Grace Notes - from the Pastor’s desk
October 2024
Happy October, Lake Foresters!
I don’t know about you, but it is certainly one of my favorite months in the year. As we look forward to World Communion Sunday, our annual Fall Festival, crisp weather, and pulling those flannels out of the closet, we also have an opportunity to lean on the resources of our faith to buoy our spirits through an election season that promises lots of ugliness, sadness, and outrage. To ground ourselves in Kingdom Values in the days ahead, we’ll gather around the Bible in worship to reflect on what it means to practice “Loving Thy Neighbor in Divided Times."
Our scripture readings over these next four weeks are truly a highlight reel of foundational texts for our faith, and it gives us an opportunity to get back to the basics - reminding ourselves that, though the algorithms and profit driven news cycles forefront for us of all the disagreement and outrage in the world, there is much more that unites us than divides us.
This month, we’ll take a look at the foundational values that God calls us to throughout the scriptural witness, and particularly in the life and teachings of Jesus; Love of neighbor, love of enemy, creative non-violence, and reconciliation. When the world around you seeks to provoke your anger and indignation, we hope that this focus on love in a difficult time will give you the courage and the spiritual peace to act and speak in truth and love.
Joyfully,
-Chad
September 2024
Lake Forest family,
As we transition from the heat of summer into the cool embrace of fall, the world around us begins to shift as well. School is back in session, football season is underway, and the leaves transform from vibrant greens to deep oranges and reds. This time of year brings a renewed energy, encouraging us to reflect, reassess, and focus on what truly matters. It’s within this season of change that we find the perfect backdrop for exploring the book of James, a letter that challenges us to move beyond mere belief and put our faith into tangible action.
This September, we’ll immerse ourselves in the unique teachings of the book of James. Known for its practicality and rooted in the wisdom of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and the Proverbs, James calls us to rise above spiritual complacency into a vibrant, active faith. His words urge us to "be doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). This is more than just a call for superficial change—it’s an invitation to a deep, transformative process that touches every aspect of our lives. James pushes us to think ethically and theologically about the consequences of our actions, challenging us to let our faith guide us as we engage in the common good.
As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, let’s use this time to reflect on the kind of faith we are cultivating. Are we content with simply hearing the Word, or are we actively living it out in our daily interactions? How are our values reflected in the way we use our resources, our time, or our relationships? James calls us to a faith that is dynamic and visible—a faith that acts. I hope you’ll join us this month as we gather for fellowship and faith formation, taking every opportunity to grow with God together.
Hopefully,
-Chad
August 2024
‘Clarity From Our Confessions’
I’m sure there are as many ways to think about the time we’re living in as there are people living in it. Responses to the events of these days range from despair to anger, from apathy to cautious optimism, from detachment to doom scrolling and everything in between.
The last couple of weeks have truly been some of the strangest in my life: the sitting president withdrawing four months from an election; a former president surviving an assassination attempt; a worldwide tech failure that grounded planes and shuttered businesses; our toddler deciding he prefers peanut butter and jelly to oatmeal for breakfast! These times are - as they say - unprecedented.
It can be bewildering to live faithfully in response to God’s love in times as tumultuous as these, but gratefully we have a generative anchor in scripture and a fully human, divine example in Jesus Christ. Even as influencers and pundits race to tell us how we should think about the events of our time, may we turn our eyes to Christ and our hearts to God in prayer so that we might listen to how the Holy Spirit is calling us to be Peace, Grace, Love, and Truth in our daily living. In times like these, I often reinvest in my spiritual practices and prayer life and revisit our Presbyterian confessions of faith.
As we enter a pivotal time for our congregation in the months ahead, these words from our Brief Statement of Faith remind me of the courage we can have together in Christ:
“In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’”
Can we ask ourselves: even on hard days, am I growing in the fruit of the Spirit? Am I committed to living a Christ-like life, even when it’s inconvenient? Am I listening to the voices of the marginalized and silenced? How can I work for greater justice, freedom, and peace? For that clarity I say: thanks be to God.
The Lord be with you, friends,
-Chad
June 2024
“May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God.” -2 Corinthians 1:3-4, CEB
Paul opens his second letter to the churches he founded in Corinth with compassion and comfort, even though these churches have hurt him. Since he wrote the first letter, he has witnessed their rejection of his teachings, their questioning of his credibility, and their pursuit of false teachers who flaunt their wealth and status. Despite having every right to respond in anger, Paul chooses compassion.
Paul’s response mirrors God’s reaction to the Judeans in exile. After the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon, God, through the prophet Isaiah, expresses a desire not to punish the Judean people but to comfort them. Isaiah’s disciples write in chapter 40: “Comfort, Comfort my people,” says your God, “Speak compassionately to Jerusalem… make a flat road through the desert… the Lord’s glory will appear… and YHWH will gather the lambs and lift them up onto God’s lap.”
This summer, we will journey through two of Paul’s letters, 2 Corinthians and Ephesians, listening for how Paul's words of instruction and encouragement to those early Christian communities can inspire and instruct us today at Lake Forest Presbyterian Church as we embark on the next 75 years of ministry together. We will ask ourselves: In what ways are we being challenged? In what ways are we being comforted? And in what ways can we continue to pass on the grace and compassion we have received from God?
We pray you’ll join us on this journey.
Grace and Peace, Chad
May 2024
Greetings Lake Forest Family, and a marvelous May to you all.
I truly can’t believe it’s been a year since I began serving with our community here at Lake Forest. Over the past year, I've had the honor of special moments like baptisms and memorial services, family camp and fall festival, and I’ve relished the opportunities for building relationships with our members, our neighbors, and our partner organizations as well. And I want to take a moment to say a big thank you for all your support during my family's transitions. Moving homes, juggling childcare, home repairs and family emergencies - you name it, you've been there for us, and we're truly grateful.
As we kick off another year, I think it's important to look back at where we've come from and think about where we're headed. With our 75th anniversary around the corner, it's a good time to reflect on the legacy of our church here in South Knoxville. As I recently read our church’s history book that was written for the 50th anniversary, it stands out to me that we’ve always been about serving our community, whether it's supporting education and literacy, respecting and caring for nature, or welcoming immigrants and refugees. And I know that as we move forward, we'll keep finding ways to live out our faith in action.
I invite you to join us in prayer for our session and staff as we engage in collaborative planning for the future. If you're interested in contributing your ideas, please don't hesitate to reach out to me or one of our session members. Let's stay attuned to the ways in which the Spirit is moving among us here at LFPC.
Grace and Peace,
-Pastor Chad
March 2024
“As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither…” -John 9:1-3a
Blessed March to you, Lake Forest Folks!
One thing that I’m grateful for in this season is the supportive work of our session members. They have committed to journeying with us through a process of reframing, relearning, and living into our potential as a congregation rooted in South Knoxville. We’ve partnered with the Three Rivers Collaborative to engage in a series of workshops to help reconnect our faith community to the radical (meaning from the roots) ways of Christ.
In the 9th chapter of John, Jesus’ disciples engage in a very human activity… they see someone suffering, and the first thing they ask is “who is to blame?” It seems to me that when Jesus tells them they are asking the wrong question and invites them to see God’s glory made manifest in this blind man’s life, he invites them to drop the blame game and become part of the solutions crew.
I’m grateful that our church is comprised of faithful folks open to solutions to the problems we face - not only congregationally - but also as individuals and as a wider Knoxville area community.
Perhaps during this Lenten season, we can take a clear look at the reality around us, and - where we see folks hurting - we can be healing hands and loving arms reaching out to those who feel left out, pushed out, or kept out of the opportunities for participation in beloved community. Rather than asking ourselves whose fault that is, let’s ask ourselves how we might be part of the solution.
May it be so.
Grace and peace, y’all,
-Chad
February 2024
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
…to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you…”
-Isaiah 58:6-8
Happy February, Lake Forest Folks!
In just a couple of weeks, we’ll enter a special part of the Christian calendar called Lent that begins with Ash Wednesday and culminates with the celebration of Easter. The 40 days (minus Sundays) of Lent mirror and remind us of the 40 Days that Jesus spent in the wilderness and the 40 years the Ancient Israelites spent in the wilderness in search of the promised land.
It just so happens that this year Ash Wednesday coincides with St. Valentine’s Day, and personally, I find that highly appropriate. On a day where the culture invites us to celebrate Love, we will also be reminded of our own mortality and remember with humility that God loves us deeply, not in spite of our humanity, but because of it.
One of the ways many folks choose to reconnect to their humanity and to their devotion to God is to participate in spiritual practices of fasting and prayer in a special way during Lent. This commitment has a way of helping us remember. It helps us remember who we are, to whom we belong, and why we live the way we do. As we remember together this Lenten season, I hope you find the practices and habits that will ground you in resurrection hope and an even more resilient faith in the God that brings joy from pain, hope from despair, and even life out of death.
Hopefully,
-Chad
January 2024
Happy New Year, Lake Forest Family!
I pray this newsletter finds you basking in the afterglow of a restful Christmas celebration and a hopeful New Years Day. I’m so excited, not only for all the joy we’ll share together in January, but for all that God has in store for us in 2024.
This year promises to be a special one for our community as we celebrate together Lake Forest’s 75th year as a congregation. Lake Forest Presbyterian Church grew out of a ten-month, mid-week prayer group that first met in various homes. In June of 1949, Sunday night services were first held in the basement of Center Drug Store on Chapman Highway. These services were attended by 34 members of the community who became the church’s charter members.
God has continually blessed our church over the past 74 and a half years. As the church moves forward, we seek to draw upon the God-given gifts and talents of our members so that we might be the Body of Christ as we grow together and serve our South Knoxville neighbors, the wider East TN community, and the world God so loves.
Please take a few minutes and look over our newsletter, and be sure to take special note of the activities, classes, and service opportunities we have that would be meaningful and enriching to you and your faith in the coming weeks. I’m honored to serve with you, and looking forward to getting to know each of you better in the year to come.
Gratefully,
-Chad
December 2023
Immanuel means ‘God with us’ or ‘God is with us’ and the name first appears in scripture in the 7th chapter of Isaiah.
King Ahaz is surrounded and besieged by Syria (Aram) and Israel (Ephraim) from the north, and the whole world knows that the Assyrians are coming right behind them… the Assyrians who have become the largest, most ruthless, and most wealthy nation in the world at this point (800-700 BC).
The Southern Kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem, is being pressured to give in to this invasion and siege and to submit to the anti-Assyrian alliance and join them in warring with the soon approaching Assyrian army, but King Ahaz knows that Judah is too small a nation with too small an army, and even teaming up with Syria and Israel would end in defeat by Assyria and certain death for himself. Perhaps if he resists the anti-Assyrian alliance he might ingratiate himself with the Assyrian King and avoid losing his own life and the lives of so many of his soldiers, guards, and administrators.
He does what kings did… he turned to his prophets. Isaiah shares with King Ahaz a word from the Lord. Stand firm, do not give in. He writes: The Lord will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
Isaiah tells Ahaz that things are really bad now… they’re low on food and clean water, the people are suffering under the invading armies, but there is hope. And you will see the hope when less than 9 months from now, this young woman is able to bear a healthy son. She will name him ‘God is with us’, and that son will eat rich foods before he grows up.
This is where this name that we associate with Christ comes from… a people suffering under invading armies receive a promise of deliverance in the sign of a newborn baby. This name - Immanuel - was a true sign for the Judeans centuries before, and it becomes true again (fully and completely true, we believe) in Jesus of Nazareth. Each advent we look for hope, and we reflect on what it means that God is with us - fully with us by Christ and in the Spirit. As we gather around the scriptures again this year, inspired by our advent theme: God With Us, may we be inspired anew to live hopeful, joyful, peaceful, and loving lives even in the hardest and darkest of days.
May it be so,
-Chad
November 2023
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is
I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this mountain.”
-Exodus 3:12
When I read the story of Moses and the burning bush, often I wonder what it must’ve been like for Moses. It must’ve been so strange, terrifying, unsettling, exciting… I imagine the full range of emotion can wash over a person in the presence of the divine.
When told by God via a bush that this disgraced former member of Egypt's royal court will go back and face that oppressive regime and demand their entire labor force be freed, Moses asks then a series of relatively reasonable questions. “Why me? Who do I say sent me? What authority do I have to do this?”
God then says something of a comforting phrase: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you:”
I’m sure Moses thought, “Yes! I get a sign! How cool! When I march into Egypt, I’ll get some fireworks, and I’ll know that everything’s going to be fine!”
But God says, “Your sign will be that once you’ve led the people out of Egypt, you’ll come back here and worship me on this mountain!”
What good is a sign like that?! I’ll get the sign *after* I do the thing? But isn’t that often the truth for us? The sign comes after you’ve done the thing; after you’ve taken that step in faith; after you’ve left the job or started the business or asked the question you’ve been terrified to ask. The sign comes after you’ve put your life on the line…
This has been the case - for me at least - a number of times in my life, and I wonder if it has been for you? What faithful next steps are you discerning in your life right now? Do you have conversation partners and support in that process?
There will come a time in the years ahead for us at Lake Forest to discern our next faithful steps together… and I have no idea what that might be for us (a new mission opportunity? a new educational focus? a new outreach program or local service partnership?). But as we pray and discern our way forward together, I pray we are also comforted that the steps we will take together in faith will not be steps we take alone.
God comforts Moses in his distress and resistance - not by saying it won’t be hard, or that he won’t face obstacles and opposition - but by promising this: I will be with you.
God be with us,
-Chad
October 2023
Dear Lake Foresters!
As the leaves begin to turn, we are reminded of the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3. “There is a season for everything, a time for every purpose under heaven.” This fall, we invite you to embrace the beauty of this changing season and join us in the meaningful events we have planned for our church community.
Just as the seasons change, so too do our opportunities to grow, connect, and serve. Whether you are seeking spiritual growth, fellowship, or a chance to make a positive impact on our community, there is a place for you here.
A Time to Gather: Join us in person for our weekly worship services as we draw near to God and each other in community.
A Time to Learn: Explore our Sunday School classes or our monthly Theology on Tap! Fall is a wonderful time to deepen your understanding of Scripture and strengthen your spiritual foundation.
A Time to Fellowship: Enjoy the fun and fellowship at our Fall Festival on October 29th from 5-7pm. This is a great opportunity to meet some new neighbors and friends, and to enjoy games, costumes, food, and fun!
A Time to Serve: Consider volunteering at the FISH food pantry, or learning more about becoming a mentor through the Amachi program.
A Time to Reflect: Take some quiet moments to reflect on the changing season and your own spiritual journey. One helpful tool is the D365 app from Passport Ministries. It’s available in all the app stores and offers wonderful brief scriptures, reflections, and prayers every day.
May this season of autumn remind us all of the beauty that can be found in each season of our lives. We look forward to sharing this special season with you and growing together in faith and fellowship.
Grace and Peace to you,
-Chad
September 2023
Dear Lake Forest Family,
As summer draws to a close and a new school year picks up steam, we find ourselves with a renewed opportunity to learn and grow in our faith. It is with great joy and anticipation that we invite you into a deeper connection with your faith, your church family, and yourself by participating in one of our faith formation groups! I hope you're ready to embark on this journey together.
Our theme for this new season, "Seek Ye First" drawn from Matthew 6:33, serves as a guiding light as we navigate the months ahead. Just as students enter their classrooms with a quest for knowledge, let us approach each day with an earnest desire to seek and prioritize God's kingdom of peace and justice in every facet of our lives. As we come together for worship, fellowship, and service, let our actions and intentions be a reflection of our shared commitment to placing God at the forefront of our hearts and minds.
With open hearts and eager spirits, let us lean into the challenges and opportunities this school year presents, knowing that when we seek the kingdom of God first, all the rest will come into clearer focus. May this scriptural focus guide us in unity, purpose, and faith, creating a tapestry of love and devotion that enriches not only our lives but also the lives of those around us.
In Gratitude and Joy,
-Chad
July 2023
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake their way
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that God may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. - Isaiah 55:6-7
Throughout scripture, when people are in trouble, lost, or looking for direction, God says to them, “Look for me! I’m right here!” Even in the New Testament this thread of seeking after God runs through Jesus’ teaching. “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened.”
I don’t know about you, but when I read passages like the Isaiah passage above, and I hear God asking to be sought, my gut response is often: “Can’t you just show yourself?” Couldn’t God just do the pillar of cloud thing? The burning bush thing? But even when Moses meets God in the burning bush, the scripture tells us that Moses had to stop what he was doing and turn aside to see… Then it says: When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush” (Exodus 3:4)
‘Seek me,’ God says, ‘because I have healing for you.
‘Find me,’ God says, ‘because I have comfort for you.’
‘Turn your face towards me,’ God says,
‘because I can see a better way for you.’
And yet, too often we don’t turn aside to see what God is up to - and this is understandable given the world we live in. It is so easy for me to fill every moment with some task, or email, or chore, or media... It is so rare that I am present to Reality around me; to the people I pass who might be Christ to me, or for whom I might be Christ’s hands and feet. (Matthew 25:37-40)
How many burning bushes do we walk past each day?
How many whispers of the Spirit do we drown out with distraction?
How many encounters with Jesus do we opt out of subconsciously?
Wherever this word finds you, I pray that this summer is a time that creates the space you need to seek the Lord and that opens you up to the many ways Christ might meet you - in new places, in fresh ways, and through unexpected people. I can’t wait to hear how God is moving in your life. Let me know.
Grace and Peace,
- Chad
June 2024
Grace and Peace, Lake Forest folks!
Summer is a time of year full of memories and opportunities. Often formative times for us take place in the summer. For me growing up that was camps, vacation Bible school, visiting cousins in North Carolina, practicing with the local swim team or baseball team… what formative times do you remember from summers past?
Summer is also a time for us to have formative experiences that shape our faith as well! We can let the warmer weather and longer days create space for us to learn and grow in faith. Whether it’s participating with our Vacation Bible School, our Christian Institute for Youth, Family Camp, or any of our Sunday worship services - let’s take this summer to explore and grow, and to allow God to shape us in unexpected ways.
As always, please let me know if there’s any way that I can support you in your journey of faith this summer. I’m so grateful to have been called to this unique and vibrant faith community, and I look forward to getting to know y’all better.
Gratefully,
Chad