Promises of Something New

“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” – Revelation 21:5 (NRSV)

What does it mean to you that God still makes all things new? Have you ever felt like you needed to be made new? When was that? What was going on? Did you pray to be made new, for a new beginning?

I found the following prayer at this site:
http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/texts/topics/prayer/helpmetobelievebegin.shtml
God of history and of my heart, so much has happened to me during these whirlwind days: I’ve known death and birth; I’ve been brave and scared; I’ve hurt, I've helped; I’ve been honest, I've lied; I’ve destroyed, I've created; I’ve been with people, I've been lonely; I’ve been loyal, I've betrayed; I’ve decided, I've waffled; I’ve laughed and I've cried.
 You know my frail heart and my frayed history -
and now another day begins.


O God, help me to believe in beginnings and in my beginning again, no matter how often I've failed before. Help me to make beginnings: to begin going out of my weary mind into fresh dreams, daring to make my own bold tracks in the land of now; to begin forgiving that I may experience mercy; to begin questioning the unquestionable that I may know truth; to begin disciplining that I may create beauty; to begin sacrificing that I may make peace; to begin loving 
that I may realize joy. 


Help me to be a beginning to others, to be a singer to the songless,
a storyteller to the aimless, a befriender of the friendless; to become a beginning of hope for the despairing, of assurance for the doubting, of reconciliation for the divided; to become a beginning of freedom for the oppressed, of comfort for the sorrowing, of friendship for the forgotten; to become a beginning of beauty for the forlorn, of sweetness for the soured, of gentleness for the angry, of wholeness for the broken, of peace for the frightened and violent of the earth.


Help me to believe in beginnings, to make a beginning, to be a beginning, so that I may not just grow old, but grow new each day of this wild, amazing life you call me to live with the passion of Jesus Christ.

If you have not prayed for a new beginning before you just did! Everyone has felt like we couldn’t get over our past, that somehow we have ruined ourselves beyond repair. However God is the God of new beginnings, and today we each have prayed for a new beginning. Today is the start of something new for us! God is making it so.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

July's Minister's Minute, in The Journal of Hope and Joy

Upon the first time I sat at a keyboard prepared to type out some Minister’s Minute for the simple monthly newsletter this church put out, I considered bible verses which might be appropriate for such an occasion. There I was, the new pastor of a tiny church. I was far from home and had little idea of what I was doing. You know those times you find yourself in a situation and you wonder, “What just happened? How did I get here? What the heck I am suppose to do?” or something very similar? That is where I was. I will not say I was nervous, because I did not feel nervous. It was more like I was in shock. I hate to disappoint those who were concerned I was going to experience some type of cultural shock on a scale of grand proportions, because I did not. It was a different type of shock. For the first time I sat down to write this as someone granted the title “Reverend.” Considering it even now is somewhat of a shock, I am hardly to be revered and am often times discovered to be irreverent. How did I ever get this title? How did I ever get into a situation where some might consider me a pastor of a church? I mean I had some friends in college who said they would become religious if I ever actually became a minister. And there I was, writing a Minister’s Minute.
There was a second element of shock that when coupled with the first did cause me to question my sanity. Did I really just choose to move my whole life, wife and all, across the country to a dying church? “Not only am I am the irreverent reverend, I am the stupid irreverent reverend,” I thought to myself. So I prayed for some bible verse I might find which would be appropriate for the moment, a bible verse that would provide direction and make some sense of the incredible situation.
As God is always good, after such a prayer something popped into my head about God doing a new thing. With the aid of Google I discovered it was Isaiah 43:19, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” So I began by sharing that passage, saying that God is about to do a new thing at First Presbyterian Church…
Much has changed since that moment I felt God declare to me, “I am about to do a new thing!” The church has become a home to many more people, our bible studies now average three times more people than the services were averaging (thank you Elaine), we are coming up with new ministries, working with more churches, doing new outreach, and much more. Much has also changed with me too. I no longer feel like I am far from home, but believe at this time in my life, I am home. I have a child… a native of Georgia, poor kid. I think my sermons are a little better. I still have no idea what I am doing, but at least I am more comfortable not knowing. And I finally figured out how I got that “Reverend” title, God’s grace.
But there is one thing that has not changed. I can still feel the declaration of God proclaiming to me and to our church, “Behold, I am about to do a new thing!” Monty Cox said something during my interview I shall never forget. I asked the committee why they even bothered staying at the church when things seemed to be going so poorly. I expected the normal answers that come from members of dying churches like, my family has been going here forever, my children were baptized here, I was married here, this is the only place they will give me power, or something similar. Monty, however, spoke with a truth that came from the Spirit of God when he said, “Because I don’t believe God is done with us yet.”
He is still right! God is not done with us yet! The reason I can still feel God proclaiming the new things that are about to happen is because there is much left to do. What is your part going to be? How are you going to get involved? What new mission will you begin? How will you change this church for the glory of God? In what way will you move this place toward becoming God’s hope and joy? It is springing forth now, this newness of God, can you perceive it yet?

Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,
Garrett

December's "Minister's Minute" from The Journal of Hope and Joy

Merry Christmas everyone!  O where must I begin this minister’s minute?  First off let me begin in the spirit of thanksgiving.  I am aware that Thanksgiving was celebrated last month, but that does not mean we cannot and should not be continually thankful throughout the year!  I am thankful for each of you who are reading this letter.  “Pastor,” some might be asking, “why are you thankful for me?”

The last month of my life has been a whirlwind of experiences.  As Melinda’s pregnancy progressed, I took comfort from the multitude of you all who told me you were praying for us.  As we found ourselves in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I was reassured by the calls many made before hand to make sure we were holding up well.  As we stayed in that hospital looking at our son and wondering where life would lead us, I was blessed by many of your calls, visits, and gifts as you each became a part of our joy.  As we arrived home, I was honored to have so many bring us food and gently demand we call should we need anything at all.  And as I sit here today, writing this to you all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that God would see it fit to allow the life of my family to intersect with each of your lives, and I am grateful for each of you!

While the gift of my son is undoubtedly one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive, the gift of being able to know each of you is also one of the greatest gifts I will ever receive.  As I immerse myself in Advent preparation and consider the greatest gift God has ever given anyone, Jesus, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the wealth of gifts God has bestowed upon me.  So to each of you who has felt so called to bless my family, and me I thank you!

The first Sunday of December will mark the one-year anniversary when Melinda and I drove into Albany realizing that this place is our new home!  We have been here a year, wow!  We arrived in the midst of Advent, in the midst of preparation, and I declared to the church upon my arrival that not only were we preparing to accept our Savior again into our lives, but we were preparing to be made new by God.  There can be no doubt that in this last year our church has been made new.  Membership has nearly doubled, attendance has increased by 500% on average, papers have written about us, seminaries are studying us, and God has declared with emphasis, “Behold, I make all things new!”

To meet the needs of our incredible growth we have reestablished the Deacon Board and expanded the Session.  Leaders are being put in place to ensure that the newness, which God has begun, has not been done in vain.  My brothers and sisters, whatever you think about what God has done, we enter into this new season of Advent with the expectation that nothing is done!  We have laid the foundation of success, but the foundation alone does not constitute success.  There are bricks and mortar to be laid, let us build upon this foundation and let our light shine brighter and more fervent.

My hope is that by the time my family’s second anniversary in this land arrives, by the time my son’s first birthday is celebrated, we might be able to celebrate Advent 2009 with 150 members, with church services averaging 150 people, with new ministries for children, shut-ins, the needy, and many others.  In the spirit of preparation and thanksgiving, let us prepare ourselves for the work to be done in this next year to witness how much God will continue to do in our midst!

Riding the wave of the Holy Spirit,

Garrett