October 22, 2008

Well, it’s been just over one year since I began
my joyful labors among you. October 14, 2007, was
the first Sunday I entered the pulpit as the pastor of
Grace Presbyterian Church, and it’s been a wonderful
twelve months. God has confirmed His calling
me to Grace in many ways, and it has been a joy
recently to think back over everything that He has
been doing in our midst. I have had the privilege of
preaching through Philippians, Ruth, I Peter, themes
from Acts, the offices of the church, and we are
about to dive into the meat of Covenant Theology
and the lives of Elijah and Elisha from I-II Kings. In
morning and evening worship over this past year,
we have read the books of Daniel, Romans, Mark, I
Samuel, and Proverbs. We had a wonderful Family
Conference on marriage, taught by Dr. John
Kwasny, as well as visits from Pete Mitchell
(missionary to France), John Mackay, and Dr. Nick
Willborn. God has been faithful to grow us up by
His word, and He has also steadily added to our
number new members and regular visitors (see Acts
9:31). There have been baptisms, weddings, and
Lord’s Suppers. We’ve had three secretaries! Vacation
Bible School was a delightful week with our
covenant children. One of the greatest joys of my
life and ministry was to see the restoration of Brad
Seitzinger back into the church body. And I certainly
didn’t foresee a year ago that we would move to
Algood School and receive such wonderful hospitality
from them. It has been encouraging to watch you
serve the school, serve one another, and give sacrificially
toward the day when we will be in our own
building.

I certainly have regrets from my first year, not
least that I haven’t made it into every one of your
homes yet, that I haven’t formed as many relationships
with unbelievers as I wanted, and that my
preaching has not been as much in dependency on
the Spirit and prayer as it should have been. But
Paul’s words from Philippians 3:13-14 ring in my
ears, “…forgetting what lies behind and reaching
forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the
goal…” I look with anticipation to what the next
year holds, and the next five, ten, twenty – however
long the Lord is pleased to give me as your pastor.
Elizabeth and I love Cookeville, we love Grace Presbyterian
Church, we love each one of you. You have
been a blessing to us, and I pray that we have been
used of God in your lives as well.

Don’t forget that the month of October is
Officer Nomination Month. There are nomination
cards at the back of the sanctuary, but remember
that you must speak to the person you desire to
nominate, and they must be willing to be nominated.
Don’t let the end of the month sneak up on
you! If you believe the Lord is raising a man up to
be an officer in our church, go and talk to him and
pray about it with him. Don’t take lightly the great
privilege you have to elect your elders and deacons.

Speaking of voting privileges, our 44th President
(43rd if you count the actual men – Grover Cleveland
served two nonconsecutive terms and so gets
counted twice) will be elected in less than two
weeks (not to mention other officials). We have an
incredible right as Americans to vote for those who
will govern us, and I encourage everyone intelligently
to exercise that right by voting according to
your conscience. Don’t be swayed by fear or public
opinion, but choose the candidate you believe will
best “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution
of the United States” (from the Presidential
oath of office, U.S. Constitution, II.1.8) and who will
best seek to fulfill the purpose of the state as set
forth for us in Romans 13 and I Peter 2. (I encourage
you to reread both the Constitution and those
chapters this week.) While Christians will disagree
about whom this might be, I trust we will never
forget that no matter who is elected as President,
our duty is clear: “Be in subjection to the governing
authorities…honor the king…[pray] for kings and
all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil
and quiet life in all godliness and dignity…owe
nothing to anyone except to love one another”
(Romans 13:1; I Peter 2:17; I Timothy 2:2; Romans
13:8). God is sovereign – not only is “the king’s
heart…like channels of water in the hand of the
LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs
21:1), but He “is ruler over the realm of mankind
and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel
4:32). We can therefore rest unworried in His
sovereignty, and set our hearts to do our duties in
the strength Christ provides. History is His story,
so fear not and faint not, beloved!

Caleb