Bulletin for April 7, 2024

Psalm 87

This Sunday, we’ll open worship with a responsive call to worship from Psalm 87. Then, we’ll sing “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.” John Newton (also the author of “Amazing Grace”) wrote this hymn as a reflection on Psalm 87. So I thought it would be good to prepare you with a couple thoughts on what this psalm means.

Psalm 87 is divided into three stanzas by the word “Selah”–vv. 1-3, 4-6, and 7.

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah

Zion/Jerusalem/the city of God are all used in the psalms to designate the place of God’s worship. In the Old Covenant, the highest worship happened on the Temple Mount in the city where the people would gather periodically to perform their duties. Of course, there were synagogues throughout the land of Israel, and the people worshipped each Sabbath in these smaller settings. But notice what the psalm says, “The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.” The people’s synagogue worship was certainly accepted by God, but the fullest and best expression of worship occurred in the Temple.

In the New Covenant, these terms are redefined. The temple is now the body of Christ and the people of God (Eph. 2:21). When God’s people gather, they themselves constitute the temple. This is why the author of Hebrews can say that we have “come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22).

So Psalm 87 takes on new meaning in the New Covenant. It is still true that the LORD loves Zion more than the dwelling places of Jacob, but Zion is no longer bound to a physical hill in Jerusalem. Zion is the weekly gathered worship of God’s people. This also means that, although it is good to worship God privately and in our families, the pinnacle of our worship, the most important time of our week, is weekly Lord’s Day worship. This, of course, makes this psalm particularly appropriate for our call to worship. When we read this together, we are proclaiming the value of the worship that we are about to engage in. Our weekly worship is the thing that most delights God in this life, and it should also be the thing that most delights us.

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush–
“This one was born there,” they say.
And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
The LORD records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah

In the second, we get a catalog of some of the nations that surround Israel. Each of these nations is praising the one who is born in Jerusalem. The word “born” here can mean physical birth, but more generally, it refers to any “bringing forth.” Those who are born/brought forth in Zion have a special distinction of belonging to the LORD who makes note of them.

Of course, in the New Covenant, one element of salvation is the new birth–we are born again to a living hope. To borrow Jesus’ words from John 3, we are born of the Spirit. Verses 4-6, then, are a picture of the nations coming to God’s temple to rejoice with his people, which is ultimately fulfilled in the church.

Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

The spring (some translations, “fountain”) is the source of water. In the same way, the public worship of God among the people of God is the source of life. When we ascend Mount Zion each Sunday morning, we are going to drink from the well of living water. We call these springs the means of grace: the Word, sacraments, and prayer.¹ It is in these things that God has promised to meet us, and they are found in their most potent and concentrated form in public worship.

So as we worship this Sunday, let us delight in the streams of living water God offers us, the streams that flow from his holy temple, the people of God.

Updates

1. The floors are getting closer, but we’re not quite there yet! We’ve got one more week out of the Fellowship Hall, and one more week of adult Sunday school in the sanctuary.

2. Keep in mind that we’ll have a special installation service next Sunday, April 14th, at 5pm. Be sure to join us to welcome our guests and celebrate our elders!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletins for Easter Weekend 2024

Bulletin for March 24, 2024

A Devotional Suggestion

This week and next week, we’re taking a short break from reading the Gospel of Luke and jumping over to the Gospel of John. We’ll read the first part of John 12 in worship this Sunday, and on Good Friday, we’ll pick up with John 18. So it would be a great idea to read chapters 13-17 during the week (you can read one a day)! These chapters, called the Upper Room Discourse, are an account of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. In it, he tells them a number of important things about how to live the Christian life after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

If you to dig deeper into these chapters, you can watch this teaching series from Sinclair Ferguson at Ligonier.

Updates

1. Don’t forget about the community choir special at Faith Presbyterian in Leakesville! There will be two shows–Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 3 PM.

2. Make note of the Holy Week schedule, and be sure to share it with your friends!

3. The floors are still in progress, so please continue to avoid the Fellowship Hall.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for March 17, 2024

Updates

Over the next four weeks of sermons, we’ll be studying the Passover. This week is “The Passover Promised.” I highly encourage you to be looking ahead to familiarize yourself with the Scriptures as we move toward Easter!

1. The new floors are going down in the Fellowship Hall! Please keep out of that area until further notice.

2. Presbyterian Women meets Thursday at 6:30 PM to install new officers.

3. If you haven’t been with us for Wednesday night, this week is a great time to start! The adults are working through the book of Romans in addition to all the kids’ activities.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for March 10, 2024

Psalm 116

This week, we’re singing Psalm 116:15-19. In this section of the psalm, verse 16 may jump out at you:

O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.

Here’s some brief comments from John Calvin that may shed some light on what’s going on here:

In assigning, as the reason of his deliverance, that he was God’s servant, he by no means vaunts of his services, but rather refers to God’s unconditional election; for we cannot make ourselves his servants, that being an honor conferred upon us solely by his adoption. Hence David affirms, that he was not God’s servant merely, but the son of his handmaid. “From the womb of my mother, even before I was born, was this honor conferred upon me.” He therefore presents himself as a common example to all who shall dedicate themselves to the service of God, and place themselves under his protection, that they may be under no apprehension for their safety while they have him for their defense.

In other words, we are God’s servants first because we have been freed from sin. This is justification (freedom from sin’s penalty) and sanctification (freedom from sin’s power). Second, we are God’s servants because we have been adopted into the family of God. Our relationship with God is both legal and familial. As Paul reminds us:

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:14-15)

Get Ready for Easter!

Updates

1. Don’t forget to change your clocks Saturday night!

2. Presbyterian Women meets Thursday at 3 to install new officers.

3. Within the next few weeks, the Fellowship Hall will be blocked off to put in new floors. Please do not attempt to enter.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for March 3, 2024

Another Recommended Resource

Rev. Benjamin Glaser is an Associate Reformed Presbyterian¹ pastor in South Carolina. Prior to that he was the pastor of the Ellisville Presbyterian Church in Jones County. Each week, he writes a couple of helpful blog posts for his congregation, but he also publishes them more broadly here. I highly recommend you read his material.

Besides being generally helpful, often one of his posts each week is geared toward helping you prepare for Sunday. This would be a great thing to include in your devotional routine each week!

Updates

1. Be sure to check back at last week’s post to see the plague chart. It will help you stay oriented as we work through each plague. I also highly recommend that you read the sermon Scripture ahead of time, especially while we’re working through these larger chunks!

2. Parents’ Fellowship meets this Sunday at 6PM! We’ll have a meal and a Bible study time.

3. The Easter Sunrise Service is scheduled for 6:45AM on March 31st.

4. The Gulf South Presbytery has authorized a commission to officially install our session as elders in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. A special service will be held for that purpose on April 14th at 5PM followed by a fellowship meal.

And, of course, please continue to be in prayer for all of these on our prayer list.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for February 25, 2024

Plagues in Exodus

This week, we’re going to get started working through the ten plagues. The first nine occur in three cycles of three, so I’m planning on preaching on them over three weeks. (The tenth plague is in its own league.) In preparation for that, I wanted to make this chart available to you. There’s a lot to keep track of, so it’s good to have a quick reference to refer back to. As I continue to work through these texts, I may add some more information to it. If you’d like a paper copy, let me know.

Updates

1. Make note of the information concerning Vernal PW’s support of PROMISS.

2. Another Parents’ Fellowship is scheduled for Sunday, March 3rd at 6 PM. We’ll meet at the church for a fellowship meal and Bible study.

3. We’re just a few weeks away from Easter! I’ll be keeping an eye on the weather, but we plan on having a sunrise service in the prayer garden at 6:45 AM.

4. A presbytery commission will be joining us to officially install our elders in the EPC on April 14th at 5pm. I’ve had some discussions with them over the past week, and they’re excited to be joining us!

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for February 18, 2024

Bulletin for February 11, 2024

On Revelation 20

If you were with us Wednesday night, you’ll know that we chased a rabbit toward the end of Bible study. In particular, there were several questions about the nature of Christ’s millennial kingdom. Some of you asked for additional material on that, so I’ve written up something if you’re interested.

Why are we not imposing ashes this year?

This year, our Ash Wednesday service will not include the imposition of ashes. As this has been standard over the past few years, I thought it would be wise to give you some of the rationale for this decision.

In the Presbyterian tradition, we hold to the Regulative Principle of Worship. The Westminster Confession of Faith summarizes this principle:

But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture. (WCF 21.1)

In other words, we may only do in worship that which is prescribed by the Scriptures. There are several reasons for this. Of course, this comes from a desire to be Word-centered, but it also arises out of a desire to guard Christian liberty. It comes down to the question of authority. Does the church have the authority to require something in worship that God does not require in Scripture? The Reformed tradition has unanimously answered in the negative. The church’s duty is to minister the Word of God to his people, not our own opinions or preferences.

But the problem of ashes goes further, because not only is the imposition of ashes not commanded, it is also expressly forbidden by Jesus himself.

And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)

Until very recently, all Protestants held that this passage forbade the imposition of ashes. It was only during the liturgical renewal movement of the 1960s that Protestants began to do this in large numbers.

Protestants have, however, held that the church may call optional days of fasting and feasting. So that is what we are doing this Wednesday. It is an optional day of fasting where we will have a worship service devoted to repentance. We will hear the gospel preached, and we will seek to respond in faith.

In sum, we will be returning to the standard of our Reformed tradition, but, more importantly, we will be returning to greater conformity to the Word of God.

If you want to read more, here’s an article explaining how the imposition of ashes started in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition (they only starting doing it recently too). And of course, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to talk to me.

Updates

1. This week is Souperbowl Sunday, so be sure to invite someone new to church! And don’t forget to bring your soup!

2. Our Ash Wednesday service is at 6pm. I’ll be posting an order of worship for that service soon, so be on the lookout for that.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

Bulletin for February 4, 2024

A Psalm for Sunday

This week, we’re introducing a new psalm, and we’ll continue to sing it over the next few weeks. Click here for a PDF version of the full song, and listen to the song below.

Why are we singing Psalms at all?

You may have noticed that we’ve been doing this a little bit more, so this is a good question, especially since most evangelicals are out of the habit. Well, on a more practical level, psalm-singing is required by both the Westminster Confession of Faith which we subscribe to and the EPC Book of Worship we submit to. But there are many other reasons we ought to sing psalms as well. Here’s a few from Terry Johnson, pastor at Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA.

1. Psalm singing is biblical. The songs we wish to sing are the canonical psalms, given by the Holy Spirit to be sung. Moreover, we are commanded to sing psalms and are given examples of the New Testament churches singing them.

2. Psalm singing is historical. It was the practice of the early church (as attested by the church fathers), of the medieval monastic orders, of the Reformers, and of virtually all Protestants until the middle of the nineteenth century.

3. Psalm singing is beneficial. Because the psalms are Scripture, they partake of all the inherent spiritual virtues of Scriptures to convert sinners and sanctify saints.

4. Psalm singing is satisfying. Its theological, christological, and experiential richness provides God’s people with the language with which to understand and express the vicissitudes of life. Nothing touches the hearts of God’s people like the psalms, particularly sung.

5. Psalm singing is unique. The act of singing (not merely reciting as poetry) the whole Psalter (not merely hymns or even psalm fragments), given the divinely balanced content of the Psalter as a whole, has a unique capacity to shape and mold a biblical piety. A distinctive contribution to the health and vitality of the body of Christ is made by the singing of the psalms.

Updates

1. For those of you who are interested, I’ve typed up some brief notes from presbytery and placed them in the vestibule. Be sure to grab a copy on your way into the church. As church members, we want to keep you updated on what’s going on, but this is also a great opportunity to pray for other churches in our presbytery.

2. Parents’ Fellowship is this Sunday! Madeleine is preparing food for us, and the children will have activities as well. Be sure to join us and bring a friend!

3. This Wednesday night, the children will be having pancakes and sausage for Valentine’s Day.

4. Next Sunday, February 11th, is Souperbowl Sunday. Bring your favorite soup to share after worship on that day.

5. We’ll be having an Ash Wednesday service at 6pm on February 14th.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid

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