Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I am now serving in my tenth year among you as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pitman. During this time, we have studied, laughed, grieved, worked and grown together. The special relationship forged between and pastor and the people of a congregation is unique in the ways we enter into one another’s lives. And each such relationship has its season.
It is with a mixture of sorrow and celebration that I am announcing to you that I received a call from the Seaview Baptist Church of Linwood, NJ to become their pastor. After much prayer and seeking discernment with the Leadership Community of our church, Kathy and I believe that the call is indeed from the Lord and with the leadership’s blessing, I have accepted this call to become the next pastor at Seaview, a congregation that is one of our sister churches within the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey.
As many of you know, we have deep roots in the Jersey shore area and this will place us in closer proximity to those roots. Kathy and I expect to conclude our ministry among you on February 1, 2009.
Please know that you have touched our hearts in unforgettable ways. We will also count our time among you as valuable in growing God’s kingdom in Pitman and in us. We are richer in our faith in Jesus Christ because of you and trust that you feel the same. Be assured of our continued prayer for you as you serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the eternal bonds of God’s love,
Pastor Frank Reeder - December 2008
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13
I was recently asked about the source of my true happiness. My response was easy. I feel most alive when I am teaching and the lights are coming on in people’s eyes and souls. There I was, teaching the book of Ephesians. The Holy Spirit was making the truth live as I listened for the Spirit’s cues. Several acts of God on our behalf were pouring onto the blackboard. The synergy of what God was speaking to us collectively was palpable.
Another tremendous joy for me is music. When I was a child, I used to conduct when I listened to the classical music station. A local church’s children’s choir was a big part of my life. That’s where I learned the grand old hymns of the church. And music sticks with me, as many of you know.
Where did I get these gifts? Well, some gifts are natural and others are spiritual. Paul speaks of spiritual gifts that are given to the believer when they are born from above, that point at which one moves from darkness to light and from death to life. The gift of teaching falls into this category. Music can be a spiritual gift, but it was something that was part of me long before I came to know Christ. That means it is first, for me, a natural gift or talent. That doesn’t mean that the Holy Spirit can’t take it for Kingdom use and embolden it through a special gift.
What is your spiritual gift? All believers have at least one and usually several with some that are active and others that are waiting to blossom. Paul says in Ephesians that gifts are given to us to build up the Body of Christ. No guilt intended here, but if you are ignorant of your spiritual gifts, then you may not be working to your full potential and the Body of Christ is not as rich as it could be. So find out what those gifts are. I have a spiritual gift inventory in my office that I am glad to share with anybody who would like to explore their gifts. It is a very simple inventory that you can complete in about 15 minutes. Then I will be glad to meet with you to discuss some of the ways you can develop and use those gifts.
Pastor Frank Reeder - November 2008
When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy splendor, as they went before the army, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 2 Chronicles 20:21
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. So begins one of the most recognizable songs sung in worship services of many churches. And one of the blessings that the Lord has given to our church this year is a new music director. Julie-Ann Whitely Green began her ministry among us on September 3 when she met with the choir for a picnic dinner at the home of Ellen and Warren Nipe. We could immediately sense her fun loving spirit and a desire for the choir to be more than “music makers.” Even without fully knowing our vision for all ministry teams in our church to be communities of learners, fellowshippers and missioners that do all we do in an attitude of glorifying God through worship, we could see that she was naturally leaning into our vision.
Julie-Ann is married to Carl Green. They recently moved to Clayton and were searching for a Baptist church where they could worship together and get involved in becoming part of the life of the church. Being a graduate of Rowan University’s School of Music, Julie-Ann found a posted position on the music school’s bulletin board, placed there by Ro Ruffin who teaches at Rowan. “Aha!” she mused. Could this be?
A voice major, with a minor in piano performance, Julie-Ann is classically trained. Among her other credits are a diploma from the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, Austria, Graduate Studies at Westminster Choir College, and private studies in voice and piano. She has sung with the New York and Philadelphia Opera Companies and begins this fall with a part in Porgy and Bess with the Lyric Opera Company of Chicago. Other performances have included Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kimmel Center, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The list is long.
Now she comes to find a home at First Baptist Church of Pitman. Here, Julie-Ann will not be a performer, but a fellow servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. She will be leading a children’s choir and has begun practices at 7:15 on Wednesday. The Chancel Choir now rehearses with her on Wednedays at 7:35.
Perhaps the most important connection in the ministry of the church is the music ministry’s position in the battle against darkness. In the scripture quoted above, Jehosaphat’s Judah was being invaded by Moabites and Ammonites. As the army of Judah went out to meet them, Judah placed the musicians in front to “praise him [the Lord] in holy splendor.” Interestingly, the army had nothing to do. The Lord’s glory appeared and fought for Judah. Music is not our only tool to advance God’s Kingdom, but it plays a big part. Martin Luther wrote, “… the devil flees before the sound of music almost as much as before the Word of God.”
We welcome Julie-Ann and Carl. May the Lord’s glory appear before us as our music ministry is used to lead the way to defeat the darkness and bring the light of God’s reign among us.
Pastor Frank Reeder - October 2008
And the threshing floors will be full of grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten … And you shall have plenty to eat and be satisfied. Joel 2:24-26
Kathy and I have recently returned from a 20th Anniversary celebration journey to one of our favorite places, Switzerland. The first time we vacationed in this beautiful land of lush green meadows and snow capped peaks, we were comforted by the affordability of food and services. The US dollar was exchanged for 1.35 Swiss francs. This time around we were staggered by the increase in prices and the shrinking dollar that now exchanges at a rate of one for one. We understand why the Swiss are diligent about being frugal. When we returned to the US after two weeks, the cost of gasoline had risen another twenty five cents and was beginning to hover at 4 dollars per gallon. We are all feeling the pinch of an ailing economy. Folks are planning staycations (taking time off from work but remaining at home to rest) instead of vacations. We are watching our investments melt like ice cream in a heat wave.
The comforting promise of Joel 2:24-26 follows a description of lean times for Israel. It is an agrarian society and locusts are devastating the crops. The economy is falling into a ruin as oil, wine, fruit trees dry up. (1:10-12) I am sure several of Israel's number scrambled to devise a new business plan. But God's instructions were decidedly different as you might imagine. He ordered them to consecrate a fast and call a solemn assembly. "And rend your heart and not your garments." (2:13) A solemn assembly demanded that everybody, with no exceptions, gather for a season of repentance. Then the promise of restoration is sounded.
The time of recession in which we of the United States find ourselves might be just what God is using to call us from our dependence upon our possessions and sly practices to return to God and the righteousness of a holy heart. Rather than mimic the sea gulls of Pixar's Finding Nemo, "Mine, mine, mine," we can open our hearts to the suffering world around us. I ask myself the important question, "Where is God asking me to repent and do righteousness?" That is the place I need to start to solve the inequities of our broken world. Let's explore this solution together and encourage one another to be a people of justice. Then we will have the promise, "You shall have plenty to eat and be satisfied." (2:26)
Pastor Frank Reeder - Summer 2008
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” John 5:6
There are certain wells at which I regularly find water that quenches the thirst of my soul. One of them is in the writings of John Eldredge. In his book, Wild at Heart he makes the bold statement about the nature of God’s healing of our soul wounds. He quotes George MacDonald as praying, “Gather my broken fragments to a whole . . . Let mine be a merry, all-receiving heart, but make it a whole, with light in every part.” Eldredge than shoots the arrow of hope that pierces my heart. “But you can’t do this at a distance; you can’t ask Christ to come into your wound while you remain far from it. You have to go there with him.”
How often have I stood at a distance thinking that I could avoid the pain while my loving Lord wielded the scalpel that would heal my broken heart? Then I wonder why I am not yet whole. “Just fix it Lord and I’ll come back when the job is done,” is my prayerful plea. But it’s MY heart. It cannot be separated from me like a page of a book, torn away from the story that is too painful to read. I have to bring my whole self to the chamber of God’s grace, this severe yet merciful sanctuary.
One of the hats that a pastor wears is that of counselor. In my training, I remember being admonished by my professors to beware of the hook. A hook is manifested when the person to whom I am listening is dealing with the same issue of brokenness with which I am afflicted. If I have not gotten to a healthy place in this and received a good measure of the healing I need by bringing my whole self to the Great Physician, I cannot truly help another. At various times in my life, I have seen a therapist to help me increase my emotional health. That is what healthy people do. It is the fearful person who throws up the road blocks to the path to wholeness.
There are many wounds that our loving Lord wants to heal. We need to stay close and bring our whole selves to the sanctuaries that God has prepared for our restoration.
Pastor Frank Reeder - May 2008
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you
at the proper time. 1 Peter 5:6
There is a story told of a water carrier in India. He used two large pots for his task. He suspended a pole across his neck and attached a pot at each end of the pole. One of the pots had a big crack in it while the other pot was perfect. The perfect pot always delivered a full portion of water from the stream to the master’s house, while the cracked pot arrived only half full each day.
For two years this water carrier made the same journey. The perfect pot became proud of its accomplishments. The cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. Finally, one day by the stream, the cracked pot spoke to its owner about his bitter failure, “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize that I have only been ale to deliver half my water to your house. There is a crack in my side which causes water to leak out. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value from your efforts.”
Then the water carrier replied, smiling, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” On that trip from the stream, the cracked pot looked around.
“Did you notice there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” the master commented. “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted seeds on your side of the path, and everyday while we passed these spots, you watered them. Now for two years I have been able to pick these flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
Every follower of Jesus is flawed in some way. We are often ashamed of the flaws and try to hide so nobody can see them. In our hiding, we make ourselves unavailable to the work that God wants to do through us. But we cannot hide from God. God uses us in spite of ourselves. And the beauty of what God does with our flaws is a beautiful sight to behold. The lesson is simple. In humility, we are asked to make ourselves fully available. We might be leaky, but that leak might be just what will bring God’s beauty to the table.
Pastor Frank Reeder - April 2008
Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high preist, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword." Matthew 26:51-52
Living by the sword or any other instrument of violence is not the way of Jesus. I can remember clearly the day that a man met me outside of the church building where I was pastoring. He looked at me with hate in his eyes and challenged me to a fist fight. He wanted a fight so badly that he was willing to shove me back with his open palms hoping it would pick my anger enough to come back at him. I must confess the anger was there. I could feel it rising in my breast. But by the grace of God I returned his cold stare with words of hope. “I will not fight you. You may not believe this right now, but I love you.” He sneered as he walked away, “You love me.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. was at a meeting when he received notice that his home had been bombed. His wife and young daughter were at home. He had prepared himself for moments like this and out of a spirit steeped in holy discipline looked up and tried to receive the news in a very calm manner. Finding out that his wife and daughter were safe, he stood up in the middle of the meeting and urged his companions not to panic or do anything foolish that was not the way of Jesus. “This is a spiritual movement,” he wrote in a 1956 essay. And though King’s life was to end twelve years later in a violent act on a motel balcony, he held to the discipline of responding to violence with a non-violent attitude and the primacy of love.
Martin King had a good teacher. I am not referring to the professors at Crozer Seminary in Upland, PA where he did his theological studies. His teacher was the carpenter of Galilee. Jesus could have called for an army of angels to fight on his behalf when the appointed crowd from the chief priests arrived in Gethsemane to take him into custody. But that was not his way. Peter impetuously cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, But Jesus calmly used the moment to rebuke and reiterate his way of love. “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Luke’s gospel reads the story this way, “And he touched his ear and healed him” (Luke 22:51).
During this Lenten season, we are called to look inward and invite the Holy Spirit of God to do a check up. “Search me, O God, and know my heart … See if there is any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24) The drama of the passion of our Lord is replayed in us as we offer ourselves to the One who knows us best. Whose ear am I wanting to cut off? Choosing the way of the cross, we and our desires to get revenge are crucified with Christ. What we receive in return is far from a rebuke and punishment. As painful as confession is, our sin is received with grace. We are forgiven and directed by God’s grace to be peace makers. The forgiveness of a righteous God results in resurrection and new life. This is a spiritual movement. May Christ’s spirit dwell in us.
Pastor Frank Reeder - February 2008
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Philippians 2:5-7
When you hear the word empty, do you think of something positive or negative? We might consider an empty gas tank or an empty cupboard. It feels like something is missing. We usually prefer a full tank and a full cupboard.
This is the season of Advent and Christmas, when we consider God’s emptying. While we look for gifts and parties that fill us to overflowing, Jesus is remembered as one who empties himself. That is a very different thought than the one most of us consider for the holidays.
If you have seen the movie Polar Express, you might picture the huge bag that the elves have filled at the North Pole for Santa to begin his journey of gift giving. Following the picture apart from the movie, we will see that at the end of the night’s expedition, he returns home with an empty bag. And the contentment that brings is that his mission was accomplished. But the bag is empty. If it was all about self, Santa would want to return home with goodies for himself. If it is all about the mission, then the empty bag is the crowning symbol of success. Now Santa does bring something home, but it is not something that can be purchased. He brings home a heart that is full.
When we consider who Jesus is, God in the flesh, we appreciate the truth that he is the sovereign one who was the main player in creation. He certainly had a lot of power at his command. No material gift could rival his position in the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet he emptied himself, not clutching his powerful position, he began his servant mission. The poor were honored. The lepers were touched and made whole. The hungry were fed. God’s mission through Christ culminated on a cross, where he was emptied of his blood.
As followers of Jesus, we are exhorted to eye this winter feast in a very different way than most. It is a time to give, a time to empty. When we do, a curious thing happens. Our hearts become full. So may your bag be empty this year and your heart full as you walk behind the servant King.
Pastor Frank Reeder - December 2007
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11 NRSV
Are you a self feeder? Do you know how to put together a healthy meal that tastes good and is good for you? Or are you dependent on somebody else to do the shopping, cooking and serving? A mark of the childish society in which we live is the desire to have everything pre-packaged and ready for us, be it in the frozen food section at supermarket or the take out at Applebee’s or Chili’s. Sometimes these sources are good in a pinch, but if they become a way of life, we are out of control. We pay more money and usually get a whole lot more calories and saturated fat than we bargained for.
A generation ago, Amy Grant sang a song called “Fat Little Baby.” It was a ballad about a baby Christian who insisted on being fed and refused to learn how to feed himself. The song is a picture of the church that is “a mile wide and an inch deep.” Lots of churches want to get the people in and will go to great lengths to become a welcoming faith community. The pre-Christians will then be fed a good diet of basic biblical teaching. Then comes the decisive moment when the aspiring follower of Jesus makes a commitment to trust Christ and give him her life. The new birth is celebrated in believer’s baptism. Sermons and Bible studies can be inspiring and spiritually nourishing for this new life. Then the effectiveness of growth begins to decline rapidly. But God intended that we learn how to feed ourselves. Imagine the sight of a 40 year old baby, sitting in a high chair, slapping her open palms on the tray and being spoon fed. It’s embarrassing. And God does not want to embarrass us. Our Lord wills that we put an end to childish ways and learn to feed ourselves.
If you are a new creation in Christ, then enjoy the spoon feeding. But make sure you are on a path to maturity. Our Discipleship 201 group that meets on the fourth Monday at 7:30 in the Gathering Room is one of the ways our church is offering self feeding lessons. Another way to develop self feeding habits is to request a mentor, someone who has spent several years at self feeding and is now helping others. She or he can help you become familiar with tools and techniques for mining the truths of God’s Word and ways. If you are growing in Christ, you have or will soon have an interest in feeding yourself. Pick up a fork and ask for some help.
Pastor Frank Reeder - October 2007
Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5
The seminary professor started every class with prayer. We were used to that. But in the classes of Dr. Norman Maring, after the gathering discussion was quelled, he called us to prayer and then, what often seemed like an interminable silence ensued. I can remember some of us looking up to see if he was asleep. But then the calm and steady voice of the church history professor would begin to share words that came from more than his head. Dr. Maring’s prayer came from the heart. What was he doing during those long periods of silence? He was listening to his heart as it was drawing up into the presence of the heart of God.
The eighteenth century Jesuit priest, Jean-Nicholas Grou, speaks of prayer in his book How to Pray as a “wholly spiritual act.” He refers to St. Augustine who taught that “God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Knowing this is the essence of prayer.” God knows our hearts better than we know them. We often use the heart to speak of the inner most part of our being. It is the core, the center of who we are.
Rarely is the heart silent. But is easily covered by the words, the songs, the sounds of others. What we hear is yada, yada, yada or the muzak of the elevator. Our hearts are frosted. Then, in a moment of grace, we are helped by listening to or reading the prayers of other faithful souls. Have you heard another pray and said to yourself, “That is my heart’s cry?” We listen and our hearts say “Yes! Yes!”
I can remember going to the shore as a child and using a can of reserved water to prime an outdoor pitcher pump. As the water swelled the leathers in the pump’s throat, the suction created would draw up the water from deep in the well. The prayers of others can be one source of such priming of our hearts. But the silent waiting of an expectant heart is another way to prime the heart. And when the heart is primed, the water that gushes forth may not be words, but peace or hope or love or trust. Prayer is not so much about getting what we want, but finding ourselves getting God and the character the Spirit of God brings. The prayer we pray may be one of silence, but the heart is not empty. It is being filled by the water of God’s presence. It is then that we feel the competence or adequacy of God.
A few weeks ago, I preached from 1 Kings 19, the story of Elijah who waited in the cave on Mount Horeb for the presence of the Lord. He expected the voice to come in a loud crashing manner such as through mighty wind, earthquake or fire. But God was not in them. Instead, he discovered the Lord in a sound of sheer silence. In the quietness, the prophet’s call and competence was renewed. In such silence, God is teaching our hearts. I encourage you to practice the prayer of the listening heart, finding there the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who met him in the quiet places and refreshed him with the water of life.
Pastor Frank Reeder - Summer 2007