Pastor’s Ponderings
“The Music of Easter”
I love the music of Easter. As a child I remember singing the great old hymns like Christ Arose, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, and He Lives. In 1971 Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote what is probably their most famous hymn, Because He Lives. What a stirring message as verse one tells the story of Jesus coming to live, die, and most important, rise again. When they wrote verse two, they had a newborn in the house, and started the verse, How sweet to hold a newborn baby . . .
But the last verse takes us to the end of this life and the entrance into heaven.
And then one day I’ll cross the river;
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain.
And then, as death gives way to vict’ry,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He reigns.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow;
Because He lives, all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Just writing those words is exciting! Singing them in an auditorium full of people is even better. I hope you will join us at Calvary Baptist Church on Easter Sunday morning, April 4, at 8:30 or 10:30. In the 10:30 service our choir will sing for the first time in over a year. We will worship the risen Savior. Don’t miss it!
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We will do something different the evening of Easter. While not having an in-person service, we will have a video begin at 6:00 p.m. on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Many of our singers and musicians will record great songs of the faith before Easter and we will present the video concert that evening.
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The church recently voted to remodel our auditorium building. We encourage you to pray for this endeavor, as it will be a long process that requires much patience. In fact, the word patience is the key word in the project.
Before the remodeling even begins, the 20-year-old air conditioners in the gym will be replaced. This will take several weeks. In the meantime we have people deciding where Sunday school classes will move and how we operate the services minus the auditorium building.
First, the workers will perform an asbestos abatement. Then they will tear out a huge section of the hallway and begin work on the brand new bathrooms. The College & Career classroom will be demolished to make way for our new foyer/vestibule (different churches call it different names). New doors, ceiling, lighting will enhance the building, and the parking lot will be restriped. A new sound system will be installed, a new platform built, and we will rejoice when we move back into the building!
We will receive a building fund offering on April 25 as we attempt to raise $75,000 in one service. Not only do I believe this will happen, I think God is going to provide far more than that, and we will be truly amazed at the work He does through His children.
PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY, and remember the key word: Patience!
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We had a fabulous Missions Month. Some of the best mission presentations I have ever heard were made by our guest missionaries. We heard about the fields of Peru, Papua New Guinea, the Middle East, and the Philippines. We heard missionaries with deep passion for the fields where God is leading them. We were blessed as we heard Oliver & Gloria Williams, Reese & Stacy Parfitt, Nathan & Alicia Lee, and JB & Marie Tarwater.
Sunday, March 28, we will receive our Faith Promise Mission cards and we encourage you to be very generous in your mission giving this coming year. Last year the pandemic struck in the middle of Missions Month and we never filled out our Mission Cards. As a result our missions giving was down last year (even as all of our other accounts increased).
Pray about what God would have you give. Then be faithful in that giving, and God promises that you will be blessed and have fruit abounding to your account (Philippians 4:17).
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I have asked from the beginning for you to pray for me and my family in five areas. Thank you for doing so, and please continue to plead with God that I would have:
1) Courage
2) Wisdom
3) Strength
4) Victory
5) Vision