Advent: Jesus yesterday, today and forever

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Sometimes we are so excited about celebrating the Incarnation of the Son of God at Christmas that we neglect Advent, the season that begins the annual Christian worship calendar. Spanning the four Sundays preceding Christmas, Advent this year begins November 30. The word “advent” is from adventus (Latin), meaning “coming” or “arrival.” Advent celebrates Jesus’ three “comings” (typically in reverse order): future (Jesus’ return), present (in the Spirit) and past (Jesus’ incarnation/birth).

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons — Advent wreath with the Christ candle surrounded by candles for hope, peace, joy and love (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Our understanding of Advent is enriched when we note how these three comings interrelate. The author of Hebrews used this phrase: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus came in the Incarnation (yesterday), he lives in us now through the Spirit (today) and will return as King of kings and Lord of lords (forever). Another way to look at this is in terms of the kingdom of God. Jesus’ incarnation brought the kingdom to humanity (yesterday), he invites believers to enter in and participate in that kingdom (today) and when he returns, he will reveal the already-existing kingdom to all humanity (forever).

Jesus used several parables to explain the kingdom that he was establishing: the parable of the seed, which grows invisibly and quietly (Mark 4:26-29); the parable of the mustard seed, which grows from a small seed to a large bush (Mark 4:30-32); and the parable of the yeast, which leavened all the flour (Matthew 13:33). These parables show that the kingdom was brought to earth at the Incarnation and still exists as a reality today. Jesus also said, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God [which he did], then the kingdom of heaven has come to you” (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20). The kingdom is here, he said, and the proof is in the exorcisms and other good works of the church.

The power of God is continually manifest through believers who live in the reality of the kingdom. Jesus Christ is the head of the church yesterday, today and forever. Just as the kingdom was present in the ministry of Jesus, it is present now (though not yet fully) in the ministry of his church. The King is among us; his spiritual power is in us, even though his kingdom is not yet operating in full power. Martin Luther analogized that Jesus has bound Satan but with a long chain: “He [Satan] can do no more than a bad dog on a chain, which may bark, run here and there, and tear at the chain.”

The fullness of the kingdom will come—that is the “forever” we hope for. We know no matter how much we try to live in a way that reflects God, we cannot transform the entire world into God’s kingdom today. Only Jesus can do that, and he will at his glorious return. So while the kingdom has a present reality, its fullness is in the future. Though largely hidden today, the kingdom will be completely manifested at Jesus’ final advent.

Paul spoke often of the kingdom in its future sense. He warned against the things that prevent people from “inheriting the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 15:50; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5). As his language often reflected, Paul predominantly thought of the kingdom as realized at the end of the age (1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; Colossians 4:11; 2 Timothy 4:1, 18). However, he also understood that wherever Jesus is, his kingdom is now present, even in what he called “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). Since Jesus lives in us now, the kingdom is now present and, as Paul taught, we are now citizens of the kingdom of heaven (Philippians 3:20).

Advent is also spoken of in terms of our salvation, which the New Testament refers to in three tenses: past, present and future. The past tense is our finished salvation. It is what Jesus accomplished in his first coming—through his life, death, resurrection and ascension. The present tense is what we have now—Jesus living in us and inviting us to participate in his kingdom work. The future tense is the fullness of salvation, which we will experience when Jesus visibly returns and God is all in all.

It’s interesting to note that the Bible emphasizes the visibility of Jesus’ first coming and final coming. In between the “yesterday” and “forever,” Jesus’ present coming is invisible in that we do not see him walking around as they did in the first century. However, because we are now ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), we are called to represent the reality of Christ and his kingdom. So while Jesus may not be visible, we know he is with us and will never leave or forsake us, and others can see Jesus through us. We are called to make visible some of the glories of the kingdom—doing so by allowing the fruit of the Spirit to flow through us and by keeping Jesus’ new commandment to love one another (John 13:34-35).

When we understand that Advent focuses on Jesus yesterday, today and forever, we are better able to understand the four traditional Advent themes (represented in the wreath pictured above): hope, peace, joy and love. As the Messiah the prophets spoke of, Jesus is the reality of the hope that sustained God’s people. He did not come as a warrior or conquering king but as the Prince of peace, showing that God’s plan was to bring peace. The theme of joy focuses on the joyous anticipation of the birth and return of our Savior. And love is what God is all about. God, who is love, loved us yesterday (before the foundation of the world) and continues to love us (individually and intimately) both today and forever.

I pray your Advent season is filled with Jesus’ hope, peace and joy along with daily reminders through the Spirit of just how much he loves you.

Trusting Jesus yesterday, today and forever, Joseph Tkach

PS: For more on the present and future reality of the kingdom of God, see the article “The Present and Future Kingdom of God” at www.gci.org/gospel/kingdom and the series of articles in GCI Weekly Update on the kingdom of God by Gary Deddo that begins at update.gci.org/2014/02/the-kingdom-of-god-part-1/.

Steve Dobritch

Steve Dobritch, pastoral resident in GCI’s Canfield, Ohio, church, grew up near Cincinnati but moved a lot. “My father, being a minister, was involved in more churches than I can remember. I had the opportunity to be a part of many congregations around the Ohio-Pennsylvania area. I’ve been in our Canfield church (near Youngstown, Ohio), for the last 20 years.” Steve said that being a “pastor’s kid” gave him unique experiences. “While it was sad to leave friends and change schools growing up, it was also exciting to experience all of the different churches and communities over the years.”

Growing up in a pastor’s home influenced Steve’s decision to be actively involved in ministry for the past 12 years. Much of that ministry has involved one of the loves of his life: “Music is my favorite thing in the world. When we worship—whether inside or outside the church—music transcends the normal and accentuates the spiritual. For me, music makes the worship experience one of the most important parts of my relationship with God.”

It was in a GCI camp that Steve first heard about GCI’s intern program and he sent in an application. ”In January 2012 I became an intern under the direction of my father John Dobritch, who pastors our Canfield church. Over the years while volunteering in that congregation, I realized a calling to ministry. The moment I chose to enter the intern program was the moment I knew that I wanted to pursue pastoral ministry as my vocation. I have never seen something so simple become so difficult, and at the same time, so rewarding. Ministry is what gets me excited about getting out of bed every day.”

Steve was in the intern program for two years. “The strengths of my experience in the program were the opportunities to work in ministry leadership in youth and worship ministry. The main challenges I experienced were the expectations I placed on myself. It’s easy for me to dwell on the professional aspects of ministry and get caught up in reaching goals I set for myself instead of focusing on where God has me and dealing with the growth he intends for me.” Steve recalls his first sermon as being one of his most memorable experiences. “It was the most terrifying and exhilarating moment of my life.”

After completing the intern program, Steve began serving alongside his dad as a pastoral resident in the Canfield church. “The thing I enjoy most about the residency program is the people involved in it. I have had more support in the church while being a pastoral resident than I could ever have imagined. Countless people have been there for me and continue to support me as I continue to grow in my identity as a pastoral leader in the church.”

When asked about being part of GCI, Steve says he loves our history. “I can’t think of another group of people who have gone through the kind of evolution we have. To see where we are and how far we have come is staggering, in a good way. I think we understand just how blessed we are because we can look back.”

Steve said he feels closest to God when going through a trial. “There are moments when I realize I need more than what I can give and I have to rely on the strength God gives me. While it can be humbling, it also allows me to remember the importance of the role God has in my life.”

Advice Steve would give to someone considering the intern program? “It might get uncomfortable and it will definitely be humbling, but it will change who you are in the best way possible.”

For information about the GCI intern program, go to www.gci.org/internprogram.

Senior pastor succession

As a church planting movement, GCI is committed to participating with Jesus in his mission to multiply his disciples. Vital to that participation is the leadership provided by our senior pastors. Because many of them are reaching an age when they need to transition out of that ministry role, leadership succession is an increasingly common reality. There is no single approach to the succession process—in the U.S., Church Administration and Development works with each congregation to design a succession pathway that includes identifying, pre-qualifying and then installing a new senior pastor (or pastoral care team, as resources allow).

Several of these succession processes have recently been completed. In Seattle-Bellevue, Washington, Wayne Mitchell has succeeded Bill Miller. In Fort Wayne, Indiana, David Howe has succeeded Roger Abels. In Mesquite, Texas, Gabriel Ojih has succeeded Bob Persky. Below are reports on several others. Congratulations to the new senior pastors and our deep thanks to the senior pastors who, after many years of service, are moving on to new phases in ministry and life. We also thank the congregations involved for their active, supportive participation. And last, but certainly not least, we thank God for his generous provision and guidance.

Big Sandy, Texas, and Texarkana, Arkansas

Regional pastor Ted Johnston led the process in which Jerome Ellard succeeded Sonny Parsons as senior pastor of this two-church circuit.

Big Sandy installaion — Ted Johnston (holding microphone) presents Jerome Ellard (standing next to Ted) to the Big Sandy congregation during the installation ceremony. Pastor Sonny Parsons and his wife Jane are standing on the far right in the picture.

Watham and Holden, Massachusetts

Regional pastor Randy Bloom and district pastor Larry Wooldridge led the succession process in which Dishon Mills replaced Bill Ford as senior pastor in this two-church circuit.

Waltham installation — Left to right (back row): district pastor Larry Wooldridge, Afrika Mills, senior pastor Dishon Mills, regional pastor Randy Bloom. Front row: the Mills children.

The Colony, Texas

Regional pastor Ted Johnston led the process in which Steve Solari succeeded Arnold Clauson (now deceased) as senior pastor in this congregation on the north side of the Dallas metroplex.

Dallas North installation — Steve Solari, with his wife Barbara, is commissioned by Ted Johnston (center rear) and other GCI elders.

Ray Meyer’s experience

For a testimony from retired GCI pastor Ray Meyer concerning his succession process, watch this:

On YouTube at http://youtu.be/2z3q-dJt-YU.

UK conference

Joseph and Tammy Tkach, together with Gary and Cathy Deddo recently participated in a GCI-UK denominational conference in England. Below are pictures from the conference and a church service that followed in Watford, England.

Denominational Conference UK-from the back.1 — Conference audience

Watford Service 1Nov-Cathy Deddo speaking.5 — Cathy Deddo addresses the conference

Watford Service 1Nov-Tammy meets Ryan — Tammy Tkach (right) greets members at church

Worship resources for small churches

We consulted recently with worship minister Ross Jutsum, asking for his recommendation of resources to assist worship in small churches. Here is what Ross recommends:

www.isingworship.com – contemporary emphasis, but not “over the top”—minimal techno-savvy required
www.smallchurchmusic.com – traditional emphasis
Here are two articles that are helpful for developing and planning worship in small churches:
- http://www.smallchurchleaders.org/the-small-church-shepherd/developing-worship-in-the.html
- http://www.smallchurchleaders.org/the-small-church-shepherd/developing-worship-in-the-2.html

Death of Melvin Brady

We were saddened to learn of the recent death of Melvin Brady, father-in-law of retired GCI vice-president Mike Feazell and father of Mike’s wife Victoria Feazell. In reflecting on Mel’s passing, Mike made these comments:

Despite life’s sometime painful twists and turns, I never heard Mel speak bitterly, angrily or cruelly about anyone. He chose to live a life of believing the best and hoping for the best. If you looked for Mel, you’d most likely find him lending someone a helping hand, or coming or going from doing so. After the death of Victoria’s mom, Barbara, Mel was richly blessed to meet the former Amy Miller and share the next 19 joyous years with her at his side. Amy is a strong and capable woman and is surrounded by a large and loving family as she travels this rocky and winding road of grief. Victoria and I are so grateful for the happiness she brought Mel for so many years.

Cards may be sent to Victoria and Mike at this address:

Mike and Victoria Feazell

c/o Grace Communion International

P.O. Box 5005

Glendora, CA 91740-0730

2015 mission trip to Nepal

Janet Morrison, leader of Generations Ministries’ Great Commissions Trips, recently announced that the ministry will be conducting a mission trip to Nepal on July 30 through August 9, 2015. The purpose of the trip is to serve the Badi caste (the so-called “untouchables”) in that society.

People age 17-30 who attend GCI are invited to participate in this one-of-a-kind mission opportunity. It’s designed with young emerging leaders in mind.

For details, go to http://www.gctrips.org/nepal.htm.

Hopwood wedding

Congratulations to GCI-Australia pastor Phil Hopwood and his bride Deb (Isaac). The couple, pictured below, was wed on November 11. Notes of congratulations may be emailed to phil.hopwood@gci.org.au or sent to:

Phillip and Deborah Hopwood

19 Tulloch Court

Lindisfarne, TAS 7015, Australia