450 to be paid from our building reserve fund, which currently has over $74,000.  The second item is the approval of the 2014 budget. You received a copy of this budget in the mail a week ago.  Lee Christensen will make the presentation on behalf of the finance committee, with discussion and vote to follow.  As time allows, the Vision Council will share a report on ongoing ministry evaluations and initiatives.  I encourage you to stay for lunch then share in the discussion and vote on these important issues in the life of our church.

 

Stay warm, keep thinking springtime thoughts, and join us for Bible Study, worship and our quarterly church conference this Sunday!

 

Jim Abernathy

Cold Winter Nights

Max, Freddie, and I usually take an evening stroll after dinner.  Max and Freddie are our miniature schnauzers, two truly social gentlemen who believe that everyone and everything they encounter on these walks has come out just to see them.  They love to bark and whine when other walkers pass by, just in case they haven't been noticed.  Our steps are a bit livelier on these cold winter nights, no time for idle chatter or meandering.

 

I rarely take one of these chilly evening walks when I don't think about the cold.  Sounds like I'm just stating the obvious, doesn't it?  But my thoughts often go beyond the simple chill of a routine walk that is quickly overcome when I enter the warmth of my home.  My momentary discomfort is quickly remedied, but there are many in our region who find little relief from the cold on these winter nights. My brief discomfort is their nightly threat.

 

We have partnered with Facets, Fairfax County Government, and other churches in our area for the last several years in helping provide shelter for the homeless in our area.  Once again this year, we will open our doors at Westwood, February 9-16, to welcome these men and women and offer them hot meals, a warm place to sleep, and the compassion of Christ.  Some of you have already committed to cook, clean, greet, and provide security during this week.  Others will sign up over the next few Sundays in the Narthex.  This Sunday and next you will have an opportunity to provide certain items that will be needed by our guests that will be used by them not just during the week we host, but beyond.  Snowflake Cards will be available in the narthex, in similar fashion to the Giving Tree cards during Christmas, that will allow you to provide a specific item or items for our guests,  Please watch for these Snowflake Cards Sunday morning as we prepare to welcome these friends.

 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday for Sunday School and worship.  Bring a friend as we worship the living God.

 

Time to bring this to a close...Freddie and Max are ready to see the world...at least on Dunleigh Drive.

 

Jim Abernathy

The Light of Christ

Water stands in our back yard as I sit down to write my pastor's notes.  The snow, wind, near-zero temperatures, and now rain have all contributed to the muddy mess in what is usually a firm, green, walkable yard. It is certainly not the prettiest of pictures.  I heard this week that January 6th is the most depressing day of the year...the holiday season is now in the rear view mirror, the bills from that season's extravagance are coming due, and of course, the weather tends to be gray and cold.  I'm not sure of the science in declaring January 6th the most depressing day of the year, but science does tell us that a number of folks do suffer from seasonal affective disorder, particularly in these dark winter days.  WebMD, an online medical site, offers this assessment;  "Winter depression is still a mystery to scientists who study it. But researchers agree that people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder are particularly sensitive to light, or the lack of it."  Looking out my back window this afternoon, the dark, muddy, cold mess indeed does not engender happy thoughts, but there must be a broader perspective.

 

Using a gift card I received for Christmas, I took my golf clubs yesterday to be re-gripped in hopes that I would again, on some warm spring day, be able to play the game I love.  In the midst of the wind and sub-zero temperatures on Tuesday, we noticed the grill cover had been blown off so we stepped into the cold to secure the protection for something we hope to use again in warmer weather.  Clayton left on Wednesday to return to Lexington and his studies at the University of Kentucky.  His departure left a void, but also the promise of future reunion, most likely in a much warmer climate.  Depression is no laughing matter and I do not mean to oversimplify its causes or treatments.  If the WebMD assessment is true, however, and light does have an impact on the darkness of our seasonal discouragements, perhaps then you and I as followers of Jesus Christ have much to be thankful and hopeful for.

 

Speaking to his disciples in John 8:12, Jesus says,  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  That is good news in the rain, sleet, snow, wind, cold, and mud of winter.  Our focus goes beyond the temporary to embrace the eternal.  Now that doesn't make the darkness is less dark, the winter wind less biting, but it does give strength in the ever changing physical, emotional, and spiritual elements of life to know that the light of the world, Jesus, the Christ is always with us.  And more than that, this light, this Christ, calls us to reflect his light in the darkness around us.  In Matthew 5:14, he says, "... let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."  Perhaps we shake off a bit of the doldrums we experience by intentionally sharing the light of Christ with others.  As I look out the window once again and shiver at the thought of having to walk Max and Freddie in a few minutes, that is good news indeed!

 

I look forward to seeing you Sunday for Bible Study and worship as we walk together in the light of Christ.

 

Jim Abernathy

Redeem the Time

Some of our Westwood folks left this week for their annual Florida respites, while others will be joining them in the next few weeks.  The single digit windchills and ice and snow make me want to join them too! Of course, I suppose they have to struggle there as well at this time of year, high temperatures probably reaching only the high 60's or low 70's...things are tough all over. 

 

Now, don't misunderstand me here, there is no envy in my words.  Someday, I will most likely join those who seek an escape from the extremes of our winters here, but not for a while.  The progression of our days and years places us at different points along the journey.  Every step, every milestone, every experience is a significant chapter in each of our unique life stories.  I remember enjoying time at home with my family for the holidays before returning to college many years ago; now we are preparing to send our son back for the spring semester of his sophomore year after a holiday break. Time refuses to surrender to our desires and continually marches to that steady, persistent beat that moment by moment, day by day transforms our lives.

 

Perhaps Paul is speaking to this relentless march of time in Ephesians 5:16 as he encourages the believers in Ephesus to redeem the time. The Amplified Bible translates verse 15 and 16 of this fifth chapter in this way;  "Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise...but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time."

 

I might dream of warmer climes on this blustery winter day, but whether I am in Northern Virginia, Florida, or wherever, time does indeed march right along, challenging me to redeem the time through Christ-like living.  Warm words for the wise today!

 

After holiday travels, it will be good to gather together again this Sunday for worship and Bible Study at Westwood.  Plan to be present and invite a friend to join you.  And to our Westwood family who find themselves in warmer locales today, blessings on your good fortune.  It will be in the single digits with below zero windchill here tonight, and they say, even colder weather next week. (If you can squeeze one more guest into your winter getaway, let me know!)

 

Jim Abernathy

Christmas Is Not Truly Over

A Blessed Friday after Christmas to all!  The joy of Christmas remains in our hearts, even if our trees are beginning to droop, the poinsettia leaves are beginning to fall, and the decorations seem like they are multiplying as you think about putting them away for another year.  Like many things done in anticipation and excitement, decorating always seems much more fun than un-decorating.  I suppose this is a good time to remind us all that Christmas didn't come in the boxes we brought up from the basement, nor will it be swept out with the wreaths and trees that will soon sit on the curb.  The coming of the Christ Child isn't a seasonal celebration.  Certain aspects of the story may speak to us at certain times of the years, but the story is timeless...God coming to dwell among us...in every season, every day, every hour..

 

Throughout the Advent season, we shared in wonderful worship and ministry experiences at Westwood that I believe honored the Lord and helped us share the joy of Christ with one another and the community around us.  The events of the month were too many to list here, but suffice it to say, we celebrated the birth of Jesus in many wonderful ways.  Now, the celebration continues for the gift of God continues to bring blessing.  Join us this Sunday as we share in a service of worship and praise.  In these days after Christmas, as family may be visiting from out of town, schedules may be a bit more relaxed, and pressures a bit eased, our worship this Sunday will be a little less formal. Dress comfortably, perhaps in that new sweater or pair of jeans you got for Christmas, and come to share in a service where we will have a favorite carol time in which you will choose the carols, a community 50 Sundays at Westwood time when the congregation will share reflections about favorite memories at Westwood, and special music will be provided as Olga and Cindy continue their keyboard duets, and a men's quartet will be singing, "The Birthday of a King.".  If you have family or friends visiting, bring them along as together we continue the celebration.

 

So when you are on that ladder taking down outside lights, vacuuming up the million or so fallen pine needles that have now taken up residence in your carpet, trying to delicately wrap the strands of tree lights so they won`t be tangled next year (and they always are!), or finishing the last of the Christmas cookies, remember, Christmas is not truly over.  It goes on and on and on every day that you remember and celebrate that God has come in human form to be one of us and to save us from our sin.  "For to us a child is born! To us, a Son is given."  

 

Jim Abernathy

Advent Devotional…Handel’s Messiah, December 25

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

(Matthew 11:28-29)

The soprano soloist brings this first section that is often referred to as the “Christmas portion of Messiah” to a close.  The words of Jesus are reminders to us on a cold winter’s day, amidst the discarded wrapping paper, opened gifts, and for some, the silence of an empty house, that our weariness and burdens are known to God.  The baby of Bethlehem is proof of God’s love and willingness to become one of us, to help carry the burdens that often weigh so heavily on us. With that in mind the chorus now closes by affirming that “His yoke is easy and his burden is light.”

As I write this, I cannot know what Christmas Day will bring for you or for our world.  But I do know that in the coming Christ, we have a refuge, a strength, a place of rest in the midst of whatever we face.  Therefore, with Handel as he notated the final copy of his great work, “SDG”…Soli Deo Gloria; To God alone the Glory. Amen.

A Blessed Christmas to You,

Jim Abernathy