Christmas reflections...

Our family Christmas celebrations have all been wonderfully unique and somehow strangely different than each one previous; but not in a bad way. It's just that at Christmas we are routinely involved in ministry responsibilities and that's been going on long before I became a Pastor. Somehow the places of ministry have changed over the years, housing situations have been very unique and different, finances have been good, bad or downright ugly. We've been separated by extremely long distances from either my parents or Cheryl's. I've been in hospitals praying for divine intervention for members in distress. I've chopped wood with my father on Christmas Eve for a member who desperately needed wood for heat and made it home through a blizzard in time for Christmas Eve dinner. I remember once in seminary we spent $50.00 on our total Christmas presents ($35.00 for 5 children $15.00 between Cheryl & I). This was made possible because of the generosity of the members of Bayleaf Baptist Church in North Carolina with their seminary toy chest - they bought the toys and the most we could spend as we shopped for each child was $7.00. I was supporting all 7 of us on a 35 hour a week salary and my boss needed 60 hours a week from me while I was going to seminary full time and teaching Sunday School. No matter where we've been or what was going on in our lives, two things have been consistent, the presence of Jesus superintending and guiding our footsteps as we've walked with the Lord together; and all of our children being with us for Christmas....until this year.

For 24 years, Cheryl and I have enjoyed all of our children being with us and seeing the excitement on their faces as we've read some portion of the Christmas story before opening presents. It has always been so special as we've shared gifts with one another and it seems like yesterday it was just three girls and they were each getting dolls made to look like them. Boys were added to the mix along the way and "GI Joe's" or Nerf guns were plotting surprise attacks. Now in our 25th year marriage, for the first time, one of our married daughters was not able to be with us on Christmas so we're in new chapter of life. Once again adding a unique twist to our Christmas celebration but with the aid of technology, we were able to video chat with them as they celebrate with our son in law's family in Texas. Sad in a way but part of the spice of life and the adventure we're on with the Lord. You see He has never changed and He always makes our Christmas celebrations so special because our focus is on Him, not on us. Like the Apostle Paul, we've literally learned that whatever state we're in to be content. Whether we have much or a little, whether our housing is great or lacking some things we'd desire.  Whether we were having a church full of people or whether it was 9 of us - the 7 in our family and one other couple; we've learned to be content.

I think this may be part of the "Peace" that the angelic messengers proclaimed to those shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. There is a contentment that only Jesus can bring to your life no matter what your condition happens to be. The world system wants you to buy in to the lie of Satan that contentment comes from more stuff, the latest, greatest, newest, or whatever happens to be the hot must have item. The world system says the next relationship will be the one, the next job, or whatever. But the void in our lives seems to get bigger and the Lord says "What are you doing"? How long before we realize that the Lord Jesus Christ alone can fill that void our lives? 

Our circumstances have been so dramatically different now for 25 years of marriage; there is no doubt in my mind next Christmas will unfold some unique challenge or situation for us as a family. This one has been different for sure. Last year at this time, we were given a stuffed bear with the recorded heartbeat of our 1st granddaughter Addison Lynn Deason in anticipation of her birth in the spring. Little did we know instead of giving her her first Christmas presents as her "Nana" & "Pops"; we'd not have her with us and that she would in fact be with Jesus whose birth we celebrate. Little did I know I'd be able to feel the movement of my second grandchild in the womb of our eldest daughter at this Christmas and talk with Addison's mommy & daddy online who are expecting grand baby number 3 as well. Seeing first hand new life forming in the wombs of my precious daughters this Christmas causes me once again to take a deep breath and stand in awe and wonder of that night 2000 years ago when a young virgin named Mary gave birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I stand in awe that our Lord would come to earth so each member of my family could be forgiven of their sins, that God would call me to serve Him full time as a pastor to proclaim that message of salvation, and that He offers forgiveness to all who will accept it by faith.

I hope you'll never get over the wonderful truth of Christmas that "unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." I don't know what your circumstances are, but I can promise you no matter what they may be, if you'll make Jesus the center of your lives, you'll have peace that only He can provide no matter what adventure you're in at the moment. I hope these Christmas reflections will encourage you, and Merry Christmas; from my little corner of the world to yours...

 
Pastor Ralph Green
Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

  www.calvarybelair.com

 

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

Encouragement from the courthouse...

We live in a world where only bad news sells it seems in the news media and watching the local or national evening news can be downright depressing. We’re told all that’s going wrong in our country today. Politicians seem to be able to easily talk out of both sides of their mouth to please the particular audience they have at that moment.  They have the unique “skill” to be non-committal on everything and sufficiently vague with their comments so they can’t be pinned down to their views on certain controversial issues. The court systems seem to be nothing more than a charade of justice because justice really isn’t blind if you can pay. Well I had the occasion to be at the Harford County Courthouse this past Tuesday to be with one of my sheep who was to appear before a judge to see if the unfortunate incident he was involved in would finally be resolved. Because of my law enforcement experience, I know the “hurry up and wait” routine really well. It seems to me in my experience  that the proverbial wheels of justice grind slower than a slave trying to push a mammoth grind stone alone. Continuances,  lawyers double booking cases, detached judges not interested in other people’s time, officers detained and not able to appear, witnesses who don’t show and you can begin to see why stuff takes so long to get resolved as this is the “normal” courthouse routine.

While waiting for my friend’s hearing and having a general interest in the law since I actually considered law school as a career, I enjoy watching the proceedings to kill time since you can’t have your cell phone or computer with you in court. Well I was treated to a wonderful breath of fresh air watching the honorable Judge James Vaughan hold court. From what I was able to glean, Judge Vaughan is a highly respected judge in Maryland who retired from his full time post and apparently was filling in on Tuesday. He was prompt and kept things moving. We were treated to his discussion with an attorney representing a client from out of state related to a traffic ticket and she did not show up for court apparently for the last time. Judge Vaughan warned that attorney he was tired of this woman manipulating the system and the taxpayers of Maryland with her shenanigans and that there would not be a next time!

We were treated to a public defender who was extremely late coming into the courtroom after having Judge Vaughan’s bailiff go tell the lawyer the court was in session and waiting. When he finally came in with a flippant “my apologies your honor”; Judge Vaughan instantly corrected the young barrister that his delay and apology were not acceptable to the court. He told the attorney he had a courtroom full of people waiting for him, people with jobs, lives and things to do and he had no right to delay when he was summoned to the courtroom and the judge did not appreciate him holding all of us hostage. He told this shocked attorney now standing before this no-nonsense judge that if he needed more time to prepare, he could have the time but he needed to ask for permission from the judge and not presume upon the court’s goodness. Wow - A judge who cares about other people’s time and lives and won’t stand for arrogance from anyone, no matter what law school they went to!

We were shocked and saddened as Judge Vaughan had to decide a case where a father had taken a car belonging to his 22 year old daughter, who consequently pays the car payment faithfully and her own insurance, and withheld it from her for 3 months, driving it and even wrecking it and filing the claim on her insurance, along with her purse, checkbook, bank card and numerous personal items leaving her no choice to file theft charges against her own dad. Judge Vaughan asked the question everybody was dying to holler…. “What kind of father????” In finding this man guilty, he told this man point blank he was a thief and a bully; a man who steals from his daughter and bullies his own child. Yet the judge was compassionate and gave the man a chance to leave with a deputy to get the poor girl’s belongings, 45 minutes provided to make amends before sentence pronounced. I wondered while watching this public servant preside and decide cases what it must have been like to watch King Solomon render justice in Israel (CF 1^st Kings 3:16-28).

As he pondered my friend’s case and read all the reports; not having had any exposure to any of the previous discussions in court, I appreciated him examining the evidence of my friend’s unique medical situation that caused his encounter with law enforcement. This Judge did not publically disclose the problems my friend had that would embarrass him; showed great kindness in allowing him to remain seated and signed off on the agreement reached by the state and the defense. An answer to prayer for sure as the case turned out the best for all parties involved and justice was served.

As I walked out of that courtroom and headed to my truck after a morning there, I thanked the Lord for the honorable Judge James Vaughan. I was encouraged to see all hope is not lost for our country and there are still people who serve the public faithfully with the wisdom only God can provide. I was thankful for seeing a public servant, a man with authority given to him by Almighty God exercise some good old common sense in dealing with people who’ve royally messed up their lives, holding them accountable but also with compassion and dignity. I don’t know if Judge Vaughan is a Christian but I pray that he becomes one if he is not already. Paul was inspired by God to write “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1^st Tim.2:1-4).” What an opportunity we have as believers to influence our communities for Christ by praying for “kings and all who are in authority” that God would save them! There is hope for our country, it’s not in judges, lawyers, or the government, it’s in “God our Savior.” It’s amazing that verse 5 continues “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” As much as I’m thankful for Judge Vaughan, I’m thankful the Lord Jesus is my mediator, my advocate with God the Father. When I stand before the Judge of the Universe someday, I won’t have to fear because Jesus will plead my case for me and He’ll tell the Judge that He’s already paid my sin debt and that I’m forgiven; Satan has no case against me; not because I’m good, but because of Jesus Christ and what He did for me on that old rugged cross.

So I remind us all of our obligation to pray for our public servants to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth and to thank God for them. Pray that God will grant to them wisdom to rule with righteousness, justice and mercy and they would walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). I was encouraged at the courthouse the other day and thought I’d share it, from my little corner of the world to yours…

Ralph Green

Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

www.calvarybelair.com

Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RalphGreen  

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

When I was a kid, I remember my mom playing Christmas records (that’s right a record…a big, round, black piece of plastic with a little hole in the middle that went into a huge console stereo system with a needle that when placed on this record, made sound come out through the speakers). We had no concept of CD’s, IPods or MP3 players. I remember her decorating the house and smells coming from the kitchen where you didn’t really know what was in the oven, but the anticipation of delight would make its way through your nostrils to the pit of your stomach because you knew something good was on its way. One of the songs I remember being sung which to this day is one of my favorites; was by Andy Williams called “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. While it’s a secular song and there’s not really any reference to the Christ of Christmas, the song mainly focuses on the traditions of families and friends as they gather to celebrate and the familiar refrain “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I think that refrain alone is one reason why this song continues to be so popular and one of my favorites. It really is a wonderful time of year and probably would be considered by most believers to be the most wonderful time of the year with Easter being a close second. Probably because Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ and His birth into the world. Easter cannot ignore the cruel death on the old rugged cross and the pain of that knowledge in our souls, so because of the pain involved around Easter, my suspicion is that most of us would rank Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year.

There’s something about the wonder of the Christmas season and the birth of this special Child named Jesus, Emanuel – God with us; the long awaited and promised Messiah, the one who would “save His people from their sins” (Matt.1:21) that makes young, middle aged or old want to celebrate. There is a magic about Christmas like no other holiday that turns strangers in the hustle and bustle of life into cordial acquaintances. People who would at any other time of the year not greet you on the street or going into the store but at Christmas begin to do so. There’s an anticipation that begins around Thanksgiving that builds with excitement and downright joy begins to well up in hearts usually more calloused due to the rigors of life. Who can explain how a baby changes everything? Who can explain how people who never attend church 50 weeks of the year are suddenly drawn to attend at this most wonderful time of the year? There’s something truly special about this time of year. For believers, disciples of Jesus Christ, we know the answer to that. We know that Jesus is the reason for the CHRISTmas season. The announcement of the angels to the shepherds foretells of this divine act of God some would call “magic” in Luke 2:10 “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” I think the Lord begins to stir in the hearts of even the most hard-hearted individuals that there is something unique about Christmas even now, over 2000 years after that blessed first Christmas when Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem and laid in a cattle feeding trough.

I hope and pray that you’ll take full advantage of the wonderful God-given opportunity we have at this most wonderful time of the year to be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus. Never miss an opportunity to wish people you encounter “as you go” a hearty “Merry Christmas”. While the Satan & politically correct crowd would want to convince you in order to not be offensive to not talk about Christ and substitute a bland and tasteless “Happy Holidays”; don’t shy away from reminding people of the Greatest Gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ. Take advantage of the opportunity to give joyfully to our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Our church goal is $28,000.00 and we can reach it if we each ask the Lord what He’d have us to give sacrificially so that others may come to know Jesus as Savior. Take advantage of the opportunity to invite a friend, co-worker or family including in-laws and “out-laws” to come with you to our Christmas musical on Dec. 19^th or our Christmas Sunday celebration Dec. 26^th. There is no time like Christmas where people would come if personally invited. God is already working in their hearts to prepare them, all you have to do is ask. Take advantage of the opportunity to pray for a harvest of souls, new birth in Christ as people respond to the message of Christmas, pray for me to have boldness and clarity as I share these good tidings of great joy.

From all of us here in the church office at Calvary, we want you to have a marvelous and Merry Christmas at this most wonderful time of the year. May the Christ of Christmas bring great joy to you and your family as you celebrate the Savior’s birth. It is my thrill and joy to serve as your pastor and I love you, from my little corner of the world to yours…

Ralph Green

Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

www.calvarybelair.com

Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RalphGreen  

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

A word about the new NIV Bible translation...

With Christmas coming, a new Bible might be on someone’s gift list and a quick trip down to the local Christian Book Store to check off your gift list and you have a Bible. But should you buy a Bible based on the sale price that happens to be going on? The leather cover, the fancy notes and colorful illustrations and the study notes (which by the way are not inspired, infallible or inerrant, but a human’s study into the Bible). You need to remember that Bible publishers need to sell Bibles to make a profit just like anyone else in business. Christian Book stores, even the one connected to our denomination need to sell books and Bibles so publishers and book stores will market and provide prime floor space to help them sell their products. Big publishers have more money to spend to market their product and that is fine within certain moral limits.
When purchasing something that is designed to feed your soul and spirit, in this case a Bible; or it is to feed someone’s soul and spirit you care about deeply, you want to make an intelligent and informed decision on that  purchase. That being said, I can heartily recommend a New King James Version which is the Bible I preach out of each week. It is a faithful translation of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts. I like this Bible personally as I grew up on the old King James version so it has that kind of feel but in a modern more readable language easy to understand. I would also have no problem recommending a New American Standard, Holman Christian Standard or English Standard version. I have copies of each of these and like each of them as they are faithful translations of the original languages. My personal devotions and Bible reading each morning is out of an ESV which I have grown to love. 
The NIV Bible is published by Zondervan Publishers and while I have NIV Bibles, I’m hesitant to recommend it because a few years ago they came out with the so called “gender-neutral” Bible the TNIV. Bowing to the winds of political correctness, the publishers tried to neutralize clear references to either male or female under much criticism and controversy. They are set to come out with new version of the NIV in 2011 where they have tried to correct some definite problems from the TNIV. Sadly, there are apparently still issues with this new version so I would caution you to steer clear of this translation. Until Zondervan sorts through their translation philosophy and abandons the desire to be politically correct or overly culturally relevant; I would think the problems that spill over into their translations of the Bible will continue. In the mean time, you need Bible and you need to hear what God wants to communicate to you as He loves you whether you’re a male or a female and He needs no one to apologize for what He wants to say to you – stick with a Bible choice from the list above and you’ll be on solid ground. All you need to do is make time to actually read the Bible you purchase. If you’re interested in reading further about these concerns related to the NIV, you can check out this statement made by the “Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.”
http://www.cbmw.org/Blog/Posts/CBMW-Responds-to-New-NIV2011
There is much to understand about Bible translations and the philosophy behind that translation that I cannot go into here but inside each Bible should be a statement from the publisher about their process of translation. Books like “The Message” are not really Bibles but simply a paraphrase by one man who paraphrased what he thinks the Bible says. While it may make for interesting reading, it may not give you an accurate picture of what God said in His Word. With accurate translations that translate word for word from the original manuscripts readily available in readable and understandable English, you don’t need someone telling you what he thinks it says; you can read it for yourself. I hope this helps you make some educated choices as what you feed your spirit and those you love because this is of critical importance. Just a simple word of caution from my little corner of the world to yours…
Ralph Green
Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church
www.calvarybelair.com
Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  
Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RalphGreen  

Oh give thanks to the Lord...

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." That phrase occurs in 6 different passages of Scripture (1st Chron.16:34, Pss. 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 118:29, and 136:1). Now God only has to say something one time for it to be authoritative but 6 times in the Scriptures God commands His people to give thanks to Him for He is good and to acknowledge that His mercy endures forever. As we head into the holiday season, Thanksgiving is first on the horizon where we celebrate the historical holiday the Pilgrims first marked in the new world in 1621 in the Plymouth Colony. Observances of Thanksgiving were held by the American colonies but it was not consistently observed at the same time till President George Washington made it a national holiday in 1789. It is a time that is set aside to reflect with thankful hearts what the Lord has done for our country and for each of us as families and individuals. Christians ought to be the most thankful people of all because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His birth which is observed at Christmas just a few short weeks after Thanksgiving.

 

My family has much to be thankful for as we enter this time of year and I want our family to give thanks to the Lord for He is good and His mercy does endure to us forever. He’s sustained us through the death of our sweet grand-daughter Addison Lynn Deason. He’s continued to provide for us even though as of this writing, our house in Houston has not sold, we’ve never missed a meal for lack of groceries and we’ve not lost our home there; nor a roof over our heads in Bel Air. He’s been so faithful to the Green family but space will not permit me to share all that our wonderful and gracious Heavenly Father has done for us. As the leader of my family, I give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever!

 

I’m thankful as the under-shepherd of Calvary in scary economic times when so many churches are struggling; Calvary’s giving continues to outpace our budget need which is a testimony to the generosity of God’s people whose giving shows their gratitude to God for He is good, for His mercy endures forever. I’m thankful to be the pastor of a church that loves Jesus and seeks to honor Him in all we do. I’m thankful to be the pastor of a church that seems eager to hear the Word of God preached each week and is excited to worship Him. There is an excitement and anticipation in our midst each week as we gather together to praise our God, to proclaim the wonderful Gospel message that Jesus saves, to mine out the unsearchable riches of the Scriptures, and to genuinely encounter God and experience the life change that authentic encounters with God produce. I’m thankful for prayer warriors in our church family I can ask without embarrassment or hesitation to pray for me and our church. I’m thankful for faithful saints of God who serve in so many capacities so that when we have a major staff change as we’ve had recently with Pastor Bob being called to another field of service, the church does not suffer and the work of the ministry continues, but that’s not us or the product of human effort, but we can give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever!

 

As I pen this brief note, I’m holed up on a spiritual retreat seeking God’s face and direction for my next sermon series after we conclude the book of Ephesians just before Christmas. I’m reading much Scripture, writing, but most of all I’m praying for the Lord’s direction for this needy preacher that He would in fact feed me the truth I need and in turn He would use it to feed you my church family. I’m thankful as I believe He is answering me on what I need to pursue next for our Sunday mornings together. Quite frankly, I’m overwhelmed by what I think the Lord will have me preaching next year, but I believe God’s church needs to hear the message He’s proclaimed through the prophets and I know He’ll use it to challenge us, convict us, break us and ultimately restore us to further His purposes. I have much work to do and I want to be faithful to it for God’s glory.

 

On the church front, I am working with the personnel committee on revising the job description for the position of associate pastor that Bob held. We are prayerfully asking the Lord for His wisdom as it is apparent to all of us that Bob had way more to do and was responsible for far more than one guy could possibly do. I anticipate sharing directly with the church early in January after the holiday season passes what we believe the Lord would have us to do related to our staff needs. Please be in prayer now for me and our team as we seek to lead us in these exciting days. On the other side of it, I’m confident we’ll be saying once again: “Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.” Thankfulness and excitement is abounding in my little corner of the world, I hope it is in yours…

 

Pastor Ralph Green
Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

  www.calvarybelair.com

 

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

Clarity of focus...

Somewhere along the way someone got the idea to have “Pastor Appreciation Month” during the month October. I’m not sure whose idea this was and honestly I feel a little weird talking about it given my position as a pastor. I have a beautiful picture above my work desk given to me by the first church I served as pastor when they expressed their appreciation to me years ago. The picture is called “The Legacy”; it portrays a pastor holding his Bible in the pulpit proclaiming the Word of God. Portrayed on either side of him are “the great cloud of witnesses” from Hebrews 12:1 and one of the figures apparently represents the Lord Jesus, standing beside his messenger with his hand on the Pastor’s shoulder as the Pastor preaches. It is one of my prized treasures and I wanted it above my study desk because it helps me have clarity of focus on the primary duty I have to proclaim the Word of God.

Pastor Appreciation is a Biblical concept that appears in several places in the New Testament. One of these is found in Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who rule (lead) over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.” I can’t really speak for Bob, Ken and Wally, but I think they would say ya’ll have indeed remembered us with so many cards, notes of encouragement, the gift cards from the church and other tangible expressions of your love for each of us. I think it would be safe to say we’re all overwhelmed by your love and encouragement and we’re so appreciative of what you have done for us. Your thoughts and gifts mean so much and we’re thankful. Many of you tell us throughout the year you are praying for us and that you appreciate something we did.

The writer of Hebrews however was inspired by the Holy Spirit to immediately record verse 8 in that context of remembering your pastors: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to magnify the Lord Jesus Christ and so He inspired the writer to remind each of us we need to maintain clarity of focus and exalt the Lord, to keep our focus on the Lord and not on the men He has called to serve as under-shepherds. You see the reality is each of your pastors is human, just real men, men with flaws, fears and failures. We may show glimpses of inspiration but we’re certainly not infallible or inerrant. The sad part is that when God had to call pastors, He had to recruit from the human race so He got us, warts and all. The good news in this is that it magnifies Jesus and His grace even further. Pastors’ kind of live in a fishbowl, everyone is watching us and through that fishbowl, we look larger than we really are. When we do something wrong, we make a mistake in our judgment, or we flat out fall on our face in sin; it can be devastating to people because they are not looking past us to Jesus. So remember that Jesus is in fact the same yesterday, today and forever. He’ll never disappoint you even though we will. He will never leave you or forsake you even though He might call us to another place of service and battle as He has done with Bob. The reality is under-shepherds come and go, but the Chief Shepherd always remains steady and faithful to His bride.

These are historic times here at Calvary, included in this edition of “The Way”; you’ll find our proposed 2011 Budget for review. We’ll discuss this budget on Sunday evening Nov.21^st and vote on it on Sunday December 5^th. It is a historical budget in that for the first time in Calvary’s history, our budget is over one million dollars ($1,000,011.00)! It is definitely a faith budget of what we’d like to see God do but it is grounded in reality as well as we’ve considered actual expenses in order to be accurate with our planning. It has been through a myriad of processes, committees and staff review to ensure we’re being wise stewards; and I’m confident we are presenting a realistic guide for our 2011 ministries. While a million dollar budget may be a shock to your system, in my simple view of the world, it helps me gain clarity to realize the weekly need will increase $1,229.00 over our 2010 budget to $19,231.00. Our unchanging God who provided last year for His bride will provide this year as well.

With Bob Brown’s obedience to God’s call and departure to a new field of service, we’re also entering a historic season in clarifying and quantifying the staff needs the church has. I told you of Jean Carr’s plan to retire at the end of the year and I can tell you that your personnel committee is already hard at work planning for our future staffing needs. It is important the church choose staff for her long term future based on the clarity of focus the Lord is providing and His vision for what He wants Calvary to accomplish. Embracing God’s vision for us will require we keep our eyes fixed squarely on the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and forever. His constant faithfulness, His vision, His clarity of focus and His wisdom is what we must all pray for as we walk through these historic days together by faith. I don’t know about you, but I’m thrilled to know Jesus is always the same yesterday, today and forever, that knowledge encourages me and helps me see clearly, from my little corner of the world to yours…

Ralph Green

Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

www.calvarybelair.com

Subscribe to Pastor Ralph's Blog: http://pastorralphgreen.blogspot.com/  

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/RalphGreen  

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Posted via email from Pastor Ralph

Changing Seasons....

October 14, 2010

Changing seasons…

I love living in Maryland for a lot of reasons, primarily because God has called me to serve Him here, which in and of itself should be and is for me more than enough reason to love it. Every reason I can come up with beyond the call of God is icing on the proverbial cake. I’ve come to embrace our field of service in so many ways over the last 21 months mainly because of relationships we’re establishing and it’s wonderful to have access to so many regional interests. It doesn’t hurt to have a great football team to root for in the Ravens and I enjoy seeing the team spirit as purple becomes the order of the day. (This is especially good for me seeing the Cowboys are currently in the cellar!)

One of the things I love about Maryland is the true four season climate we enjoy here. Reasonable winters with enough snow (or as in last winter an abundance of snow) to enjoy, but then it goes away. A gorgeous springtime as trees blossom with beauty that is difficult to describe. How can you not love seeing those cherry trees in front of the church in full bloom? Nice hot summers to enjoy the water in the pool, on the lake, the bay or the beach with sky blue cloudless days for extended periods and rain when needed to cool off and replenish the soil. And now we’re entering fall. Cooler mornings and evenings, training myself to remember to take a jacket out to watch my boys play football and the leaves begin their turning process. Each day reveals more color and each bend in the road reveals another splash of beauty. Raking leaves at my house is another story altogether!

The point is to some extent, as seasons we love go by like summer, there is a degree of sadness which takes place but our Lord brings the new season for us to embrace and look forward to for its own unique blessings and benefits. I’ve learned through my ministry there are definite seasons in the life of the church as well. New eras and periods on the horizon but with the fading of one season there is a degree of sadness that goes along with it. With Dr. Carter’s retirement after 20 years of faithful ministry, Dr. Jackson’s steady transitional interim ministry, and my arrival and efforts to get up to speed with a new system and church family, many changes afoot, and your kind patience with me as your new pastor; we’ve been in an extended season of change. One of the reasons from my perspective my transition to Calvary has been so smooth and such a blessing is because of the steady, faithful and wise ministry of our Associate Pastor Bob Brown. Bob has helped me learn the church DNA, helped me understand some dynamics I couldn’t have known had he not given me insight. He’s provided me with a completely opposite perspective I may not have considered which has helped me and our staff make wise decisions and plans.

By the time you read this article, Bob has notified the church of God’s call upon his life to pursue a new ministry opportunity. He personally shared with me his call to this and how the Lord orchestrated his being accepted into a chaplain internship in York, Pa., at the hospital there. Obviously this represents a huge change of seasons for us at Calvary and for Bob and Jenny. On one hand we are sad because they have both been tremendous servants here to our Lord and church family. On the other hand we are excited for Bob and Jenny as this will be a great blessing to their family and their future. I want us as a church family to see this call upon Bob’s life as a great thing for the work of God’s Kingdom. To my kingdom way of thinking, I see Bob going as a missionary to a new field of harvest. I can totally see Bob in this role as I’ve watched his pastoral care and how he thrives in this environment. I have no doubt that Bob will see many people come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because of his care for them and witness to them. The wonderful news for all of us is we’re partners together in ministry and we’re sending the Browns out as missionaries to the hospital and medical community along with all the patients and their families. We’ll have a church wide reception for Bob and Jenny on Sunday night Oct. 31^st immediately after our church in conference business meeting to celebrate God’s working in their lives.

I’ve also been notified formally by our Administrative Secretary Jean Carr that she plans to retire at the end of the year. Jean has served Calvary for 18 years and had told the personnel committee when hired for the position she currently holds she’d serve for 2 years so we’ve known her plans for some time. No doubt as we draw closer to her retirement we’ll honor her service and ministry in a special way.

For several months already, I believe the Lord’s guidance has been preparing us for these staff changes. I’ve been working with the personnel committee to rewrite Bob’s job description and divide the multitude of responsibilities he carries. We were already in the planning stages of  adding a family and discipleship pastor to our team because of our growth and intentional desire to reach and disciple young families. God’s timing is perfect and we can be confident as He’s calling Bob to a new field of service and prompting Jean to retire; He already knows what His Bride at Calvary is in need of and He will make known to us His will as we seek His direction for these positions. The job descriptions may in fact look completely different to what we’ve had but we have a marvelous team serving on our personnel committee and I’m confident in God’s provision for us as a church family. I’m also confident that you’ll encourage and support the Browns and Jean and that you’ll begin now to pray for them and our church family as we walk through this season of change together. I echo the sentiments of the Psalmist in Psalm 118:23 “This was the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.” The changing of the seasons can be a beautiful thing to behold if we see it as the Lord’s doing. It is marvelous in my eyes from my little corner of the world to yours…

  Pastor Ralph Green
Senior Pastor, Calvary Baptist Church

  www.calvarybelair.com

Posted via email from Pastor Ralph