October 22: Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Though the Masons don't usually make breakfast on a Lord's Day morning, Doris made us praline pecan French toast, sausage, and coffee. (Oh, my, I ate on this trip!) Had time for a short nap before we loaded our car and followed them to Tallahassee to attend, for my fourth time, Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Our first visit there, eight years ago with the children, included a Sunday school taught by Herman Gunter IV whom we know now as Shannon Carraher's husband, and Lord's Day dinner hosted by Pastor and Mrs. (Mimi) Bill Hobbes, at the time newlyweds (He joked that as she was his biggest critic so he had to marry her to shut her up).
We visited again with the children on a Sunday night when we vacationed at Tom Ertl's vacation home. And Cal and I returned for our own weekend there a year later (that was just before the unexpected Chicken Pox plague), again enjoying a meal and an afternoon of fellowship with Bill and Mimi in a new home. It is a wonderful church, notwithstanding the candies the pastor passes out after the service. I was delighted to learn that it was Heather Finn's church while she was at FSU many years ago.
We enjoyed an informative Sunday school class by one of the elders on 2 John. I learned that it is a letter written to commend the readers for their Christian hospitality but to warn them strictly not to show such hospitality to the wolves in sheep's clothing that were afflicting the church. I thought it had much to teach us now, and much help to my thinking about how to treat those pursuing theological error. And another wonderful, reverent worship service followed. How I appreciate Pastor Hobbes prayers: so personal and bold yet humble and reverent at the same time.
Pastor Hobbes preached from James 1:12-18, asking Is God good? God has placed a witness in every heart. Therefore if someone asks if there is a God it is because they have a problem with God's goodness. James has told the diaspora that they should rejoice over all their trials. In verses 2--4 we learn of what pastor called the "upward road": Trials lead to testing which leads to endurance and finally maturity. Verse 12 speaks of the same road, contrasted with the wide road of Matthew 7. The man who endures temptation is blessed of God. Revelation 2:10 tells us "you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days" The ten days is a symbol that our testing will be limited. But it will be difficult. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 teaches that though we have a fight to go through, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." James 4:12: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
He parenthetically examined seemingly intentional ambiguities in scripture. Is it a crown of life or is eternal life the crown? Is it the obedience of faith or is faith the obedience? Is it the love of God; or is the love of God that He first loved us?
Then we learned of the "low-ward road" in verses 14 and 15: Lust leads to sin which matures to death.
Are our trials from heaven and a sovereign God? No. Verse 17 tells us that His gifts are good and perfect; whereas verse 13 tells us that He does not tempt us. And verses 14-16 and 19 warn us how it is that sin comes from us. Pastor Hobbes capped it with verse 18 which shows us that though we trashed the world in which we live and breathe death everywhere we go, God's goodness never quit and "of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."
So, since we know these things--about the upward road and the downward road and that sin comes from us and that God is only good, "therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."
During the service, the last Gunter child to go through FSU was brought into church membership. I went to greet her after the service and talked about Herman and Shannon's kids, one of whom I have met and she has not. We followed the crowd to the fellowship hall to wait for Mimi who tells me that Tom Ertl has a woman and asks that I keep my eyes open for a husband for a lovely young single woman in her church who works with autistic children. It had poured during the church service, but now the sun was breaking through the clouds to reveal the beauty of the falling leaves. After a cup of orange juice and a few crackers with yummy dips, M and I picked our way across the mud puddles in the parking lot to head west.
We visited again with the children on a Sunday night when we vacationed at Tom Ertl's vacation home. And Cal and I returned for our own weekend there a year later (that was just before the unexpected Chicken Pox plague), again enjoying a meal and an afternoon of fellowship with Bill and Mimi in a new home. It is a wonderful church, notwithstanding the candies the pastor passes out after the service. I was delighted to learn that it was Heather Finn's church while she was at FSU many years ago.
We enjoyed an informative Sunday school class by one of the elders on 2 John. I learned that it is a letter written to commend the readers for their Christian hospitality but to warn them strictly not to show such hospitality to the wolves in sheep's clothing that were afflicting the church. I thought it had much to teach us now, and much help to my thinking about how to treat those pursuing theological error. And another wonderful, reverent worship service followed. How I appreciate Pastor Hobbes prayers: so personal and bold yet humble and reverent at the same time.
Pastor Hobbes preached from James 1:12-18, asking Is God good? God has placed a witness in every heart. Therefore if someone asks if there is a God it is because they have a problem with God's goodness. James has told the diaspora that they should rejoice over all their trials. In verses 2--4 we learn of what pastor called the "upward road": Trials lead to testing which leads to endurance and finally maturity. Verse 12 speaks of the same road, contrasted with the wide road of Matthew 7. The man who endures temptation is blessed of God. Revelation 2:10 tells us "you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days" The ten days is a symbol that our testing will be limited. But it will be difficult. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 teaches that though we have a fight to go through, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." James 4:12: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
He parenthetically examined seemingly intentional ambiguities in scripture. Is it a crown of life or is eternal life the crown? Is it the obedience of faith or is faith the obedience? Is it the love of God; or is the love of God that He first loved us?
Then we learned of the "low-ward road" in verses 14 and 15: Lust leads to sin which matures to death.
Are our trials from heaven and a sovereign God? No. Verse 17 tells us that His gifts are good and perfect; whereas verse 13 tells us that He does not tempt us. And verses 14-16 and 19 warn us how it is that sin comes from us. Pastor Hobbes capped it with verse 18 which shows us that though we trashed the world in which we live and breathe death everywhere we go, God's goodness never quit and "of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures."
So, since we know these things--about the upward road and the downward road and that sin comes from us and that God is only good, "therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath..."
During the service, the last Gunter child to go through FSU was brought into church membership. I went to greet her after the service and talked about Herman and Shannon's kids, one of whom I have met and she has not. We followed the crowd to the fellowship hall to wait for Mimi who tells me that Tom Ertl has a woman and asks that I keep my eyes open for a husband for a lovely young single woman in her church who works with autistic children. It had poured during the church service, but now the sun was breaking through the clouds to reveal the beauty of the falling leaves. After a cup of orange juice and a few crackers with yummy dips, M and I picked our way across the mud puddles in the parking lot to head west.
posted by Compleat Mom at 12:12 PM
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