DIRTY HANDS

      Sound strange? Please read on. Last week I worked in my little garden. The best stress reliever around is to be found working alongside Mother Nature. Seeming problems melt away as we dirty our hands while turning sod, pulling weeds, spreading a little of the old fashioned fertilizer, making  rows, placing seeds in the furrows and then carefully covering the seed while saying a  prayer for sun, rain and growth. Periodic visits to a garden are an absolute necessity. Weeds need to be weeded and sometimes showers from above need a little assistance from a garden hose! The dirty hands and aching knees are more than compensated though by little green stems that struggle through the soil to grasp the sunlight above. If we are patient we will reap the benefits of fresh vegetables straight from the garden. When we grow it ourselves it tastes great. It may not be as pretty as the package in the store but we will have the satisfaction of having grown it ourselves even though we did get our hands dirty.

   When we look at our church we love to see signs of growth as well. We want to see a strong youth ministry, a growing Sunday School, an active Senior’s Program, an abundant supply of Fellowship Ministries, a growing Membership Roll, extensive Outreach Ministries and of course Sparkling Worship. There are two ways of finding the above.  Find a church where all these things are in place and prepare to settle in and enjoy yourself. This is  much like finding that perfect head of lettuce in your corner grocerystore. It looks nice in the package and you didn’t have to sweat or get your hands dirty. Enjoy! Now the second way of finding a Growing Church is by rolling up your sleeves, getting down on your knees and being prepared to get your hands dirty. Church Volunteers are God’s Gardeners who don’t mind working hard because God has given them a vision of what happens when people work together.

   Thank you to all our volunteers who don’t mind sweating and getting their hands dirty. Consider this an invitation to all to join the Gardener’s Club.

Your Pastor & Friend

John

Why Do We Go To Church?

Have your ever thought about that? Let me tell you about a church that I heard of on a CNN news broadcast. How would you like to go to this church? This was a church with a difference!

On arrival at this church you are greeted by the minister’s spouse who asks, “What kind of coffee can I get you?”

She is behind a Coffee Bar which is lit with neon lights that spell out “Heavenly Beano.” This is not your ordinary church coffee, oh no, this is the “Star Buck” variety coffee. You grab your coffee and instead of heading to your regular pew or sanctuary chair you sit at a table for eight.

While sipping your flavoured coffee, you listen to the organ prelude, no again, you listen to a jazz band instead! You finish your coffee in time for a sermon, no once more! You finish your coffee in time to enjoy a meal (hopefully you’ve come to church hungry). This church’s specialty is none other than pasta!!!

Now they do have a minister and she eventually finds her way to the front, to stand behind a pulpit – nope! She sits in a comfortable position and chats with people at the tables.

When interviewed, some of the diners and/or worshippers were asked what they thought about this method of worship. One responded by saying, “I think this is just wonderful! this is a place for all faiths.” The other responded with a comment that says a great deal about those who frequent such places. He said, “We feel really comfortable here.”

What’s wrong with all of this? Something is not right! Firstly, they feel that worship must not offend any faith, but be designed for all, and even for those who have no faith! Secondly, when they worship they must be comfortable.

According to the Bible this is not what God had in mind when He declared in Hebrews chapter 10:25: “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as is the habit of some but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

Worship is an absolutely essential element in the life of a Christian. While it is true that we can, and should worship in many places from our homes to the golf courses, there is however, no substitute for the weekly coming together of the saints. We need the fellowship, the challenge, and the spirit that an assembly of God’s people provides. We need to hear the word and be challenged by the word.

The next time you attend church look for the Bible, not the Lazy Boy Chair!

Pastor John

Do You Remember?

Do you remember your first Christmas gift as a child?  Well, it may not have been your first gift but it’s the one you first remember!  I remember mine.  I was about four years old and I received a plastic lunch box.  I even remember the colors, yellow and green.  What made it so special was that now I had a lunch box just like my older brothers and sister who took theirs to school.  We have come a long way from plastic lunch boxes to electronic toys.

Do you remember the little bubble lights in the shape of candles that one use to see on decorated trees? Then on the very top of the tree there was the angel that you plugged in?  I think the angel may still be around but I don’t see very many bubble lights.

Jill and I still hang our stockings on Christmas Eve and we look forward to the next morning.  The stocking I hang now looks pretty flashy in red with my name on it.  Hung stockings today are a far cry to the ones many of us remember;  a long grey work sock in which Santa would always put an orange in the toe.

The value of gifts has certainly changed over the years.  Of course one earned a lot less in years past but I always thought it was fun making a dollar go four ways!  A dollar would buy a package of razor blades for dad, a small comb for mom, bobby pins for my sister and maybe a small jackknife for my brother.

When our girls were small, of course like all others they wanted to get up while it was still dark and open their presents.  It was a real struggle to convince them to remain in bed until the sun came up. One year I came up with the perfect solution! I told them on Christmas Eve that “daddy is going to set an alarm clock in your room and as soon as it goes off you can get up.”  They thought that was great.  I didn’t tell them that it was set to go off at 8:00am not 6:00am!  It only worked for one year.

Do you remember reading the Christmas story from the Bible (as a family) before opening your gifts? What about the Sunday School Christmas Concerts with their plays, recitations, carols, and of course a visit from Santa.

A lot of things have changed over the years and this is to be expected, but one thing that has not changed is the reason for the season. We gather as family, friends and church community to celebrate the coming of the promised Messiah in the form of the Babe of Bethlehem.

May God bless you with happy memories of the past, may you retain some of your favorite traditions in the present, and may the Lord who greeted the shepherds long ago greet you with the same Good News today:  “Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

Great Hymns of the Faith

As many of our readers are aware I host a weekly radio show called “Great Hymns of the Faith”.  I started this radio outreach while pastoring a church in Barrie Ontario (1993-2002). When we moved to the Bahamas (2002-2005) Great Hymns of the Faith continued over a local radio station. While in St. Mary's Ontario Great Hymns was heard over Joy 1250 in Oakville.

Now that we are living in Bermuda, Great Hymns of the Faith can be heard over local radio station Magic 102.7, Joy 1250 in Oakville and through friends in Scotland. Great Hymns is shared through a CD distribution ministry. For many years I have enjoyed sharing hymns, gospel songs and spirituals with listeners who enjoy not only the music, but also enjoy hearing a story about the author or perhaps a story behind the hymn itself.

Have you ever wondered why many of the Great Hymns of Faith are no longer in our new church hymnbooks?  Perhaps you have noticed that some of our Great Hymns have undergone changes in terminology!  Go ahead check it out! See if your favourite hymn from childhood days is still in the hymnbook that is being used in your church today! If it is, check to see if the words are all the same or if some verses have been dropped or new verses have been added. The reason behind many of the changes and deletions is that today’s church music committees have fallen prey to something called “politically correct language”.  In order to correct this problem new hymnbooks have done a number of things like dropping verses, adding verses, changing words and of course the most popular “drop the hymn entirely”.

In your study notice how many times reference to God the Father has been changed to God the Creator. Today’s society tells us that we mustn’t “overly” portray God as Father. But the Bible portrays God as Father so what are we to do? Well, we’ll drop reference to Father and use Creator or Lord instead! Also, many of our old hymns that have military images in them can no longer be found in the newer hymn books because today’s society states that to use military images is to glorify war!!

Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem if people want to come up with new hymns that don’t refer to God as Father, drop all military references and in general are completely gender and politically correct. I don’t have a problem unless these new hymns try to disguise themselves as the old hymns with the same authors. If you want politically correct hymns, come up with new ones yourself and stop stealing from the past!

I want to close this blog with a story of one of the greatest hymn writers of all times and that is Charles Wesley. Wesley wrote over 6,000 hymns. Like most hymnists, his works were frequently altered. In the preface to the 1779 Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists, his brother John wrote:

I beg leave to mention a thought which has been long upon my mind, and which I should long ago have inserted in the public papers, had I not been unwilling to stir up a nest of hornets. Many gentlemen have done my brother and me (though without naming us) the honour to reprint many of our hymns. Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they print them just as they are. But I desire they would not attempt to mend them, for they are really not able. None of them is able to mend either the sense or the verse. Therefore, I must beg of them these two favours: either to let them stand just as they are, to take things for better or worse, or to add the true reading in the margin, or at the bottom of the page, that we may no longer be accountable either for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men.

A Few Minutes Late!

Have you ever experienced the disappointment of missing a plane, a boat, a bus or maybe a train?
They went on without you and left you on the dock, in the lounge or at the station!

NOT A NICE FEELING

What about trying to check into a hotel after a busy day on the road?  You walk up to the front desk only to be told, "I'm sorry, but you are just a few minutes late.  Our last room has been booked."

You return to the blackness of the night and try again but always the same story, "I'm sorry, we are completely filled."

We don't know how many inns Mary and Joseph went to before being told, "No room in the inn but you can sleep in the barn if you like."

It's disappointing when there is no room.

- No room at the inn

- No seat on the plane

- No table at the restaurant

- No tickets to your favourite concert

- It's frustrating

- It's depressing

- It's not fair!

I wonder how Mary & Joseph felt as they settled in with the barn animals.  Though He was born in a stable He would make it possible for us to live in mansions, dine at banquet tables, and rejoice with the angels.

Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go away I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

We have our room for eternity and banquet tables have been prepared for us.  Listen to the invitation. Jesus said, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many.  Go out into the roads and lanes and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled."

The One who at His birth was told, "Sorry, but we have no room for you" is the One who has made it possible for you and I to live in mansions and dine at banquet tables.

Have you accepted your invitation?

Or are you

- too busy

- not interested

- some other time

- or do you want to check out something else before making a commitment?

Some day God will say, "My mansion and my table is full" and the sign will go up, "No room in the mansion and no room at my table."

Grace keeps the door open for the moment but it may only be for the moment.  Check in before the sign goes up

Milkshakes in Heaven

She was only seven years of age. Susie (not her real name) was very cute and loved by her friends who took turns pushing her mobility cart down the long hallways of our church. Coffee fellowship for the adults was often interspersed with screams of delight coming from the hallway.

My little friend had spina bifida but that did not stop her from smiling and laughing with her friends. Although she could not walk nor do so many of the things other children take for granted my little friend was happy and loved life. Periodically she had setbacks and would have to go to the hospital for treatment. I visited her as one of the ministers from her church. She smiled as we talked and after a little visit I left.

Very shortly after that visit my little friend died. Now, I had to break the news to another little girl that her friend had died and that she would no longer be able to push her down our church hallways in her mobility cart. Her friend was my daughter who was about the same age.

“God,” I prayed, “give me words of wisdom and comfort that I might gently tell my daughter of her friend’s death.”

It was Sunday morning and we were on our way home from church. I secured her seatbelt in the backseat and climbed behind the wheel. I called my daughter by name saying that I had something very important to share with her. “Yes, daddy" said the voice from the back seat.

I continued to pray, “Lord, give me the right words.”

“Sweetheart, your friend Susie, well she died last evening. “ I waited for the crying to start but there was silence instead.

Then my little girl in the backseat began asking a series of questions.

“Daddy, do you suppose Susie is sleeping now?”
“Yes,” I replied she could very well be sleeping.”

“Daddy, does God have beds in heaven?”
“Yes, dear I suppose he does and they will be very comfortable beds.” Still there were no sounds of crying but more questions.

“Daddy, when Susie wakes up will she be able to run and play?”
“Yes, sweetheart she will be able to run and play because in heaven God takes away all suffering and pain.”

“Daddy, do you suppose Susie is playing right now?”

“Yes, dear she probably is playing right now.”

Then there was silence for a moment and I thought to myself what do I say when the crying starts and my little girl asks why her friend had to die. There were no sniffs just another question.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, dear.”

“Daddy, does God have milkshakes in heaven?”

Where do you go in the Bible for an answer to that one? I don’t recall the Bible every mentioning milkshakes but I replied in the affirmative anyway.

“Yes, dear if you like milkshakes God will have the best milkshakes that you have ever tasted!” Another brief moment of silence and then my little girl replied,

“Daddy, Heaven sounds like a pretty good place.”

If anyone heard sobs they probably came from me as I thanked the good Lord for allowing my seven year old to minister to me. “Yes dear, God has milkshakes in Heaven now let’s go home.”

Where she came up with that question I will never know. Perhaps she and Susie had talked about how good milkshakes were and if God has milk shakes, comfortable beds and allows crippled little girls to walk then Heaven sounds like a pretty good place.

Out of the mouths of babes!

The Big Step

There are people one meets in ministry that leave you with a lasting impression. I would like to share a story of one such person.



The first time that I met her she was in hospice care at Agape House here in Hamilton Bermuda. It was not a good day for her. She was in a great deal of pain and discomfort. I stayed only for a short period of time and left. In the following days I would drop by for a little chat. Initially that was all that it was, “just a little chat.” Perhaps it was on my third visit that I asked her before leaving if I could share a few verses from the Bible with her and have a little prayer. She agreed and so every week thereafter we would always bring our visit to a close with a Bible reading and a little prayer. I looked forward to our visits and I like to think that she did as well. We became friends. One day I opened our conversation with the question. “How are things today?” She replied, “I am getting ready to take the big step.” She was referring to her death and so we talked about death and what takes place after death. I asked her what she would like me to say at the service that would mark her passing. She had a sense of humor and replied; “Tell them she’s gone.” That was it! She’s gone. Her departure was usually a part of our discussion on every subsequent visit. She wanted to talk about it and I was willing to listen. I asked her if she was frightened and she replied in a somewhat uncertain tone. We talked about the afterlife and the possibilities that await us both positive and negative. She had her doubts. I asked her if she would like to ask Jesus to come into her heart as her Lord and Savior. She said yes and so the prayer request was honest and straight forward. I prayed and she consented to the prayer.

“Lord, I am a sinner. I am lost without you. Come and live in my heart. Forgive me my sins and allow me the peace of your presence.” Amen.

We talked about trust and faith and the promises found in Holy Scripture. I told her that when the time was right Christ would come and usher her home. “Trust Him. He will be with you. You will not take that Big Step alone.” I also reassured her that God would give her the faith that would allow for trust. I left Agape that day and while descending down the hill I thought to myself. “Lord, it is all up to you now. I can’t do anything more please give her the peace that she needs.” Then I said my, “Amen.”

A few days later I went in for a further visit wondering if there would be any change in her outlook. We weren’t thinking of nor did we ever ask for a cure for her disease. We were much more concerned that she would experience the peace that the Bible speaks of even in the face of death. My visit that day began as most of our visits began. “It’s good to see you and how are you today?” While I took note of her relaxed look I heard her say; “I’m not as frightened as I used to be, I just have to trust and have faith.” I said, “Yes, and God will give you that trust and faith.” That visit was on a Thursday and before I left I asked her, “Would you like to make a profession of faith and join the church from your room, here at Agape?” She smiled and nodded yes and there was a sparkle in her eye. She asked me, “What will I have to wear?” I replied, “What you are wearing now is just fine.” I told her that after she joined the church we could celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion together. She thought that was great. So, the very next day (Friday) her husband and two elders from St Andrews (Joan & Bill Davis) along with myself witnessed our sister in Christ make her profession of faith and she was welcomed into the church following which we shared the broken bread and the glass of wine representing the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. We then presented her with a certificate of membership.

Less than a week later I received a call from the staff at Agape. Initially I thought it was the call we all knew was coming at some point in the near future. But no, it wasn’t. My friend had asked the staff if they would phone me and see if I would come for a visit. The fact that she had asked to see me meant so much to me. Over the weeks I like to thing that we had indeed become good friends. She wasn’t able to talk much on that visit. But when I asked her husband if he had requested the nurse to call me, she was quick to point out with her finger that NO it was her who had made the request. I was so happy. We had our devotions and I left. The following Sunday her husband told me that she had slipped into unconsciousness and that time was running short. I visited her early Sunday afternoon. There was another faithful caregiver by her side. I spoke as if my friend could hear every word which she probably did. I told her that God was coming very shortly for her and she would be home; free of her cancer, free of pain, free of grief, free of sorrow, free of tears. I shared with her Psalm 23 and verses from John 14 as well as Revelation 21 and 22. I offered a prayer and I left. Her heavenly father came for her early the next morning. My friend had finally taken what she called the big step. If you want to know what it is like where she now calls home she and I would both say, “Read the Bible.”



 Rev. John Fraser, husband David and elder Bill Davis



Many times people ask the question, “Why, why, why, why doesn’t death or as my friend called it “the Big Step” come sooner for people in her state?” The Bible gave me the answer in the case of my friend; let me share it with you. John 14:3 Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am you will be also.” The initial place that Jesus was preparing for my friend was her heart and once her heart was ready once He called her she invited Him in as her Lord and Savior. Now she was ready for her homecoming.

The question which all of us should be asking of ourselves today is; “Am I ready to take the big step. Could today be the day that God is preparing our heart to meet him? “Does Jesus live in our heart as our Lord and Savior?’