Pastor's Blog December 2015

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet, 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')" Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV).

We are once again in the midst of the Advent and Christmas season. There are numerous special gatherings and observances, services at church, exchange of gifts in the home and place of work, and a hectic schedule of celebration. By the time Christmas Eve arrives, many people will be completely exhausted, bank accounts will be strained, and the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge may be more evident than the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.

In contemplating once again the message of verses 22-23 from the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, there is a powerful and important message that cuts to the core of the real meaning of this season of the year. The prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 has been fulfilled in the amazing news of the conception of a baby by the Holy Spirit and that a girl by the name of Mary, who is a virgin, will give birth to a son and that he will be called "Immanuel."

Immanuel - God with us! Take a moment and consider the power of that simple summary of the meaning of the name Immanuel - God with us! That is what this is all about. It's not just about the secular manifestations of the season. It's not even just about the services we have at church in celebration of the season. And while we are called to minister to the "least of these" in the season and in all seasons of the year, it's even more than that! It is about God becoming man; God sending His only begotten Son so that you and I might have life eternal; God intervening in the course of history so that might have the opportunity to choose everlasting life; God Incarnate - that is God becoming flesh!

Will you join me, and our congregation, in considering the meaning of "Immanuel?" God with us! That, my friends, is a powerful and important summary of what Christmas is really about. God is with us - now and forever!

Pastor's Reflections for November

The month of November is a very special time in the life of the church as well as in the lives of our families. It's a time of transition from fall to winter, a time of a few warm days and peaks of late summer and early fall coupled with periods of cold and even snow, and a time when families look to "home" and gather together in late November for a day of Thanksgiving and fellowship. It's one of my favorite months and seasons of the year. We have the joy of family, thanksgiving to God, great food and fellowship, and joy of the Advent and Christmas season a month away - without undue rush and pressure that comes in December.

 Let me share this passage of scripture that seems appropriate for all of us to ponder and reflect upon prayerfully during the month of November. From the NIV translation of the Apostle Paul's letter recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, these words speak to us:  "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Please reread this scripture text and join me in a time of prayer and reflection on its meaning and application for us during November 2015.

Paul's words remind us on these primary points:

 ---"Rejoice always..." - In all situations and times, we are called to rejoice. The joy of Christ, as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is not the same as happiness. Paul is speaking here of an assurance that is ours in Jesus Christ that in all situations, we are assured of His love, grace, and security.

 ---"Pray continually..." - Prayer is more than just a regularly scheduled private time of telling God what we think and need - it's more than the collective times of prayer we experience in worship in the church. Continuous prayer is a lifestyle, a state of mind, a heart that is at peace with the Lord, and taking time from the noise and clutter of daily living to listen to the "still small voice of God" (1 King 19:12). The Psalmist in Psalms 46:10 tells us to "be still, and know" that He is God.

 ---"Give thanks in all circumstances..." - Have you taken time in recent months, or even years, to sit down and write down and pray over all the many things for which you have to be thankful? We take much for granted, we are focused on material and temporal things, and we don't take time to give God thanks and praise in all things. You are challenged in this month and Thanksgiving season, to take time to inventory the many ways in which God has blessed you - even when you are dealing with challenges.

 ---"For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus..." - Paul is very clear in telling the early church, as well as the 2015 church, that it is God's will for us, as believers in Christ Jesus, that we are to rejoice in Him, that we are to pray continually, and that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. And so often, the lack of personal peace and joy is because we have forsaken our times of rejoicing, prayer, Bible study, worship, and giving thanks.

 Will you join me, and other believers in our church family and community in this special season and month of the year, to heed the words of the Apostle Paul to rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks to God in all things, and follow God's will for our lives?
 

October Update

During the month of October into November, we will have an emphasis on hunger relief mission and ministry work. One of the truly inspirtational stories to be told about Baptist missions work that is being done around the world under the banner of "hunger relief." Sponsored by our Baptist Men, Saloma Baptist Church will once again be raising funds for hunger relief in support of the mission work of Baptist Global Response (BGR). Our goal for 2015 is $1,000. And we should have no problem in reaching this goal in the coming weeks.

Let me share some of the start statistics that illustrate the widespread nature of hunger in our 21st century world:

• 840 million people are chronically hungry worldwide - that's 12 percent of the world's population.
• About 3.1 million children under five years of age die each year of hunger and malnutrition -  that's about 8,700 children dying each day - and about one child every 10 seconds.
• Hunger kills more people each year than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.\
• There are more hungry people in the world today than the combined populations of the United States, Canada and the Europen Union.
• Hunger is the world's number one health risk today.

These, and related facts, illustrate the depth of the problems associated with hunger and malnutrition around the world. They are made worse by poverty, drought, war and strife, natural disasters, and overt neglect by those who have plenty. Hunger is a real and important issue in the world today.

Saloma Baptist Church is a congregation compelled by the love of Jesus Christ, and our mission is to minister to our community and world in the name of Jesus Christ. We are already doing a lot in support of hunger relief - we recently sent funds to Zambia to help with hunger relief necessitated by the drought there; funds have been sent to help with the Syrian refugee crisis through the Baptist General Association of Virginia; we support the mission of Baptist World Aid of the Baptist World Alliance; we support our Taylor County Food Pantry run by the Taylor County Ministerial Association; we help local families in need with benevolence gifts; we support Baptist Global Response in our general fund mission budget; and now we are collecting funds to donate $1,000 to BGR for global hunger relief. Many of our families collect pocket change throughout the year and bring it in October and November to help support this effort. Others provide sacrificial gifts during this special mission emphasis.

Global Hunger Relief combines our gospel in action - bringing around 30,000 people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ around the world while providing food and empowerment to "the least of these, our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ..."

Will you join us in ministering to the "least of these" via our Hunger Relief Fund mission drive? Thank you for your support.

September Update

September is a busy time for most families with the end of summer and schools being back in full session. Fall sports, including high school and college football, get underway. There are few things more enjoyable than a Friday night high school football game, or a Saturday college football game. Our favorite teams compete, and we are enthusiastic in our reaction as fans.

Fall also brings about the changing of the seasons and some of the most beautiful manifestations of God's creation. In late September and into October, we begin to experience one of the most beautiful sights with the changing of the colors and the brilliant array of gold, red, and orange! I cannot imagine an atheist or agnostic seeing this wonderful display of God's handiwork and remaining a nonbeliever.

What about the church? What does the fall season bring to the life of the church? There are numerous activities, and in many ways, we have come to gauge the vitality of a church in terms of how busy the people are. And while there is some relative truth to the point that a congregation needs to be active, the absolute number of activities and services does not necessarily illustrate the strength of a given local congregation of believers.

The real test of a church is whether we are manifesting the Spirit of Christ in all aspects of congregational life. Are we being the salt of the earth and light of the world? Are we impacting lives of individual people in our homes and neighborhood for the cause of Jesus Christ? Are we ministering to the "least of these" our brothers and sisters with particular needs? In responding to these questions, we begin to answer the question of what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ.

As we move forward in a new Christian Education year, and as we move toward the fall season, let's resolve to make certain that in the life of Saloma Baptist Church, we are influencing our community and world for Jesus Christ, we are displaying the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and we will affirm the love of Jesus Christ for all people! We are made in God's image, and we are the ultimate creation of God. So, let's be about His work!
 

August Update

The month of August brings the official end to summer vacation for our children, youth, and college age students. In many ways, the beginning of school brings a normalcy and regularity to the schedules of families. During the summer months, there are family trips and vacations to be taken, and a flurry of summer activities that are outside the route that we experience approximately nine months of the year.

And while on the subject of back to school, join us in a season of prayer for all that are involved in our public and private educational systems. We are praying for all the students at all levels of education as well as for the teachers and staff who are so dedicated to the educational progress of our young people. Let me say a word of thanks and appreciation to everyone in our church family involved in the education field. You are doing important work indeed!

It's also a time when everyone should be reminded of the importance of being active in the life of the church. You see, the church is much more than the building in which we worship. The church of the Body of Christ - Jesus Christ is the head of the church and we are the body. Loyalty to the church is important in today's world. We need active and engaged church members and supporters. One of the joys of back to school period is a call to all to be more active in the year ahead in all facts of the kingdom work of the church. So, as your pastor, there's a call to service, a call to attendance, a call to provide tithes and offerings, a call to ministry, and a call to mission beyond the "four walls" of the church building.

Sunday, August 23 is our annual homecoming celebration - we will celebrate 64 years of Christian ministry and mission at Saloma Baptist Church. Bro. Kyle Franklin, who grew up in SBC and is pastor of Pellville Baptist Church, will be our guest preacher in the morning worship service. The Lindsay Family will be in concert during the afternoon. We will enjoy a wonderful noon hour meal and fellowship time. Mark your calendars and join us for the day - I always call Homecoming Sunday as a "foretaste of heaven."

We will kickoff a new Sunday School/Small Group year on Sunday, August 30 with a breakfast and then gathering of all adults in the Fellowship Hall. Please help us make Sunday School/Small Groups a priority in the year ahead.

Please call anytime that we may be of assistance. If you don't have a church home and you are reading this blog entry, please know you are always welcome to join us at Saloma Baptist Church - a warm welcome awaits you - hope to see you soon.

In Christ,

Pastor John Chowning