The Wary Ides of March

There's an often quoted line of Shakespeare from Julius Caesar in which Rome's emperor is given a message by a soothsayer warning of his death on that day. "Beware the ides of March."

 
 

Words that ring true in a number of ways for me these days through the season of Lent. In the wake of two years this week since the death of my beloved wife, Melissa, some such words in seasons of grieving at times triggers an overwhelming feeling of pain and loss amplified in a new way once again. These "grief bursts", as sometimes referred to, can likely occur at particularly expected and/or unexpected events which may or may not be anticipated among loved ones who have together experienced the common loss of a dearly loved one.

 
 

For me personally, it happened a month ago upon hearing of the death of Whitney Houston—a gifted gospel/pop singer Melissa and I enjoyed from our early days of dating back in the 80's and into the early 90's when we lived in the New York/New Jersey metro area. I found those nights during the week of Valentine's Day following Whitney's death last month particularly challenging and difficult for what seemed at times to my mind no real, good reason.

 
 

And yet, the thought occurs to me of how fearfully and wonderfully made we are as human beings created in the image of a holy God Who fashioned and designed us out of dust with profound feeling(s) and awe built-into our very nature. We are after all as one of my mentors once said, "human beings, not human doings." It is in our nature to be affected with heartfelt emotions because of a God Who greatly loves us with great, lavish affection. Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called children of God! And that is who we are!!!

 
 

I realized in hindsight that God's purpose may have been for me to experience my own grief burst a month earlier so that I might be there for the grief bursts of my children which did come this past week when I was then more able to be present with and for them in their time of need. That is how much our God loves us, dearly beloved ones!

 
 

Reverberating as it were throughout the ages, a wariness around this time of liturgical reflection upon the passion of the Christ similarly ensues over those of us given to delve more deeply in devotion and become embraced by that foreboding sense of betrayal anticipated, expected and experienced by Jesus himself at the hands of a trusted friend and follower. As Luke (22:47-48) recounts for us, upon his approach, Jesus asked, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

 
 

I imagine Jesus, exuding such great love at the time of his betrayal and arrest, experiencing the bittersweet prospects of love, life and death itself all at the same time. He knew what he was about to and already going through for the sake of us whom He loved so dearly, even the one who was at that moment the betraying instrument of his impending suffering and sacrifice.

 
 

Is this the time now again in which we are to witness and experience the profound act of submission and surrender our Savior willingly gave Himself over to?

 
 

This spring break of Holy Week from Palm/Passion Sunday through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the in-between void of Holy Saturday, we are gifted, privileged and blessed to consider anew as Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (3:18) tells us how wide and long and high and deep is the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. To know this love that surpasses knowledge that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God!

 
 

This is my prayer for us in this fellowship. May we be brought unto the celebration of the resurrection and the life at Easter with joy and thanksgiving in the knowledge of Him who saved us! Glory to God,

 
 

In the Spirit of Christ the King,

Pastor Rex Espiritu

reEngage the Faith!

reEngage the Faith!

a biblical study of confessional essentials

 

As recently stated in the foreword to a document issued by The Fellowship of Presbyterians, it is worthwhile and timely for us "to identify the statements of our confessional heritage that connect us with the one holy catholic apostolic church and express our distinctively Reformed convictions within that church."

 

In the Presbyterian Church, we provide new members, confirmation classes and officers of the church who have been elected to serve in leadership a number of resources toward deepening our life in faith lived together in community for the glory of God. One of these is the Book of Confessions which, as stated in the ordination vows for both teaching and ruling Elders as well as Deacons in the PCUSA, promotes "the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do." Leaders vow to "be instructed and led by those confessions as [we] lead the people of God." With Jesus Christ as Lord, church leaders vow to serve together "in obedience to Jesus Christ under the authority of Scripture and continually guided by our confessions."

 

While the above is true, we have room for improvement in increasing one another's biblical and theological literacy in the church. As expressed by the task force on theology for The Fellowship of Presbyterians:

 
 

Casual affirmation of our theological heritage by our generation has severely weakened our worship and witness. We are squandering the gifts our confessional heritage could give us. We confess we have not been good stewards of the Faith. We must now reengage the Faith of the Church in ways that are more deeply committed to its truth and thus its value in ordering our life toward faithfulness.

 

Beloved, we are in need of re-formation! I wonder how many of us have really mined the depths and/or recently re-examined the jewels of the Christian faith to be found and rediscovered in the Presbyterian and reformed stream of Christianity. How much have we truly treasured the gifts of God given for us in the reformed tradition to uniquely share with our fellow sisters and brothers in Christ in order to bless the world which God so loves?

 

Contrary to the notion that affirming the uniqueness of our particular expression of Christianity is not as important as promoting our unity and oneness in the Spirit of Christ, we may actually be doing the world and ourselves a disservice by hiding that aspect of our light under a bushel! If in our diversity we are all created in the image of God, then by downplaying our distinctiveness we could be robbing one another of the opportunity to more fully display the richness of the deeply broad heritage and desirably divine beauty of the body of Christ. The Fellowship Theology Taskforce goes on to say:

 

We reject the proposition that theology divides. Instead, we affirm the proposition that truth tends toward unity.

This depth may be challenging for some. We acknowledge this and we encourage you to read more than once, and to read together with others. This is a teaching moment. Let us use this to deepen our knowledge of the Reformed Faith.

 

In this season of Lent, let us together approach with confidence the confessions of our faith anew with reverence and awe for the glory of God in Christ! Join one another in Christian Living at Sunday School this winter into spring! See you in C.L.A.S.S.

Pastor Rex

Howard D. Batt - New Castle Courier Times - New Castle, Indiana

1/11/2012 3:20:00 PM Howard D. Batt

Howard D. Batt, 84, New Castle resident, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at his residence. He was born Nov. 20, 1927, in Henry County, a son of the late Lewis I. and Lela Hale Batt.     Mr. Batt was a lifelong resident of New Castle, and was a 1946 graduate of New Castle High School. He was retired from Chrysler Corporation in 1988 after 30 years of services as a tool process engineer. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years, and was a member of the New Castle Lions Club for more than 40 years.     He was very involved with his family's activities, was a fan of automobile racing, and enjoyed flying model airplanes.     Left to cherish his loving memory include his wife of 65 years, Donna Gordon Batt, whom he married Nov. 23, 1946; five children, Susan David (husband Butch) of Chandler, Ariz., Cheryl L. Laley of Ossian, Anita J. Hedrick (husband Mike) of New Castle, Dale A Batt (wife Pam) of New Castle and Mark W. Batt (wife Teresa) of New Castle; 11 grandchildren, Matt McDonald (wife Stephanie) of Scottsdale, Ariz., Jacqui Phillips of Chandler, Ariz., Jason Laley (wife Tisha) of Ossian, Melissa Criswell of Lake City, Fla., Erin Bowman (husband Joe) of New Castle, Josh Batt of New Castle, Amanda Rich (husband James) of Pall Mall, Tenn., Chad Hedrick of New Castle, Pam Reno of New Castle, Josh Reno of New Castle and Wendy Norris (husband Rex Jr.) of Spiceland; 11 great-grandchildren, Peyton, Collin, Gavin and Kaden Laley all of Ossian, Austin Criswell of New Castle, Jarrett Gillock of New Castle, Lucas McDonald of Scottsdale, Ariz., Alivia and Samantha Rich of Pall Mall, Tenn., and Gage and Briceon Reno of New Castle; also, several nieces, nephews and cousins.     He was preceded in death by his parents; one daughter, Beth A. Logan; three brothers; and two sisters.     Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Macer-Hall Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the funeral home, with Reverend Rex Espiritu and Reverend Arthur Whitaker both officiating. Burial will follow in Green Hills Memory Gardens.     Online condolences may be made at www.macerhall.com. Macer-Hall Funeral Directors Sam Hall, Gary Hall and Mike Ragan are honored to conduct the services.     Jan. 10, 2012

 
 

Inserted from <http://www.thecouriertimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=24&ArticleID=269425&TM=53402.55>

Howard Batt

Macer-Hall Funeral Home 600 South Main Street New Castle, IN   47362 765-529-5900/529-2920

In Loving Memory Howard Batt  - 1/10/2012                     Howard Batt, age-84, New Castle resident, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at his residence.     Arrangements are pending at Macer-Hall Funeral Home & Cremation Services.     Online condolences may be made at www.macerhall.com Online Condolences   From: Steve Dyer   New Castle IN Relationship:  Friend     I always considered Howard a good friend. And enjoyed working with him the many years in Lions club. He and his family are in my thoughts and prayers. Sent:  1/11/2012 From: Cathy Harris   Spiceland Indiana Relationship:  Associate Pastor Spiceland Friends Church     Teresa and family - you are all in our thoughts and prayers. So sorry for your loss. Sent:  1/11/2012 Send an Online Condolence     View Printer-Friendly Page

 
 

Inserted from <http://macerhall.com/printobit.aspx?MemberId=100392&MName=Howard Batt>

Pastoral Reflection for Annual Report 2011-2012

Certain passages from the Scriptures come to mind as we continue to traverse through the year ending and into the coming new year.

 
 

In Numbers 13, the Lord tells the prophet Moses to send leaders to explore the land that the Lord is giving to the people of God. Among those sent in leadership are Caleb and Hoshea (or Joshua). Upon together submitting their report to Moses and Aaron, Caleb speaks out and says, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." But others instead express fear and reluctance, saying, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

 
 

In Judges 6, the people of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Still, in the midst of their disobedience, a messenger of God was sent. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?" The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together."

 
 

This year has marked a beginning for our exploration in leadership to discern the Lord's leading, seeking God's will and favor as a church congregation gathered in the unity and fellowship of the Holy Spirit. In view of the new and changing denominational landscape of the old mainline churches, and particularly in our Presbyterian Church (USA), the leadership of First Presbyterian Church of New Castle, Indiana is embarking on exploratory initiatives to determine our course of action for the near and foreseeable future. Varied trajectories are open before us, available for due consideration. The time is at hand for this process to further unfold over the next year. A number of your Elders in leadership will be in attendance as The Fellowship of Presbyterians convenes their covenanting conference in Orlando this January 2012, following their inaugural gathering which I attended in Minneapolis last August 2011.

 
 

Prayer of the faithful continues to be critical along this journey. I pray we continue and proceed with the same mindset as Caleb's. Let us go up and take the land the Lord our God is giving us! And also, like Gideon before us, let us go in the strength we have and be witnesses sent by the Lord, Who is our salvation! As we contend with the challenges before us, may we experience God's success and presence with us in the Lord, our mighty warrior. Let the leaders' journeying continue and let the New Year begin!

 

In the Mighty Presence and Spirit of the Lord our King,

Rex Espiritu

David Wells Whitton - New Castle Courier Times - New Castle, Indiana

David Wells Whitton – New Castle Courier Times – New Castle, Indiana

 

 

12/27/2011 2:40:00 PM David Wells Whitton

David Wells Whitton, 67, of South Bend and formerly of New Castle, passed away Dec. 25, 2011, at Sanctuary of Holy Cross Health Care Facility. He was born Nov. 10, 1944, in New Castle. His parents were Roy P. and Norma Louise Whitton.   He graduated from Greenfield High School and then Ball State University and attended I.U. Law School in Indianapolis. He was an attorney with Renfro and Whitton Law Office and later with Whitton and Lansinger Law Office. He was elected Prosecutor for two terms in Henry County. He was appointed by the Governor as Circuit Court Judge, served as public defender and Assistant Prosecutor in Henry County and as an Assistant Prosecutor for St. Joseph County. He attended Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, and was a member of the Presbyterian Church in New Castle.   Survivors include his parents, Roy P. (wife Kay) Whitton of Lake Placid, Fla., his mother, Louise Whitton of South Bend; his wife, Almeda Steele Whitton of South Bend; daughter, Abigail (husband Murray) Weaver of South Bend; and son, David Michael (Amy Fox) Whitton of Saline, Mich. He has one brother, Matthew Roy (wife Judy) Whitton of Greenfield; and five grandchildren, Evelyn and Ian Weaver and Mark, Adam and Jason Whitton.   He was preceded in death by his biological father, Bill Wells; his paternal grandparents, Louise and Clarence Wells; and maternal grandparents, Ovid and Marie Chambers.   Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 29, at Marcum Community Funeral Home. Friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Thursday prior to service. Pastor Janice Sutter will be officiating. Online condolences may be expressed at www.marcumfuneralhome.com.   In lieu of flowers donations may be made at the Shepherds Door Food Pantry. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.   Dec. 25, 2011

 

Pasted from <http://www.thecouriertimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=24&ArticleID=268984>

 

 

The Most Wonderful Time

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the song lyrics of the same title go. However, though, in the fullness of time, I wonder if that is indeed true of some others' experience of this season. Is it really all the time all that wonderful for all?

 

I had a conversation recently with a friend whose family has had many experiences of grief and loss over the years. In sharing with each other about some of our common, similarly emotional moments of remembering loved ones who have passed on to eternity, they made mention of sometimes having mixed feelings about holiday, anniversary and/or birthday celebrations.

 
 

There seems to be for some a bittersweet sense of joy and manifest pain of loss present at the same time that characterizes such celebrated life events. Questions unanswered, even such unspoken thoughts rise to the surface of our conscious being. Where might we be now, if not for…? What might this Christmastime be or have been like if they were still here with us today?

 
 

One person offered that, in their experience, not necessarily the first, but the second or third subsequent holidays, birthdays or anniversaries become particularly difficult over time. And yet, life truly does and has to go on, doesn't it? There is, as the hymn that ascribes of God's steadfast loving-kindness goes, strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Because of the Lord's great compassion we are not consumed. We, above it all, experience mercies renewing every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us of God's great faithfulness unto us amidst the challenges in and through which the Lord identifies with us.

 

One colleague in ministry says that during times when we may find ourselves at a low point emotionally or otherwise, s/he finds it helpful to give oneself to and for others. Whether it is unto those in need or not, the act of giving in the service of others for their greater blessing actually lifts up our own spirits for our betterment as well.

 

In and through the wonder of it all, we experience God's grace for us and for our loved ones both living and also on the other side of eternity. In this case, I do resonate with certain themes in the romanticism of the tune.

 

It is the most wonderful time of year. It is a time of year filled to the full with wonder and awe at the God of wonders who came to be born to us in awfully humble surroundings. That is certainly worth celebrating most wonderfully, even throughout the whole year.

 

May this holiday season be for you and yours entirely filled with joyfully fulfilling holy days of yuletide reverence to the glory of the Holy One of Bethlehem. Blessings at Christmas for the New Year to come!

 

In the Spirit of the King,

Rex Espiritu