Valentine’s Day is not a religious holiday, yet it has some religious connotations to it. The most basic meaning is the sharing of the gift of love. Love is a practice and attribute that is never to be taken for granted. Jesus reminds us of the significance and the power of love throughout his many teachings. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Of course, we cannot forget the impact of love as the Apostle Paul describes in his first letter to the Corinthians.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, NIV)

The above statement is so beautiful and powerful and I believe that it embodies the goodness of Valentine’s Day. My love and prayers are always with you as you seek to be the church God desires you to be.

Always remember that God is love and that he seeks to embrace you in that love.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

I understand that you had a great “Souper Bowl” yesterday in my absence. I also understand that there were some delicious soups and goodies to be sampled.

Congratulations to Larry Chamberlain for making the winning soup and any other winners that I may not know about.

Well, folks, I missed your soup, but I got to attend the Chili cook-off at Anderson Hills Christian Church following worship. We had six different varieties of chilis from which to choose and there was a first place and a second-place winner. Of course, we topped off the chili with many scrumptious desserts.

This leads me to my thoughts for this week. All of us like to be winners yet we know that that is not possible. Even Jesus’ disciples argued among themselves regarding who would have the seats of honor on either side of their Lord and Master. Jesus sensed this little spat and used it as a marvelous teaching opportunity. He ends it with this great statement, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28, NIV)

Consider what it means to walk humbly with Jesus always at your side.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

I have been reading a fascinating book on listening to God. Without directly quoting the author and breaking the copyright laws, allow me to share a couple of thoughts. When has God truly spoken and how can you confirm this? Beware of allowing your own thoughts and ideas to become what you determine must be God’s voice.

We already know that God speaks to us in varieties of ways through the scriptures. God may speak to us in the midst of nature: a gentle snowfall, the beauty of a flowering plant, the rustling of the grass or of leaves, the howling wind. Sometimes we can confirm God’s voice in the quietness that may surround us or in the singing of a gorgeous hymn or some other song.

Be listening for the many ways that God may speak to you.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

In a little less than two weeks, you will be invited to make a most significant decision that will help to impact the direction in which God is calling this congregation. You will vote on the next settled pastor and I pray with all of my being that God will direct that vote in a positive direction.

For reasons of confidentiality and to assure that those who may employ social media does not broadcast the decision before its time you have been left in the dark. A few of you have expressed concern regarding this matter. Let me reassure you as Cliff Thompson did this past Sunday that the Search Committee has diligently carried out its work. They have thoroughly researched and interviewed the prospective candidate and are strongly recommending her to be the next settled pastor.

Trust, trust, trust the work of this committee. They will be able to answer any questions you might have regarding the candidate that they are recommending to you.

In the meantime, join me in prayer for this congregation and for our prospective candidate.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

 

I began thinking about resolutions which many of us may have made at the start of the New Year. I always marvel that the attendance at the gym increases in the first month after January 1. By mid-February or a bit later gym attendance is back to its usual numbers.

How do we stay on track and not get side-tracked or lose the interest and the drive in what we have resolved to do? There are no easy answers to this question. Good intentions are only as good as we seek to personally maintain them. We do have a model to which we need to pay close attention. That model isnone other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was not influenced by the religious leaders of the day who had sorely lost their way. Instead he set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem. That was his ultimate goal because he knew that in Jerusalem he would be tried and crucified and rise to eternal life as God’s Son and our Savior to forgive our sins.

Let us seek to emulate that example as we move forward as the body of Christ here at First Christian in Middletown. This should be the resolution we strive to keep and never break.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

We have just celebrated Epiphany which marks the end of Christmas and heralds the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. Epiphany means the manifestation of Jesus as he begins his public ministry.

The second important date is January 8th, which marks the baptism of Jesus. As we think about the baptism of Jesus, I believe it is also quite appropriate to remember our own baptism. Personally, I probably should have been baptized a second time because the first time I simply went through the motions. I had attended a pastor’s class to grow in my understanding of what it meant to be a member of the church. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, yet I did so with little enthusiasm. Again, I went through the motions. That’s my faith beginnings story.

I want you to think about your baptism for the moment and what it means. Do you still have the same drive and zeal on that day when you were first baptized? All of us have probably played the game of trying to find hidden things. Perhaps your friends or your parents might say, “You are getting warmer” if you were getting close to the object. Or they could also say, “You’re getting colder” the farther away you were from the object.

When you consider your baptism, how cold or warm are you? Greater distance as a way of adding a chill to your faith journey. Let us seek the warmth and the comfort of our Lord and Savior as we reaffirm not only our baptism, but also what brought us into a loving relationship with Jesus.

 

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

May all of you at First Christian have a most blessed and prosperous New Year!

Those of you who were in worship with us on Sunday heard me following my coughing fit that we as individuals and as a congregation need to start with a clean slate. I will return to that thought as I conclude this article. Thinking about this New Year, I share with you an Italian tradition that is still observed in some parts of the country. On New Year’s Eve, people will gather up those things that they no longer need and will throw them out of the second story windows. Apparently, if you are willing to take the risk and walk the streets, you need to keep your eyes peeled. For from these windows may come unused clothes, pots and pans, and even an appliance or two. These Italians wish to begin the New Year with a fresh start.

Think for a moment of the excess baggage that we may carry about. That excess baggage may consist of regrets, broken relationships that could be healed, feelings of loss and hurt, and I could go on. A clean slate is starting the New Year fresh and ready to realize the hopes and dreams that are before us. Consider the things that we need to cast aside to allow that to happen.

 

with God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

Anticipation is building. Expectations are soon to be realized. Excitement is

in the air as we move closer to the day of our Lord’s birthday.

I guess the best part of the story is when the angels appeared to the

shepherds in the field while they were keeping watch over their flocks.

“I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be for all the people. For

to you is born this night in city of David, who is the Messiah. And this will

be a sign for you: this will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped

in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

How long had they waited to hear such news as this? More importantly, what

does this kind of announcement mean for us. It was no wonder that the shepherds

went with haste to see this sight.

Decorations are up. Hopefully, any Christmas shopping has been completed.

Therefore, in the coming week, I invite you to sincerely think about and meditate

upon what we will celebrate this coming Sunday.

Please take note: Christmas Day worship will be at 10:30 and you won’t want to

miss this special celebration.

The end of the year is upon us; therefore, if you would like to make

contributions to count in the 2016 tax year, offering plates will be available on

Christmas Eve as worshipers come forward to receive communion and pick up a

candle and an offering is also a part of Christmas Day Worship.

My heart and spirit are always warmed when I begin to think about all of the outreach projects in which we are engaged as a faith community. I am going to list them as opportunities for giving and sharing in this festive season. As you walk into the narthex you are greeted by the Hat and Mitten Tree. These items will be distributed to our area schools and the need is always great as the cold weather settles in.

We had the joy of providing Thanksgiving Dinner with all of the trimmings for six families. We will be providing food for six families which includes ten children over Christmas.

When you enter our Fellowship Hall, you will see a brilliantly lighted sock tree. All of the socks given will go to Hope House for distribution.

Immediately following Christmas, we will be partnering with Christ United Methodist for Shalom on December 26, 28, and 30. Each of these nights we will start at 5 p.m. to provide dinner, followed by some fellowship time, and then a night of rest. Shalom serves our homeless.

The week before Christmas we host a class from Central Academy to help us prepare luminaries and engage in other tasks around the church. Please do not forget our special Christmas offering for the outreach ministries of the Christian Church in Ohio.

Many of you had the chance to share in the Middletown Civic Chorus’ presentation of George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah.” Had the Civic Chorus presented the entire “Messiah” you would have been in for just a little under three hour performance.

The string quartet, organist, trumpeter, chorus, and soloists were all marvelous under the direction of Dr. Jeremy Jones. Those portions of the “Messiah” that were presented helped to heighten one’s readiness for Christmas. Handel composed this work in twenty-four days for its first performance in Dublin, Ireland in 1741. And it always seems that this great choral work comes to its high point when the chorus and instrumentalists begin the Hallelujah Chorus.Every one stands as this chorus is being sung. It is said that we stand because the King of England stood, but there is no solid proof that that story may be true.

I share all of this because I want you to take some time to reflect upon the meaning of the Messiah in your lives. For centuries, the children of Israel longed for a Messiah, one who would come to free them from prison of death. Near the end of this great choral work there is a wonderful promise. You can read it in the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, “Since by man came death, the resurrection of the dead comes through Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

As you near Christmas, what does the coming of the Messiah mean for you? Will the coming of Jesus really be the Savior of the world for you? The above questions are of greatest importance as we continue our journey of faith together.