John Stuart's Blog

Isaiah30:21   Whether you turn to the right orto the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is theway; walk in it."

Ilove this verse from Isaiah. It was written at a crucial time in the history ofthe Jewish people. They were in the midst of political upheaval, and theirleaders were guilty of causing the nation to morally stray. God feltdisappointed by the people’s ambivalence and laid out the consequences of theirrebellious ways. However, God also provided them with grace and urged them tohear God’s voice. If they did this, they would know the right direction totake, the course correction that they needed, as well as the godly instructionthey required.

Ithink this verse encapsulates what we all need in our lives each day. We each gothrough times of trouble and anxiety, confusion and fear. We can find ourselvesvulnerable and our confidence can be broken, leaving us spiritually and emotionallylost, as well as physically and mentally drained. We sometimes don’t know whatto do or where to go for help, guidance, or support.

Ibelieve this is why we should turn to the scriptures for counsel and advice. Althoughthe words were written long ago, they can still build up our faith and give usinside knowledge about God’s words and ways. I think when we use the Bible for guidance,we are given a divine GPS – God’s Poignant Scriptures – that will often help usto overcome our fears, show us what to do, and help us fulfill our plans. If wemake and take time to daily read and study the Bible, then I firmly believethat during critical times we will hear God’s voice in our hearts, saying, “Thisis the way; walk in it.”

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Your Holy Book whichhas inspired and directed our people for many generations. Give us a heart forlearning about Your ways and works. Enable us to embrace and be guided by Yoursacred words. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

MayGod be with and bless you all.

PastorJohn

 

MidweekDevotion – Local Pilots

Psalm77:19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, thoughyour footprints were not seen. (NIV)

DearFriends,

                             One of the mostfascinating things about being on a cruise ship was watching the passengerliner come into a new harbor. Just before this happened, a small speed boatwould suddenly appear beside the ship in order to let the local pilot comeaboard. The pilot’s knowledge of the water depth, harbor walls, and submerged rocksensured the ship’s safety as we proceeded to dock or undock. Without the pilot,the ship’s captain would not dare to enter or leave the harbor. However, withthe pilot’s presence, the ship docked safely each time.

                             This processreminded me of my role here at First Presbyterian. It has been almost two yearssince you invited me to be your part-time interim. My purpose has been to keepyou on the right course as a congregation and thankfully we have managed thistogether. Hopefully, we are soon coming to a point on our journey where my workas your pastoral pilot will be completed, and you will have a new skipper to leadyou to better and brighter things.

                             The presence of thelocal pilots on the cruise ship also reminded me that every one of us hasChrist as our individual pilot to lead us safely through turbulent times andtroubled waters. In today’s world, we can all be overwhelmed by the chaos andcorruption, callousness and conceit that have damaged us as a people, or even personallyas individuals. As Thomas Paine once remarked, “these are times that try men’ssouls,” so the stress and sorrow that we have for the world can adversely affectour bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. This is why we look to Christ to pilotus through these rough seas; this is why we need Him to guide us safely ashore.

May Godbring you and your loved ones peace, hope, and faith to endure and overcomethese troubled times.

PastorJohn

Deuteronomy33:3            Surely it is you who lovethe people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down,and from you receive instruction.

OnSunday mornings in many churches, young families come down to the front of thesanctuary to hear a story, sing a song, and say a prayer. One of the bestfamily church songs is the old spiritual, "He's Got the Whole World inHis Hands." Kids love it and it’s always delightful to watch them withtheir parents sing together while doing the exaggerated actions to the words ofthis well-known simple song.

It'sthrough those simple worship moments that the meaning, the unity, and thepurpose of the church are experienced. We are called as a holy people, held inGod's hands, worshiping His Son Jesus, and constantly guided by the HolySpirit. We are made simply to enjoy God and to glorify the Lord forever. God’swords are spoken to every generation, and our faith is positively built upthrough the singing of simple songs that reach into our hearts and minds, ourspirits and souls, which we will enjoy forevermore.

Inmy mind, I have this picture of everyone gathered together in glory, and we'reall looking at the Earth, which is gently cupped in God's great hands. At thatmoment in eternity, wouldn't it be wonderful to sing the old spiritual and totruly experience it at the same time?

Sometimes,we feel isolated and all alone in this world. Sometimes, we just want the Earthto stop spinning, so that we can jump off. But in those moments of lonelinessand vulnerability, we can also choose to remember that the Creator we worshiploves people, just like us, holding them dearly in God’s hands.

Prayer:          Lord God, You are the One who createdeverything, and we live on such a tiny part of this gigantic universe. With allthat is continually going on throughout the cosmos, we marvel that You love usso deeply and keep us in Your Holy Hands. Be with us this day and embrace uswithin Your everlasting arms. In Jesus' Name, we gladly pray. Amen.

 

Psalm 31:2b Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress tosave me. (NIV)

Dear Friends,

My wife and I returned home from Europe recently. We had anamazing cruise vacation around the Mediterranean. We saw ports, towns, andcities in Italy, Croatia, Monaco, France, and Spain. It was a wonderful trip,filled with many happy memories and beautiful experiences. We know that jetlagwill kick in soon, but we are grateful to have taken the opportunity to go andsee different places, eat some new foods, and speak in different languagesincluding a little Croatian!

In most of the ports on the Mediterranean Sea, there is usuallya formidable fortress overlooking the harbor. This reminds us that throughouthistory, the Mediterranean has seen many conflicts. A lot of the ports also havenarrow winding streets which were used to hide the inhabitants from invaders,as well as entrapping pirates and other conquerors from pillaging their towns.These days, those fierce-looking castles still experience many foreign invaders,usually carrying cellphones to take photos of the stern stone walls. Instead ofbeing impenetrable powerhouses, the fortresses are now largely welcome centersand magnificent museums where tour groups and their guides gather to marvel atthe structures and hear about their history.

At one time, large churches were also formidable buildingswhich were meant to make people feel small and vulnerable, sinful and unworthy.These fortresses of faith often presented a stern type of Christianity whichsadly is still experienced in some congregations today. Thankfully, places likeour own church, have become wonderful welcome centers and sanctuaries of refugefor the marginalized and victimized, as all as for the lonely and lost, whereeveryone is accepted as a child of God’s grace and truly loved by Christ.

May God’s grace be with you and all your loved ones.

Pastor John

Psalm33:3 Sing to God a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. (NIV)

Yesterday,the whole world was stunned with the news of Dolly Parton’s death. She was sucha joyfully charismatic person, whose songs brought a great deal of happinessand meaning to millions of people across the globe.

For thoseof us who live in East Tennessee, it feels as though a dear and beloved familymember has passed away. Dolly’s commitment to the folks who live in this regionwas wonderful to behold. She never forgot her humble roots and herinternational success meant that she could invest in the lives of East Tennesseanfamilies and children with her book ministry. Dolly cherished the richness ofher own education and wanted to ensure that millions of children throughout variousstates were sent a book to read each month.

Dolly’stalents have been admired and celebrated since she was a teenager. Her positiveattitude endeared her to many Americans. Her passing made us realize how muchwe all loved her as a person, as well as a performer. She was a National Treasureand one whom we will all dearly miss. She treated everyone as a child of God’sgrace and showed us what really makes America great – compassion, tolerance,faith, and love.

Everyyear, Evelyn and I go to Dollywood in the Fall. It’s not just a beautifulseason, but Dollywood is such a charming place to walk around, to see otherpeople, to go on the rides, and, of course, to listen to the music being playedall over the park. Dolly’s legacy will continue there for years to come and thegood folks in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville will always be gratefulfor what she accomplished as an artiste, a Tennessean, and a Christian.

Just likethe psalmist of old, Dolly sang joyfully to God and played skillfully. We haveall been truly blessed by a remarkable woman.

May God bewith you all.

PastorJohn

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct yourhearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (NIV)

 

When I was in High School, I enjoyed all sorts ofathletic sports, especially anything to do with running. I was on the school’ssenior sprint relay team, but I much preferred the middle and long distanceevents. I enjoyed running laps around the track and usually ended up as one ofthe first three runners to finish a race. The secret was to pace myself and toendure the number of laps required and then, with a burst of speed on the lastlap, overtake most of the other runners.

 

One season, my gym teacher invited me to represent theschool in a cross-country race. I had never done this before, but I thought itwould easy because I could cover the distance. When the race started, I wasdetermined to keep up with the leading pack, but they were running much fasterthan I anticipated. I very soon got winded and fell back down the field. I hadnot anticipated the difficulties of running up and down hillsides, instead of beingon a flat track. As I watched many other competitors gleefully run past me, Irealized I was in the wrong kind of race. After it was over, I was glad to getback to running on a flat field.

 

I still admire cross-country runners to this very day.Their perseverance and stamina, as well as their focus and determination, arequalities I deeply respect. They taught me a lesson about endurance which Ioften find relevant in today’s church world.

 

Maintaining our faith in these trying times frequentlyrequires patience and perseverance. The ups and downs of our daily lives aresometimes difficult to endure. Congregations like our own sometime experiencebumpy roads and even a few setbacks. Thankfully, however, just as today’s verseamply expresses, God’s love always guides us while Christ’s perseverance helpsus to prevail.

 

May Jesus continue to bless us as a church of God’speople who faithfully keep going on.

As a kid growing up in Scotland, I can remember both themovie “The Colditz Story,” and the television series simply called “Colditz.”Both were dramatic representations of what actually occurred to AlliedPrisoners of War during World War 2. My impression was that the survivors ofColditz were national heroes and great escapers, so when I began reading David Lascelles’book “Out of Colditz” I was intrigued by what happened to his father during thelast year of World War.

I had never heard of the group of men called ‘The Prominente’who were kept in isolation from the other prisoners because of theirconnections to the Royal family and European political leaders. It was interestingto note that they were largely being used as pawns to possibly negotiate surrenderdeals with the victorious Allied Forces.

Lascelles personal experiences with the German Commandant’sfamily as he researched material for his book were also fascinating. He gave us‘the rest of the story,’ especially when he described several events which theColditz Commandant used to gain some credible defense of not following Hitler’sorders to kill his prominent prisoners.

The book is well written and provides an ample history ofsome of the last days of the Second World War in Europe and the subsequent war-criminaltrials. I would recommend it to anyone who is really interested in the Alliedprisoners and the defeat of Germany in World War 2.

The book will be published by St. Martin’s Press in January2027

Ecclesiastes 7:8   Better is the endof a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than theproud in spirit. (ESV)

            Sometimeswhen I am looking for a quick answer to things and pray for a swift resolution,the Bible reminds me that God’s timing may not be the same as my own. Take today’s highlighted verse, for example. It’s a wiseway of telling us to slow down and wait for a positive result rather thanhastily trying to enforce our own. We all look for a quick end to our issues,problems, and struggles, but sometimes we have to endure what’s happening for awhile before we can reach a satisfactory conclusion. Sometimes this occurs whenwe’re recovering from an illness, surgery, or treatment, or when we’re lookingfor news about a meeting, a problem at work, or an incident with our family.

 

              I likewhat the ancient teacher has to write about being patient in spirit rather thanbeing proud. It’s meant to teach us a lesson that patience requires some levelof humility in order to reduce our anxiety and diminish our concerns. How manytimes have we worried about something that never transpired, or lost sleep overan issue that was never fulfilled? Rather than wasting our time with ‘what ifs,’God often invites us to place all our anxieties into Christ’s hands and waitfor the right moment for everything to be revealed or fulfilled.

 

              MayGod be with you and all your loved ones today, blessing you with patience andfaith, hope and love.

 

Pastor John

Colossians3:16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teachand admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, andsongs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (NIV)

                             One of the mostenjoyable aspects of worshiping on Sundays is the inclusion of music. Whetherit is played on the organ or piano, is sung by the choir or the congregation,or even played on instruments by adults or children, music is a centerpiece of howwe cheerfully and sincerely praise God. The lyrics we sing and the harmonies wecreate, bring us together as a family of faith and connect us to Christiancommunities across the Earth, as well as with the angels who are foreversinging before the throne of God. Without the inclusion of music, our worshipwould be empty and dull; with the gift of music, our worship becomesinspirational and meaningful.

                             I like today’s highlightedverse from Colossians. It reminds us that we have been singing God’s praisesfor thousands of years. The Apostle Paul emphasized the singing of hymns andpsalms as a special and holy means to teach the Christian faith to the youngchurch at Colossae. The words and music helped his people draw closer to God inboth cheerful and sorrowful times. Similarly, throughout the centuries, manyChristian communities have sung sacred songs to strengthen their resolve andovercome their problems. For example, the hymns and spirituals of thenineteenth century enabled enslaved people to persevere; the protest songs andcommunity choruses of the 1960s inspired churches to fight for civil rights.

                             I hope that youenjoy the music on Sundays, too, and understand how important and precious thegift of music is for everyone in our congregation. As we sing our hymns, listento the anthems, and reflect on the special music, may we all experience thepresence of God’s Spirit and deepen our relationship with the Lord, as well aswith one another.

                             May God bless youand all your loved ones.

PastorJohn

MidweekMessage: O When the Saints

Psalm30:4 Sing to the LORD, you saints; praise God’s holy name.

Oneof the first songs I learned on the guitar was "O When theSaints." It's easy to play because it only has three chords, sowhen you're a beginner, it makes you feel good playing, strumming, and singinga whole song. I spent many nights in my bedroom as a teenager singing it at thetop of my voice until my parents or siblings told me to keep quiet.

WhenI first played it, I didn't really know what I was singing about, after all, asfar I was concerned, saints were very holy people who had died long, long ago.It was only years later when I was studying the scriptures at seminary that Ilearned 'saints' can be ordinary people, alive and well, who practice andproclaim their faith through acts of mercy and kindness, devotion and love.

Asfollowers of Christ, we all have the potential each day to be saintly. Peoplewill cross our paths that need our help, support, and encouragement. If weexpress Christ's love to them through acts of compassion, care, and concern,we'll be doing saintly deeds. It won't make us any holier, more sacred, or evenspiritually superior, but it will help change for the better other people'slives, as well as our own. And after all is said and done, wouldn’t we ratherbe a saint walking through this world and doing what we can to make it a betterand kinder place, than believing saints to only be holy people from the past?

Pointto ponder: What can I do today to help other people and spread God’s love?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You call us to be disciples andsaints, to follow Your ways and fulfill Your words through acts of compassion,kindness, and care. Enable us to take the opportunities to serve You in asaintly way by helping, supporting, and encouraging others around us. In YourHoly Name, we pray. Amen.

Godbless you all.

PastorJohn