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 

Second Chances

Second chances often provide wonderful opportunities.  Sometimes a second chance is a gift of grace and forgiveness as relationship is restored.  A second chance can provide occasion to try again in the aftermath of poor performance.  A second chance may provide someone a different perspective about you that they may have overlooked the first time.  Occasionally, a second chance allows one to participate in something he or she missed taking part in.  One does not always get a second chance, so when the opportunity is afforded, one is wise to take advantage of that opportunity.

 

This Sunday morning you will have a second chance to celebrate something many of you missed.  The first two Sundays in March were terrible weather Sundays with snow, freezing rain, and bitter cold.  Our children's choir presented their "Spring Fling" music on one of the those Sundays and several of our congregation were absent, so we are being given a second chance to enjoy a wonderful program of children's music during morning worship this Sunday.  Like most second chances, this opportunity is only enjoyed if you take advantage of it, so plan to be in worship this Sunday and invite a friend or neighbor to join you..

 

Second chances often bring blessing and provide opportunities to be a blessing.  Be alert to these opportunities today!

 

Jim Abernathy 

The Dis-ease of Accidie and the Joy of Hope

Benjamin Pratt, in his book, "Short Stuff From a Tall Guy," speaks of an ancient Greek word that characterizes a weariness of faith that some struggle to overcome.  He defines the word, "accidie," as follows: "In its fullest meaning, accidie refers to the loss of joy or faith in the goodness of life or the goodness of God."  The circumstances of life, the pressures of our schedules, the demands others place upon us, the cruel and violent nature of the world around us are just a few of the burdens we carry that weigh at times so heavily upon us.  The questions of where, when, and how God works in the midst of these challenges are perhaps only eclipsed by the greater question, 'Why?". 

 

Faith is of little value if questions are not allowed.  Early in my ministry I was scolded by a woman who, in the aftermath of a study on the book of Revelation, told me that one should never question God.  "To do so," she said, "was a sin."  I have thought about her warning several times over the years and come to believe that God is not threatened by the questions that arise in the living of this life.  There are times when joy is lost and faith seems uncertain. 

 

Our Day/Night Bible Study is currently focusing on the Old Testament book of Job where a good and righteous man, by biblical standards, suffers devastating losses that include the death of his children, destruction of property, and the diminishment of his own physical health.  Initially he refuses to question, but over time the weight of his grief becomes overwhelming.  His encounters with God take on a different tone and he ultimately must decide whether he will trust God, even in the midst of what he does not understand.

 

Quite honestly, we like less messy stories, particularly when the mess comes too close to home.  Though it seems tempting to live a life free from such burden. the growth of our faith is often dependent on these messy circumstances.  This is not to say that God initiates the burdens and hardships we encounter, but in these deep valleys we learn a great deal about ourselves and about God.  The apostle Paul is right to encourage Christians to believe that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ (Romans 8).  That assurance of unwavering love is foundational when facing the challenges before us...even when things get messy...even when we aren't sure how God is at work...even when we are threatened by the dis-ease of accidie.

 

Pratt contrasts the complacency and weariness of accidie with the power of the Creator to recreate a new spirit and hope. Citing the 51st Psalm, he writes, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  I'm yearning for the light of a new day. I long for the old courage, the old calling. Now, I'm taking this step in prayer; I'm calling out humbly for just a taste of purpose and passion--a ray of light in these dark times. Fill me, O Lord, with the hope of joy--the joy of hope." 

 

Amen!

 

Jim Abernathy

Bond of Faith

In his book, "The Selfless Way of Christ," Henri Nouwen writes, "What is truly taking place in our lives is not the random ups and downs of our personal and communal lives, but rather the events of Christ's life being realized among us in and through the church.  It is Advent, Christ is coming; it is Christmas, Christ is being born; it is Lent, Christ is suffering; it is Holy Week, Christ is dying; it is Easter, Christ is risen; it is Pentecost, Christ is sending his Spirit. All other events--personal, social, or political--derive their meaning from the Christ event."    

 

You and I share a bond of faith in the living Christ.  The apostle Paul put it this way in Acts 17:28, ‘In him we live and move and have our being."  I believe our shared commitment to Christ as a Christian community is exemplified when we gather and when we go out in the name of Christ.  As Nouwen said, every event ultimately finds its meaning and purpose in Christ.  Yes, we gather in worship, fellowship, and mission, but most significantly, our identity is found in the living Christ and is to be witnessed in everything we do.  We are the church, the body of Christ.  Let us be moved by the shadow of the cross and the light of the empty tomb. These Christ events, as Nouwen calls them, make us who we are.

 

After a wonderful Easter celebration last Sunday, I look forward to gathering with you this Sunday to continue the joy of resurrection and contemplate the wonder of God's love. Invite someone to share this bond of faith with you at Westwood.

 

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...Easter Sunday

Matthew 28:1-10

 

^“ He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.”

(Matthew 28:6a)

 

You have probably been tempted to say, “I told you so.”  There’s a certain sense of superiority in reminding another that you are right and they are wrong.

 

The angel’s words here aren’t necessarily an I told you so statement, yet, they remind these grief-stricken followers that they have come to the wrong place looking for Jesus.  The women are encouraged to remember the words of Jesus and recognize that resurrection has come, just as he said.  One understands that grief could cloud their memories, but these women were not alone in their skepticism. Luke tells us that when they told the disciples what they had seen and heard, they also did not believe.  It’s hard to understand this given the extensive record we possess of Jesus’ teachings about his death and resurrection in the gospels.  Of course, they did not have such a record, only their memories…only what they believed.  Belief, it would seem, wasn’t fully realized until proven.

 

We will not see the resurrected Jesus before us today, yet, we believe that death has been conquered, just as scripture tells us…just as Jesus said. 

 

Hallelujah!  Christ is risen!

 

Prayer: The burden and sorrow of the cross, gives way to the joy of the empty tomb, Lord.  You have honored your word.  You have faithfully done what you said you would do.  Thanks be to God! Amen.

 

(Our Lenten journey comes to a close with this last daily devotion.  May God continue to guide our steps as we live in the shadow of the cross and the light of the empty tomb.)

 

Jim Abernathy