Thursday, April 21, 2016

Earth Day

Friday, April 22nd, is Earth Day.  Some would tell you that the first Earth Day was in 1970, and I suppose they would be right for that was when the Earth Day movement began.  By faith, however, I would argue that the first earth day occurred when the Creator said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”  The Genesis account continues,  "God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good."  This first earth day began it all.  Now as stewards of God's earth, we are called to care for this place that God called good.
Throughout our Treasuring God's Creation emphasis we have focused on the wonder of all that God has made and the calling that is ours to share in its stewardship.  We will have our own Earth Day focus on Saturday at Westwood. From 9-noon we will work on a variety of projects.  The centerpiece will be the adopt-a-highway program that Westwood has been involved in for years.  Those 16 and over who would like to participate will put on a yellow vest, grab an orange trash bag, and clean up a section of the roadside along Old Keene Mill Road.  I have done this a number of times over the years, as have many of you, and it is a great way for us to be good neighbors to our community.  There will also be projects to clean trash and debris around the perimeter of our property, particularly along the edges of the parking lot.  The children will have a special project they will work on and there will also be a project to weed, clean, and perhaps stain the benches in the prayer garden.  There will be use for weedeaters and leaf blowers so some of you will want to bring those along. I know our Saturday's are busy, but take a few moments to join your Westwood family and treasure God's creation through this good work.

Let us honor the Lord as we gather Saturday to make a difference in our church and community through caring for God's creation, and let us gather with expectation Sunday morning for the last of our Treasuring God's Creation Sundays.  I look forward to seeing and working beside you!

Jim Abernathy

AND DON'T FORGET, THE U.S. ARMY CHORUS AND WEST POINT ALUMNI GLEE CLUB WILL BE IN CONCERT AT WESTWOOD AT 5 PM THIS SATURDAY!!!!  INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN YOU FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL EVENT.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Worry

"What, me worry?" These were the words of fictitious cover boy, Alfred E Neuman, of MAD Magazine fame.  It is said that his "What, me worry?" mantra was changed only once in the long run of the magazine as a result of the Three Mile Island nuclear scare, when he said, "Yes, me worry!."  Truth is, we worry about a lot of things.  Some of us worry more than others, but all of us give in to worry from time to time.

Sunday morning, I will be preaching about worry.  "Hold on," you might say, "what about our creation care emphasis?"  Glad you asked.  Jesus had some interesting things to say about worry in the context of creation.  You might want to read Matthew 6:25-35 in preparation for Sunday morning and consider how Jesus contrasted worry with the wonder of God's creation.  I hope you will be present for our continuing emphasis.

Sunday morning will also feature some great music from our children's choirs and some blessed words of testimony from Charlie and Mary Shuman about how they experience and enjoy God's beautiful world.

I hope you can take advantage of the beautiful weather forecast for the next few days and get out to experience the handiwork of the Creator.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Jim Abernathy

Friday, April 1, 2016

Treasuring God's Creation

Tri Robinson, in his book, "Saving God's Green Earth," cites fifteenth century reformer Martin Luther's words as he writes, "The power of God is present at all places, even in the tiniest leaf...God is currently and personally present in the wilderness, in the garden, and in the field."   The old spiritual says, "He's got the whole world in his hands..."  The Psalmist writes, "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it."  Here is a truth we need to remember in the midst of this beautiful world, created by the hands of God.  God is present in the beauty of all God has made, and thus, to celebrate the beauty of the budding trees of springtime, the clear, crisp water of a mountain stream, or to welcome a treasured friend into your embrace is to celebrate the presence of God.  To do so is to cherish Creator and creation.

Throughout the month of April, we will observe the theme, "Treasuring God's Creation," in our worship, CFN studies, and in activities that address the needs of our property, community, and world, that we might be better stewards of this wonderful creation God has given.  This Sunday we will focus on the creation story from Genesis 1, recognizing that God's handiwork is a gift to be cherished, nurtured, and protected.  If the quotes in the first paragraph of this note are correct, then God is present all around us.  That presence is to be celebrated with every step, every breath, every moment the senses are stirred, and the result is an humble approach to living that truly treasures what God treasures.

We honor God by honoring God's creation.  Over these next several weeks, let us look around us at the wonder of all that God has made, and with the Creator, pronounce it good, not just with our words, but our actions as well.

The joy of Easter continues as we gather for worship this Sunday.  I look forward to seeing you!

Jim Abernathy