|
Monday, August 31 2020
Dear friends, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…” (Hebrews 10:24-25). We are rebuilding our house. The tornado of February left some gaping holes in our roof and rainwater damaged our ceilings and floors. We are learning that rebuilding requires a good plan, hard work, time and many decisions. Things must be done in order. Steps cannot be skipped. One must keep in mind the purpose – to make it our home again, a place for our family and friends to be together. As a church, we are not rebuilding our facility but we are rebuilding our community. The Coronavirus forced us out of our place of worship, physical distancing created social distance, and, perhaps, some of us have experienced an erosion in our involvement in our faith community. The storm is not completely over yet. We have begun and continue our efforts to re-engage with one another. It requires a good plan, hard work, time and many decisions. But the purpose is to make and provide spaces for us to fellowship and grow in faith together as spiritually mature followers of Jesus. I am happy to announce the beginning of another phase of our rebuilding and reengaging efforts.
Please consider joining us for these worship services and fellowship opportunities. If you are still unable to join us physically, I invite you to continue to worship with us each Sunday via our livestream. Your friend Steve Wise Wednesday, August 26 2020
Dear friends, In our “Spiritual Pre-Season Training” series entitled “Devoted,” we have been studying the four basic moves, practices or habits of the earliest followers of Jesus. These practices led to personal transformation and community growth. Acts 2:42 tells us they were “continually devoting themselves to the Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer.” We have studied their consistent commitment to practicing and forming habits of studying God’s Word, showing up and staying involved, and celebrating the Lord’s Supper. This week we look at the practice of prayer. The Gospels tell us Jesus prayed as a regular habit, often early in the morning. This impressed the disciples enough to ask Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus responded with what has become known as the “Lord’s Prayer.” This prayer provides us with a model of what we can say to God and about God. It enables us to reset our priorities and realign our purposes with God’s. It guides our thoughts and words regarding the relationships, events, and circumstances of our daily lives. It helps us work through our present needs, our past failures (and the failures of others against us) and our future fears. This Sunday, we will actually practice this prayer together in the context of our worship service. Our order of service will be built around the Lord’s Prayer. A short teaching on each petition will be followed by prayer, a brief moment of reflection, and then a song of praise. Booklets will be provided at both services to follow along. If you are worshipping via live stream, you can download the booklet here. I am excited about this opportunity to “practice” prayer together. My hope is that you will be able to take this “drill” and personalize and modify it for your spiritual training. May this be another way that we are strengthened by the Spirit to know the height, depth, breadth and width of the love of Christ and be filled with the very fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19) Your friend Steve Wise Wednesday, July 01 2020
Dear friends, Recently I officiated at the funeral of a man from our congregation. His wife asked me to read the following passage from Ephesians 4. Paul writes, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT) I am impressed by a man whose wife asks for this passage to be read in regard to his life. I want to be a person for whom these words apply! Wouldn’t you want these words used to describe you? Paul writes from prison. But even there, he is concerned about living a life that is worth what God has done for us in Jesus. In Jesus, God demonstrates our worth to Him – the blood of His own Son. A worthwhile life reflects the high value God has placed on us. Paul teaches us that the worthwhile life consists of humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerant love that seeks unity and peace in response to who God is and what God has done for us in Jesus. - Humility describes a person who has an accurate view of themselves and others. Gospel humility is not a low view of self but a high view of others – as created in the image of God, bought by the blood of Christ, and potential Temples of the Holy Spirit. - Gentleness can be defined as “power under control.” Greek writers spoke of it as soothing wind, healing medicine, or the breaking of a colt. The New Testament paints it as a graciousness exhibited by inner strength. It is the opposite of haughtiness and harshness. One could call it “love in little things” [William Barclay] or “not needing to force our way in life.” [The Message] - Patience or longsuffering combines the word for large and desire. Patience requires that we value our relationship with people over our own rights. The Message translates it as “…a willingness to stick with things and people.” Far from passive, it is the powerful capacity of selfless love that keeps moving toward a better goal. - Tolerant love refers to an attitude of endurance in willing the good of another even at great cost to one’s self. The New Living Translation puts defines it as “making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” Such a life builds relationships rather than tears them down, creates peace rather than chaos, and unites us instead of dividing us. Paul quotes a “creed” of sorts showing the importance of good theology. Right theology should lead to right behavior; true worship to true relationships; loving God to loving others. Such a life is built on the solid foundation of who God is as He is revealed in Jesus. This is the life God calls us to live and works to form in us. We are in a time where we have more than ample opportunities to practice these things. Imagine what it would look like if I responded to the latest conflict in my home or controversy in my community with humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerant love. This is not something I can do by myself. It is not something God will do without me. May we respond to His invitation to learn how well-loved we are by Him so that we may learn to love Him and others well. Don’t forget to join us this Sunday at our 9am outdoor service or 10:30am indoor/livestream service. For more info, click here. Your friend Steve Wise Sunday, June 28 2020
Dear friends, I hope you were able to worship with us either in person or via livestream this past Sunday! We announced the beginning of Phase 2 of our “Regathering” this coming Sunday morning – July 5th. In case you missed it, I am excited to announce that we will continue to have two services and a livestream option as well. There are a few important changes.
We continue to suspend all our other Sunday morning activities at this time. We are working hard as a staff and Regathering Team to find the wisest, healthiest, and most efficient ways of reopening our worship services and other ministries in the Church. Your prayers and patience are greatly appreciated. We understand that this is not an ideal plan and this is not an ideal situation. But it is an opportunity to learn to love Jesus and each other more and more, and better and better! I am looking forward to when we can all be together in worship and ministry again! You can find more information on our website (here) and on our email blast on Friday. Your friend Steve Wise Saturday, June 20 2020
Dear friends, “The Lord is pleased with his people. Do you wonder what to do? Do you feel overwhelmed? For yourself? For your family? For your church? For your community? This Psalm teaches us the most important thing and the most powerful thing we can do is to worship. Worship begins from the sense of pleasure that God takes in His people and arises from an attitude of humility. We choose to praise God with expressions of joy and we experience joy at the beginning and end of the day. The wisdom of shouting praise rests on several important thoughts. We shout about and for the things that matter most to us. We not only put words and voice to our thoughts but we also put effort into voicing them. Something happens in us when we say and sing words of praise because it is a conscious choice to assert truths about God and ourselves. Finally, the Psalmist sees our worship as battle against all the things that would seek to distract, discourage, and depress us. High praises of God are like battle-chants. The two-edged sword is a reference to the Word of God. In Ephesians 6, Paul lays out the “armor of God” that protects us from evil. The only offensive weapon is the “sword of the Spirit” which is the Word of God. Our worship includes both our words to God and receiving God’s Word to us. Our worship is always very important, but perhaps more important now than ever. It changes the atmosphere of our own souls, our own homes, our church, our community, our city, our county, our nation and our world. I hope you will join us live at 9:30 or 11:15 or via livestream at 9:30 tomorrow. For our 9:30am service, you can sign up here. 11:15 does not require a sign-up. Your friend, Steve Wise Wednesday, June 10 2020
Dear friends, “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience…as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you…so that I may be filled with joy.” II Timothy 2:3-4 Gathering together for worship has brought me great joy! I look forward to seeing those who have not been able to attend in the near future. We greatly appreciate your engagement either via livestream or “live action.” We are grateful for the understanding and cooperation you have shown throughout this process! We did not expect less but have received even more – thank you! We have addressed some difficulties with our sign-up process. If you have been unable to sign up for our 9:30am service - please try this week! You can sign up here. Please contact the church office if you have difficulty. We know the mask requirement during the 9:30am service may feel a little onerous. We are following guidelines from appropriate channels to help keep people healthy. If this has kept you from worship, we do apologize but encourage you to be a part of our 11:15am service. Our worship team works hard to provide leadership that incorporates elements from all of our normally scheduled services. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope that despite physical distancing you have been encouraged in our worship. And we hope to get back to normal sooner rather than later! Our team is in the process of formulating our plans moving forward. Our present schedule will run through at least June 28th. We continue to ask our friends in the more vulnerable populations to worship from home. Please pray for wisdom for the re-opening team and for all of our continued good health at WPC and in our community. I hope to see you all soon. Your friend Steve Wise Wednesday, June 03 2020
I am weary, God, but I can prevail.” Proverbs 30:1 (NIV) These words began a small group discussion first thing Monday morning. It is a strange sentence in Hebrew. Two words that may be personal names. One means “weary” or “devoured” and the other means “God is with me.” The night before, I fell asleep after a phone call from my daughter distressed by the situation in her city, our state, and our nation. She said, “I am sad.” Weary and sad sum up how I feel right now. I am weary and sad for my friends of color – people I have known and loved for many years – who are so weary and sad. I am weary and sad for my friends who look more like me – for what makes them weary and sad. I am weary and sad for people who feel hated and I feel weary and sad for those who hate – “hatred corrodes the container that carries it” (quoted at George H.W. Bush’s funeral). I am weary and sad because I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me and because it seems all I can do is feel sorry for other people. My heart breaks for the brokenness of people of every race, color, creed or any other identifier. My heart breaks for parents trying to help their children make sense of a broken world. My heart breaks for my own brokenness. Different things cause fear and anxiety in each of us but all of us know fear and anxiety. When I understand my own, perhaps I can empathize with that of another. I do not know all my questions and I certainly do not know yours. I do not have any answers, but this is what I know: God created us in His image and chose to call Himself our Father. Jesus taught us how to pray starting with “Our Father.” It reminds me of two things. God loves me like a Father and God loves everybody else like a Father – no matter where they are from or what they have done, the color of the skin or the sins they have committed. How I treat another person is of utmost seriousness to God! As a father, nothing hurts me more than what hurts my children – so I know the Father is hurting because I know all of His children are hurting. Jesus demonstrated God’s love for us – the self-sacrificial willing of our good at great cost to Himself. Every life is worth the blood of Jesus; no life is worth more and no life is worth less. Jesus bore our sins and the pain it causes us and others. No one understands that pain more than He does. Thus, we must be very careful with the pain of others – even when we do not understand it. When others are in pain, we are called to comfort. The cross is the place where absolute justice meets abundant mercy. May the cross be the lens through which we see everything! The Holy Spirit jealously desires to dwell in all who welcome Him. Every human life is one God wants to inhabit and transform – no matter skin tone or dress style, language or lifestyle. The scene around the throne in heaven is Jesus in the center with redeemed people of every tribe, tongue, kindred and nation gathered around in adoring worship! If this is God’s desire and dream, should we desire or dream any less. So we are weary but this God is with us! May we learn to feel what God feels, desire what God desires, think what God thinks, and do what God does. May we learn to love what He loves because He loves us so much and love like He loves because He loves us so well. Your friend Steve Wise Thursday, May 28 2020
Dear friends, Ekklessia, the word for “church” in the New Testament, has nothing to do with buildings and everything to do with people. It is defined as a gathering of people called out of their homes into some public place or assembly. The New Testament defines the Church as those who have been called out of sin and death and into the kingdom of God. This ekklesia of Christ is often called the body or bride of Christ which shows the importance of the community of faith. Eugene Peterson writes, “The gospel is never [just] for individuals but always for a people. Sin fragments us, separates us, and sentences us to solitary confinement. Gospel restores us, unites us, and sets us in community…Love cannot exist in isolation: away from others, love bloats into pride” (Reversed Thunder, 43). Thus, being together is a very important aspect and practice of our faith. Community is where we are formed and shaped, to learn how to be loved and to love. Our Sunday worship serves as one of the most important things we can do and do together as believers and followers of Jesus. Even CNN, in an article entitled “4 Reasons Why the Rush To Reopen Churches Goes Beyond Politics,” recognizes the importance of community in the Christian faith. They understand that Sunday assemblies are a “most ancient tradition,” “at the very origins of Christianity,” and “important for this day.” We are excited to begin the process of regathering this Sunday, May 31st. We will start a new teaching series on the first 5 chapters of the book of Revelation – the Last Word. This material contains letters to seven churches in Asia Minor preparing them to deal with uncertain times and challenges to their faith. I am looking forward to this conversation together. We will have two in person worship options while continuing to live stream our service at 9:30am – here. We encourage those in our most vulnerable populations to continue to worship with us from home. Our two live options are:
I look forward to worshipping with all of you and being able to see some of you! Your friend, Sunday, May 24 2020
Dear friends, The writer of Hebrews, in the “salad of Scripture,” [dad joke alert] urges: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). We have not been forsaking assembling together but we have not been able to meet together now for 10 weeks. But I am excited that is about to change! We plan to gather for worship again on May 31st. Rest assured that our livestream service will continue indefinitely for those who are in vulnerable populations or are not comfortable with returning to larger gatherings. But we have two options for gathered worship. We will follow guidelines laid out by medical professionals and governmental institutions for both services.
Finally, our team of folks has worked hard to come up with a great plan to get us re-connected wisely, effectively and in a healthy way. Please take time to thank Rachel Segars, Matt Smith, Loring Aument, Karen Copley, Dr. Jay Bearden, and Cathy Hyatt for their efforts. Your friend, Steve Wise Thursday, May 14 2020
Dear friends, After the tornado decided to leave 3 trees on my roof, I remember going to my house with my chainsaw in hand not knowing where to start. I felt like I was trying to put out a forest fire with a water pistol. And then people started showing up. Each one did what little they could and eventually we dug out. Now that the coronavirus has wreaked its havoc, many of us are looking around at the damage caused and wonder where to start. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). This comes right after he identifies the fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control – which never break the Law. Paul then makes direct application – restore the wayward and help the struggling in real and tangible ways. The word “bear” refers to taking up something with one’s own hands and speaks of personal involvement. A burden deals with anything heavy, troublesome or weighs one down. This could be physical, relational, emotional, or spiritual. After 8 weeks of the Corona-vacation or the shutdown (depending on how you see it), many if not all of us are burdened in some way, shape or form. These burdens may relate to job loss, financial stress, or relational difficulties. They may involve difficult emotions, hard decisions, and unpleasant choices. Now is the time for us to take care of one another and find ways to bear one another’s burdens. This is what being the church – the community of Jesus – is about. So let me encourage those among us who are presently strong to be alert to the needs of those who are weakened at this time. Look after those you know. When you hear about that “thing” - make the phone call, write the note, reach out to check on them. And let me encourage those who are weakened to reach out to others for help – perhaps with a close friend, a small group, or an elder or minister of the Church. Sometimes we can feel like everybody knows and nobody cares when in fact everybody cares but nobody knows. So in the words of Paul translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message: “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Your friend Steve Wise |
We gather weekly at: 
