Newsletter (December 2007)

Compiled by the Faith Newsletter editor: Burt Pearson

Contents:
From Your Associate Pastor
From The Library
From Travelers Rest

From your Associate Pastor

"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. [NIV Matthew 24:30-31]

It’s easy to forget that Advent is a season with a two-fold focus. It’s a time in which Christians recall and celebrate Jesus Christ's entrance into our world to redeem mankind and triumph over death. It’s also a period in which believers look forward to the "Second Advent" - the day when He will come back.

You know, for 2,000 years, Christians have lived in the hope of Our Lord's imminent return. Jesus' description of His Second Coming spans two chapters in the Gospel of Matthew (24-25) and is usually read as part of the lectionary as Christmas nears. The Second Coming was also an emphasis in the epistles of Paul, Peter and John. I read somewhere that there are more than 300 references to it in the New Testament.

In his teachings about the Second Coming, it's important to understand that Jesus emphasized spiritual preparation rather than irresponsible speculation.

When someone knows that they are about to die, they rarely conclude that they wish they'd
spent more time at work. They become focused on faith, family, mending broken relationships, and what will happen when they die. These priorities that seem to elude us in the course of our busy lives, always become crystal-clear if our days appear numbered.

In the same way, the possibility that Jesus may show up at any moment should encourage us to maintain an attitude of preparedness. I mean the prospect of meeting God face-to- face helps sort our priorities, and our relationship with the Lord goes right to the top of the list.

But sometimes it's hard for us to let go of our attachments to this life isn’t it? The "end of the world" is scary to us because we instinctively fear change and cling to what we know, even when we’re promised something far better.

At Christmas, we celebrate the beginning of the mission Christ our Lord will complete at is Second Coming - to free us from sin’s penalty, and from sin’s power that we might become more and more like him as we repent and believe the gospel. May we continually grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior as we celebrate his birth, and look forward to his return. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

From The Library

Hello from your church library. It is hoped that all of you will enjoy a joyful holiday season.

The library is in need of children's' puzzles with large pieces. Preferably with a Biblical theme. The only one we have is Jonah and the Whale. It would be nice to add to our collection.

The home school has removed the boxes of books that were left after the school year, so moving around the library has become a little easier.

I would like to thank Wendy Bergstrom for removing the books. A box of vhs tapes
was also removed. Again, thank you Wendy

Wishing all of you safe travels and happy holidays.

Submitted by Ann Pusar
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From Travelers Rest

“God moves in strange ways.”

You remember the old saying, “When you see a turtle sitting on a fence post, you know that he did not get there by himself.” That is similar to starting a new church.

Our next door neighbor here in Greenville is a man that I grew up with in York. While visiting him back in early August, I asked him to be on the look out for a building that we might rent for a place for the church to meet. His response was a complete surprise to me. He and his family are members of the Travelers Rest United Methodist Church, and he said that they had an old building which was their first sanctuary. They call it “The Chapel.” He said that they do not use it anymore and perhaps we could meet in it. It is right in the middle of their other buildings. He said that he would ask their pastor about the possibility.

Well, two months went by and nothing was heard. We continued our search and scratched the Chapel off of our lists as a possibility. Then one afternoon a pickup truck drove into our driveway. The driver asked for me and then introduced himself as the Methodist pastor. He then informed me that their council had met the night before and voted unanimously to invite us to use their Chapel. Since October 21st this has been our site for worship. It is a lovely facility that will seat about 120 people – a great increase over the 45 we could seat at the Hampton Inn. We also have use of the other facilities whenever they are not in use by their congregation.

We might not be a turtle sitting on a fence post, but we know that we have not gotten to where we are by ourselves. God is the Sovereign One. He is truly in control of all things and works through what we call “secondary causes.” He works through people, situations, events, empty chapel buildings. He uses whatever He wishes to bring about His plans. We are thankful to our Methodist brethren, but most of all to our gracious Lord who watches over us.

On Thanksgiving Eve, we were able to use the Chapel for a special Thanksgiving service. Attendance was our highest yet with 55 present. We had special music, communion, and that sharing time that I always did there at Faith. It was a very special service as the people reflected and rejoiced in what God is doing. Several commented on the fact that almost all of us were perfect strangers last Thanksgiving and now here we are “family.”

Billy Barron

Merry Christmas and Happy 2008
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