January 2010

From the Pastor’s Pen
By Miki Vanderbilt

  My first task each month in preparation for the publishing of the WE NEWS is to review the suggested lectionary readings for the month and to select sermon topics and titles based upon the texts. Presbyterian pastors are not bound by the lectionary, a three year cycle of Old Testament, Psalms, Gospel and Epistle readings, as are some of our colleagues in other denominations, but for many of us it gives us the opportunity to study and preach on texts that ordinarily may be neglected. Ideally, over the three year period, parishioners would get an over-view of The Biblical Story of our faith from the scriptures read and preached in worship. We are now in Cycle C with the focus on the Gospel of Luke.

In preparation for January’s preaching schedule, our Director of Music, Gwen Bridge, and I have sought to craft the worship services such that the music and the message provide a clear focus upon God’s word to us for each particular Sunday. Music is a key ingredient to any worship experience and we are blessed with a wonderful choir and an excellent accompanist in Louise Edwards. The greatest blessing is you, the congregation. Raising our voices to the glory of God is surely one of the most significant ways that we show our love and reverence to our Creator and Sustainer and Redeemer. There is no doubt about it. Enthusiastic congregational singing brings a great deal to the over-all worship experience. We can all make a joyful noise to the Lord.

As we begin the New Year we are reminded through the scriptures that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” Because Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh has come among us, full of grace and truth, we can begin each new day, each New Year with hope and the promise of new possibilities.

In the manner of Jesus’ baptism we are reminded that we, too, are beloved by God and that we have been claimed by God and adopted into God’s family. The writings of Paul to the church in Corinth extol the importance of the varieties of gifts we have been given and the importance of each of us using our gifts to the glory and service of our Lord. There is to be unity in our diversity as well as faithfulness, hope, love and steadfastness in our calling as followers of Jesus.

As we begin this New Year together as the family of faith we embody as West Emory Presbyterian Church, may we continue to experience the energizing and inspiring presence of the Holy Spirit working in our midst and through the persons and gifts that God has gathered together in ministry and service. We have been blessed to be a blessing to others. May the light of God shine forth through us into our community, may our beautiful rose window be a beacon of hope and love, and may our lives reflect the presence of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Peace and blessings,

Miki

February 2010

From the Pastor’s Pen
By Miki Vanderbilt

     So far the year 2010 has truly been filled with heart-wrenching and heart-warming events. The earthquake in Haiti that claimed so many lives and has devastated a country and its people continues to be on the minds of many of us even as it slips off the front pages of the news. There is still so much that needs to be done just to care for immediate needs of the injured and the homeless. In the months and years ahead in this poorest country in the Western hemisphere not only will crumbled buildings and infrastructures need to be rebuilt but also shattered lives and livelihoods of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We Presbyterians are responding to this on-going tragedy in many ways. To date members of West Emory Church have donated $395 to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the response ministry of our denomination which is currently on the scene in Haiti bringing aid to those in need. Funds from the One Great Hour of Sharing Easter offering is also being made available to aid agencies, medical teams, church mission groups and our missionaries in Haiti to begin to tackle this tremendous task. If you would like to donate to PDA, you can do that through our church and marking your check “Haiti relief.”

This past Sunday, January 31, we, along with many other churches in our area, had to forego our worship service because of the snow and ice that made travel hazardous. It’s never an easy decision to not hold worship. In fact, this is the first time in my twenty years of ministry that I have had to make that call. It was the right one. But I must say, I missed being together as a family of faith. I look forward to seeing you all this coming Sunday as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper together and receive our Annual Souper Bowl of Caring offering for those in need in our community.

Soon we will be moving into the season of Lent, a time of reflection, repentance and prayer. Lent is about becoming the people God wants us to be. It is about letting God mold our hearts and shape our spirits. It is tradition during Lent to fast, that is, to limit the amount and kind of food we eat. But people choose to fast from many other things: from gossip, from being late all the time, from too much Internet. We can also use this time to remind ourselves of what we are choosing to do like sending a note or making a call to someone who needs cheering up, continuing to reach out to those in Haiti through helping agencies, and praying daily for members of our congregation, for our national and world leaders and all those who are serving our country and community in the military and as public servants, teachers, healthcare providers, and those in low-wage jobs. Let us pray for those who are unemployed and those who are experiencing health challenges. Let us pray for ourselves that we will be able to discern God’s will for our lives and follow the pathway God has set before us.

I invite you to join me as our congregation begins a seven-week study of the last twenty-four hours in the life of our Lord and Savior. This series, 24 Hours That Changed the World, will begin Sunday, February 21, and will include a sermon series in the morning worship and a video-assisted study in the evening beginning at 6 pm with a Simple Soup Supper. I pray that this Lenten season you will also begin your spiritual journey by participating in our Ash Wednesday service on Feb. 17 at 7 pm and mark your calendar for the Maundy Thursday service on April 1. May God continue to bless you so that you can bless others in Christ’s holy name.

Your servant in Christ,

Miki

March 2010

This year the journey through Lent has been especially meaningful for me. I am really enjoying our series, 24 Hours That Changed The World, which utilizes the book and video study by Adam Hamilton. As a pastor and preacher, this focus on the last hours of Jesus’ life has drawn me into this compelling story of our faith in ways I have never experienced before. I hope this study has been meaningful for you also. 

The season of Lent is a time when we remember the cross and the price that was paid for our salvation. To the early followers of Jesus the cross of Christ at first seemed to be testimony that the powers of evil and of sin had won after all. Death had triumphed.  
But Lent reminds us, even as we contemplate the cross, that in Christ death is not the last word; that hope and healing can be found even in the midst of the challenges we face as individuals, as families, as a nation and as the world. We find meaning in that hope. We can find comfort in that faith. We can find life in that resurrection. 

There is a wonderful hymn that calls Christians to “Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim.” Here in the season of Lent, as we move through the last hours of Jesus’ life and toward the events of Holy Week, we have the opportunity to contemplate the brokenness of the cross, the power of sin and darkness, the emptiness of life without God. But as we lift high the symbol of brokenness—the cross—we lift it high as a sign of our victory in Christ. The cross is empty. The price has been paid.  
In these troubling times many of us are presently experiencing brokenness—the loss of jobs, the loss of loved ones, the loss of health, the loss of financial security, the loss of hope. During the remaining forty days of Lent through prayer and reflection, may you experience the peace, hope and promise of the One who walks with us through the wilderness; the One who is our companion on our journey of faith. 

On a different note, I hope you will join your Presbyterian brothers and sisters in celebrating our Scottish heritage as Reformed Christians with the special Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans worship service on April 11th. (See related article) It looks to be a grand and glorious event. Also, I hope you will get involved in one or more of the mission ministries in which a growing number of the members of our congregation are now a part. Together we are truly answering the call of our Lord and Savior to be a shining light in our community and in the world. Together we are blessed to be a blessing to others.

Peace and Grace to you all,

Miki