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WOW! It’s sure is easy to tell that we’re on the verge of Advent! The church calendar is rapidly filling up. You’ll receive more information as the events get closer, but I’d like to give you a quick summary and invite you to put them on your calendar now. Tuesday, 11/28: You’re invited to join in decorating the church for the Advent and Christmas seasons. The fun and fellowship begins at 3 p.m. The Worship Committee promises coffee and cookies during the event and their appreciation for your help afterwards. This year’s Christmas Gift Tree in the narthex will be dedicated to the local Cancer Services Network. Look for an article by Brenda Merrill elsewhere in this issue of the Westwind with more information on this very worthwhile cause. Wednesday, 12/6 and 12/13: We will have two Advent lunches this year. The first will be at Elmwood West and the second here at Westminster. These will be like the Holy Week luncheons we’ve had in the past. We’ll eat (naturally), I will present the program at Elmwood and Sammie will speak at Westminster, we’ll probably sing a bit, and we’ll be on our way in time for working folks to return to their jobs. Sunday, 12/10: Our annual congregational Christmas party will be held immediately after worship. Fellowship is working on the details, but you can look forward to our traditional gift passing, passing, passing and, oh yes, passing. So be thinking about what inexpensive gift you want to bring that can be passed, and passed, and …you get the idea. This year we have an extra special attraction! Following the Christmas party in the fellowship hall we’ll be invited to the sanctuary for a holiday hand bell concert featuring our own Leona Armstrong. The flyers around the church promise “some surprises: a bell tree, flipped bells, singing, a guitar, mallets, chimes, and a duet with Jeff where we hold all eight bells in our hands!” The approximately 30-minute concert is Leona’s response to Pastor Sammie Ellis’ October sermon on using our talents. Friday and Saturday, 12/15 and 16: The world-renowned Westminster Living Nativity returns for another year! This is a truly unique “Westminsterly” experience. Sunday, 12/17: Everyone is invited to join together for our annual Christmas caroling adventure! Our anticipated starting time is 2:30 p.m. Come join the fun. This is a wonderfully satisfying opportunity to make some people very happy. Sunday, 12/24: We’ll, of course, have our regular Sunday worship, but then we’ll gather again that evening for our traditional service of Lessons and Carols which includes the Lord’s Supper. I look forward to joining with you for a busy and joyful Advent and Christmas season!
From the Pastor’s Pen… We Christians are “people of the book,” which, of course, refers to the Bible. Through it God has revealed God’s self to us, ultimately as God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. One of the great cries of the Reformation was sola Scriptura, which translates “Scripture alone.” It is by and through Scripture that we know of God and God’s will for us. Direct access to Scripture by the individual was one of the principle issues of the Reformation, which began when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. Today, because of the struggles of the Reformation, we think nothing of picking up a Bible, probably one of several that we have around the house. Unfortunately, surveys show that we Christians are picking up the Bible less and less, and, if we don’t pick it up to read it, we certainly are not taking time to study Scripture. Bible literacy is on the decline. With those thoughts in mind, I came across this fourth century quote from one of the great Christian patriarchs: “Christ, in sending the [people] to the scriptures, sent them, not merely to read them, but carefully to search and ponder them. And did he not say, ‘Read the scriptures,’ but ‘Search the scriptures.’ Their meaning is not expressed superficially or set forth in their literal sense, but, like a treasure, lies buried at a great depth. And those who seek for hidden things will not be able to find the object of the search if they do not seek carefully and painstakingly.”
Saint John Chrysostom A great deal can be gleaned from simply reading the scriptures, but, like digging a well, water is seldom discovered with the turning of the first spade of dirt. In-depth study takes time and effort, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. There are several great resources in our church library that will be helpful, whether you’re ready to turn that first shovel full or already have a hole started and just need help digging deeper. If you’re interested in group Bible study, there are opportunities available at Westminster. The Presbyterian Women meet monthly with Bible study as part of their regular routine. This year they are digging into Ruth and Jonah. Farren Sadler’s Sunday School class is currently in the midst of a study of Genesis. Monday nights at 7:00PM, a group of us meet for a one-hour Bible study. Right now we are looking at what the Bible has to say about cultural diversity and inclusion. There are no prerequisites for any of these studies. In fact, each group would love to welcome you. All you have to do is turn the first spade, or in this case, take the first step. Remember, it was Woody Allen who said, “Eighty-five percent of success is showing up.” Christ’s Shalom,
Ever wonder how somebody else sees you? Ever considered how a visitor views Westminster? Carol King, Ray and Martha’s daughter, was moved to write the following letter after worshiping with us earlier this year. With her permission, I’d like to share it with you. To My Fellow Members of the Body of Christ at Westminster Presbyterian, I visited your church on Mother’s Day and am aware of your current struggles, because my parents are members of your congregation. I wanted to share with you my thoughts as I was among you. First of all, each time I am with you I am warmly received and observe the way you treat each other. I see a group of people, who genuinely care for each other; who go out of their way to take care of each other. In short, I see a church of substance, not a flashy superficial church, but one carrying out the true purpose of the church. One not without flaws (as we are all human) but one with a good heart. As I waited for the service to begin, I prayed for you, my brothers and sisters. I prayed that God would direct you and bless you. I thanked Him for a church that still proclaims Christ and asked that He honor that, because it is increasingly rare. I asked that he honor your efforts, because you are His bride. I do not know what plans God has for you, but I do know that He will not let a church that is truly seeking him be wasted. I also know that he has a plan for you. As it is written: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13. Listening to the beautiful prayer one of your members said, I could not help but think, “You better get ready!” because if you really mean that prayer, God is going to act! But also, be ready, because His answer may be most unexpected. In my experience, my deepest, most urgent prayers were answered in rich, quiet, and perfect ways that I could have never anticipated. I join you in that prayer and eagerly anticipate hearing about the ways the answer unfolds. I will close by saying again that I have experienced you as a warm and loving group. Your substance is evident. Christ is glorified. Such things are beautiful to God, and He has a plan. Be watchful. Be humble. Be ready. Do not be afraid, for God’s plan, while it may be surprising, is perfect. (Signed) Carol King
Thanks Carol,
This year’s Stewardship Season theme, Give Thanks!, is both straightforward and appropriate. Stewardship Season is a time when we reflect on God’s graciousness and on the means by which we express our thankfulness. The following poem is from Masterpieces of Religious Verse ©1941
This Stewardship season begin not with budgets to be met, responsibilities to live up to or percentages of this and that. These are all earthly things. Let us begin by reflecting again and again about how the Triune God is at work in our lives, and let us Give Thanks! Christ’s Shalom,
Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 Paul’s words to the church in Philippi really sums up my reaction to the events of July 2007 here at Westminster Presbyterian Church. July was a great month! First, there was the Tri-Church Vacation Bible School. After several months of preparation by volunteers from all three churches, approximately 75 youngsters from around the neighborhood found their way to the Circle G Ranch here at Westminster. At the ranch barn, they met Dusty and Sonny who ushered them into five days of exciting discovery of how God is at work in their lives. Then on the last night of VBS each of the ranch hands got a ride on a real horse! “Thank You!” to every person who bad a band in making VBS such a wonderful experience. Vacation Bible School plays an important role in the lives of the youngsters who are already “children of the church,” but perhaps even greater potential lies with the boys and girls who attended but are not members of any church. Perhaps in these five days a seed was planted that may not bear fruit for many years, but then one day something in them stirs, and they hear God’s call on their lives. We may never know, but we may have been God’s instrument of call on the life of a Christian to be.Thank God for the opportunity. VBS is a time to rejoice! Then there was the Westminster Reunion. I’m writing this on the Monday following, and I am still pumped. I’ve seen several tired but very happy faces here at the church this morning as stories are swapped about the stories that were swapped during the day. It was great to see familiar faces again and to be introduced to former members I’d heard about but never met. The day was made even more special as we celebrated Cecile Manter’s l0Oth birthday and paid tribute to Brenda Goodwin. Of course, the food was as delicious as ever! Again, “Thank You!” to everyone who helped make the reunion such a great success! The Reunion is a time to rejoice! Lest we forget, we give thanks to God for this particular community of faith, for what it means to us, for what it means to others, and for what it means to the Kirk Universal! Now, I wonder what opportunity for rejoicing is still in front of us. What say we go find out together!
Rejoice!” Christ’s Shalom,
Sunday, June 10th members of the Palo Duro Presbytery Committee on Ministry met with your session for their Triennial visit. A bit of explanation may be in order here. First, the Committee on Ministry (C.O.M.), like all presbytery committees, is made up of elders and ministers from the various churches in the presbytery. C.O.M. is mandated by our Book of Order to help congregations maintain and strengthen “the mission and ministry of the particular church” (G-11.0502c). Second, the Triennial Visit is also mandated by our constitution. As the name suggests, this is a once every three years visit to “check-in” with the local session and pastor to see how things are going. First Presbyterian Church Breckenridge pastor Andy Channer, along with Elder Ruth Ann Campbell and Rev. Howell Martin, both from Sweetwater, made up the visitation team. They started by asking the session members to share the positive things happening at Westminster. Items mentioned included our worship services, especially our music program; our volunteers who sit with Kyle on Sundays, the Tri-Church Vacation Bible School, the many members who volunteer at non-profits around the city, our caring for one another, and a lot more. It didn’t take long for the elders to develop a lengthy list. (Your session members did the talking. I listened.) Then Andy asked the elders to share their concerns. There were three quick responses… our shrinking numbers, advancing age of our members, and the lack of young families with children. I suspect none of those come as a surprise to you, but neither are they unique to Westminster. After listening for a good while, Andy made an interesting observation. He suggested that we might look to who we are already…mostly senior adults…for where God may be calling us into future ministry. He asked what a church serving senior adults might look like, and if we could see ourselves in that role. Following our meeting, Andy sent an email to our Executive Presbyter Rich Schempp and sent me a copy. I’d like to quote from his comments to Rich, “The church is very concerned about the future as it deals with declining enrollment and lack of youth. Yet there is much good going on in worship, fellowship, caring for each other, accepting who’s different and communication (specifically the use of a Phone Tree).” Andy continues, “A statement from an observer was shared: ‘This is the most active, busiest, small congregation I have ever seen, ’” Andy added, “I agree with that assessment.” Andy concluded his comments with this, “I believe the concern this church has now makes their future bright with possibilities as they consider their purpose in the years to come.” A person from the outside who is looking in often sees what those in the midst of things don’t see. In our case, Andy and the other members of C.O.M. see some very positive things. I encourage all Westminsterites to accept the pat-on-the-back with thanksgiving to God and with renewed energy for the future. Christ’s Shalom,
Even though summer is thought of as a time to slow the pace that doesn’t seem to be the case around Westminster. It is our turn to host the Tri-Church Vacation Bible School. You’ll find exact dates, etc. elsewhere in the Westwind. Your Christian Education Committee has been working on this project for several months. Representatives from Elmwood and Grace are also part of the team. All of us need to pitch-in to make VBS a success. I’m sure we’ll be hearing specific requests from the committee members but how about stepping forward and letting them know you are ready to help? They’ll be elated! On July 29 we will be hosting what I believe is a first for Westminster, a reunion celebration. The idea came out of your Outreach and Evangelism Committee and has been whole-heartedly endorsed by your session. It’s a time to invite former members and friends of Westminster to join together for a day of celebration. It will be a great time to renew old acquaintances, or for newer members, to meet the people behind the names in some of the stories you’ve heard. BE SURE to set aside July 29th for this special event. As with VBS, volunteers will be needed to get things ready and to serve as hosts and hostesses during the event. Invitations are being sent out to current members and friends and to those from the past for whom addresses are available. Here’s another way you can help. If you think of someone who may not be on a list, check with the church office to find out. If they’re not, give Elaine any information you have on them, and then go one-step further and contact them yourself. I want to highlight one other event for which more information is available elsewhere in the Westwind. That’s the drive for coloring books and either used or inexpensive new watches to be Romania for the orphans under the care of NOROC. This is an easy to accomplish way we at Westminster can serve Christ’s children. Oh, about the slower pace…I hope you get an opportunity to do just that, but don’t forget to worship…either here or on the road. We may think of taking a break for the summer. but thankfully God doesn’t. Christ’s Shalom,
On Thursday evening, April 26th, Pat and I had the privilege of attending the annual Just People banquet. Just People is one of many Christian based organizations serving the needs of people in and around Abilene. The guest speaker was Quinton Peeples who grew up in Abilene and has since had a successful career as a television and movie screenwriter in Los Angeles. I expected a standard after dinner speaker with a few jokes, some interesting stories, and a short moral point at the conclusion. What those gathered heard was far more. Peeples told of how his life in the fast lane changed forever on the day his daughter was diagnosed with autism. That hit close to home, because we at Westminster witness first-hand Jeff and Leona dealing with Kyle’s autistic challenges. Also, our grandson, Tristan, has Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of autism. Peeples spoke of his initial despair at the news, and of how he and his wife dealt with the reality. He went looking for the top doctors, support people, and therapists. She turned to prayer. He said at first that angered him. He felt he was doing all the work, but Peeples’ view slowly changed. To shorten the story, Peeples, an Episcopalian, turned to God and became the cofounder of Thad’s, “a community dedicated to bringing the love of Jesus to the lives of people in positive, practical and transformative ways” in L.A. Peeples began his talk by asking each of us to write down a place where missionaries go to serve Christ. Most identified some continent or distant city. He then told us to write down our address. Peeples then went on to encourage his listeners to consider their homes to be the starting point for missionary work. He said home is the first place to show God’s love. He assured us that the rest would follow. I think he’s right. Showing Christ’s love to the ones dearest to us by “doing” for them enables us to share that love by “doing” for an ever widening circle of family, friends, coworkers, and others we don’t even know by name. Peeples made several other points that rang true. One concerned his response when people asked him about some of the hot button issues facing the church today; such as the place of homosexuals in our churches, gay marriages, abortion, etc. Peeples said he responds this way, “Are all the poor fed? Are all the homeless sheltered? Is the world free of injustice? When all of that is taken care of, I’ll be happy to talk about______________(fill in the blank).” I think his point is well made. Finally, Peeples asked us to write down this affirmation, “I am an eternal spiritual being with a divine destiny in God’s great universe.” That too is worth remembering, because we are. Christ’s Shalom,
It doesn’t seem possible, but the Lenten season is almost over. I pray you’ve had the opportunity take some time for reflection in preparation for Easter Sunday. Sunday, April 1st, marks the beginning of Holy Week. In the past we called this particular Sunday, Palm Sunday, but today we, along with many other congregations, refer to it as Passion! Palm Sunday. Here’s the difference. Previously our lectionary texts focused only on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Now our readings begin with the Palm Sunday account but do not stop there. We continue by reading the entire Holy Week story; stopping with Jesus’ burial. The most significant benefit of this new method is that worshipers hear the entire passion story in one sitting; an opportunity that is not otherwise available. It also prevents us from moving directly from one high, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, to another high, the resurrection celebration of Easter Sunday. Our Holy Week observance is not complete without the low moments of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This year we are joining with the other members of the Tri- Church Fellowship, Grace Lutheran and Elmwood Methodist, for our various Holy Week services. We begin Wednesday, April 4th, at Grace Lutheran with a Service of Healing. This is a new worship experience for us, but it is not unfamiliar to the Presbyterian tradition. In fact, our Book of Common Worship includes a liturgy for such a service. This is a service that is reflective in nature. It is a time of prayer for both physical and spiritual healing. For those who wish, we pastors will be available for prayers with individuals, laying on of hands, and anointing with oil. Those who have attended a Cursillo weekend are familiar with this service, which begins at 7:00PM Wednesday. A special note, Grace has extended an invitation to those who wish to come at 5:30PM for a fellowship supper. Westminster will host our traditional Maundy Thursday service the next evening. This will include Holy Communion and the Stripping of the Sanctuary. Friday evening we move to Elmwood Methodist for a Tennebrae service. This will be similar but not exactly like what we have done in the past. Saturday everyone takes a deep breath and prepares for Easter Sunday celebrations at our respective churches. Our services begin early with a 6:00AM labyrinth walk behind the sanctuary. Our Easter Sunrise service begins at 7:00AM at the Buffalo Gap’s Trinity Tree with a light breakfast to follow in the dining hall. At 11:00AM the black cloth will be ripped from the cross, the lights will come on, and the organ will lead us in the joyful strains of Jesus Christ Is Risen Today! Oh, don’t forget to bring cut flowers for the Flowering of the Cross! Another reminder, Easter Sunday is just the beginning of a six-week long celebration of the Easter season that culminates with Pentecost Sunday. May you have a blessed Holy Week and wonderful Easter Sunday celebration! Christ’s Shalom,
As was mentioned during our Ash Wednesday service, Lent is in many ways a far better time for deepening our spirituality, both personally and communally, than is Advent. The season is simply not as hectic, especially in the secular world. The parties occur before Lent not during as in Advent. Lent is not a time spent hurrying around spending too much money on too many gifts. That’s why I encourage all of us to invest time during Lent in an intentional effort to strengthen our relationship with God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God continually reaches out to us, but we too often fail to return God’s reach. Lent is a wonderful time for us to grasp God’s hand more tightly. You’ve already heard about several of the planned Lenten activities. The Lenten study series, Pausing on the Road to Jerusalem, began 2/25 at Elmwood and will alternate between there and Westminster every Sunday evening through Palm Sunday, 4/1. Pastor Sammie Ellis and I will alternate leading the lessons with each of us upfront at the other’s church. Holy Week services this year will involve all of the Tri-Churches. Wednesday (4/4) all three churches will participate in a Service of Healing and Wholeness at Grace Lutheran. This is a new service for us but is very much part of our Presbyterian heritage. Our joint Maundy Thursday (4/5) service will be here at Westminster, and a combined Good Friday (4/6) Tennebrae service will be held at Elmwood Methodist. All three services begin at 7:00 p.m. As in past years, I strongly encourage you to attend all of the Holy Week services. Going from the high of Jesus riding victoriously into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday straight to the Easter resurrection celebration results in failing to experience the lows of the days in-between. Witnessing these lows is a very necessary step in fully comprehending the marvelous reconciliation event of Easter. All three churches will have their own Easter Sunday services. We will follow the same schedule as in past years: 6:00a.m.at the Labyrinth, a 7:00a.m. Sunrise service at Buffalo Gap, and 10:55a.m. in the sanctuary. A totally new Lenten event will be held Saturday, March 24th at 7:00p.m. here at Westminster with the Tri-Churches and the entire community invited. The title of the program is Christ in the Passover. It is presented by an organization called Jews for Jesus. Its members are Jews who have accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah. They work to spread the Gospel to other Jews as well as helping members of traditional Christian churches become more familiar with their Jewish roots. More than 3,000 years ago, the Hebrew people were instructed by God to celebrate the Passover. That’s the meal Jesus was eating with his disciple’s in the upper room on the night before his death and is where we were given the Lord’s Supper. The Passover meal, or Seder (say’-der) is still observed today by the Jewish people and in a slightly revised form by some Christians. Bruce Rapp will be our presenter on March 24th. He will share with us the historic remembrances represented in the elements of the Seder meal and their spiritual meaning. It is sure to be an informative and inspiring evening. I urge you to attend this special event. Again, during this Lenten season, please take heed of the words of this old hymn, “Take Time to be Holy”
Most of you are aware that I am working towards my Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Several people have recently asked questions about how that process is going, so I’d like to use this forum to bring everyone up-to-date. APTS offers two courses each year; one in January and a second in June. Each course requires an intensive, two-week, on-campus residency. We are usually required to read several books before coming to Austin and may also be asked to write a paper to be turned in upon arrival. Depending upon the particular class, there may or may not be some follow-up work back home in our churches; what academics call our “context.” Each student who enters the program begins by taking three required courses; one in theology, another in Bible and a third in writing at the doctoral level. After completing the required classes, students must take three elective courses and most opt to take another doctoral writing seminar. Finally, the student is allowed an additional 18-months to develop, conduct and write-up a major, doctoral-level project. With only two classes offered each year, you can see it takes a while to complete the program. 18-months for the first phase, another 24-months for the electives and the 18-months to complete the final project add up to a minimum of five years from start to graduation. In reality, few doctoral students graduate that quickly, because something almost invariably happens that forces a student to skip one or two courses. In my case, I missed all of 2006. First, I decided not to go in January of 2006, because it was so busy around the church, and my surgery got in the way of the June course. So where am I in this journey? I have completed the three required courses. This January I took my first elective course. I hope to complete the additional two electives and the writing seminar by June of 2008. If it takes the full eighteen months to complete the final doctoral project, I will be looking at completing all of the requirements by the end of 2009 and graduating in May of 2010. As you can see, it all takes considerable time. The January class I just completed was a challenging two weeks of intensive study with ten other students and Professor Allan Cole, which focused on pastoral counseling in times of crisis. I must now take the theory gained and apply it by completing a project here at Westminster. My project was inspired by one of the books we were required to read before going to Austin, Pray without Ceasing: Revitalizing Pastoral Care by Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger. In it, the author focuses on how to pray with people in need. My project involves teaching a six-week course on the subject and then writing up the results. I recruited members of the class from our Diaconal Care Shepherds. I’ve been asked if other people in the church can take the course. Unfortunately, not this time. The project requirements are that I work with a particular group within the church. If, however, the course goes well, I will be glad to conduct a second class for any interested persons. One final note, I am pleased that Dr. Fane Downs will be my on-site advisor for the project. My we all live lives praying without ceasing,
January 2007 Merry Christmas! Yes, it’s still okay to be wishing Christmas greetings even after Christmas Day. That’s because, just like Easter, Christmas is a season of the church year. The season of Christmas extends from Christmas Day through Epiphany on January 6th, which is where we get the Twelve Days of Christmas and the carol that celebrates it. Here, at Westminster we’ll observe Epiphany, the traditional day of the Magi’s visit to the Christ child, on Sunday, January 7th. With that, Christmas will be officially behind us, and it won’t be long before we will be looking forward to Easter. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there’s a lot of Christian living between then and now as well as for all of 2007. I can remember as a youngster in the 50’s looking towards the magical year 2000 and trying to imagine what it would be like. It seemed so far away, and now we’re seven years past that milestone! So what will 2007 bring? We don’t know, of course, but we’re about to find out. It’s in Christian hope that we are able to move forward with confidence to whatever life brings us. Christ is always with us…there to celebrate the good times with us and there to support us in the bad times. I wonder about Westminster in 2007. How will God bless us? How will God call upon us to bless others? How will we reach out to Abilene and the world around us? Again, we don’t know exactly, but in Christ’s love we are able to look to 2007 with confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. The other day I was going through some old notes taken during a class or something. Among the jottings was this, “each one…reach one.” I don’t know where it came from, but it reached off the page and grabbed me. What if that were to become the rallying cry of Westminster in 2007? It’s already been expressed in other ways around the church. It was noted at our congregational gathering last year when we talking about Westminster’s future. The “Priesthood of All Believers” has long been a catch phrase of Reformed churches. It points to the fact that while some are called to a particular office within the church, all are ministers in service to Christ. Each One…Reach One is a call to action that is not overwhelming. It’s a simple call for each of us to bring one…only one…person to Christ, whether that be for the first time or be it bringing someone back to Christ. Can we do that? Would we be willing to try? With God’s help can we make it a reality? I can’t positively answer the first two, but the third can only be answered with a resounding, “Yes!” With God’s help all things are possible!
Each One…Reach One,
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