News

Note on your calendars that the annual congregational meeting will take place on February 13. This meeting is really just a simple “business” meeting where the deacons and elders update you on the state of affairs of the church. These items will relate to things like finances, missions giving, where and how your tithes and offerings are being used, our ongoing search for a meeting location, and things of that nature.

While it’s not a “big deal” we do love for you all to be there to hear about various things that are going on, and to be involved in the life and health of the church. It is one of the ways the leadership of the church maintains our transparency and answerability to you, the congregation.

This meeting will follow a fellowship meal so that you don’t have to face it on an empty stomach. But rather, with full and thankful hearts, we will hear of God’s goodness and mercy to us from yet another year. And God has indeed been good to us: this past year we have witnessed both significant numerical growth and a marked improvement of our financial situation. For these and for all His blessings to us we render Him thanks!

While many of your neighbors may have taken their Christmas decorations down and their Christmas cheer may be done and gone, Christmas isn’t quite over yet. There are 12 days of Christmastide, and today is the 9th day of those twelve. So there’s more to come!

Christmas traditionally culminates in a Twelfth Night festival, which, while marking the end of the Christmas feast, also marks the coming of Epiphany.

The twelve days of Christmas were first proclaimed in 567 as a festive season. And for some, Twelfth Night can often be an opportunity for even more feasting, food, and drink. As believers, we have every reason to celebrate and make merry. Christ the Savior is born! While many don’t carry on the feast past the 26th of December, for us, one day is just not enough to celebrate the incarnation of Christ the savior!

So if you’re able, keep right on celebrating our Lord! Look through the liturgy today as we continue to offer our praise to God in Christmas carols and Christmas hymns. Sing joyfully as we proclaim the Lord has come!

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men! The meaning of these familiar words can become lost over time sometimes because we’re so familiar with them. And so it is a good and right thing to meditate on them. What does it mean that a multitude of angels proclaimed to men the goodwill of God in heaven?

Perhaps you might become more confused when you read that Jesus himself said, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” To understand however, one must understand the contexts to which each of these are speaking. Jesus, when saying he does not bring peace, is speaking those who would deny Him before men and place family and earthly situation above loyalty to Christ. On the other hand, when the angels proclaimed peace on earth, they were speaking to the nature of sin and its deleterious effect on man’s relationship with God. Because of sin, man has no peace with God. God has, in fact, condemned man to death. All deserve the wrath of God, which is most certainly not peace.

But Christ was sent by God to make peace with God on our behalf. It is this which we celebrate at Christmastide. Thanks be to God for sending his son, Jesus Christ, to live sinlessly, and sacrifice Himself for our sins! This is, indeed, true peace on earth.

This week on Friday, December 24th, we’ll hold our annual Lessons and Carols service and we hope you’ll join us. The tradition of the Lessons and Carols is a later addition to tradition, but a worthy one in which we combine scripture readings and carols that tell the story of the coming of the Son of God. It is a fitting tradition for our transition from Advent to Christmastide.

Advent has been our time of preparation and expectant longing for the feast. Christmas, as the celebration of Christ’s incarnation, is the celebration of that fulfillment. And as we transition to Christmastide, we should remember that it is a 12 day celebration. Feasting, carols, and Christmas scripture readings continue to be an appropriate expression of the season. So don’t put away your Christmas decorations on December 26! Christ’s incarnation deserves more than that.

Our Christmas celebrations will culminate in Twelfth Night and the McLains plan to hold their traditional Twelfth Night feast, to which you are invited. There will be food, drink, dancing, and plenty of merriment and the McLains would be delighted to have you. Be sure to check in with Brian or Denise if you’d like to contribute to the feast!

One of the great things about this time of year is that many Christians who do not have a positive eschatology, sing as if they do. Take Joy to the World, for instance. “Let earth receive her King,” and “He rules the world,” sound very much in line with a more reformed and positive eschatology. You’ll also find similar positive sentiments in carols such as O Holy Night, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, and many more.

This is right and proper, and a great opportunity and reminder for us. We’ve been rightly focused lately on tyranny, mask mandates, the bloodshed of abortion, and other perversions which plague our land. And we do indeed have much work we have been called to. But during Advent and Christmastide, let us not lose sight of this simple truth: Christ already won. He’s ruling and reigning right now on His throne. He calls us to work here on earth on His behalf because of that very authority which He wields. His foes (and, therefore, our foes) are being defeated before us. The very gates of hell cannot prevail against us. And why? Because, as the Sussex Carol tells us:

On Christmas night all Christians sing To hear the news the angels bring News of great joy, news of great mirth News of our merciful King’s birth

Christ was born into this world. And by doing so, He already won. He’s the triumphant King, born in a lowly stable. And because of that, whatever ills may befall us, we serve at His pleasure, and we live in blessed hope which we display to a watching world.

This past Wednesday opened the Supreme Court deliberations in the Dobbs V. Jackson case. Thomas E. Dobbs is state health officer for Mississippi, and Jackson Women’s Health Organization is an abortion provider — in fact the only abortion clinic in the state. The question is whether states can ban abortion before fetal viability.

There are obvious implications for Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Mississippi calls the decision of both of cases “egregiously wrong.”

During the deliberations, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Evidence of fetal pain is not proof of life.” This is nearly saying the quiet part out loud. They see the evidence, they know it’s true, but they’re going to deny the science point blank. Haven’t we heard a lot lately about how it’s bad to deny science?

Sotomayor also tried to make the point that overturning Roe and Casey would damage the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. I suppose this means she thinks the Supreme Court infallible? But then, it shouldn’t surprise us the things people put their faith in when they place it somewhere other than Christ. But we have, for better or worse (mostly worse) this idea in our courts called “stare decisis,” which is Latin for “to stand by things decided.” You may have heard this referred to as “precedent.” And while precedent can be helpful, which we as confessional protestants can attest with our confessions, they should never have the last word. Precedent can be wrong. May the Lord open eyes and soften as these deliberations move forward.

The Advent season is here! The liturgical color for advent is purple, symbolizing the royalty of the Lord.

Advent is the beginning of the liturgical Church year, and a time of expectant and joyful waiting for Christmastide: the celebration of our Lord’s incarnation.

There are several events and items of celebration to bring to your attention. All are optional, but all are encouraged.

Advent celebrations at McLains

Each year, the McLains host advent celebrations in their home each Sunday of Advent at 6:00 PM with a time of singing, an advent liturgy, and feasting on various finger foods (which you are welcome to contribute to if you come).

Williamson County Community Chorus

The Chorus will have their annual Christmas concert on December 5th at 3:00 PM. There will be a few fun Christmas songs in the first half, and then will conclude with a beautiful and glorious Magnificat in the second half.

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols

St. Mark will host our annual Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve at 4:00 PM at TCA. This service will include the traditional readings and carols. And, in addition, the St. Mark Men’s Choir has prepared a couple of additional pieces.

Thanksgiving week is upon us. It is, of course, always good and right to render unto our God thanks and praise, but at this time of year here in the U.S., we have, for some time, set aside the fourth Thursday of every November as a special remembrance to give thanks. It is celebrated by Christians and non- Christians alike, but we, as Christ followers, know where our thanks is due.

And how much more do we have to give thanks for than those settlers of Plymouth Colony some 400 years ago, who are credited with this tradition? I’m sure most of you know, but it does not hurt to recount, that they had a long, harrowing journey on the Mayflower, followed by a harsh and cruel winter in which 45 of the 102 perished. For perspective, our membership rolls contain just over 100.

But God, in His grace, reversed their fortunes that summer. That Autumn, the first Thanksgiving feast was celebrated as a thanks to God for the bountiful harvest. Though they were few in number, though they had been through many trials, they recognized God’s favor upon them. Their legacy continues to this day. So as we give thanks this week, remember to thank God for His favor upon you!

She said yes! In April, Sophie Goolsby will become Mrs. Brett Kernodle. We know that, “he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord,” but it’s always a special privilege and joy to see two young people in the congregation find God’s calling for their lives together. The church is, after all, the place God calls us all together and there’s no better place to find a spouse to walk the path God calls us to than among the assembly of the saints.

And it is also now both our duty and privilege to lift them up in prayer as they prepare to embark upon their life together. As they join paths and prepare to serve the Lord as one flesh, we can pray for God’s favor and blessing upon them in all manner of ways: for Brett as she transitions to the head of a household, for Sophie as she steps into the role of his helper and confidant, and of course, for all the little details and plans and the things that go into making a wedding.

God created marriage and he delights in it when it is entered into and faithful kept by his children. God loves to give his children good gifts and this is one of them. Praise the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness!

In the last week of October, our regional presbytery, Athanasius Presbytery, held its yearly presbytery meeting which took place in Monroe, LA. Pastor Thacker attended as St. Mark’s minister and representative. The general report is that things went well and there are no major issues — always a good thing. Given that Athanasius Presbytery’s presiding minister, Pastor Rob Hadding, has accepted a call in a church in another regional presbytery, a new presiding minister was chosen: Dr. Uri Brito on Providence Church in Pensacola, Fl.

The CREC also held its triennial General Council. One of the main topics of discussion was anticipated growth of the CREC, given that there has been a notable recent increase in the number of congregations enquiring about membership. In particular, many Reformed Baptist congregations desire to enter the CREC, so that topic is being discussed. While the CREC has had Reformed Baptist congregations in the past, at present it’s been a little while since we’ve had Baptist congregations. So, the minsters are giving consideration to that dynamic in particular. We continue to pray for wisdom for the ministers and elders God has called to lead

His Church.

This coming Saturday, we’ll have the opportunity to gather with other saints in our denomination in Huntsville for an All Saint’s Celebration. All Saints’ Day is a commemoration of all the faithful saints of the church both known and unknown. It therefore seemed fitting this year to gather with the saints still living for these festivities. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, November 6th, 2-5 pm
Where: Riverside Event Venue; 100 Old River Rd, Laceys Spring, AL 35754
Who: All ages are welcome!
To Bring: Please bring a sweet or savory finger food to share (nothing requiring forks). Please LABEL your dishes! Drinks will be provided. (see link in email to add your dish to the planner)
Attire: Dressy church. Guys - if you are a jeans at church kinda guy, kick it up a notch. Ladies - Skirts, dresses - dressy pants are fine, but not as fun for dancing. (We’re not doing costumes).
Suggested Donation: $5/person or $25/family (to help cover cost of venue, caller, etc.)
Who: Trinity Reformed Church is hosting this event, but you’re all free to invite friends and family.

Next Lord’s Day, October 31, we will gather together with the saints of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship to celebrate the great work God wrought through the Reformers and the Reformation.

October 31 is known by most of us as Halloween, which we associate with trick or treating, costumes, and the like. This actually has a path directly from the Christian holiday known as All Saint’s Day, or All Hallow’s Day. This is a day for commemorating all Christian martyrs. Halloween comes from “All Hallow’s Eve.” Some, in superstition, thought that devils roamed around on the eve of the holy day. But we now rightly make fun of these silly superstitions by dressing up in silly costumes.

Luther posted his 95 Theses on October 31st, 1517, which included much to say about and against the superstitious practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Halloween is a fitting day for such a thing and is a wonderful coinciding with our now fun holiday. As we celebrate, let us remember to thank God for breaking down the superstitious practices of the Roman church through Reformers like Martin Luther.