Why I Walk to Work

I think it’s finally official: spring is here. The sun has decided to join us, and we can get excited for some outdoor fun.  You will see a little spring in my step this month, because we are now able to play outdoor games at youth group, have campfires, and most importantly, not worry about having it get dark before dinner. Youth ministry loves the spring. Spring-time seems to inspire people to run more, get out more, and lead healthier lives. For me, I enjoy walking to work.

I read a book over the holiday break that talked about there needing to be this turning point that each of us has to experience that causes us to change our habits.  For the author of this book, he talked about physically not being able to getthrough his day of travel and speaking without being exhausted.  So he decided to make a change to become healthier, which resulted in a huge weight loss and incredible transformation.  We need to have that same turning point in our lives, not only in the physical, but in our relationship with Jesus.

Our habits don’t just affect us anymore, they affect those around us
Each of us who have met Christ have had some turning point that caused us to follow Him.  We make efforts to change the way we live to become a “healthier” follower of Christ.  I spend a lot of time working with adults that are volunteering with kids and youth and I see a second turning point.  When we start working with kids (as a parent, as well as a volunteer) our lives are reflected--not just through us, but through those kids, whether we like it or not.  Our values are reflected through them.  We have this realization that our habits don’t just affect us anymore, they affect those around us.  We have a new turning point in the way we live.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:16

I have learned over the years that a healthy ministry requires healthy leaders.  A lot of us at First Baptist Church volunteer in at least one ministry.  Keeping a healthy Kids and Youth Ministry doesn’t require better programs or better curriculum; it requires healthy leaders.  It requires us to continually be asking ourselves if we are becoming a healthier follower of Christ.

Do those around you see you pray more?
It has become very popular to become physically healthy now days, to hold up the before and after picture and impress your friends.  We need to do that same thing with our faith in Jesus. What if we hold up a picture of our relationship with Christ one year ago versus today and compare the change?  When those around us see our lives, will they see a life lived in response to the saving grace of Jesus more today than last year?  To narrow down even further; do those around you see you pray more, do they see you read your Bible more, do they see you sharing your faith more, do they see you give more, and do they see you making worship of our Savior more important?  Are we living out a healthy walk with Christ?  

I love our volunteer leaders here at FBC. We couldn’t do this without them, but more importantly, we couldn’t do this without God doing amazing work in their lives.  

God Bless,

Chris Cummings

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

Our Past and Our Future Focus

Dear Flock,

Exciting times are ahead for our church!  Several people commented that they appreciated the historical look at our church’s past in last Sunday’s sermon.  Next year, 2015, will mark our 125th anniversary!  For those who missed the sermon, the podcast can be found on the church’s website and is titled “Unique and Universal”.

Now, of course, no sermon is prepared in a vacuum. What is shared in the pulpit is influenced by discussions with church members, people in thecommunity and, most importantly, by way of prayer and Bible study.  An major contributor to the May 4th sermon was a very important study that I have been part of, in which I alternate roles between being a student and teacher.

The opportunity for this study came several months back when our church was invited by the ABC Northwest to participate in a specialized training helping us pursue God’s vision for our congregation.  From this understanding will come a mission statement, which will provide helpful clarity for our church’s future focus.
 
The training we are receiving comes from the Leadership Networks’ “Church Unique” curriculum.  The basic idea behind this training is that each congregation is uniquely gifted to share the universal message of Jesus Christ: thus the title for Sunday’s sermon: “Unique and Universal”.

Once a month, Chris Cummings and I travel to the First Baptist Church of Everett, where nine other ABC Northwest pastors & leaders meet together to learn how to apply the ideas of these helpful insights to our own churches.  We then turn around and come back to meet with a group here at the church where we teach the very principles we just learned.

The basic and simplified idea is to look at how God desires to utilize the uniqueness of our physical location & building, the particular make-up of our congregation, and the passions of our people to draw our community to Christ.

As simple as the ideas may seem, the process is actually a little more involved and complex.  It was looking at the passions of our people that drew me to such heroic stories of our church, such as the fact that we were founded with a heart of mission to the lost; our first pastors were more like missionaries than what we might consider a ‘typical pastor’.

From this heart for mission, we found a church that was uniquely gifted with a passion and ability to reach the young.  The victory story I’ve heard from our long-time members was the joy with which our educational wing was constructed to meet the real need of space for all the children we had in our church.  In the sermon, I mentioned that the rumor was there were so many children in our church at that time, that Sunday School classes were literally meeting in the little changing rooms by the baptismal.  

After the service, Marge Pieratt confirmed the stories.  She said, as a child, she didn’t realize how small those rooms really were.  

Insufficient room for all the children wanting to learn about the love of Jesus?  What a great problem to have!  A willingness to tear down half of the church building to accommodate the children? What a beautiful heart of service and sacrifice!  How pleased God must have been!

Clearly the new construction of the educational wing indicated that our church understood our special call and our unique ability to reach Port Angeles with the universal message of God’s love.  Please pray for our team as we faithfully strive to understand how we may, today, stand in such a great tradition of outreach and purpose.  The team includes Wayne Roedell, Kristy Huff, Christie Smith, Chris & Stacie Cummings, Rhys Crawford, Brad Tesreau and Pastor Tim.  

Blessings, 

Pastor Tim

For those interested in learning more, you can purchase a book that is also titled “Church Unique” by Will Mancini.  (If copyright allowed it, I’d just reprint Max Lucado’s forward to the book, as it is a powerful, first hand, testimony of the effectiveness of this tool for discovering our unique vision).

This article originally appeared in the May 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

"Come to Me, All Who Labor"

The message Christ brought to the world is alive today just as much as it was when He walked on earth. His words are Timeless, Comforting, Vibrant and Real to all who accept Him into their life and follow Him.

On March 16th, our Sanctuary Choir sang an anthem which reflects this very message, and we all were blessed! Thank you, Choir, for the work you put into this piece in order to convey its message to all those who heard it. You reached our souls when you sang: 

“Come to Me, all who labor, and rest I will give. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me.

 For my yoke it is easy, my burden is light. 

Come to me, labor not, and rest.

  My peace I leave with you, my friend. 

Such a peace the world cannot give unto your soul

 and the love which has made you be now your strength. 

 Come to me all who carry the sorrows of life. 

Come to Me, labor not and rest.”

Something new is starting to occur in our Sunday morning services. On occasion, the special music from the 9:30 service also will be presented in the 11:00 o’clock service and, at times, the Praise Team will present a number in the 9:30 service. Such was the case on March 9th when the Praise Team sang, “The Revelation Song.” The exchange of musical groups will give some insight into the different styles of worship which exist within our two morning services. God receives all praises which come from the heart.

The next examples of this exchange will occur on Palm Sunday (April 13th) when the Sanctuary Choir will present to both services, “Lift Up Your Heads” and on Easter Sunday (April 20th) when the Baptist Belles Hand Bell Choir is schedule to present a medley of, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” coupled with, “I Serve a Risen Savior.”

All musical groups in our church ask God to guide in the selection, rehearsing and presentations of their music so that those who come to worship will indeed draw closer to The Lord, and our Heavenly Father will be truly honored.      

“Sing”cerely,

-Betty -  

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

The "Who" of Easter

Recently, I googled the word "Easter", curious as to what my computer screen would bring up. Links appeared sharing how pagans celebrate Easter, how to calculate when Easter will be, and there was even a beautiful website dedicated to how Martha Stewart would suggest we celebrate the day, complete with home-made Easter baskets (See picture below.  Anyone interested can find the instructions on the website www.marthastewart.com).

It causes me to wonder: what if, instead of utilizing the encyclopedic information found by way of an online search engine, a person were to seek out the meaning of Easter by asking one if us - the people of First Baptist? What would we say?

My hope is that the focus of such conversation wouldn't linger on "how" so much as "who".  And later, as the conversation unfolds, "why". 

In truth, the whole discussion is probably far less complicated than Martha's helpful instructions on how to finish off your Easter dinner place setting by folding a dinner napkin to look like bunny ears.

The "who" and "why" are given to us in what must be the most well known, most memorized passage of scripture:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”     - John 3:16-17

My prayer for each of you is that, included in your Easter celebrations, is the intentional seeking out of an opportunity to share the who and why of Easter, Jesus and His love, with someone who has not yet discovered them. 

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

Renew

Renew your mind, Refresh your spirit and Revitalize your faith!

The Praise Team is excited to announce our newest worship event: Renew!  Join us on Sunday, March 9th, at 6pm for an incredible evening of worship, prayer, and fellowship. 

We want to thank the Outreach Committee for agreeing to put on a ice-cream sundae fundraiser for us directly following the event!  This will be a free-will donation fundraiser, and everyone is welcome! All proceeds collected will go towards replacing our old, and slowly failing, sound board.  

The new board will be digital (our current one is analog), allows us to save settings for specific services or band orientations, and save EQ settings for specific vocalists and musicians! We believe this will be a great investment in the future of our church.

 Thank you so much to everyone for your love and support! We can’t wait to see you all on March 9th!

Sincerely,

Lynn

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

On Eagle's Wings

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in His shadow for life,

Say to the Lord: “My refuge, my Rock in whom I trust!”

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn,

Make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you and famine will bring you no fear;

Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield.

You need not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day;

Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come.

For to His angels He’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways;

Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn,

Make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.

What a great God we serve! He watches over those who abide in His shadow for life!!

Thank you, Baptist Ladies Ensemble, for reminding us in February of God’s promise to us through your beautiful choral presentation based upon Psalm 91. What a comfort it is to know that if we commit ourselves to God, He will watch over us.

We also were fortunate to worship through Sierra Horsley’s flute solo, “Simple Gifts” in February. Thank you Sierra for sharing your talents with our church family. Your music blesses us each time you lift it up to God. May you always honor God with your musical gift.

In March, we will welcome the Praise Team to our 9:30 a.m. service for a special number and hear from our beloved Sanctuary Choir again as well.

As we look forward to Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, may we all prepare our hearts for increased dedication to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Sing”cerely,

-Betty-

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

A Father's Love

I am writing this latest newsletter as I sit at home caring for a couple of toddlers who are both struggling with "the crud". Stacy and I are tag-teaming in caring for our little sickies who, because of their illness, simultaneously want to cuddle and are super grumpy. It is a pretty odd combination that leads to some moments of humor; with our poor, snotty-nosed, cranky kids. 

I wonder if this is a reason we are given the image of God as "Father" in scripture. I suspect that our own double-mindedness is a source of divine humor at times. As we battle the desires and inclinations of the flesh in order to live according to God's principles of love. 

I don't intend to make light of personal struggles with sin. It is serious and something with which we must contend.  But as we each face our own struggles, keep this in mind: our Father in heaven cares for us with a depth of love beyond comprehension. No current struggle will change His affection for us, just as I could no more lose affection for my kids because of their momentarily, sickness-induced moodiness. So, too, can no momentary, earthly struggle with sin change God’s affection for us, His children.

So be encouraged. Keep up the good fight. Keep living life striving daily to become more like Christ. But also live within the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of the Father. 

Blessings,
Pastor Tim

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

This article originally appeared in the March 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

"I Have a Dream"

I have a dream, a dream for all the people in the world; / That peace, hope and freedom shall ring. Yes, I have a dream. / I have a dream for all mankind that we may come to a place in time / When we will know that true peace of mind comes when we share, / When we learn how to care. Yes, I have a dream.

I dream that all nations shall celebrate, that every trace of fear will be gone. / That we will join our voices in unity and sing freedom’s song. / I have a dream for everyone, that hope will shine like the morning star / And with the day that has just begun, we may come to embrace the entire human race! / Yes, I have a dream!

As Christians, this dream should be our focus. Thank you First Baptist Men’s Gospel Singers for reminding us of this lofty goal by singing this message to our congregation on January 19. Of course, true peace and unity comes from accepting Christ into our daily life and putting Him first. Oh, that we would never grow weary in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ because Christ IS the ANSWER.

We also are thankful that Silas Johnson is willing to share his piano talents with us. His rendition of “The Doxology” was inspiring indeed. Thank you, Silas. If others would like to contribute a special song sometime in our 9:30 a.m. service or participate in one of our musical groups, please contact Betty Hanson.       

Coming in February, we have plans to hear an instrumental soloist, and the First Baptist Ladies Ensemble will sing, “Eagle’s Wings.” Both of these special numbers will be a blessing to all. Be sure to come!

Because February is generally thought of as the month of love, wouldn’t it be grand if each one of us  made a special effort to show love one to another in a practical way. For example, each of us could pick someone outside of our own generation or someone who traditionally has a different political or musical point of view than you hold and proceed to show him or her a single act of kindness. Think of the impact this would have if everyone always interacted with understanding and love toward each other all the time. Furthermore, if we can be sensitive to each other for one month, it might be possible to be loving throughout all the months of the year until it became a habit. Then maybe, just maybe, after we’ve practiced sharing and caring among ourselves, the dream of unity for all mankind could become a reality.

All of us need to take to heart these words from the Bible and put into practice this admonition: “Love your enemies, and do good. Lend, hoping for nothing in return and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Therefore, be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you.” Luke 6: 35-38a        

Blessings to All of You!

“Sing”cerely, 

-Betty -

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

"Ah, Life!"

Zach is a young man who lived with Stacy and I, for a time, when he was in high school.  Whenever Zach got exasperated, he would put his hands in the air and exclaim, “Ah, life!”  It was his way of acknowledging that sometimes, the day to day responsibilities and necessities of life were, in a word, inconvenient. A conversation between Zach and I might go, 

Me: “Of course, Zach, you can totally go and hang out with your buddies after school.”

Zach: “Awesome!  Thanks PT”

Me: “You do have all your homework done, right?”

Zach: “Ah, Life!”

How right Zach is.  Doesn’t it sometimes seem that the requirements of life impede our ability to actually enjoy life?  Who wouldn’t rather hang with their friends than do homework?  Play is always more fun.

Recently, I read a list that gave several markers to identify that you’ve reached adulthood.  One of the markers was, “You can’t remember the last time you weren’t at least a little bit tired”.  Unfortunately, that rings more true that many of us would like to let on, I’m sure.

As many of you know, I’ve visited weekly with B.J. Smith for the past two and a half years as he sat in jail awaiting his trial.  I’ve also been very open that I believe he was wrongly convicted and that his ten year sentence simply adds to the sadness of a tragic event.  How this robs his elderly parents of his support and care is even more tragic still.  

As Zach might say, “Ah, life!”  Truly, it can seem so overwhelming at times.

All of humanity throughout history has felt like this at times. Even the Apostle Paul once wrote about it, as he had come to a point where his own struggles with life had left him simply feeling done with everything:

“…And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

25 Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 26 And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.”

                                           Philippians 1:20-26

Paul had worked hard for God, and he was just tired with life.  Later in the book of Timothy, he wrote write that he had been “poured out like a drink offering” which is to say he was running on empty.  But he wasn’t running on empty for no reason – he had a great purpose in life: to share the hope and love of Christ with all who would listen.  There is no greater purpose.  Paul is content to pass from this world because he is convinced the next one is better. He is able to exert and exhaust himself here, because he has the hope of there.

Finding joy in life

May we all have such great perspective.  Not that we treat our lives here as worthless, or meaningless, but that we understand that our purpose is about so much more than merely our own lives.  “Ah, life” indeed, when we think in terms of life everlasting, life with Christ, life abundantly lived and celebrated in unending joy. 

Wherever life finds you now, may you live it in joy and with purpose and in service to Christ.

- Pastor Tim

27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. 

                                            1 Philippians 1:27-30

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

A Peek into God's Work Schedule

How many of you can think of a time where you were worn out, tired or just out of energy?  I’m guessing that we are all raising our hands.  We are just busy people these days.  With everyone’s schedules even more packed than ever, how can we give God our best and make time to answer His call?  The first thing I remember is the fact that God never asks too much of us; the other thing I consider is that God gave us a great work plan and a great rest plan.  When God created the heavens and the earth, He took time to rest on the seventh day.  We are given this same opportunity to honor God on that seventh day.

photo credit: flickr user: kewl

So I’m on this “rest” bandwagon because this month I returned from vacation time realizing how important taking time to rest is.  I gave myself a goal to walk each day a certain amount of miles, regardless of if my face was frozen to my jacket or not.  During that quiet time of walking I was able to spend time with God.  My mind was open and willing to hear what God had to say.  This was great, because other times of prayer when I’m home get cut short because of things on my schedule or other plans, so instead of finding myself listening to God, I’m doing all of the talking.  The same thing can happen with my schedule; by the time I hear God asking to be a part of my day, week, or month, I’ve already filled it up.

How are you resting?

How are you resting?  Now don’t confuse me with encouraging laziness or not showing up for work or becoming antisocial because you’re out walking trying to hear God, but really, how are you resting? When an athlete is training, they push hard during their workout, but take time to rest their muscles.  This time of rest is actually when the muscles grow and get stronger.  The workout is actually breaking down the muscles so that during the time of rest they can recover, and through that recovery, they build back to being stronger.  I believe God can do the same for our spiritual life.

We need to give God adequate time

It is so important for us to let God speak to us through the rest.  When we have just worked hard and pushed ourselves through many areas, we need to give God adequate time to rebuild us and make us stronger.  It can be easy to overcommit, or sacrifice family time for our career.  What is God calling you to do?  

Do you need more rest?  Are you letting God speak to you through that rest and build you up?  Try this week to spend time quiet with the Lord, speaking less and listening more.  You may need to go on a walk for this to remove the distractions of your house or your phone.  Don’t forget that God will never ask too much of you.

Blessings,

Chris

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.

Christmas In Review

Children's Choir

The precious Christmas Season was celebrated in our church in many ways. Whether you attended the festive Ladies’ Tea with its inspiring speaker on Dec. 7th, meditated to Warren Horsley playing on his guitar his beautiful rendition of, “Silent Night” on Dec. 15th, or appreciated the purity of our children singing “Away in a Manger” on Dec. 22, we hope that all these events helped you to focus on the birth of our Savior.

The musical highlight for our adult church musicians came in December when they unified their efforts and presented, “A Christmas Call to Worship” with the Sanctuary Choir and Hand Bell Choir singing and playing in the same worship service along with the Praise Team. It was a delight for the choir to be back on the platform leading out on the congregational singing like they used to do, and their presentation with the bells was full of joy! That number was followed by a choral piece which posed some thoughts on how much Mary may have known about the deity of the son she bore. What a treasure it is to worship in such a rich atmosphere.
                                                                                                                                           
Those of us who provide music for our services year-round trust that you had a Blessed Christmas and will find much to celebrate in 2014. We also leave the powerful words of “Mary Did You Know?” for you to ponder as you walk with our amazing Lord into a New Year.

“Mary, did you know that your baby Boy will 
One day walk on water & save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver YOU!
Your baby Boy will give sight to a blind man & calm a storm with His hand.
 
Did you know that your baby Boy has walked were angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby, YOU’VE KISSED the FACE of GOD!
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the Lamb.
 
Oh, Mary, did you know that your baby Boy is LORD of ALL CREATION and
Will one day RULE the NATIONS? He is heaven’s perfect Lamb.
This sleeping Child you’re holding is . . . the GREAT I AM!

Whole congregation singing "Silent Night" on the front steps of First Baptist Church on Christmas Eve

Why a House is Stronger than a Tent

We just started a new year and I’m guessing old habits might get replaced with hopes for a new start.  Gym memberships are being purchased, organic food is replacing all of our cans of chili and we are all trying to read the Bible in a year, right?  I have the same high hopes to build this year into a bigger, faster and stronger one than last year, but let’s take a step back and look at what we are building on.  A wise Book once spoke toward this very idea:

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:26-27, ESV)

Sometimes we build a tent or a fort

I have started many years on some pretty sandy foundations.  Once I tried to commit to doing 100,000 pushups in one year, and I was on track for about 35 days, until the “flood” came and things got busy and I lost motivation.  We can do most anything for a short amount of time, but when we can build endurance to face what life has to offer, our faith will endure.  

Storms of life often threaten to overwhelm us, unless we build our houses wisely--on the Word of God

Scripture talks about building a house; a house is meant to stand for a long period of time, structurally sound to take on certain elements and be around for a while.  Sometimes instead of building that house, we build a tent or a fort or lean some branches against a hill.  We do the bare minimum to get by without considering the long haul, putting in the hard work and investing in what will stay strong.  This is where I have seen Sin creep in. We look at the short term and feel like we can handle it on our own, but when the strength of the flood endures longer than we can, we fall.

The strength of the Holy Spirit is available to us

God has given us everything we need to beat sin. The strength of the Holy Spirit is available to us to endure, and I want to encourage you to receive it.  Start this year looking at where your foundation lays.  I would even encourage that your focus this year would be building a foundation in Christ that will strengthen you for future years to endure turning from sin and seeking righteousness.  

Blessings,

Chris Cummings

Let Go of Your Rights

This month we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Olympic Peninsula Men's Fellowship (OPMF) is hosting their annual Men's Conference.  (I would like to encourage as many of our men at FBC to attend as possible. I've gone the past several years and always walk away blessed by the teaching and worship).

In light of these two events, I would share the following article, written by this year's OPMF's speaker,  Bryan Crawford Loritts.  He wrote the following in honor of last year's MLK Jr. Day.

Blessings, 
Pastor Tim

Martin Luther King and Jesus Christ

At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood to address the annual gathering of the SCLC. Not long into his remarks, a man rushed the stage and began hitting Dr. King in the face. Audience members would later recall that the sound of the man’s fists across King’s face made a loud popping noise. They would also reflect on their own astonishment as they watched the leader of the movement simply relax his shoulders, while letting his arms droop by his thighs. After a few moments, some of Dr. King’s associates rushed the assailant, while King instructed them not to strike the man.

King’s actions that day would galvanize the movement, as those who sat in the crowded auditorium saw a man instinctively practice the very non-violent philosophy he so eloquently preached. While he may have credited Gandhi as inspiration for his ideology, he looked more like the Nazarene who patiently endured the suffering of the cross. Martin Luther King emulated Jesus’ life, as he followed in the footsteps of the God-man who laid down his rights for the benefit of others.

Pastor Bryan Loritts with his family

Central to the gospel message is the un-American notion of laying down one’s rights. Standing on a mountain teaching the masses one day, Jesus said, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:39-41). Roman law stipulated that at any given moment a soldier could come up to you and ask you to carry his pack, and you were obligated to carry it one mile. However, Jesus says that at the end of that mile don’t just wipe the sweat from your face, toss him the pack and exhale that you’ve fulfilled your rights. Go with him two miles. Even more troubling Jesus says that if your enemy slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other one as well. Again, not a really popular American sentiment, but what Jesus is hammering home is the necessity of laying down your rights. King must have had this whole bit about turning the other cheek at the forefront of his mind as he stood on that stage being popped by his enemy.

I have a hard time with this. Something in me rises up when I feel as if I’ve been wronged. You cut me off on the freeway, I want to at least speed up to you, give you a look and let you know I’m not happy about it. My kid comes home with a bloody nose, everything within me convulses and screams, “Get him back”. I mean after all, lawyers make well into the six figures to ensure that people hold onto their rights.

What brought America to its knees wasn’t an army of people rioting in the streets, cursing and screaming at their abusers. To the contrary, it was little kids attacked by German Shepherds in the streets of 1963 Birmingham who refused to retaliate. It was the sight of what Billie Holiday described as strange fruit- lynched black bodies swinging from southern trees. What toppled old man Jim Crow was the thunderous rush of water from fire hydrants turned on peaceful marchers. Turning the other cheek, laying down rights is what allows me to sit in any seat on any bus in Memphis.

More than home ownership or drinking out of any water fountain I choose, it was Jesus who laid down his rights that paved the way for my salvation. Peter writes of Jesus, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (I Peter 2:23-24). In short, it was Jesus’ refusal to hold onto his rights that lead to my adoption into the family of God.

When I ease the grip on what is rightfully mine, I don’t lose ground, I actually gain ground. I wonder how many marriages would be in a better place if both spouses would stop looking out for themselves, lay down their rights and seek the best in the other? This is the gospel. And it is this gospel that spawned the Civil Rights Movement which lead to the freedoms that I and generations of African American’s enjoy. For this I am forever grateful to Dr. King.

-Bryan Loritts

Life is Messy

Merry Christmas!

 What a great time of year this is!  It is a time of splendor and wonder; a time renown for generosity and good cheer; a time of family and remembrance.  And for the Christian, it is a time to celebrate that the long-awaited Messiah has indeed come, born of a virgin as was prophesied long ago.

But take a moment to give thought to that unique arrival of our Lord.  His birth, long foretold and planned by God before the moment of creation itself, was most humble. Indeed, his place of birth was a first-century stable where he was surrounded by livestock.  His first bed; a manger, full of hay, from which the cattle were to eat. 

To say it simply, Jesus’ entrance to the world was messy.  But what a holy mess it was.

C.S. Lewis once wrote that everything that is most real in life, from birth to death, is messy.  Or at least I think he wrote something like that.  I had the quote written down, but I couldn’t find it on my desk, so I can’t be sure. 

As anyone who has ever cared for a child can attest, where there is life, there is mess. And where there is abundant, exuberant life, well you find messes in abundance as well. On the subjects of both Christmas and mess, Andy Rooney said that, “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.” Parents, rightly focused, can join with Rooney in relishing in the glory that is a living room floor covered in wrapping paper, boxes and toys.  And their joy comes because, in the heart of all that mess, are their children – gleefully celebrating the good gifts given by those who love them.

And so it is, I think, with church life.  With our nursery bustling, with our membership growing, with our people serving, with our baptismal tank filling, with our small groups meeting, we are experiencing abundant life at First Baptist.  Someone shout, “Amen”!

And with this abundant life, will come (not may, but will) mess.  The mess includes things of a physical nature – just ask any of the numerous volunteers who cleaned up after this year’s HarvestFest, Harvest Home Dinner or Church Bazaar. 

It also includes mess that can be made in other ways as well, from things as grand as putting into play new governance structures to things as minor as double booking a room in the church for two different groups. 

As with our household the celebration around the Christmas tree, if we focus on the mess – we will miss relishing in the glory of the gleeful moments.  Take time to look around at the people of our church, in particular those most young in the faith.  See the joy in these children of God as they experience, perhaps for the first time, the true meaning of Christmas.  Celebrate with them as they discover the gifts that God has given them.

And then look down and see, that among all the open boxes and colorful ribbons is a box with your own name on it.  For our Heavenly Father certainly has good gifts for you to enjoy too.  For before God, we are all children.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Tim

Luke 2:7 “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (ESV)

Who Gets the Credit?

We have quickly found ourselves in the holiday season, where we give thanks, give gifts and eat lots of food.  When we are confronted with the reality of how much we really have and the abundant grace given to us regularly, we sure do have a lot to be thankful for. This year in Barefoot Students, we have been truly blessed with the chance to lead students to the cross of Jesus Christ. Each and every week that we have students come through the doors and get to see Godly adults, and hear about a God’s plan for their life, we get to rejoice.  

I read a quote online this week that I thought really hits home. 

"When you don't see yourself as very bad, you cannot see God as very good."

-Pastor Mark Driscoll

It can look a little harsh at first, but think about it, our sins are constant and in ever need of reconciliation. If we don't confront that daily, we will move forward with a small view of what God’s role is in our life.  1 Corinthians 10:31 says to do everything for the Glory of God.  What a great reminder for this month. Think about our actions and our generosity and then think about to whom we will give credit.  Do we show everyone how good we are, or how great our God is. Do we collect the glory for ourselves, or let our actions be a reflection of our Savior’s actions. 

Our student ministries want to be that reflection. If we bring kids into our building just to point to our goodness or our strength, I believe we would be doing the students a disservice.  We have a great leadership team each week, not because of our goodness, but because of God’s goodness and grace in out lives. We find it a humbling privilege to be involved in God’s plan for the students of Port Angeles. 

Look for opportunities to point people to Jesus this season. We all have people in our lives that are watching; what will they see? 

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

- Chris Cummings

A Christmas Call to Worship

Sound the trumpet! Ring the bell! There’s a story you must tell.

In a manger lies a King, let us worship, let us sing!

A joyous celebration of Christ, our Savior’s birth,

A joyful exultation with good will and peace on earth,

A gift to all the nations, a father’s only son

A Christmas proclamation our Lord at last has come! 

If you want to be stirred with beautiful Christmas music, be sure to come to the worship services in December! We plan to have some of our children sing a Christmas carol on December 8, and the following week, Sierra and Warren Horsley will bring us a special flute – guitar duet on December 15. Our Baptist Belles ‘n’ Beaus will combine their talents with our Sanctuary Choir on December 22 to present “A Christmas Call to Worship” and our choir will end with the memorable:  “Mary, Did You Know?”

As the Music Director at First Baptist Church, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many gifted church musicians who have dedicated their musical talents to the Lord and diligently prepare their pieces throughout the year to bring such a wide variety of rich, sacred music to our worship services.

November was a perfect example of the variety of music we are blessed to hear in the 9:30 a.m. service:  A ladies trio of Lynn Crawford, Stacie Cummings and Sarah Almond sang an African American Spiritual with James Kauffman on djembe drum early in the month. In the middle of the month our Sanctuary Choir sang very prayerfully, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”, and the month ended with Genna Birch and Leah Marsh playing so skillfully on their violins a beautiful duet arrangement of “Sing to the Lord of Harvest.”

To all of you who continually take turns contributing to worshipful music in our services, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

And now, all of our church musicians wish everyone in our church family a--

Joyous Christmas and a Blessed New Year!                 

“Sing”cerely    

-   Betty    -           

Music for Everyone

The purpose of this director’s music ministry is to

“Inspire the Faithful and Engage the Community through Sacred Music.”

All choral and instrumental activities seek to

“Glorify God and Generate Growth which will sustain the church.”

How special it was to hear Jordan Koon singing so sweetly the solo she chose, “Heavenly Sunshine” in the 9:30 a.m. service on October 13th and our Sanctuary Choir opening its new season of worship music with “The Light of the World” on October 20th. Thank you for preparing these numbers and blessing us with your music! Music truly is for everyone from the youngest to the oldest. We can’t wait to hear solos and choral presentations from these people again.

Our musical plans for the 9:30 a.m. service in November will be to hear a ladies’ trio, a violin duet and our faithful Sanctuary  Choir. You won’t want to miss their inspiring music. Be sure to attend. All throughout the year, we continue to be fortunate to have a variety of musical groups who enhance our time of worship with very special music. Please encourage all those who continually bring us worshipful music by expressing your thanks at every opportunity you have.

Good news: Two new people have demonstrated their interest in coming to our choir rehearsals to see if they can make room in their schedules for a choral commitment. If any of you who are reading this article have been thinking about sitting in on some of our rehearsals to see if singing in the choir is a place where you would like to serve our church please do so.   Previous experience in choral singing is not necessary. You only need to have a love for God and music. So, come and test the waters. We would like to expand our ranks and November is a good time to jump in.  

The same is true for those interested in hand bell playing. It’s easy to ring a bell and the teamwork involved in playing with others creates a stimulating atmosphere. Lots of laughter and love come out of our rehearsals. As with choir participation, no prior experience is necessary to join our group of bell players.  We have fun learning together as we move along from one piece to another. All those who have a desire to make a “joyful noise” unto the Lord are welcome to come along and discover the joys of hand bell playing with us. Think about it. 

Likewise, if anyone who plays an instrument and would like to present a solo or a duet with someone else sometime, please let this director know. Good things have come about just by letting the director know you are wanting to find someone with whom you can make music. Don’t hesitate to speak up and see what God has in store for you.

Enjoy all the events coming up in November. See you in church!

“Sing”cerely,

-Betty-

Personal Worship

Occasionally, when I'm up on stage, I have a really hard time holding it together and not bursting into tears right there in front of everybody, runny mascara and all.  God uses the worship team to lead in music and to share testimony.  Often music speaks to the people in the congregation, drawing them close to God; it teaches them about the nature of our relationship with Christ, and gives them the opportunity to come before Him and experience His love in a very real and tangible way.  But many times what is being said or sung is as much for our hearts, as leaders, as it is for the hearts of the congregation.  

One of the Sundays in October was such day.  Pastor Tim came up to the front and instead of launching into communion, he started by talking about the lyrics from a song we had just sung, "Only You".  The bridge to this song talks about it being just you & God as you worship: "It's just you and me here now".  It's fairly ironic in a corporate worship setting, but Tim talked about the paradox that it is to worship as a part of the church body and, at the same time, as an individual who has a personal and intimate relationship with God.

It's not too tear jerking a subject, I'll admit.  But it is a topic that God has been working on in my heart during this season of my life: a season where He has seriously challenged my understanding and the way I view my personal relationship with Him versus my position as a member of the "bride" of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-33).  

The Bible is full of beautiful imagery describing humanity’s relationship to Christ and to God and I often find myself, in my thoughts and my study, dwelling on those images and celebrating what Christ has done for us. I frequently think of myself as "we", the collective church, and put a lot of thought and energy into what we, as a church, are doing and how God is moving and using “us”.  And while this isn't altogether an unhealthy view, it is incomplete.  Like Peter, when Jesus calls him out onto the water (Matthew 14:22-33), when I take my eyes off of my Savior, I leave myself vulnerable to the wind and waves of this world and I sink.

This started a few weeks ago as I struggled to memorize 1 Peter 3:18: "For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit."  One of the mistakes I kept making was to say "to bring us to God" instead of "you".  The first time I realized I was making the mistake I sat there pondering if there was really enough of a theological difference to merit trying to correct my poor memorization and was stopped abruptly with an overwhelming sense of, "No.  I died for you.  I died with you in mind.  It is written "you", therefore memorize it "to bring you to God"." Wow.

A few days later, I got into my car and the radio fired up in the middle of a live, in-studio concert/interview with Christian music artist, Natalie Grant, and they were taking questions from the audience in a Q & A segment.  The next question she was asked was, "What encouragement could you give to someone who struggles to feel loved?" She went on to talk about the very personal and intimate ways that the Bible tells us Christ knows us and cares for us, that we are so important to Him and that He longs for us.  This time I was in tears.  It's not that I struggle with feeling loved, but when you consistently view yourself only as a member of the body and don't regularly take the time to intimately look into the eyes of the One who gave everything just to love you, it can, and should be incredibly overwhelming!

And I definitely think that this is a trap we, as Christians, fall into if we're not careful.  If we think of ourselves only as "the body", we can think of our sins simply as being apart of the collective sins that nailed him to the cross.  When I fail to look my Savior full in the face and celebrate what He has done for me, I don't feel the sting of Him dying for my sins, my short-comings.

I want to challenge you: take time, make an effort to come before Christ, imagining even, the conversations you would have with Him if He were standing in front of you; our imagination is a gift from God, created by Him just as He created any other part of you.  Do this regularly.  He does want our worship: He wants us to make a priority of learning more about His Word, to share in fellowship with the church body, to reach out to a dying world and to serve others. These are undeniably good things. But He also longs for a relationship! For friendship! I urge you, embrace the love of the One who made you, who died to keep you, and whose heart is tender and compassionate and full of grace towards you!  Only here can we find the strength and courage to do what we've been called to!

A Word from the Pastor

Ray & Betty are taking a well-deserved vacation for a couple of days.  A great benefit of this is it affords me an opportunity to write a bit to praise the good work that Betty does for our congregation.  I am certain you are all aware of how diligently she works to involve people in both our vocal and bell choirs.  And you are likely also aware that she selects the music for the 9:30 service at Sunday worship.  

Along with balancing schedules between our wonderful organist and pianist and making sure we have live music for all our congregational songs, she also works with Chris Cummings and our sound team to ensure we are ready with recorded music when necessary.  I’m sure we all agree that she gives an excellent balance between special music selections, including songs by the vocal choir, by our bell choir, or even wonderful solos as provided by six-year-old Jordan Beck (see photo).

So there is much about what Betty does of which you are likely already aware. And while there is not space to elaborate on all that Betty does behind the scenes, I would like to lift up one element of what she does each week, that perhaps goes unnoticed by many.  Yet it can bring an element of “cool” to those who are aware.

Back in the early years of the Church, most of the world’s population was largely illiterate, for at this time it was more important for most of the population to focus on growing crops in order to sustain life rather than learning the finer points of parsing irregular verbs.  So to aid a largely illiterate society in understanding and memorizing the biblical story then, something we now call the ‘Liturgical Calendar’ was developed.  

For instance, it is the liturgical calendar which tells us when we celebrate Christmas.  You see, it is unlikely that the true historical date of Jesus’ birth was Dec. 25th.  In truth we don’t know on what day Jesus was born.  But by picking this particular day to celebrate his birth, which was done in the 4th century, we were able to invite whole culture groups into a festival celebrating Jesus and what he accomplished for the world – making the birth story of Jesus the best known birth story of all time.

And so through time, the church has continued to add to, and refine, its liturgical calendar.  Today, we have a calendar that has a special focus every Sunday.  For instance, the First Sunday of November is “All Saints Day”- which actually led to the creation of Halloween the night before.  

The behind the scenes “element of cool” that I mentioned earlier is that Betty selects the songs for the 9:30 service so that they coincide with the special observances, each week, of the liturgical calendar.  For instance, when Jordan Beck sang her special number, it was in honor of ‘Children’s Day’.  If you take note on the back of the bulletin we have started to include a notation simply titled “Liturgical Observance” which informs you as to what special focus Betty has used in that week’s song selection.

This is just one of many wonderful little attentions to spiritual detail Betty brings to her work for the church.  When you see her back at church, be sure to thank her for all she does!

-Pastor Tim

Sifted

As part of a recent study I came across an intriguing question that I’d never encountered before.   It came by way of a book jointly authored by Wayne Cordeiro, Francis Chan and Larry Osborne titled “Sifted”.

They presented a challenging question that came from the Gospel of Luke.  It records Jesus talking to Simon Peter saying:

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

Now, it is great that Jesus’ prayer was that Peter’s faith wouldn’t fail, and that he would come through the sifting process strong enough to encourage those who share his faith in Jesus.  But the troubling question is, why was this Jesus prayer?  Wouldn’t it have been better for Jesus simply to pray that Satan would be refused the permission to sift?  Strength to endure is great, but avoidance would seem even better – don’t you think?

This passage is even more compelling when we understand that it arises within the context of Jesus talking about all the doubts and struggles that Peter will face upon witnessing Jesus’ own arrest and crucifixion.  Again – why did Jesus not just pray that it wouldn’t come to pass.

And of course, we know that he did.  Just a few verses later we read Jesus’ private prayer:

42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:42-44

Praying that pain and suffering would be removed from our experience of life is certainly a faithful activity.  But reality is, such prayers won’t always be answered in the affirmative.  There are occasions where the enemy of our souls is given reign to sift us like wheat.

In ancient agricultural practice, wheat was sifted by tossing the grain high in the air.  This allows the chaff to get blown away while the good heavy kernels of grain fall back at the farmer’s feet.  So too, it may feel as though problems and pain have thrown us in the air and we, also, are being tossed about by the winds of life, but when this happens, may our faith hold firm so that we may fall at the Master’s feet.

From the suffering of Job to the confusion of Peter, we know that times of sifting bring sorrow and pain, but we also know that ours is a loving God who will see us through.  And coming through, we will be better able, as was the case with Peter, to strengthen our brothers in their time of need.

If this newsletter finds you while you are presently in a period of sifting, please know that you’ve not been forgotten by the God who loves you.  And may you find that there are people around you, who having endured their own times of trial, are able to give understanding and support.  The passage which ends this article is from Simon Peter himself as he followed the instructions of Jesus and sought to strengthen his fellow Christians in the early days of persecution against the church.  May you indeed find strength in his words and promise.

Blessings, 

Pastor Tim

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed...19  Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 1 Peter 4:12-13 & 19