By David Phillips
If you’ve done as I do in the mornings, glanced at the news headlines, you’ve been treated to the normal Monday morning screams that appear to be designed to make us so afraid of all that is going on that we wouldn’t dare let an hour go by without checking the news. Well, I’m here to advise you NOT to do that. Reality is disturbing enough, without constantly being inundated with someone’s worst-case-scenario view of current events.
By David Phillips
Today is the day many refer to generally as “the day of worship”. Indeed, it is the Lord’s desire and our practice to assemble together on the first day of the week for the purpose of worshiping God and celebrating the sacrifice of Jesus. The early church did it, Acts 20:7, in keeping with the apostles’ teaching, Acts 2:42. At present, on this very day, we are under restrictions from our Civil leaders, forbidding large gatherings such as normal worship assemblies, and the stated reason is so that we may avoid the greater harm of more rapidly spreading the COVID-19 virus. We understand that the virus is particularly dangerous to those who are elderly, those who have been treated for cancer, and those whose bodies are not particularly strong. Most every worship assembly contains a number of those sort of people, so we are not permitted by our government to assemble in our traditional manner, in large groups, to worship.
Normal?
We’re nearing the end of another week of life, and for most people, life looks differently than it has in a long time, maybe ever. As much as we try to be normal, do normal, think normal, many can’t go to work, most can’t gather in a place of worship, and now the kids can’t have a normal conclusion to their school year. Things are just not normal right now.
By David Phillips
Its Wednesday, “hump day” as we say around the workplace; but I already feel an empty spot in my routine for today, because I’m not able to anticipate meeting together with brothers and sisters tonight for Bible Study. However, I have a feeling that we’re on the way out of this quarantine/isolation business. No hard evidence yet, though the President did say yesterday that he wants the country back to business as usual by April 12. At least someone has been bold enough to put a possible date on it. So let me give you some things to think about here at the midweek point.
By David Phillips
I hope each of you had good worship experiences yesterday. Beth and I were able to find and use some really good resources online, but I’ll have to admit, there’s nothing like being there. As long as our church family is separated from being able to worship together, I thought I’d try to send out a few emails in which I’ll try to share some encouraging thoughts. We’ll call it Thoughts from Quarantine, but of course that’s a little bit of a misnomer. I’m definitely not quarantined, still working all day every day. I guess at the Water Works, we are considered “essential services”, since someone has to deal with all that toilet paper you’ve been buying.
By David Phillips
The numerical designation for the coming year lends itself as a good illustration for how we would like to see – with 20-20 vision. Anyone who has 20-20 vision has great eyesight. For the year 2020, one of the important things to pray for and work toward is to have better spiritual vision. In the interest of helping to accomplish that, our personal study theme for the coming year will be “Looking Beyond Me”.
By David Phillips
Recently, a gospel preacher’s popular blog site featured an article under this title: WHY WE NEED TO STOP TELLING PEOPLE THEY’RE COMMANDED TO GIVE. That’s surely an attention-grabber. However, two separate members of our congregation have come to me, asking my thoughts on the article. After talking with them, it was apparent that they were left with an impression from the article that made them a little bit uncomfortable. After reading the article, I too was left with the impression that the writer wanted me to conclude that there is no New Testament command to give, and that if one doesn’t want to give, it’s okay. Let me quickly say that I believe that if the question were put to that writer in this very simple and direct way, he would likely say, “No, it’s not okay not to give.” At least I hope that would be his position, because I believe the New Testament makes it clear that generous and sacrificial giving is an essential part of the Christian life, without which we cannot go to heaven.
By David Phillips (Adapted from Tyler King’s article in Daily Bread, October 17, 2019)
Very likely, many of us have never considered all the little parts and pieces that have to come together in order for one of our worship services to happen. But by the time you walk in the door and grab your bulletin from the table, shake a hand or two and find your favorite seat, many hours of effort, by several different people have already been in motion. They’ve been planning, preparing and providing for the efforts needed in order for the entire group of worshipers to be properly equipped and taught and led through what many of us consider to be the most important thing we do regularly. Worshipping God sets the tone for the week, and it shouldn’t be done haphazardly.
By David Phillips
This congregation had its beginning in Montgomery in the early 1930’s as a result of mission efforts by the Highland Avenue church of Christ. The Highland Gardens community at that time consisted of about 120 homes, and as the church began meeting in various homes in the community, several gospel meetings were held in the neighborhood in tents. On January 1, 1932, construction began on a small, wood frame church building on the corner of Miller and Wilena Streets. By the end of that first day, the building was sufficiently complete to allow the congregation to meet in it. With walls and a roof in place, windows and doors were hung, and a coal heater kept the structure tolerably warm. With rough boards atop concrete blocks for pews, the church met for its first worship service in the “new” building that night. Within a few weeks, 120 chairs were purchased at a cost of one dollar each to replace the crude “benches”.
By David Phillips
There is a proliferation of religious bodies, churches, all around us today, and the conventional wisdom is that pretty much any of them would like to have you as a member. It is also a fact that many sincere religious people operate on the premise that it really doesn’t matter which church one belongs to, so long as it is under the general umbrella of “Christendom”.
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