Our Pastor's Posts
The Reverend Dr. David H. McElrath
2010 February 01
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
A few Sundays ago, I told you that I needed your help. It seemed as though Graham Memorial was developing a reputation for being unfriendly. Now, I assure you that I think we are the friendliest group of people you would want to meet. However, there are reports circulating contrary information. Well, this will never do for the House of God on any corner, so I pulled out the stops and encouraged each of you to reach out to those you do not recognize and extend the hand of Christian fellowship to them.
I was amazed at the response of many of you, who sought out those unknown to you and greeted them in the name of the Lord. No one should ever feel unwelcome in the Church. After all, God created His Church to be a place of reconciliation, forgiveness, and grace. As we practice those attributes with one another, the Lord is lifted up and glorified.
In addition, the writer of Hebrews tells us that some people have actually entertained angels through acts of hospitality. Can you imagine how badly you would feel if you found out that you had missed an opportunity to rub elbows with an angel? What about saints? What would you do if you found out that you missed an opportunity to greet a saint on Sunday? Well, as those who attend Tuesday Bible study know, everyone who has placed faith in Jesus Christ is a saint . . . one set apart for the glory of God.
I already have given you a couple of challenges this year. The first was to read the Gospel according to John; the second was to read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. When you finish them, read them again, and again, and again, until the end of the year!
I want to give you another challenge. Meet and greet someone new every Sunday. That’s right, every Sunday, I want you to extend the hand of Christian fellowship to someone you do not know. Introduce yourself. Find out about someone new. Find out about a family. Invite them to lunch. Take time to get to know the other saints in the church. You never know when you might meet an angel. To be sure, you will meet some saints along the way.
Let’s make it our goal to make Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church the friendliest church in town. We can do this, and we can do it to the glory of God, now and forever more!
Grace and peace,
Pastor David
2009 December 01
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)
I love this time of year! As the preparations to celebrate the advent of our Lord continue, I am filled with hope, love, joy and peace. Those are the four themes of the advent season and they serve to remind me of God’s faithfulness throughout the year.
This past year has been a roller coaster of a year. Next year promises little relief as we watch the economy rise and fall with unpredictability. The global challenges do little to alleviate our fears and concerns for the future. But, amidst all the trouble and turmoil, one thing remains consistent: God’s love for you and me.
I love to think about the celebrations of Advent down through the years; but more than that, I love to contemplate the significance of the birth of the Christ child, the hope it brought to so many who longed for the appearing of the Messiah to deliver God’s people from bondage. While they might have been thinking about political bondage and Roman oppression, God knew that unless a person was freed from the bondage and slavery of sin, no amount of political freedom would ever satisfy the soul.
Christ broke into history that we might know God’s love on a new, personal level. Christ broke into history that grace, mercy and compassion might be a part of our everyday existence. Christ broke into history that we might know eternal life and it all began with a mere babe, a helpless infant, born at just the right time so as to have the maximum benefit and effect upon human history. This is the reason for the season.
As you busy yourselves preparing for the advent of the birth of our Savior, be sure to pause along the way and thank God for all He has done. Be sure to thank God for the promises fulfilled in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Be sure to thank Him for the promises we cling to, for the future he holds for us and the hope that sustains us day by day. This Christmas season let us rejoice together in the knowledge that the one whose birth we celebrate still holds the hope for all of mankind. Praise His name above all names and sing with the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all."
God bless and happy Christmas,
Pastor David
2009 October 01
"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs." Psalm 100:1–2 (NIV)
The more things change, the more they stay the same. I don’t know who said that first, but there is a certain amount of truth connected to it. We go through life, hoping that some things will change, but usually they don’t. The things we don’t want to change usually do. I guess it keeps us on our toes, and it keeps us from getting too complacent.
Ministry, like life, is full of unexpected changes. As we enter the final quarter of the year, I have some news to share with the congregation. Recently, Vikki Gallien, our Director of Music Ministries, informed me of her intent to retire before the year’s end. As you know, I think our choir is second to none and we have been blessed by those who have dedicated their Thursday nights in preparation for Sunday worship under the leadership of Vikki.
Some of you have already begun asking what we will do. I will tell you. We will move forward celebrating the time Vikki spent directing our choir while we wait upon the Lord to direct us to the person who will carry the music program forward.
When I first arrived at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church, Lyn Snyder was the resident minstrel. When she announced her retirement, we all grieved and wondered who could ever take her place. The answer was that no one could. We didn’t try. We waited upon the Lord, and He brought Maurice to us. After a brief sojourn with us, Maurice departed to further his education, and Vikki stepped up to the plate and continued on in the faithful tradition of her predecessors. We are not likely to find another Vikki Gallien, nor should we try. We should wait patiently for the Lord to bring us the next person, whom we will embrace into our family and watch him or her work with the choir to continue bringing outstanding music to our worship services.
As you all know, we now have three worship services, with three different approaches to music. The challenge that faces us is finding someone who can lead and give direction to all three worship services. To that end, the Session has voted to expand the position from 20 hours to 30 hours a week, in hopes that the Lord will bring someone to our church with a love of traditional choral music as well as an appreciation for the 10:30am blended service music and the 5:00pm contemporary praise service music.
We already are putting together a group of people from Session and the Chancel Choir to define the position so we can start looking for the person God has in mind for this special ministry. Your prayers are particularly appreciated during this time, not only for the process of discovering who the new director will be, but also for Vikki and her husband, Rick, as they finish their time here and prepare to relocate to Lake Tahoe, where family eagerly awaits their return.
In the meanwhile, please let Vikki know how much we have appreciated her leadership of the Chancel Choir and Hand Bell Players these past five years.
Blessings to all,
Pastor David
2009 June 01
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
Listen to a reading of This Scripture»
This past week, I was asked to participate in an informal online survey that asked the question, “What do you think is the greatest need in the church today?” These were the response options:
1 Life Skills Management
2 Doctrine / Theology / Bible Training
3 Spiritual Growth
4 Ministry Development / Spiritual Leadership Training
5 Church Health and Multiplication
After some thought, I selected the second option—doctrine, theology, and Bible training. While I could argue for the benefits of any one of the other three options offered, it seems to me that, without a solid biblical foundation, without a basic understanding of why we believe what we believe, an important piece would be missing from the other options. Grounding ourselves in the Word of God will provide us with the tools for accomplishing the other goals, but without that knowledge, our hearts and our wills too easily can lead us astray.
On May 27, I had the opportunity to participate in our Awana Awards Night. I wish all of you could have been there. The sanctuary was filled with children who were excited about “hiding God’s Word in their hearts.” Over the past year, these kids have memorized scores of biblical passages, studying these verses in context and learning applications for these verses in their daily lives.
The letters in the word Awana stand for Approved Workers Are Not Ashamed, taken from II Timothy 2:15, which admonishes all believers to show themselves as approved workers who correctly handle the Word of God.
The older we are, the harder it is for us to pack things into our long-term memory, which is why this program is so important for the future. As these kids grow and continue to learn and memorize God’s Word, they will have the foundation for cultivating good life skills. They will have developed patterns for continued spiritual growth. Statistics show that children who grow up with Awana are more likely to be involved in ministry, both professionally and as volunteers. These are the future church leaders who will help create healthy churches that are growing.
It has been said that we cannot give to others what we do not possess ourselves. Therefore, I’d like to challenge all of you to memorize some Scripture. Starting with this issue, at the end of each of my Kirk Visitor articles, I will include two verses for you to memorize. You will have the entire month to do so, which should be no trouble, if you merely write down the verses and repeat them out loud once a day. If you take my challenge, I invite you to recite your verses to me some time during the month, to let me know that you are working to show yourselves to be Approved Workers (who) Are Not Ashamed, correctly handling the Word of Truth. Below are the first two verses.
| Jun 1–14 | I Peter 3:15 |
| But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect | |
| Jun 15–30 | John 3:16 |
| For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
Blessings,
Pastor David
2009 May 01
"If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well."
John 14:7 (NIV)
View theological commentary»
On Maundy Thursday, my homily asked the question, "Do we know Him?" I proceeded to wonder if the disciples knew Him . . . really knew Him for who He presented Himself to be. Or were they merely projecting their own desires upon Him? I concluded that it was the latter—that they projecting their hopes, their ambitions, their goals onto Jesus, without really taking a look at who He was presenting Himself to be.
Do we do the same thing? Does that color the way we see Jesus? How can we be sure we know Him, really know him? I submit to you that the way to really know Jesus is through the Word, which hopefully connects our heads and hearts, and then finds application through our hands.
When I say we can really know Jesus through the Word, I mean the whole Word. While the Gospels are an important source of information regarding the life of Jesus, by themselves they are insufficient. Jesus didn’t just appear in a moral and spiritual vacuum. He told His disciples that He came, not to do away with the Law or the prophets, but to fulfill them! Therefore, we must read the Gospels in the context of the Law and the prophets.
But that is not enough, either. We must also look at the application given to us from Acts through Revelation. (Granted, application from Revelation is a bit tricky, but still present!) Jesus can, and must be known within the whole counsel of God.
To that end, Jody showed me a list she received at Community Bible Study, and it fit so well with this topic that I decided to share it with you. Where can we find Jesus? The same place we find God—in every book of the Bible. God bless.
Jesus in Every Old Testament Book of the Bible
In Genesis, Jesus is the Ram at Abraham's altar.
In Exodus, He's the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus, He's the High Priest.
In Numbers, He's the Cloud by day and Pillar of fire by night.
In Deuteronomy, He's the City of our refuge.
In Joshua, He's the Scarlet Thread out Rahab's window.
In Judges, He is our Judge.
In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.
In I Samuel and II Samuel, He's our Trusted Prophet.
And in Kings and Chronicles, He's our Reigning King.
In Ezra, He is our Faithful Scribe.
In Nehemiah, He's the Rebuilder of everything that is broken.
And in Esther, He is the Mordecai sitting faithful at the gate.
In Job, He's our Redeemer that ever liveth.
In Psalms, He is my Shepherd, and I shall not want.
In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He's our Wisdom.
And in the Song of Solomon, He's the Beautiful Bridegroom.
In Isaiah, He's the Suffering Servant.
In Jeremiah and Lamentations, it is Jesus that is the Weeping Prophet.
In Ezekiel, He's the Wonderful Four-Faced Man.
And in Daniel, He is the Fourth Man in the midst of a fiery furnace.
In Hosea, He is my Love that is forever faithful.
In Joel, He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
In Amos, He's our Burden Bearer.
In Obadiah, our Savior.
And in Jonah, He is the Great Foreign Missionary that takes the Word of God into all of the world.
You go on and you see in Micah, He is the Messenger with beautiful feet.
In Nahum, He is the Avenger.
In Habakkuk, He is the Watchman that is ever praying for revival.
In Zephaniah, He is the Lord mighty to save.
In Haggai, He is the Restorer of our lost heritage.
In Zechariah, He is our Fountain.
And in Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings.
Jesus in Every New Testament Book of the Bible
In Matthew, Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God.
In Mark, He is the Miracle Worker.
In Luke, He’s the Son of Man
And in John, He is the Door by which every one of us must enter.
In Acts, He is the Shining Light that appears to Saul on the road to Damascus.
In Romans, He is our Justifier.
In I Corinthians, He is our Resurrection.
In II Corinthians, He is our Sin Bearer.
In Galatians, He redeems us from the law.
In Ephesians, He is our Unsearchable Riches.
In Philippians, He supplies our every need.
And in Colossians, He’s the Fullness of the Godhead Bodily.
In I Thessalonians and II Thessalonians, He is our Soon Coming King.
In I Timothy and II Timothy, He is the Mediator between God and man.
In Titus, He is our Blessed Hope.
In Philemon, He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother.
And in Hebrews, He’s the Blood of the everlasting covenant.
In James, it is the Lord that heals the sick.
In I Peter and II Peter, He is the Chief Shepherd.
In I John, II John, and III John, it is Jesus who has the tenderness of love.
In Jude, He is the Lord coming with 10,000 saints.
And in Revelation, lift up your eyes, Church, for your redemption draws nigh;
He is our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Blessings.
Pastor David
2009 April 01
"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:5–6 (NIV)
View theological commentary»
In every area of our lives, we mark special days for celebration, and those celebrations become traditions which establish foundations for relationships and families for years. Celebrations are a time to reflect and rejoice at what happened in our past and to anticipate what the future holds. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. You name it, we celebrate it.
For Christianity, Easter is a most important celebration—perhaps the most important celebration—for it is truly the benchmark and foundation of our faith. Paul said, "If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain." Easter is a day to celebrate, but, not without understanding, not without reflecting and rejoicing at what happened almost two thousand years ago, and not without anticipating what the future holds.
Those who followed Jesus during his earthly ministry knew they were on to something big, but I do not think they realized the full scope of who Jesus is or why he came. If we look at the behavior of Jesus' followers after Jesus was arrested, we see that they withdrew, scattered and hid from the authorities. If Jesus had been arrested, his followers must have reasoned, surely they would be next.
When the news of the Resurrection reached them, they were dumbfounded. It was after their encounter with the risen Jesus that their lives were radically changed. For the first time since God began to be revealed to the nation of Israel, the intention of God to redeem humanity was understood. Jesus was the link between a chasm that separated all of humanity from Divine love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy. The door was opened wide by Jesus Christ, and all who believe in Jesus are invited in to fellowship with God.
The radical transformation of the disciples began a process in history that continues down to this very day. As we believers celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday, we stand with almost two thousand years of Christian tradition that not only remembers what happened that morning but also celebrates the hope of eternal life with God. If we are a people who believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, then we also know that the best is yet to come.
Can you imagine the excitement of the disciples when Jesus showed up in their midst after the Resurrection? That had to be a celebration like none had ever seen. I am convinced that that celebration will pale in comparison to the celebration we will share upon the return of our Lord. He is risen!
Blessings.
Pastor David
2009 March 01
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV) View theological commentary»
It is Monday night, two days before Rick Moore and I head to Ethiopia to visit the Afar population, and I am trying to get caught up on some things before we fly out. As I scurry about trying not to forget anything, I catch myself thinking about how blessed we all are to be used by God in advancing His kingdom. If you ever wonder if God is at work in the world today, you need only look at the mission projects we are involved in as a church. From supporting work among the urban poor in the greater San Diego area, to partnering with missionaries in Paris, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa, Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church is a significant participant in world mission.
I can only imagine how grateful Paul was to have the support of the Philippian church. The trials and tribulations associated with Paul and his missionary work could fill volumes, but the support of the Philippian church filled Paul's soul with joy. The significance of the Philippian contribution to Paul's mission work probably will never be fully understood this side of eternity. The Philippians understood, though. They knew that God was doing something in their time that would change the course of history. They were right.
We are in no less an important time today. The trials and tribulations in advancing the kingdom of God will always meet opposition. But, I am convinced that God is doing things in our time that is altering the course of history as we participate in the expansion of the kingdom through our mission support and participation.
What a privilege it is for me to represent you on this upcoming excursion. I am told that the desert is blooming and lives are being transformed because we care enough to see beyond our own facilities. Where there was once only heartache and despair, there is now hope and encouragement. I am also excited that Rick Moore is going with me! I can’t wait for him to share with you his experiences. They will confirm what I have been telling you all along. We make a difference. That is one of the reasons I thank God every time I remember you.
We have received all our shots. We are taking medication to prevent malaria. We have our industrial-strength insect repellent. The cameras are ready, and our hearts are excited. I only wish that all of you could come and see what is happening. Well, there is always next year!
By the time you read these words, Rick and I will have returned, but I know that many of you will have prayed for us and for that, I am grateful. Stay true to the convictions of your beliefs, and let’s watch God do something special in all our lives. May God richly bless you all as we strive to honor Him in all we do!
Grace and peace,
Pastor David
2009 February 01
"I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:50–58 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I love to study the Bible. Maybe it’s an occupational hazard, but few things excite me more than gaining new insight into or understanding God’s Word. A close second is having the opportunity to share that discovery with others. Tuesday Evening Bible Study has always been one of the highlights of my week, but I have to tell you, the past few Tuesdays have been a stretch, even for me. Why is that? Well, we are studying the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is literature classified as apocalyptic, meaning “things hidden.” It is a book filled with visions and symbols that challenge even the most sophisticated biblical scholar. While there are those who would attempt to tell you exactly what the book is trying to say, I think it will remain one of the greatest biblical mysteries this side of eternity.
It is good to live with a little bit of mystery. As I have said before, we love a good mystery. The problem is that we are always looking for the next great mystery. Once any mystery has been solved, we quickly move on to the next frontier. God will always be our legitimate mystery. While there are things about God that we can grasp pretty well, like forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, there are mysteries that just boggle the mind . . . like the nature of the Trinity or the book of Revelation!
The cultural barriers, the language barriers, and the time barriers present significant road blocks to the biblical scholar dealing with a book like Revelation. But the book promises a blessing to those who study its pages. We are wrestling together through the four major views, which sometimes add only confusion to an already confusing situation. However, this has not deterred Evening Bible Study attendance. In the fifteen years that I have been teaching and leading Tuesday Evening Bible Study, no sessions have been as well attended as these studies of Revelation.
As confusing as Revelation is at times, I continually remind myself that, having read the end of the book, I know God ultimately wins! Secure in the knowledge of God’s sovereignty, I can wrestle with the deepest mysteries of God, hoping to discover something along the way—either about God or myself.
So, if you are looking for a good story to take up part of your Tuesday evening, consider coming out to Parish Hall at 7:00pm for some of June Mac Leod’s delicious cookies, a cup of coffee, and a slice of biblical mystery, served up in the study of Revelation. Evening Bible Study will go on hiatus for two weeks, February 17 and 24, as I will be in Ethiopia with Rick Moore and a team from Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, catching up on the progress we have made with our mission partners there. I plan on taking lots of pictures, and I will look forward to sharing them with you upon my return.
Blessings to you all,
Pastor David