Mullett Family

Making New Connections

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Corinthians 12:20-21

One of the greatest challenges that many people face today is isolation. We as a society find ourselves separated by age, wealth, education and race. Sadly, this kind of segmentation is common even in the church. Our church announcements end up sounding something like this,

“The eyebrows will be meeting in room 112b on Wednesday nights, the feet are having a luncheon at noon on Saturday, and a short-term mission trip for the toes and fingers will be leaving next Sunday afternoon.”

This sort of dissection of the body of Christ seems completely natural to us because that is what we have experienced everywhere else all our lives. And though some of these specialized get-togethers are sometimes helpful, the dangers of isolation and segmentation are nowhere more pronounced than among the elderly who often find themselves in long-term care. And even in long-term care facilities the specialization that drives further isolation has been accelerating over the last ten or fifteen years. For example, those with memory issues are locked in their own ward, others no longer able to walk are placed in a separate wing, and the list goes on. Worst of all is that these people are not only isolated, but they are also usually soon forgotten by family, friends and neighbors, and even by the church. The parts of the body of Christ that God had designed to be connected to them don’t miss them because they are busy meeting with the other toes and fingers on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today God is calling the church to do more than hold worship conferences, youth rallies and women’s conventions. God’s heart is to go out into the highways and byways, which includes the long-term care facilities in our community. For those who sense God’s calling, I am making a short book called, “New Frontiers in Nursing Home Ministry,” available for free in its Kindle format all this week.

Glory to God in the Highest!

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14 KJV

I am a big fan of the carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” and sometimes call it “the country Christmas carol,” because an angel showed up out in the country where shepherds were watching their sheep. But the first angel who came announcing the birth of the baby, was soon surrounded by an entire choir of angels singing, “Glory to God in the Highest!” That angel choir reminds us that Christmas is not just about Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Christmas is about God revealing Himself in a manger. Just as the smallest candle can light the darkest room, so God’s glory shone the brightest when He came as an innocent, helpless child in the darkness of that night in the stable. Then, angels carried the message; a star led the wise men and shepherds ran to worship as God’s glory touched earth in Bethlehem.

The words of the choir of, – Angels We Have Heard on High – “Glo-ooooo-ooooo-oooooria! In excelsis Deo,” are Latin for “Glory to God in the highest. “When the message of God’s glory rings out from our hearts, though our situation may not change, we are filled with joy. If we will invite Him in, Jesus has come to be born in the very darkest places of our lives. He has come to shine God’s glory around us and to bring His good will to men. 

Angels We Have Heard on High from the French"Les Anges dans nos campagnes" Music by Wilfrid Moreau. Translated in 1842 by James Chadwick

Pass the Promise

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39 NKJV

With all the catastrophic sad events happening around the world, it is too easy to forget that all the promises of God are true and that in Christ we have a wonderful hope to pass on to our children. The mockingbird still sings in our tree in our backyard no matter the weather. I have never gone out into the sunroom with my coffee to find him biting his fingernails or weeping. I have found in my own times of deepest grief and difficulties that when there are no more words to say, He still helps me to sing. I pray that God will help you find His song in your hearts this week, no matter what you are facing.

I love the lyrics from the hymn “Redeemed” that say, “I sing for I cannot be silent. His love is the theme of my song!” When the love of Jesus is moving in our hearts, a song can never be far away. I came across this video from my internet friends The Mullett Family. The sweet simple voices of their youngest daughters, stir a joy in my heart each time I listen as they remind us that we should be passing on the promise of Jesus Christ to our family, our neighbors and friends. God bless you all and may you have a time to rest in the presence of the Lord and be refreshed in your spirits this weekend.