Long Decembers and Livelong Nights- By Rev. Matt Giesman

“And though I wait the livelong night until the dawn appeared...”

Those are the words of the hymn version of Psalm 130. Waiting is a concept we’re all familiar with lately. Recently, Psalm 130 made me think of some other non-Inspired words of waiting:

It’s been a long December, and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last. 

That’s a song from my high school days. (Never mind me. I’m just a guy who’s pushing 40. My favorite music will soon be on the oldies station.)

I think of those words here and there when I’ve had a rough season of life, when it’s been a Long December (or March or 2020-that-lingers-into-2021). We all need hope, and we all need to believe that at the very least MAYBE this year will be better than the last. And music is catchy. I’ve listened to that song a few hundred times (and I’m sure the music of your high school days sticks with you, too), and I can still hear the opening piano chords and that one guitar riff that comes in at the end. I can feel the melancholy that slowly turns to hope that ends in triumphant joy. But more than once, I’ve asked myself, “Why does this songwriter think this year will be better than the last? What does he base his hope on?”

Reviewing the lyrics, it’s a simple formula. The songwriter poet is simply dwelling once again on the topic of unrequited love. He loved, and he lost. He starts off talking about her leaving, whoever the nameless woman is.

A few lines later, he’s reflecting on how he wasn’t good enough for her and how winter (a Long December) makes you think about all that just a bit more. And then he’s back to his opening line:

It’s been a long December, and there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.

 And once again, I ask, Why? Why does he think this year will be better than the last? Why is January going to be better than the long December? The song ends with him saying he’s going to go see the ocean, followed by some Na Na’s and a few Yeah’s, reminiscent of the ending to Hey Jude!

Is the California coast the reason that this year will be better than the last? The California coast ain’t bad, but is it enough to overcome the crud of a Long December? Is it anything more than a beautiful distraction from the writer’s lovesick heartache? Is it really enough to put an end to all of our Long December’s?

Is it a better hope than Psalm 130?

Psalm 130 has its share of melancholy, but it’s not about unrequited love and the one who got away. It’s about the depths of woe and crying out to the savior, begging for him to listen.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” (Psalm 130:1-2)

Maybe he has just sinned, or maybe the memory of his sin plunged him back into the depths of woe once again.

“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

And then he talks about the waiting. He’s in the depths, and he’s waiting on God. Not a fun place to be. I’ll shift to Martin Luther’s poetic rewording for a moment:

And though I wait the livelong night, until the dawn appeareth,

my heart still trusteth in his might, it doubteth not nor feareth

Do thus, o ye of Israel’s seed, ye of the Spirit born indeed

And wait til God appeareth.

That’s a bit of an amalgamation of verses 5-8. Another verse in the song treats verse 6 in more detail, but it’s better to look at the Biblical words here, to see where his hope lies.

“My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6)

He’s waiting and hoping for God to show up and bring him out of the depths. And now the image changes from the depths of woe to a night watchman on duty. The coldest, darkest shift for the watchman was the night shift. It was a Long December packed into one night, and with no iPhone or TV to distract him, you can only imagine how long it felt. Waiting for the morning must have felt like eternity.

Why does he use the image of the night watchman, lonely and waiting in the dark? First off, because we’ve all been there even if we aren’t a night watchman. We all know the Dark Night of the Soul, as an old saint once called it. Second, to borrow the words of an old friend: He uses this image because morning always comes. Always! Does it take a while? Sure, but it comes. Every time. And that’s why the Psalmist can wait like a watchman - he knows he will get what he’s waiting for. He knows that he will get God. God will show his face. He will answer the prayer. He will raise this man up out of his depths. With God there is forgiveness, and that hope is so much more certain than the girl who got away deciding to come back or the restorative effects of the California coast, or whatever reason you can find to think that maybe this year will be better than the last.

The livelong night (oh my, is it long!) is ending, and God is about to show His face. With Him is steadfast love. With Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel out of all her sin and sorrow. The Long December will end, and this year WILL be better than the last.

Feeling Emotional about a Zoom Microphone? Lemme explain. -By Rev. Matt Giesman

I’m feeling emotional about my Zoom microphone.

I’m fairly certain that sentence would’ve made no sense in 2019 or anytime before. It barely makes sense now, and, yes, I was trying to be a bit dramatic just to get your attention.

I’m also attempting to take a brief look back at 2020 by looking at one small object in my home office. A brief look back, because I don’t think I’m ready to handle a full retrospective on 2020 yet.

But, yes, let’s talk about my Zoom microphone and why it’s making me emotional. What emotions? Well, there’s gratitude. There’s also angst, regret, dread, and probably a few others. Let me attempt to explain.

Gratitude – My Zoom microphone was given to me by one of the regular attenders of the Officer Training study that I teach every year for prospective deacons and elders. One of the 2020 attenders gave it to me. Before this gift, he walked me through how to set up our Officer Training study on Zoom in March 2020, as the world was rapidly changing. I had barely heard of Zoom until he told me about it, suggesting that it was a much better option than Skype (which I’ve used in the past) or Facetime (Apple users only) or some other option we discussed. Before long, the church would have multiple Zoom accounts. Praise the Lord one of our members did a lot of video conferencing for work and got me up to speed. And what’s more? After the first or second meeting of Officer Training that was held on Zoom (which meant we no longer had to worry about meetings getting snowed out), this gentlemen reached out to me and said something like, “Ya know, it looks like we might be doing this for a while. Would you like me to buy you a proper microphone?” I said sure. I’m not sure how much he spent, but it looks pretty solid, like one of the ones that the worship team uses. One of the main differences from the sanctuary ones (I think) is that mine has both a standard microphone cable input and a USB-C input, the latter allowing me to plug it into my computer for relatively easy use. I have no idea how many times I’ve used this thing since March 2020. When I received it, I had no idea how helpful it would be. If I had known back then how many times I would use this thing, I would’ve … I’m not sure. I might’ve refused the gift out of spite for the circumstances of 2020 that I would never wish upon anyone. I hope that I might’ve responded better (had I know how long I would need to use this mic), similar to how I did respond at the time: simple thanksgiving for a kind deed from someone who knew I could benefit from a thoughtful gift. Maybe it was God’s kind providence to me that I didn’t know in March 2020 how much I would use that microphone. Maybe it was also a kind providence that I was given the gift at all. Probably both. So, for those reasons and many others, thank you, Lord, for this microphone that allows me to conduct better Zoom meetings. Thank you to the member of Forestgate (he knows who he is) who gave this to me.

Gratitude. That’s the emotion I’m feeling right now.

But is there also some anger (that certain parts of 2020 happened), some regret (ditto), some dread (as I attempt to relive even small portions of last year), and probably a few other emotions. I could explore those emotions, and I have already (with friends and family, in other articles, in sermons, during prayer request time at various meetings, and more).

But who wants to go there? Spring is in the air. Easter is around the corner. (It’s Maundy Thursday and April Fool’s Day as I write this, an interesting combination). The Lord tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Not FOR all circumstances, but IN all circumstances. And as I look back briefly on the past year, I’m thankful for a Zoom microphone given to me by a generous church member. Not necessarily thankful for the reasons that required the use of it. But I’m thankful for it, all the same. Thankful for a God who is sovereign. Thankful for a God who died for my sins and didn’t stay dead. Thankful for a God who is Risen and who is making all things new.

Gratitude. I think that’s enough emotions for today. Happy Easter, everyone. He is risen! Indeed!

Summer Vacation Bible School Opportunities - By Rev. Curt Straeter

Are you talking about Summer VBS already? Yes I am! It is important to get excited early, and prepare yourselves for supporting this Summer’s VBS opportunities…that’s right, plural…we are excited to promote TWO VBS’s this year, with participation opportunities for both children and teens. In order of appearance, the first will be…

WINGS LIKE EAGLES (Early June): WLE is an independent, Christian-run horse vaulting camp that incorporates Bible teaching. It is essentially a VBS for roughly ages 6 to 13, but with horses. Also, ages 14 to 18 are the leaders! Like a typical VBS, there is singing, a devotion, snack time, and a game station. But instead of moving to other typical VBS stations (i.e. crafts or a “storyteller” time), children learn simple horse vaults. Horse vaulting is essentially gymnastics or static poses on a moving horse.

While adults are on site and overseeing, the teens are put in charge of running all of the stations, including the devotionals. This develops teaching and leadership skills. High school staff also must attend the theological preparation prior to camp. Last year, WLE asked me to lead the staff Bible studies, and I led a six-lesson series, “What Is the Gospel?”.

Neither high school staff nor young campers need to have any experience with horses or horse vaulting prior to camp. There is a separate safety & handling training for the teen staff in addition to preparatory bible studies.

WLE is held at a local horse ranch in Monument, the residence of Duncan & Michele Bremer. Several families participate that are within or connected to FPC in some way. The camp has two separate iterations of 6 days (Saturday is a horse vaulting “performance” day where all families are invited), and the 6 day iterations are slated to likely occur in early June…More confirmation on that is pending.

SUMMER FUNNER (July 12-16): Summer Funner is an established (over 25 years) non-profit that has approximately fifteen original Biblically-based musicals. It is a 5-day, theater style VBS where students ages 4-18 rehearse a Bible centered musical which culminates in a performance on the last day.

Participants rotate through stations to practice choreography, rehearse lines, enjoy a snack, create theme-related crafts, learn basic drama skills, and hear Bible truths that support the theme of the show. Students are divided into age groups and led by teen participants through the stations. Teen leaders are mentored in Christian leadership as they begin each morning with a devotion and prayer time before younger students arrive.

The beauty of this style of theater is that it welcomes and encourages students with little to no theater experience, but is still enjoyable to those who appreciate theater. At minimum, each participant is given one or two lines, while teens or more experienced participants may play a larger role. All students learn the songs and sing/dance together for the performance. The goal of this style of VBS is to create an engaging, Christ-exalting experience where the children are encouraged to learn basic tenants of the Bible (maybe for the first time) that will hopefully stick with their hearts for years to come.

Unlike WLE, Summer Funner will be held on site at the church building.

COSTS: We plan to offer participation in each program for $25 per participant. For both programs, this includes a shirt as well as all of the other materials (and horses!) used in the VBS events. The actual cost of both VBS programs is significantly higher. FPC is subsidizing some cost, and there is also a regular donation “auction” at the end of the WLE performances on Saturday which is meant to help soften the cost of maintaining the horses for WLE. If anyone has any financial difficulties that prohibit participation, please reach out to me!

The FPC Christian Education Team is very excited to promote involvement in both of these VBS opportunities. Above all, we pray that God would use it to glorify himself by drawing little children and teens to himself in repentance and faith, and in sanctifying them, training them, and using them to proclaim his name among all nations for the work he has wrought through the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What’s a Satanic Attack look like? - By Rev. Matt Giesman

What’s a Satanic attack look like? Does everything turn a pale shade of red? Are there strange ghoulish voices and evil, maniacal laughs?

I’m going to suggest, No.

But am I qualified to make such assessments? What expertise do I have? Well, I do have a D.Min. degree. Quick, say that out loud if you’re reading silently. (D.Min.) Did it sound like “demon” a little bit? That’s what one of our deacons thought when I discussed my D.Min. classes one time. (It actually stands for Doctor of Ministry.)

But in all seriousness, I’m not sure I have expertise with demonic and Satanic experiences. I am not an exorcist, and I actually never saw those movies growing up, either. But I have benefited in the past few years from some people in our church who are willing to occasionally say, “This might be Satan attacking us, discouraging us, etc.”

One time, it was an elder’s wife who attributed a rash of health scares in our family to the possibility that Satan was attacking our church during a time of fruitful growth.

Another time, it was an elder who calmly said, “The enemy would like nothing more than to discourage us right now.” That was in response to a question from me, half-rhetorical, about what was going on, why we were having such a rash of funerals in such a short time.

On the one hand, you might ask, “How did they know that those things were Satan’s doing?” Simply put, they didn’t. There was a measure of humility and uncertainty in their voices. But if Satan is a prowling lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5), and if he does indeed have some power to harm us by the sovereign permission of the Lord (see Job, especially the opening chapters), then it is not too much to ask IF Satan MIGHT be attacking us at any one time, especially if the circumstances in question are harmful to the church as a whole and/or to significant leaders in the church.

I’ve said before that I do not enjoy preaching about Satan. Yes, it’s part of preaching, declaring the whole counsel of God. But there is a very odd “coincidence” that I notice on those weeks when I am scheduled to preach about Satan. When I’m scheduled to preach on Satan, I will sometimes be moody, irritable, anxious, and a host of other things that are not normal for me. After one such week, when I had been feeling horrible and out of sorts for several days, I mentioned to my wife, “By the way, I’m preaching on Satan this week.” Her response was basically, “Well, that explains a lot.” It wasn’t the first time we had discussed this phenomenon, and after that “aha!” moment we decided that I am obligated to tell her ahead of time when I’m supposed to preach on Satan.

I realize much of this is anecdotal. This isn’t hard scientific data that could be written up for a journal article or something like that. If that means you take all of this with a grain of salt, then fine. My main goal is for us to take a moment when life seems out of joint and ask what’s going on with us and around us. It might be that there are reasonable explanations for out of the ordinary occurrences. It might also be February 2021 Page 3 the case that Satan loves to capitalize on whatever circumstances arise, doing his best to make something bad out of what God intends for our ultimate good. (Think of that as a sort of corollary of Genesis 45:4-8; 50:20.)

And even if we can’t be sure that any particular circumstance is Satan’s handiwork, we still should be mindful of his possible presence and pray for protection against him. In fact, Jesus told us to pray this way. At least, I’m pretty sure he did. If you survey the different Bible translations of the Lord’s prayer, about half of them translate Matthew 6:13 like this: “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” The other half nuance that word “evil,” with many choosing, “Deliver us from the evil one.” I don’t need to solve that translation issue. (The alternative I mentioned is usually at least featured in a footnote as a possibility.) But I think if Jesus wants us to pray for deliverance from evil, then he probably also wants us to be delivered from the evil one, the source (at least indirectly) of much of the evil we might face in any given day.

So what’s a Satanic attack look like? Well, it doesn’t have to look like some scene you’ve seen in a movie. And it might look rather mundane. You may not know if it’s happening to you at any given time. But you should be praying for God’s protection against Satan and all of his schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), even if you don’t see him lurking around the corner.