December 2018 New Horizons

Christmas Conversations

by Daniel P. Clifford

We are facing the end of dialogue. At least, it can seem that way in our polarized society. Disagreement has sharpened, and healthy debate diminished. Who isn’t angry about cultural issues and political developments? Too irritated to consider other viewpoints, many are turning instead to social media or news outlets that support their own positions. This tense atmosphere makes gospel communication difficult. And, of course, another significant communication barrier is simply religious ignorance. We can no longer assume that our neighbors are familiar with Scripture and Christ. As we lose these points of contact, spiritual conversations become more challenging. A Remaining Touchpoint At this time of year, however, we are reminded of one touchpoint that remains. Christmas is, or involves, a bit of residual Christianity in our social fabric. It will likely keep its place for some time because people enjoy Christmas. It offers not only gifts and food, but the chance to reconnect and remember what is ... Read more

Confessions of a Sabbath-Breaker

by Larry E. Wilson

Years ago at a church I served, the Lord did a noticeable work of grace during our evening worship. After the service, which included Communion, people talked for a long time—even longer than normal. And it wasn’t just idle chit-chat, but encouraging, edifying, God-centered Christian fellowship. The Lord had drawn us closer to himself and to each other through his Supper. It was like a taste of heaven, and no one wanted to leave. Finally, a teenager said, “Let’s go get pizza!” So we went, ate together, and kept up our fellowship. A Sabbath-Breaker! I used that evening as a sermon illustration some time later. I was trying to demonstrate to the listeners that our Lord uses his Supper to renew our covenant bond both with himself and with our fellow Christians. I told the story to encourage us to expect that the Lord will use the Supper to impact our relationships. But, to my dismay, my mention of where we ate after the service supplanted my point! Instead of rejoicing that God uses the ... Read more

Ready for the Storm

by Timothy D. Hopper

On September 8, six days before Hurricane Florence made landfall on the North Carolina coast, OPC disaster response coordinator David Nakhla got a call from Aaron Dorr, a deacon at Grace Reformed Presbyterian in Des Moines, Iowa. Dorr and his four brothers wanted to know if they could help. Over the last few years, the Dorr brothers have gained an interest in hurricane response. They outfitted an eighteen-foot trailer with disaster response supplies, including chain saws, trash pumps, generators, and fuel canisters. When they heard about Florence, they were ready to serve OP congregations in the path of the storm. Dorr told Nakhla that they were eager to arrive on the coast prior to Florence’s landfall because, in their experience, flooding and roadblocks make entry into the affected area difficult after the storm has passed through. David Nakhla immediately connected Dorr with two members of the diaconal committee of the Presbytery of the Southeast (PSE)—ruling elder Mike Cloy and me. Cloy, ... Read more

Caring for Ministers in the OPC

by Matthew Miner

The Committee on Ministerial Care (CMC) gathered for its August 2018 meeting at Bethel Presbyterian in Wheaton, Illinois. Humbled and honored to be a part of the group—my first time on a denominational committee—I was anticipating some solemn OPC proceedings. Retired OP pastor and committee president Lendall Smith called the group to order. “A committee,” Smith read from his notes, “is a group of men who individually can do nothing, but who, as a group, can meet and decide that nothing can be done.” “If you want to kill any idea in the world,” he continued, “get a committee working on it.” And for a final dose of inspiration: “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” As our laughter subsided, Smith read Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in the abundance of counselors there is safety.” He charged this committee, the CMC, not to take these characterizations of committee work to heart but to see what we could accomplish to help and ... Read more