A CITY SET ON A HILL
The photograph to the left is the building in which I first heard the gospel preached. I say it is the ‘building’ and not the ‘Church’, because most of us know that a Church is not made of wood, and stained-glass windows but is rather an organic blending of lives present and past, who make us, in part, who we are today. As you can see the Beech Hill United Methodist Church recently celebrated her 150th anniversary on July 20th. This little Church is nestled in the hills of West Virginia in a close-knit community. It is about 45 miles north of Charleston and 10 miles south of Point Pleasant in the Great Kanawha River valley. Kathi and I were privileged to attend this celebration, which included both morning and early afternoon services separated by dinner on the grounds provided by the brothers and sisters of the present congregation. The building was packed with 200 plus people. If I were writing a news article, it might end here. However, the experience of that day will remain with me for some time to come.
This little church in the wildwood is not much compared to the mega-churches and super-ministries of the 21st century but for me, and I’m sure many of those in attendance, the importance of Beech Hill cannot be easily exaggerated. As I sat there in the old pews I knew as a child and youth (they now have padding on them), memories flooded my mind. I tried to hold back the tears as we sang the hymns, listened to the choir, and rejoiced together (I didn’t succeed). From the time I first walked through the door into the sanctuary my mind was flooded with memories. The familiar odors conjured up thoughts of my past, some of which I would just as soon have forgotten and others I cherished. I looked at the faces of people, who, like me, had first come to know the blessed Savior because of messages preached and lives of holiness lived in that place. I recalled the conviction my soul felt during those spring and fall revival meetings just prior to and after my conversion. I thought of those who had impacted my life by teaching me in Sunday school and, it was almost as if I could hear one of the former pastors quoting the text from the gospels, “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Thou who killeth the prophets, and stones them, who are sent to you, how oft I would have gathered you under my wings as a hen gathereth her brood and ye would not.” The shadow of his tall frame was silhouetted on the wall behind the pulpit from the poor lighting in the sanctuary, but it seemed to add to the solemnity of the moment. As he would quote those words, the truth of them would get deep within me. Interestingly, much of my own ministry has been related to that scripture and the burden of the Church. I have longed and preached for nearly 40 years that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ would be gathered together under his wings of love and obedience.
As I began to make plans to attend the celebration, I noticed that Beech Hill was established in 1858. Being somewhat knowledgeable about Church history, I recalled the last truly great outpouring of God’s Spirit upon this nation was from 1857-1860. It has been called by different names, the ’second great awakening’, and the ‘great prayer revival’. This move of God occurred because of the burden of a Manhattan Island, New York business man named, Jeremiah Lamphier. He was so burdened for his city and the nation that he announced a prayer meeting in the Old Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton St. in Manhattan. In a few weeks there were so many people praying in NYC that they filled all the theaters. Souls began to be saved all up and down the eastern coast and into the Midwest and the south. It is said that by the time the Civil war began that one third of all Americans were new converts. I believe Beech Hill was a part of that outpouring of God’s Spirit. She is not a large Church. In fact, most would say she is rather insignificant. But I challenge you to try and convince the thousands, who have come to know Christ in the last 150 years both directly and indirectly from this little ‘city set on a hill’. I’m reminded of an old song. “Little is much, when God is in it; labor not for wealth or fame. There’s a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ name.” I applaud those of the Beech Hill community, who are laboring in Christ’s vineyard. Be encouraged! If you ever wonder, whether or not you made a difference, I’m one…of many. Thank you.
Just wanted you to know that I returned from Haiti last Friday night safe and sound. Our journey was a wonderful one. It was so good to see dear friends, many of whom I had not seen for a couple of years. Our time of fellowship in song, testimony, prayer and from the Word was delightfully refreshing. Sitting on the third story of the Pastors’ retreat center at the Mission compound at night and seeing the glory of our solar system, is always an experience nearly beyond words. Truly, ‘ the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof’…
precious privilege of sharing the Gospel through the Christmas accounts in a dramatic way with one of us telling the account and most of the rest of our 24 pilgrims acting it out. We gave gifts to a few hundred children and many prayed to allow Christ to be the Lord of their lives. For most of the children the little package we gave them will be all they receive that whole year. The standard of living in Hait is so much below our poverty level that words cannot tell. Survival is the mode for so many. Six out of 10 Haitian children die before the age of 5 or 6, many because they cannot fight off a cold or the flu. To look into their eyes is to see the desire to hope but the inability to do so because they must be concerned about food for the day. As we prayed with a Haitian man a few years ago on top of a mountain…He cried out to the Lord for a day when he would be…“no more hungry”. However, in the midst of all the suffering are the sounds of children playing, churches holding services and singing with all their might, knowing that the Sovereign God has prepared a place for them and all of His children in a Kingdom which has no end.
One of the most significant issues in Christianity is the privilege of corporate fellowship. It is a marvelous thing to not only observe, but also of which to be a part. One’s personal relationship with Christ is to be intimate with Him, but the greater part of that intimacy is to carry it into the corporate meeting. It is there that it is shared with the brothers and sisters and becomes pregnant and delivers more of the knowledge of Christ than can be obtained in isolation. Our worship experiences on ‘the porch’ were just that. How marvelous to experience this yourself but then to see a brother or sister awakening to more of Christ is to enhance Christ within oneself. Together, we took a journey into a ‘room’ of his kingdom and while there we saw things together, which are difficult, if not impossible to express. However, in an ‘earthy’ sort of way an attempt is made through the song above:“He loves us” which says, “earth meets heaven like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently in my chest. I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way that He loves us…” Yes, it is rather earthy. Maybe too earthy. However, for people who are not well versed in theology and don’t have the vocabulary yet to express the high things of God in a more ‘acceptable manner’, I say, ‘Go for it’! It doesn’t take long to run out of words when trying to express the passion God has for us and the passion we are to have for Him. God doesn’t cringe nearly as fast as some of us, who can express ourselves in a ‘better’ way. Rather, I think he may even smile. Will He take us on and grant us the ability to tell the story in a more acceptabel manner? Will we eventually articulate our experience with Christ in a better way? Maybe. I do hope that when we get to the place where we can say it better that we don’t lose the passion and experience of it. It’s one thing to read about a love story. It is entirely different matter to live it. As I review in my heart of hearts the journey I experienced just days ago, I am left with a deeper passion for my Lord and a deeper desire to fellowship with those who KNOW HIM AND WANT TO MAKE HIM KNOWN.
Encyclopedia, and strictly speaking, there are now over 33,000 denominations of the Church in 238 Countries. Whew!
Just thinking about a number like that makes me tired. There is so much division…so much variety of doctrinaire positions. How will Jesus’ prayer ever be answered? Let me say that I am fully aware of the interpretation which says that we are ‘one’ through our mutual accepting of Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. As vital an answer as that is…well, pardon me, but it just ain’t enough. When Jesus spoke of oneness, he spoke in terms of ‘…just as you, Father, are in me and I in you…’ It seems to me the answer to the question of oneness must be much deeper.
I have also thought of what it would be like to be the parent of such a child. The Bible indicates he was obedient to his parents (Luke 2:50). In fact, he was obedient before his Barmitzvah and after it as well. The only time we find him doing something that was contrary to his parents’ will was when they found him in the temple at age 12 asking amazing questions of the religious leaders. There was a time when Jesus realized there was someone inside him who was leading him. In fact, Jesus began to realize there was never a time in his life when he was without that inner Presence. There was also a time when his life-submission had to be transferred from his earthly parents to his heavenly Father. His allegiance was and always would be to the Father. His submission was always to Him. Remember the wedding at Cana of Gallilee? Mary was a hostess of sorts at the wedding. Possibly it was a family member who was being married. While they reclined at the table she whispered to Jesus, ‘they have no wine’. Since Mary had been depending on Jesus after the death of Joseph, she fully expected him to take care of the situation. He startled her by letting her know that he could no longer do for her just because she asked. Now he must adhere to One of greater authority.
Finally, think of Jesus hanging on the Roman cross. The religious leaders standing nearby challenged him to come down from the cross. They said, ‘others he could save but himself he cannot save’. Often we challenge those words by saying he could have called 12 legions of angels to deliver him. The evening before he had rebuked Peter for drawing the sword on Malchus. He said, ‘…Do you not know that I could APPEAL To my Father…’? Notice the word, APPEAL. Unfortunately, while hanging on the cross, Jesus had no one to whom he could appeal. He said, “I only do what I see my Father doing…I only speak what I hear my Father saying. But now the Father was GONE. He couldn’t see or hear him. For the first time Jesus had no one to guide him. His submission was so complete so utterly complete that he literally could NOT save himself. To have come off the cross without a word from the Father would have changed the character of God. He had to go with the last word he had from the Father, which was to go to the cross.
