North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

Today, guest blogger Caroline Czerkawski shares her February reflection on the love of God.

Many thanks for reminding us of the greatest love of all, Caroline!

Welcome To Our World

by Caroline Czerkawski

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life”

John 3:16

My daughter, Rebecca, spent the two weeks before Christmas practicing for a solo she was to sing at our church Christmas morning. The song she had chosen to sing was a contemporary song,  “Welcome To Our World,” by Chris Rice.

Although I’m not a very good pianist, I was “enlisted” to help her learn her music. During the two weeks, we practiced the song over and over, and I got very familiar with the words.

And what beautiful and meaningful words they are. The words describe the greatest gift of all, the gift of our Lord and  Savior, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel…. the gift that comes into our world to save us  and envelope us with perfect love. This is the second verse:

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for thorn

Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born, Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You

Breathe our air and walk our sod

Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect son of God, Perfect son of God

Welcome to Our World

Although “Welcome To Our World” is a Christmas song, I think it’s perfect for the month of February and Valentine’s.  To me, “Welcome To Our World” is a love song that describes just how deeply and completely God loves us. As a mother, I can’t imagine sacrificing one of my children, but that’s exactly what God did; He allowed His son to live among us, “to breathe our air and walk our sod” and then be sacrificed for our sin.

At Valentine’s, when we’re thinking about hearts and roses, I hope that our thoughts can also turn to God’s deep and abiding love for us, a love that is limitless and has no boundary.

Dave (Dave’l) Monroe is our guest blogger today!

He shares how a seemingly random conversation in combination with the recent Montreat college student retreat prompted a big decision in his life.  Dave is the son of Traci Foster and is well-known for his participation in and contribution to NWPC Youth (and now college!) activities.

Thank you, Dave, for a spirit-filled account of what’s happening in your faith life!

Seeking the Stars

by Dave (Dave’l) Monroe

“Seeking the Stars” college conference at Montreat was probably the best thing I’ve ever attended when it comes to my faith life. It sure did make my faith a WHOLE lot stronger…on a huge scale.

Feeling a little overwhelmed at first, going into groups that they call “discussion groups” and having people older than me, in their 20s, talking on a completely intellectual level was kind of out of my comfort zone. I sure did make the best of it though, listening to everything they said and hearing their experiences helped so much.

Even though I really didn’t talk as much as I usually do, during the discussions I sort of talked in my head. Thank the Lord that when I was saying something in my head, someone would say something relevant to those ideas…which was a sigh of relief for me.

A couple days before even going to the college conference, I was pumping gas. While my mom paid, there was another guy on the opposite side with his wife in the car. I’d say he was middle aged.

I’d never met the guy. Ends up, he was down here for the holidays and by some miracle, we just started talking.  I told him that I was headed to a college conference with my church the following day. He asked what church I went to and I told him “North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church.”

I went on to say that at first I started going to NWPC just to attend the youth group when “Smit Dog” (aka David Smithey) invited me one day after football practice. Two years later, my mom and I joined the church and I still attend there. I told him that my church goes to Montreat every summer and that this college conference was rather new.

He asked how old I was and I told him I was 18.  He told me that from the age of 18 to about 25 that your faith is tested like no other time in your life. I told him my faith is pretty strong already and he told me that was good to hear. Then he said “God does amazing things. He does truly amazing things.” And he added, “I knew your faith was strong when I first talked to you. God is going to do some awesome things in 2012!” I agreed and we parted.

I really didn’t think much about this encounter at the conference. But the second night after the sermon, we had devotions and Smit Dog  asked us some questions. I mentioned the guy I’d met at the gas station and how he talked about the need for your faith to strong and how these next few years you will be tested like never before. I realized then that FAITH is super important and without faith there really isn’t much to live for.

I came to a decision after the conference: I’m going to get my masters and go into Seminary College in either Pennsylvania or Louisville.  Right now, I’m just looking around at schools.

Penny Musson has a heart for missions.

As our guest blogger this week, she reflects on the definition and discernment of one’s calling by God.

Penny serves in many areas of the church including our Missions Committee, Love-in-Action,

and as the Co-Leader of The Seekers Class on Sunday mornings.

Thank you, Penny, for sharing such wonderful insight!

The Call

by Penny Musson

On Sunday, January 15th, the lectionary reading on Samuel’s call was the lesson for both our Sunday school class and Ben’s sermon. They were presented from different but relevant view points.  After Sunday and since Ellie asked me to reflect on my “call,” the concept has greatly occupied my thoughts. What does it mean to be “called”? 

When it comes to describing that, we are generally at a loss. Do we get called and miss it because of all the noise in our heads, do we think it’s someone other than God calling, or do we just put God on hold while we tend to more important daily demands? Maybe the problem is our expectation of how God’s voice will be manifested in our lives.  As I reflect on my life, it is difficult to accurately discern “the call.” 

From a young age, I felt the nudge. Was being one small voice against discrimination and injustice and a war I did not understand or condone in the 60′s my call?  Was changing my major in college to become a nurse and work with cancer patients and their families when very few survived in the 70′s my call?  Was advocating for children, nurturing, mentoring, encouraging, and sometimes taking in various children and the occasional lost soul my call? Through all of that I still had a hollow place in my heart and that pesky nudge.

Then I began participating in mission trips with our youth and finally went to Mexico.  I knew then that I had received my call. These trips filled my heart with joy and have allowed me to grow in my understanding of myself, my faith, and what God’s will for my life might be. During these experiences I feel complete, but when I’m in my daily routine still there’s the nudge. So maybe that’s not my call.

At this point in my journey, this is where I am. Perhaps “the call” is actually a matter of receptiveness- to being open to God and being in the process of going from self-centered to God-centered. Few of us will be called to be a great prophet.  But if we listen with our hearts, He calls us everyday.  It may be to care for a parent, spouse, friend, or stranger; to make a call, give a smile or hug, dry a tear, or run an errand; to lead or join a protest; to create an opportunity; to make it possible to dig 3 wells in Africa; to hold the hand of a stranger who does not speak you language but hears your heart.

Mother Teresa said “it is not how much you do but how much love you put into it”. That was the command of Christ to us:  to love everyone completely, passionately, unconditionally and in all things. So maybe that is “the call,”… to be open to God disturbing our routine and to pour out love.