|
Thursday, April 29 2021
Dear Friends,
On April 20th, we celebrated the life and resurrection of Kitty Wilson. Kitty and her husband Paul, who passed away in 2000, were charter members of Westminster. They were leaders in this body of believers from the time our forebearers began worshipping at Spartanburg High School (now McCracken Middle School). Kitty played piano for their services and for the children in Sunday School – going from classroom to classroom leading their singing. Paul played an important role in the building of our present sanctuary and in the beautiful stain glass window. They did this as they raised their son (Paul) and two daughters (Jane & Barbara) and did their jobs (Paul worked for Milliken and Kitty taught science in District 7). They were faithful people, deeply rooted in Scripture with an abiding faith in Jesus, and a deep joy they shared with others. They ran their race and passed the baton on to others who would run the next leg. I am grateful to be a part of this church they helped establish and grow. They are now part of that great cloud of witnesses cheering us on as we run our race. As I think of them and read these words in the letter to the Hebrews, I am encouraged to run with endurance despite internal and external obstacles and entanglements. I am challenged to name those obstacles and “the sin” that hinder my progress and ultimately drain me of needed energy. I am also encouraged to look to Jesus – the source of faith, the object of faith, and the One who will complete and mature my faith. So often, my attention gets diverted or distracted by other things. Finally, it reminds me that we are the center of Jesus’ attention as He ran His race. We are the joy that was before Him as He despised the cross, endured its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God the Father. We are His joy and He is dying to give us joy. As we round into spring and the multitude of distractions and demands on our time and attention, how are we running the race set before us? What are the obstacles and sin that hinder and hurt us? What are the distractions that keep our eyes off of Jesus? Do we know and understand that we are Jesus’ joy? Do we realize Jesus’ desire is to give us His joy? News:
Your friend, Steve Wise Wednesday, March 31 2021
Dear Friends,
With these words, Paul records the earliest creed of the Jesus movement, the bedrock of early Christianity, and the essence of the Christian faith. New Testament scholar James Dunn asserts total confidence this creed was formulated within months of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Almost 2100 years later, the resurrection remains the foundation of our faith in Jesus as the Son of God. This mysterious and beautiful historical event both proves and proclaims that life is greater than death, love is stronger than hate, and good will ultimately defeat evil. Writer A.N. Wilson who left the Christian faith as a strident critic only to return to belief in the risen Christ writes recounts his re-conversion experience. His return to faith “surprised no one more than myself.” He asserts that the lives and examples of friends and relatives who lived and faced death in light of the Resurrection story led him back. He argues that the historical event of the Resurrection we celebrate at Easter answers our “questions about the spiritual aspects of humanity. It changes people’s lives because it helps us understand that we, like Jesus, are born spiritual beings. Every inner prompting of conscience, every glimmering sense of beauty, every response we make to music, every experience we have of love – whether physical love, sexual love, family love or the love of friends – every experience of bereavement reminds us of this fact about ourselves….Materialist atheism says we are just a collection of chemicals. It has no answer whatsoever to the question of how we should be capable of love or heroism or poetry if we are simply animated pieces of meat. The Resurrection, which proclaims that matter and spirit are mysteriously conjoined, is the ultimate key to who we are. It confronts us with an extraordinarily haunting story.”1 More than that, the Resurrection proves Jesus is the demonstration of the Father’s love for us in defeating sin and death by sacrificing Himself in our place and giving us His Spirit to raise us to new life. We will celebrate the Truest Story – the life, death and resurrection of Jesus - over the next four days at Westminster. I invite you to come and be a part of our remembrance and celebration. Services & Activities
Your friend, Steve Wise Wednesday, March 17 2021
Dear Friends,
In 2016, Harvard epidemiologist Tyler VanderWeele and USA Today editor John Siniff, asked in an op-ed in USA Today, “If one could conceive of a single elixir to improve the physical and mental health of millions of Americans – at no personal cost – what value would society place on it?” The title of the essay was “Religion May Be A Miracle Drug.” Based on new research and 20 years of experience, they conclude that there is a significant connection between attendance at religious services and better health – both physically and mentally. They write, “Something about the communal religious experience and participation matters. Something powerful appears to take place there, and enhances health. It is something quite different from solitary spirituality. Where else today do we find a community with a shared moral and spiritual vision, a sense of accountability, wherein the central task of members is to love and care for one another? The combination of the teachings, the relationships and the spiritual practices — over time, week after week, taken together — gradually alters behavior, creates meaning, alleviates loneliness, and shapes a person in ways too numerous to document.” (Source) I see a strong connection between these words and Jesus’ above. In what we call the Great Commandment, Jesus connects every aspect of our lives to our relationship with God. Our emotions, our desires, our thoughts, our energies, our bodies, and our relationships. Spiritual health, emotional health, and physical health travel together. Certainly, there are exceptions, but at least in my case the more I love God, the better I love others, and the better I take care of myself. And this starts with the recognition that God has loved us in Jesus with all of His heart, soul, mind, and strength. I also notice the importance of relationships – how we live with other people. Community plays a very significant role in our spiritual growth. During the pandemic, community has suffered. It has been a year of being apart. This coming Sunday marks the anniversary of when we began dealing with shut-downs, quarantines, and restrictions. But the Coronavirus is not the only pandemic we have experienced. Many refer to rising rates of anxiety and depression as the “pandemic within the pandemic.” Isolation and alienation from others have contributed to this. It is not good to be alone. With that in mind, let me encourage you to consider a return to 309 Fernwood Dr. to gather with other covenant partners for worship – at either 8, 9:30 or 11. Worship and fellowship with others are both biblically encouraged and experientially proven to be indispensable in our spiritual growth and emotional health. Besides, I just miss seeing you! We do continue to invite our more vulnerable and unvaccinated covenant partners to worship via livestream. Re-Opening News On March 21, we enter the newest phase of our re-opening. Tape blocking alternating pews will be removed allowing us to spread out throughout the sanctuary. Please try to maintain appropriate distance where possible. We do ask that you continue to wear masks when you enter, exit, stand or sing. Masks may be removed when seated. Please be mindful and considerate of those around you. If you are concerned about larger crowds, our 8 and 11 services have ample space. I look forward to seeing you in worship. Your friend Steve Wise Wednesday, January 20 2021
Dear Friends,
Perspective! In art, it refers to drawing solid 2-dimensional objects on a 2-dimensional surface to give the impression of height, width, depth, and position in relation to other objects. In geometry, perspective deals with the relation of 2 figures on the same plane. More general usage relates to a particular point of view or attitude toward someone or something. Basically, perspective refers to the way we see things. Its Latin root means “to look through” or “to perceive.” It has to do with gaining understanding. We sometimes use it to refer to the ability to understand what is important and what is not. Keeping things in perspective helps us handle fear, failure, or frustration. It can help us deal with anxiety, apathy, and anger. Today, I needed some perspective. An email from my 90-year-old father sure helped. It contained a video chronicling all a person born in 1900 would have experienced in their lifetime. At 14 years of age, the world went to war for the first time. In 4 years of war, 22 million people died. The Spanish Flu haunted their late teens and early twenties - killing 50 million people in 2 years. At 29, the stock market crash began the Great Depression. Unemployment reached 30%. From the ages of 39 to 45, World War 2 claimed the lives of 75 million people. Polio killed an half a million people per year during the first 55 years of their lives. Small Pox killed over 300 million during their lifetime. From the age of 55 to 75, they experienced “hot” war in Viet Nam (4 million killed) and “cold” war with the Soviet Union. How did our great-grandparents or grandparent or parents do it? I don’t know the answer to that question. I do know there is no question they understand what we are going through. The video encourages us to take a perspective of gratitude toward them and our present situation. The writer of Hebrews gives his readers some perspective in the passage above. Hebrews 11 – “the Hall of Faith” – details the acts of faith by some of the great (and not so great) Old Testament characters. Most of these great demonstrations of faith came during extremely difficult circumstances, often over long periods of time, and sometimes ended badly (from some perspectives). These were far from perfect people but they were faithful. These “witnesses” and other “saints” in the crowd cheer us on as we enter the stadium of life. The writer urges us to fix our eyes on Jesus – i.e. get some perspective – as we run the race set before us. Jesus endured the cross for the joy of saving us. If we consider what He endured for us because of His great love for us, we will gain strength and encouragement. These are indeed trying times. So much is beyond our control. But this we can control – where we fix our eyes! Let us fix our eyes – and our perspectives - on Jesus. Things to Know * This Week’s Worship – We will meet at our normally scheduled times (8, 9:30, 11am). Child Care and Children’s Church will be provided. Adult Bible Studies are allowed to meet if they desire (Contact Justin Lewis in order to coordinate). The 9:30 and 11:00am three services will be livestreamed – here. * Our teaching series - “Not Just Another Saturday!” We will continue our 5 week study of WPC’s Code statements. This week: We seek to love and live like Jesus. I encourage you to take a listen to our previous weeks here. Your friend Steve Wise Wednesday, January 06 2021
Dear Friends,
Adjusting my expectations! Of the many lessons the last almost 11 months, perhaps the most important has been about adjusting expectations. From the moment I heard news of the storm of February 6, few things if any have gone according to plan. This call from Paul to put on the “new self” has everything to do with unmet expectations and our response to them. The distance between our expectations and reality is disappointment and frustration. It creates fear and hostility. We fear we will not get something we want or lose something we have. Hostility arises to defend what we have or to take what we want. Acting out of this fear and hostility damages others and our own souls. Paul, instead, encourages us to live out our true identity as God’s holy and beloved sons and daughters. Living out this identity involves responding to disappointing and frustrating relationships, events, and circumstances. We reflect the character of our Father when we respond out of a compassionate heart with kind words and actions, a concern for the well-being of others, a helpful use of our strength, a willingness to wait, seeking to help one another, extending grace to others, and learning how to love in even the most difficult people in the most difficult situations. Things to Know * This Week’s Worship – We will meet at our normally scheduled times (8, 9:30, 11am). As with last week, due to a lack of available volunteers because of infections and/or quarantines, we will not have Child Care, Children’s Church, or Sunday School for children or adults. All three services will be live action and the 9:30 and 11am services will be livestreamed – here. * Wednesday Nights – We are postponing our Wednesday night dinners until January 20 (we were originally going to start January 3) We will only have a family dinner that night. Children and adult programs will resume on February 3rd. * Our teaching series - “Not Just Another Saturday!” We will continue our 5 week study of WPC’s Code statements. I would encourage you to take a listen to last week’s teaching on “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing. You can see that here: livestream. * Thank you for your faithfulness always, but particularly in the month of December. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our covenant partners, our budget is in good shape at this point. We have also gotten closer to our stewardship goal. Your friend Steve Wise Tuesday, December 15 2020
Dear friends,
Christmas is upon us – and this year, more than any other in recent memory for many of us – this Christmas looks and feels a little different. Our celebrations are always different from year to year, but perhaps this year is more different than usual. Today, our staff will celebrate our annual Christmas lunch together. I will be asking this group of people – for whom I am very thankful and of whom I am very proud – to respond to this one question. What is the one thing they do not want to thank God for this year but know they need to because it has opened the way to experience the love and goodness of God in new ways? In Paul’s words above, what “tribulations” or “pressures” do they celebrate because of what it has and is producing in them – perseverance, proven character, and hope. But notice the end result is greater than hope, it is the experience of the love of God. As the Passion translation paraphrases it, “And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!” So let me ask you (and you can ask me), what do I celebrate this year that I do not necessarily feel like celebrating but I know that without it, I would not have had a deeper experience of God’s love for me in Jesus? Worship: Please join us for worship on Sunday either live or via livestream as we celebrate Jesus as the Prince of Peace. If you are worried about services being crowded, our 8am and 11am services have plenty of room for you to come and join us. Stewardship: As we close out our stewardship season, if you have not had the opportunity to fill out a pledge card for our 2020-2021 budget. You can access one on the Realm via the “Giving” tab on the left side menu. May you be healthy and joyful in this Christmas season! Your friend Steve Wise Thursday, December 10 2020
Dear friends,
How are you doing? I have probably never asked or been asked this question as often or with as much sincerity as I have these past nine months. I have probably never answered it or had it answered quite as honestly as I have these past nine months. As we walk through Advent in anticipation of Christmas, a valuable spiritual practice would be to ask Jesus to help us answer this question honestly and in a way that helps us grow in His love for us and our love for Him and others. In what we call the great commandment, Jesus defines the point and purpose of human life in the context of love and relationships – with God and others. Notice the categories He uses - emotional (heart), psychological (soul), mental (will), physical (strength), and social (relationships). Our life with Jesus encompasses each of these categories. Spiritual growth and maturity involve health in each aspect and across the spectrum of these areas. The spiritual dimension is not a compartment of our lives but the whole. We can use these words as a check-up of sorts. My doctor usually asks me many questions. We can ask Jesus these questions and ask Him to help us answer them in regard to our own lives. Emotionally – how am I feeling and how are those feelings creating sadness or skepticism? Psychological – what do I desire and how is that desire creating frustration or fear? Mentally – what am I thinking about the most and how are these thoughts creating anger or anxiety? Physically – how does my body feel and how does it affect my moods and my energy level? Relationally – how am I treating others in my thoughts, words, & actions? The deepest question centers on my response to God’s love for me. Jesus is less than 36 hours from His crucifixion when He utters these words. His death and resurrection are the demonstrations of God’s love for us. God loves us with all of His heart, soul, mind, and strength in Jesus. The question this poses is: am I trusting or distrusting God’s goodness and love in my life? After asking these questions, we can spend some time asking Jesus to help us know His love and then to love Him with all we are and to love others as we love ourselves. May we know the deep love of the Father for us in Jesus. May we learn to love what He loves because He loves us so much. May we learn to love how He loves because He loves us so well. One final note: Thank you so much for your continued support and involvement with WPC during these difficult days. We are so encouraged by attendance at church, engagement with our livestream, involvement in programs, and the faithfulness and generosity you have displayed. As we conclude our stewardship campaign in the coming weeks, we want to thank those who have made pledges for the upcoming year. If you have not done so, would you consider filling out a pledge card either on-line or by sending in one by mail? We understand these are difficult times for many. We begin our budget planning process in the new year. This information helps us to be good and wise stewards of the resources God entrusts to us. Your friend Steve Wise Thursday, December 03 2020
Dear friends, The cry, “How long, O Lord,” can be found several places in the book of Psalms – the hymnbook of ancient Israel. That phrase certainly resonates in me as we move into our 9th month of pandemic. Despite our doors being open for worship and fellowship events happening throughout the fall, the plague has diminished our ability to be together in praise, prayer and partnership. I long for the days when we will be able to joyfully gather without masks and other precautions. Perhaps you have entertained or been posed the question, “what have I learned during this pandemic?” Many answers come to mind but I am aware that I am unaware of some lessons I have gained – both positive and negative. The encouraging reality is Jesus teaches us some things while we wait that we may not be able to learn any other way. He wastes nothing! I offer you another question, posed to me by an elder – what 3 things will I never take for granted again? Perhaps you would answer in regard to time, relationships, or community. My list: Jesus, my family, and our church. Jesus taught me a great deal during this time about Himself, me, and life. I am grateful for the soul work He is doing and helping me do. Fortunately, I have not been cut off from my family and have actually enjoyed the time we have gotten to spend together that a normal busy schedule would not have allowed. Finally, our church has risen to the occasion and shown her true colors in some beautiful ways. We have learned the value of worship and how to trust God to not only meet our needs but to give us an abundance from which to share. As we head into Advent, I want to invite you to consider to returning to “live action” worship. Livestream is a nice option in a pandemic, when we are out of town or someone is sick. However, nothing beats the power of people gathered together in the name of Jesus. Something happens when we are together that cannot happen any other way. We are taking every precaution to make the environment as healthy as possible. For those who have been coming, please continue. For those still uncertain, we hope you will continue to worship with us via livestream and stay connected to us. We need each other! Your friend Steve Wise Monday, November 09 2020
Dear friends, As 2020, “The Year of Fear,” continues to surprise us, I am reminded of how Jesus teaches us to pray by first reminding ourselves of the Father’s love for us and goodness toward us. Then we pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done. We invite him into our world and our worlds. I ran across this prayer from Thomas a Kempis from The Imitation of Christ that I found helpful for these days.
2 things to be aware of: 1) Men’s Breakfast Gathering at Spartanburg High School Fine Arts Center on Saturday November 14 from 8:30-10:00am. Dr. Russell Booker will share with us his experiences as a follower of Jesus, man, husband, father, African-American, educator and leader in our community. Russell is a good friend and I am excited about what he will share with us on Saturday. I hope you will make every effort to be there. Please contact Kirk Johnston at kjs83@outlook.com if you plan to be there so we can have coffee and biscuits. 2) Thanksgiving meal and service on Wednesday night, November 18. Dinner at 5:30 and Worship at 6:30. We will have a time of open sharing for people to express things they are thankful for this past year. Brief statements are welcomed and encouraged. Finally, with each passing week I grow ever more thankful for each of you and this church body. I also grow in my desire for us to all be together in worship and fellowship! Your friend Steve Wise Sunday, October 25 2020
Dear friends, I am so proud of the fact that for the last 7 months of the pandemic, Westminster has worshipped every Sunday morning in our sanctuary. We have been able to livestream services for people unable to attend. We have worshipped together outside for 5 months. Many people have stepped up to help make this happen!!! As we head into November, our schedule will need to change largely due to weather. Our staff and session have worked diligently to plan for this next phase of our rebuilding of community. This is not our final stage of rebuilding but it is a step in the right direction. Please understand our choir will not be available for health reasons until at least the beginning of 2021. As a result, our 11am service will be slightly different for the time being. We hope the addition of some praise music and special music will add to the beauty of our traditional songs and elements. This schedule offers an early traditional service, a contemporary service, and a later blended service in order to optimize our use of space to enable social distancing. Starting on this Sunday November 1. (We have ordered you an extra hour of sleep just for the change!) 8:00am – Contemplative service several hymns, liturgy, sermon (no child-care or livestream) 9:30am – Contemporary Service praise music, some liturgy, sermon (child-care & livestream) 11:00 – Blended several hymns, praise music, and/or special music, liturgy, sermon (child care & livestream) We will continue to require masks and perform temperature checks for health reasons. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and understanding over these last many months and in the months to come. Your friend Steve Wise |
We gather weekly at: 
