Going Backwards?

I love spring. I know I’m alone in that sentiment, but I enjoy the slow coming back to life of the dormant plants. I like watching the spring flowers popping up. I like the grass greening up even though I must admit that I’ve enjoyed the break from cutting the grass over the winter. Nonetheless, I enjoy the promise of life that springtime brings.

So as I watched the coming spring this year, it seemed to be dragging its feet and hesitating. In fact, on some early morning walks, it seemed that we were going backwards from spring to winter. Today as I write this the temperatures are rising again and if this keeps up, I suspect I’ll be cutting the grass within the week.

As I reflected on the slow and even backwards coming of spring this year, it struck me that in some respects that is what it seems like at times with the coming of the kingdom of God. We look forward to God’s rule becoming more and more evident in our world. We want the effects of sin to be beaten back. We long for the time when sin and death are finally and completely defeated.

Yet there are times when it seems like things in this world are going backwards. When different ethnic or religious groups are fully intent on killing each other with horrific brutality, it may seem like the kingdom of God is losing ground. When false religions grow at an incredible rate and when the church in some places becomes more complacent and declining, it doesn’t seem real that the kingdom of God is as much of a reality as we think it should be.

And the same is true in our world as well. When disease strikes or continues unabated, it sometimes doesn’t seem like the fullness of the kingdom of God is at hand. When relationships struggle it seems hard to see the kingdom of God at hand.

However, when I think of the spring, one solid truth comes to mind. Regardless of how slow or backward moving the springtime may seem, spring will come. Winter must eventually release its grip and the beauty of spring will arrive in all its splendor.

The same is true for God’s kingdom. There are times when it seems like we are moving further away from the fullness of the kingdom, but the fact is that the kingdom of God will be fulfilled. The fact is that we are moving ever closer to that day when “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

We know that God’s rule will come fully because of something we celebrate every spring. Every spring we celebrate the good news that Jesus has won the victory over sin and death and is alive and ruling today! His kingdom is coming and will be here fully at some point. It may not seem fast enough at times, but that doesn’t mean it will not be here. Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! And that makes all the difference.

Pastor Jerry April 2006

MARCH 27, 2006: Songwriter and Artist Tricia Walker brought her distinctively southern-themed music to the Faith Church Coffeehouse last night and showed that despite the recent demeaning and often farcical portrayals of southern culture in the media –that there is also a deep well of inspiration and grace indeed, a growing spirit of reconciliation and hope.

Hailing originally from Mississippi, the longtime Nashvillian played songs from her newest album, “Heart of Dixie”, featuring the rich history and many times humorous sides to growing up and living in the south. “It all goes back to food,” she often remarked, noting the cultural love of all things cooked as exemplified by the traditions of ‘southern hospitality’.

An equally accomplished vocalist, guitarist and pianist, Walker interspersed interesting anecdotes and comic asides throughout her 70+ minute set that highlighted her own history and more well-known events while musically drawing upon her own material and a few classics such as the 1967 hit, “Ode to Billy Joe”, penned by fellow Mississippian Bobbie Gentry.

“Funeral Food” and “New South” were crowd-pleasing humorous reflections on southern culture while “Page Out of History” and “Crazy in Alabama” explored deeper emotional territory addressing racial discrimination and injustice.
Throughout the evening, Walker captivated the appreciative 60+ listeners moving from poignant to tongue and cheek with equal credibility and ease. If the standing ovation was any indication, the audience was left wanting more of Tricia’s songs of the south and it is likely that Faith Church Coffeehouse will be seeing her again in the future.

(end)

WERE YOU THERE? POST YOUR OWN COMMENTS ABOUT THE EVENING BELOW:

The Facilities Team has scheduled a church-wide spring clean up (oops) spring fun day

for April 8 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All are invited.

We would like as many people as possible to attend so that the following projects can be completed:

1. Weed/mulch flowerbeds

2. French drain maintenance – need pea-sized gravel and weeding.

3. General weed killing througout property.

4. Clean steeple.

ALSO:

Need people to bring food.

Please bring your own work gloves, eye protection and tools.

If you have any questions, please contact Tony via church email.

The Banner, a CRC produced publication, ran a short piece about our coffeehouse event in a recent issue.

Click here to read it: www.thebanner.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=396

FAITH CHURCH COFFEEHOUSE, FELLOWSHIP HALL, MARCH 26, 6PM

The public is invited to this FREE event. Great music, coffee and food combine for an evening you will not want to miss.

Artist and songwriter Tricia Walker will be Faith Church’s March
coffeehouse artist.

Tricia has released several albums of her own and written songs
for some of the biggest names in music such as Faith Hill, Patti Loveless and Allison Krauss.

Her latest release, The Heart of Dixie, weaves her own material with songs written by other respected artists into a beautiful collection of songs that many will regard as classics.