Intersections

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

“A Powerful Gift”

Sometimes I wonder what gift can I give this year to someone special in my life. What can I give that they don’t already have? What do I think they need? Better yet, do I know what he/she really wants? What can I give that will be an unexpected surprise? What can I give that is different and yet thoughtful? What can I give that conveys the message that I have carefully chosen the gift they have desired? What gift can I give that shows that I care? These are among the familiar questions we ask ourselves about gift-giving at Christmas.

The true plight of Parker Johnson, the six-month old child born with a cancerous tumor –and not expected to survive –was a lesson about the power of a special gift. It was a gift that confounded medical science seeking a logical reason, caused some to “scratch their heads ( or chins )” in amazement and wonder, and still others instant jubilation for a blessing received! For those who believe, it was the power of prayer; for those who disbelieve, it just had to be “something else”! For those who prayed, it was an answer for a miracle; for those who doubted, it was mere chance or “luck” ! For the cause of these reactions was the undeniable fact that the collective prayers of individuals and church congregations for this baby Parker, his tumor reduced by 75 per cent which, in turn, allowed certain surgical procedures to now be done with the prognosis being favorable for his survival. How could this terminal case be suddenly reversed? For those who believed in the power of prayer, it was an affirmation; for the scoffers and sceptics, it was inexplicable !

Here is a truth that I learned not too long ago that I will share with you: “Everyone is fighting a battle that no one else knows”. That profound thought alone compels me to realize that everyone –including myself– needs the gift of prayer. We easily say “I will pray for you” or write “You are in my thoughts and prayers”, and then due to our delay we often forget –and perhaps later regret! The “business of life” gets in the way and so the offered prayer is not done and the blessing lost. Realize that time is of the essence for most prayers to be effected. “Who knows? Your prayer gift may influence, re-direct, heal, reconcile, or save someone immediately! And as long as you know and God knows, that’s all who really needs to know!

Have you ever considered the biblical truth that God has given us humans, made in His image, a most special gift –a gift that no other created creature on earth has been privileged to possess: the gift of prayer ! We are the only earthly beings who have been granted the means to communicate directly to our Creator —we can converse with God ! He is never too busy, pre-occupied, out-of-town, or asleep on the job. No matter is considered insignificant, silly, or stupid. He can handle all things; nothing is impossible to Him. We are not told to leave a voice-mail, be placed on “hold”, or need to make an appointment. We have instant contact with God –at any time we want and in any place we may be. He is never unavailable to us ! We have an innate “wireless connection” with God; He created us to be in communion with Him –all the time! Anyone who believes in the awesome power of prayer can access this infinite resource. For God reads our hearts; He knows our level of belief. God hears all prayers and answers all prayers —according to His Will and in the fullness of His time. We do not always understand ( or accept ) God’s ways, but He certainly knows our ways ! God is not a “vending machine”; He doesn’t negotiate “quid pro quo” transactions. Therefore, we unconditionally place our faith, our trust, and our hope that God knows what He is doing –that He really is in control !

Think about which gift can last a lifetime; which gift has eternal value; which gift has unlimited power to change the mind and transform the heart of someone in desperate need? Which gift is both free and yet priceless? What gift do you suppose I am describing? It is the gift of prayer ! God has given you, dear reader, the gift of prayer. Especially at Christmas, the gift-giving season. can you give this gift to someone ? Is there someone you know who could use a thoughtful prayer from you? Who comes to mind that the Holy Spirit has placed upon your heart right now? Time may be of the essence; do not procrastinate (and then forget ). Will you give someone this powerful gift of prayer –and do ir right now? God will bless this prayer request !

–Rob Riehl

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

With the need suddenly arising to get a “Thinking of You / Get Well” greeting card, I hurried to the card store and became somewhat unhinged to discover that the usual display racks allocated to such cards had been displaced with Halloween cards along with yet another section for such cards likewise replaced with Thanksgiving Day cards. To add to my discomfort was the intrusion of Christmas music embellishing the holiday atmosphere at the “hard-to-ignore” decibel level. All of this holiday madness before the week of Halloween !   Being the only customer in the store at the time, I queried the cashier on duty, “How can you stand this –hearing Christmas music every workday from now til Christmas? How many times a day can you listen to “Jingle Bells”?”  I admitted that I would have a hard time working in such a workplace environment; I would be all “Christmas-ed out” well before the actual holiday!  How does this overdose of “triple-play commercialism” affect the original meanings of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas –and how does this blending and blurring of these special days affect our respect and understanding of these disparate days?  Ecclesiastes had it right: “To everything there is a season.”  There is something to be said about having too much of a “good” thing !  How much hot sauce can you add to a recipe before all you can taste is the hot sauce?  How much tuna fish can you eat before it becomes nauseating?   Allow me to apply this to other areas: how many instant replays can a televised sport employ before it loses the interest and enthusiasm of the spectators?  How much socialism can a democratic-republic absorb before it becomes a socialist government?  Churches of all denominations are not immune to the infiltration  –and sometimes imposition– of secular humanism with biblical principles. How much of “man’s word” is conflated with God’s Word thus blurring the original message causing confusion of the truth among the believers?. Upon reflection, it is endemic of our present progressive culture that the traditional boundary lines governing the order of things — both commercial and social– have been incrementally and insidiously combined ( the blending ) or expanded ( the blurring ) causing the suffering of unneeded anxiety and distress, leading to chaos and confusion.  The secular world for the most part has undermined the true meaning of these three unique days of our calendar year. As Christians we need to “sort through this holiday mix” to recover and uphold their true spiritual purposes –both for ourselves and for those in our sphere of influence!

On Halloween, we enjoy seeing the costumes, the parties, and the “Trunk and Treat” community events. As Christians, we are reminded of the dark demonic presence that exists –the spiritual warfare within us to follow Satan or Jesus Christ.  On Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful for so many persons, benefits, and opportunities received in our lives. As Christians, we are thankful for the churches, pastors, fellowship, and discernment using God’s Word to help us navigate through the obliteration and confusion of boundary lines in our daily lives.  On Christmas, we are joyful of celebrating the “goodwill” and gift-giving of the day with loved ones.  As Christians, we are thankful that God has sent His Son to redeem us, personifying in Jesus Christ THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life –for us to truly live free from sin, and for the sending of the Holy Spirit to energize us to be “containers of Christ” transforming the lives of those we encounter everyday!

The secular commercial world has no problem with the blending and blurring of what they call the “holiday season”; after all, for them it is all about the money!  But for us Christians, we see the importance of framing these special days as distinctly significant to ponder. After all, they point out to us aspects of our spiritual life journey that we must heed ( and be reminded ) :– recognizing our “dark side”– our propensity to sin; our need for humility — to be grateful and thankful; and our reason to be joyful — receiving the gift of Christ, our Hope.

–Rob Riehl

Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It’s written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Hello Friend,
October may herald the start of the Fall season, but apparently there is much more associated with the month. Did you know that October, for example, is Computer Learning Month? It’s also International Dinosaur Month, Bullying Prevention Month, ADHD Awareness Month, Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, Diversity Awareness Month, Positive Attitude Month, National Ergonomics Month, and National Book Month. Whew!

October is also a great time to reflect back on our Summer. We enjoyed very strong attendance and giving at worship and our events from Open Air Craft Markets to dinners which were truly energizing events! Thank you for the way you and your family connects to what God is doing in our community!

Part of our mission as a worshipping community is also being excellent stewards of our expansive campus of more than 200 acres. This is an area we have experienced some growing pains this past Summer. Our cemetery is visited every day by families expressing love and devotion for loved ones. We are honored to serve families at every stage of life and take great pride in providing burial and grave services that make visits to our cemetery meaningful, safe, and welcoming. We recognize our special, sacred space is important to hundreds of families and we have a great staff that consistently ensures that it is beautiful and well-maintained. But unfortunately, the last 6-8 weeks of the Summer have been particularly challenging to our team and we have not meet our high standards and campus appearance goals.
On behalf of the entire Cold Spring Church staff, leadership team, and congregation, I offer my apology for any distress or concern the tall grass and unkempt look around your family’s tombstones, headstones, or markers may have caused your family. Our staff knows better than anyone that we got behind in our grass cutting efforts. We realize there is no excuse that can make up for the unexpected and atypical deficiencies this Summer, and you will be glad to know that we are again achieving our high standards of care and maintenance.

I’d like to help you understand what we have learned and what we are now doing to keep our campus looking great. We have a great staff! Our staff persistently cut the grass, but the grass was just too high for too long in some areas across our cemetery, especially in July and August. The grass cutting challenge was caused by a combination of factors. First, we had record rainfall this Summer. The grass and the weeds responded with aggressive growth. Normally by August the grass is pleasantly tan or brown color and almost dormant requiring less cutting. Not the case this Summer! Second, two of our staff left earlier than unexpected; one due to family matters and the other returned to school. Recruiting replacements has taken a long time. Third, this year we have accommodated more funeral services than usual, and during one seven-day period in August, we had seven funerals. We cannot cut grass in a section in which a funeral is being conducted. With so many funerals across our campus, re-scheduling the mowing activities to keep up with the active grass growing was a insurmountable task. Finally, thanks to our skilled and persistent staff, our campus is looking great again!

October is the month for learning! On our website you will discover many energizing events and enjoyable opportunities for your entire family. Please let us know how we can better serve you. Cold Spring Church has been serving this community for more than 300 years, and as we keep growing and learning, it feels like we are just getting started!

Sincerely,

Pastor Kevin

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Explore God with us!

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

Why should we pursue exploring God? As believers in God we know that our final destiny is to be forever resting in Him; to be forever apart from God is the ultimate tragic loss! Many noted philosophers and great theologians of the past have spent much of their lives exploring God. Many such educated and profound thinkers are exploring God today –even atheists talk about God! To such persons, the exploration of God seems to be rather important; to us as Christians it is vitally important: our very existence, life, and afterlife depend upon our connection with God! Understanding the significance of this truth, we must conclude that our relationship with our eternal Creator-God is of the utmost importance. Though much about God is shrouded in mystery, he has sufficiently revealed enough of himself in many ways for us to come to know and love him intimately. What does the Triune God Himself say about this truth? God the Father says “I am the Lord your God…you shall have no other gods before me!” (Exodus 5:6-7); Jesus the Son affirms the Father saying “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”(Mt.22:37-38); Jesus promises “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”(John 14:26). Clearly, God wants to be pre-eminent in our lives –and He expects us to respond to his call. This begs the introspective question: “Where do I find myself in this divine expectation? What do I really know about God? How can I have a better understanding of God? How do I begin connecting with God?” To stimulate an interest in this pursuit, begin the practice of taking notes during ( or after ) each sermon of this series; then attend the follow-up discussion meeting to share your thoughts. Actively participating in this self-education process can open your mind and heart toward receiving a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus!

The “Explore God” Sunday sermon series schedule:

October 1 “Why does a good God allow pain and suffering?”
October 8 “How bad is ‘too bad’? / How good is ‘good enough’?”
October 15 “Jesus: lunatic, moral example, or God?”
October 22 “Is Christianity too narrow?”
October 29 “Is the Bible reliable?”

“Q Place” means a safe place where you can ask questions about the topic under discussion. Everyone has the opportunity to explore the question more deeply –some by asking questions or sharing their own perspective and experience; others may prefer to just “listen in” and learn from what others have to say. Whether you are an active or a passive learner does not matter; the shared questions, perspectives, and experiences provide an interesting learning opportunity for everyone in the group. A short dvd introduction of the scheduled question will be viewed, followed by comments from the group. These comments are often the catalyst that ignite stimulating discussion! Recommended readings will be presented for those who wish to further explore the topic on their own.

For anyone interested in discussing these Sunday sermon questions within a small group setting, simply show up for the designated class.
No registration is needed to participate in this open-meeting format. You may participate in any one or more of these weekly sessions.
Coffee and fellowship begin at 10:15am with the discussion led by a facilitator beginning at 10:30am.

The “Q Place” discussion group schedule:
Wednesdays at 10:15am in the Taylor Room of Price Hall –on October 4, 11, 18, 25; and November 1.

You may have noticed our banner now posted (near our worship center ) on Seashore Road proclaiming “We all have Questions! –Explore God”. There are also several “lawn signs” positioned by our several property driveways and facility entrances. In addition to a series of newspaper ads, these signs are another way that our church is announcing to our surrounding community ( and the out-of-town drive-by vehicles ) that we at Cold Spring are a participating church in this mission! The best ways are people like you helping us to “spread the word” and by your personal prayers –calling upon the Holy Spirit to move the hearts of those who are ready to explore God!

–Rob Riehl

Are You Ready to Grow From Tourist to Explorer?

Explorer Membership Orientation will begin in October!

Have you discovered Cold Spring Church through the Explore God series? Wonderful. We have created a special group for you if you’d like to make deeper connections to our community of faith!

Or, maybe you’ve been attending Cold Spring Church for weeks or months. Or, even years! And we’re glad you have! You can receive even more blessings by connecting as a member of our faith community. If you’re a Tourist, is might be the right time to consider becoming an Explorer. That’s someone who is interested in learning more about Cold Spring Church, its future, and its mission.

People participate in church for many different reasons and for more than 300 years, Cold Spring Church has welcomed thousands of individuals to connect in whatever way was right for them, and we still do!

For those who’d like to move from awesome Tourist to that of an amazing Explorer, you may want to become a member of Cold Spring Church. All of us have questions about spirituality and you may want to deepen your faith in Christ. Well, this orientation promises to increase your spiritual energy and provide more satisfaction in being part of our community of faith. The three enjoyable, informative, 40-minute sessions will consider the foundations of the Christian faith and the unique benefits and responsibilities afforded to members. Participation in these interactive conversations may lead to membership in our church, but there are no obligations.

The Explorer Membership Orientation will be guided by the pastor, Dr. Kevin Yoho, and begins on Sundays starting soon. We will meet in the upstairs classroom on the 2nd floor of the worship center (red brick building) from 9:35-10:10 AM. We plan to start and conclude on time. Refreshments are provided.

Now is the time for new possibilities! Please contact Pastor Kevin for more information and to register your participation in this no obligation opportunity! Call the church office or email pastor@coldspringchurch.com.

Build a new future as an Explorer! Sign up today.