For some “getting back to a routine” has been a welcomed thing, for others...well, let me just say it a “painful” thing. We all have some sort of routine and I write this because the last couple of weeks got me to thinking. This thinking comes from three sources: being melancholy about kids growing up, our Sunday school lesson from Psalm 19, a radio program I heard, and something I read. With that much repetition I had to pay attention to what God was trying to teach me and then pass it on to you. Here goes…

Remember when our kids were young and they would want you to do something over and over again. I remember times such as jumping from the third stair into my arms, or Barb reading the same story over and over, or throwing them up in the air and catching them and then them throwing up on me. The question begging to be asked is, “Why did they want to do this over and over again?” The answer lies in the pleasure they received. It was just fun! Their appetite for joy was engaged. I truly miss the words, “Do it again Daddy!”

David wrote in Psalm 19,

Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge. (Psalm 19:2)

David wrote this in reference to the sun and moon. Every day the sun comes up and every night the moon shines, and this has been going on since the first day of creation. This is a creative God doing something beautiful over and over again. The beauty of creation always engages our joy. We see the same things day after day, month after month, season after season, year after year, decade after decade, and life-time after life-time. And you know what? It never gets old. God has never tired of doing the same thing throughout history. G. K. Chesterton wrote:

“It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy…The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.”

I sometimes bemoan routine, but the lesson of repetition in God’s beautiful creation has me saying, “Do it again Daddy!”

Grace & Peace,
Scott

I want to write a few articles that touch on Calvary…where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are going. It is basically a recap of what I shared on Sunday night (12-28-08). To begin I wanted to share the entire letter written by R. G. Turner (Chris Paxton’s Grandfather):

"I am glade to be able to pay tribute to Rev. Vermillion by telling some of the facts of the Tabernacle Days and the building of our present church. I have always admired Mr. Vermillion who was a comfort to me when I went to him with my problems. I am glade that we were fortunate enough to have a man with the foresight to help build our great church.

"[The] lot [was] purchased in February 1925 for $12,000.00. [The] Cyclone Mach Tabernacle which was located on the corner of Magnolia and College was going to be disposed of when. When we learned of this we bought his Tabernacle [for] $3,500.00, tore it down and rebuilt it on our lot on my right. We had [an] auditorium with several Sunday school rooms behind and on [the] side of the auditorium. The entire floor was covered with sawdust. We worshiped in this building from February 1926 untile June 1936. The lot and Tabernacle together cost $15,500. We paid this debt off in November 1929.

"Under Mr. Vermillion’s leadership our membership grew and we realized the need for a larger place to worship. A building fund was started in November of 1929 and kept untile 1933 when the banks and building loan were closed. We never did get but 50 per cent of our money back. However we did not lose our faith.

"There was very little money raised from 1933 to 1935 but during 1935 and 1936 we managed to raise $30,000 and our present building was started. It is hard to determine exactly how much the church cost because many of the members contributed materials and came down in the late afternoon and worked on the building (late).

"The church started a pay as you go plan and we didn’t borrow any money untile April 1936. We entered this building in June 1936 and we owed $1,700.00 on it. The actual cash we had in the building [was] $50,496.46. [We were] raising money each week.

"Under Mr. Vermillion’s guidance six other men served on the building committee. They were R. H. Hines who was [the] building contractor, W. W. Miller (Chairman), Z. L. Madden, J. E. Taylor, J. B. Brown, [and] W. C. Smith.

"Mr. Vermillion worked hard and it was through his early efforts that our work at Calvary has been a success.”

This letter was not dated, but it stands as a testament to the faith, perseverance and hard work of the early days of Calvary. To God be the glory! What will be written about our generation?

Grace & Peace,
Scott

This past Sunday night (12/14/08) some of the folks at Calvary shared their favorite Christmas memory. The service was both touching and funny. It is amazing what is locked up in our brains, and probably even more amazing what comes spilling out of our mouths! Something came to my mind as I was sitting there. No, I’ll not share everything that came to my mind…that would be ecclesiastical suicide, but I will tell you the most captivating thought:

What would be God’s favorite memory of Christmas?

The only time the Almighty Creator of the universe really celebrated Christmas was the first one (if indeed we could call it the first Christmas). Reading the account of His Son’s birth in Luke 2 proves that it was a celebration in the Father’s sight. He sent His angels to announce this great event, and the invitation went to the last people on this little ball of dirt it should have gone to—the shepherds. The focus of the birth announcement was on the glory God would receive in giving this gift:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. (Luke 2:14)

As the years passed there are no other grand celebrations surrounding Jesus’ birthday. It was only when God the Father gave the gift of His Son that we have this celebration. God was celebrating His gift to His creation even though He was fully aware of the outcome in giving this gift. (He did plan it all.) He knew His gift would be rejected. In fact, Christ would be rejected to the point of being put to death! Yet, God gives the gift anyway!

Now why would I say this was God’s favorite memory of Christmas? Precisely because it summed up what was in God’s heart for the human race from the beginning: He would receive honor through a relationship with His most prized creation!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

You see, God doesn’t want a temporary relationship with us; His intention is to have a relationship that is permanent. The only way this could be accomplished is through giving His Son, even though the end result of that gift is the death of His Son. So God accomplishes what He set out to do when Jesus was born. I believe this is why there was such a celebration at the birth of the Son, and thus God’s favorite memory of Christmas!

Grace & Peace,
Scott