Tata Madiba

Christmas is almost here and I confess I still have some shopping left to do. However, in the midst of the Christmas frenzy, my mind has been focused on the passing of Nelson Mandela. One never knows the impact of our legacy until we see the fruit it has produced. In Mandela's case, he was a very fruitful man! To fill a stadium with people who love you and see leaders from all over the world pay their respects certainly makes a statement about the life he lived and the legacy he left behind. As I thought about Nelson Mandela, I could see reflections of some Biblical heroes of the faith. I thought about Abraham as the "father of many" which is the meaning of his name. Prior to this name change, the patriarch was known as Abram meaning "exalted father." In the Ancient Near East, one's name carried a lot of significance. Obviously Abram earned the respect of many people. However when God changed his name to Abraham, he became marked in a special way as God's servant. (Genesis 17) When God sets someone apart to His service powerful things take place in the individual's life and the lives in which he/she comes into contact. Similarly, Nelson Mandela had a "name change." "Madiba" is the name of Mandela's clan. The name of one's clan was considered more important than a surname. It refers to the ancestor from which a person is descended. "Madiba" was the Thembu chief who ruled in Transkei in the 18th century. It is considered very polite to use someone's clan name. Like Abram, Mandela or "Madiba" commanded great respect given his connection to a tribal chief. However, like Abraham, Mandela became known by the people as "Tata." "Tata" is a term of endearment meaning "father." Many people regardless of age used the term to describe Mandela who became a father figure to the nation. Both Abraham and Tata Madiba became "fathers of many." I also see similarities between Nelson Mandela and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was a hater of Christians and spent many years persecuting, arresting, and killing them. (Acts 8:1-3) As a young idealistic man filled with anger and impatience towards the Afrikaners and the system of Apartheid, Nelson Mandela began to use violence against his enemies. However both men had a heart change and were transformed by the power of love and forgiveness. Paul's transformation came on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19) and Madela's after spending 27 years in prison. There is only One who has the power to change bitterness and hatred into love and healing. His name is Jesus. As a result of the heart change these men experienced, many people's lives were also dramatically changed. During Paul's ministry, Jews and Gentiles alike came to know the Savior. In Nelson Mandela's case, the system of Apartheid was dismantled and black Africans and white Afrikaners began to share power equally, living and working together in peace. This is the power of what Christ can do if we are willing to open our hearts to receive Him. When we believe in Christ and accept the gracious gift that the Father has given us, we are set apart to serve God in the world. As His servants, God transforms us from the inside out. He equips us with gifts by the power of His Holy Spirit to touch lives with His love and bring honor and glory to His Name. Additionally, we will be given "new names" as revealed in the book of Revelation. John in speaking to the seven churches says this to the church in Pergamum, " He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it." (Revelation 2:17) And to the church in Philadelphia he writes, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name." (Revelation 3:11-12) You and I may never have "descendants as numerous as the stars" or people filling a stadium to celebrate our lives but as we share the gospel, we give an even greater gift that will result in eternal life for all that receive it. Well done Tata Madiba, rest in peace!
Blessings In Christ,
Pastor Sheree

Thank You, Jesus!

Every year at this time folks gather around their Thanksgiving tables. Inevitably the question is asked, "For what are you thankful?" We can all rattle off a laundry list of things for which we give thanks. But all of the items we typically come up with on our list have one shortcoming, they are perishable. However, there is One who is eternal. He is the heart and soul of all the good and gracious gifts we enjoy. (James 1:17) His name is Jesus and the promise of His return is what I give thanks for this Thanksgiving Day!

Thank You, Jesus

Cry for the people struggling with sin,
Cry for the nations lying in ruin,
It seems like the world is in a tailspin,
Thank You, Jesus, You're coming again!

Children are dying out in the street,
They go unprotected with little to eat,
Death and destruction are closing in,
Thank You, Jesus, You're coming again!

Countries are warring for there is mistrust,
Desolate cities crumbling to dust,
Threats from the outside and fears from within,
Thank You, Jesus, You're coming again!

Our God will save us, this world He'll remake,
In the blink of an eye, one day we'll awake,
The Kingdom arrives and new life will begin,
Thank You, Jesus, You're coming again!

Remember this day that we call Thanksgiving,
And give praise to God in His grace we are living,
Celebrate! for in the end we will win,
Thank You, Jesus, You're coming again!

(Sheree A. Harrington, November 25, 2013)

May you enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving!
Pastor Sheree

A New Kind Of Slavery

In a few weeks we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. When I was growing up, I celebrated Thanksgiving the way most people did with turkey and all the fixings. When we gathered together with extended family members, the regular routine was to go around the table stating for what reason you were thankful. I also remember the stories from school and other media that told the Thanksgiving story about the Pilgrim's journey to America and that first Thanksgiving dinner with the Native American tribes. However as I grew older I began to realize that the classic Thanksgiving story was not my story. My ancestors did not sit down at a table with Native Americans. My ancestors were forcibly brought to America as slaves. Their journey across the ocean was inhumane and cost the lives of many of the slaves who died along the way. Furthermore, once the slaves arrived in America, many families were split up as slave owners bid at public auctions for men, women, and children. The Scriptures say a lot about slavery and it's awful consequences. The Israelites groaned under their slavery in Egypt. (Exodus 2:23); Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. (Genesis 37:12-36); The wealthier Israelites like Abraham also had their servants to help them with whatever needed to be done, although not all servants were slaves; many were voluntarily employed. (Genesis 12:5) Nonetheless, God was very much aware of how people could be abused as slaves. He sent Moses to deliver the Israelites out of their bondage from Egypt. (Exodus 12:31-42) After years of suffering, Joseph through God's grace became second-in-command to Pharaoh and placed in charge of the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:41-57) God was also mindful of those Israelites who chose to voluntarily become servants to their fellow Jews and God established the year of Jubilee where there was the opportunity to receive their freedom. (Leviticus 25:8-55) God so cared about servants that Moses, pointing back to Israel's former status, reminded them that all were to observe the Sabbath both slave and free alike "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm." (Deuteronomy 5:15) Today there are many parts of the world where slavery continues to exist in various forms including the sex trafficking of young girls. Many people will off- handedly remark that they are "slaves" to their computers, jobs, or some other object. What is it about the nature of slavery that makes it so ugly? It's the bondage, the sense of not being free, subjugated under the power and authority of another person. However, there is a different kind of slavery some people readily embrace. This type of slavery does not mistreat the participants or see them as less than human. In fact the slaves of this master would be willing to do anything he asks them to do, even if it meant giving up their lives. In this type of slavery the servants are not in bondage (physically or emotionally) but rather enjoy complete freedom. This new kind of slavery is found in serving Jesus Christ. The type of bondage that Christ delivers us from is not material but spiritual. Our former slave master "sin" kept us from truly living in a way that would be pleasing to God. Peter puts it this way, "...for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him." (2 Peter 2:19b) However after Christ was crucified and resurrected He became the new Master, One who can be served without fear. Paul tells us, "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:6) "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14) "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:18) In this new kind of slavery there is equality for all, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) Paul took freedom in Christ so seriously that he even warned masters to be careful how they treated slaves. "And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that He who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him." (Ephesians 6:9) In fact Paul devotes a book in the New Testament, Philemon, to slavery. Paul pleads with slave owner, Philemon, to receive his runaway slave (Onesimus) back not as a slave but as a Christian brother who had become a believer through Paul's ministry. The Pilgrims came to America to be free from religious persecution, African slaves fought long and hard to finally win their freedom, and Jesus Christ died and was raised again to win freedom from sin for all humanity. Praise the Lord that although my ancestors were slaves in the worst way to unjust masters, I am a new kind of slave in the best way to a gracious and loving Master. "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty I'm free at last! " (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Glory to God!
Pastor Sheree