SMR #161 Words of Encouragment

Smoky Mountain Reflections #161

            It is my desire in this reflection to encourage you, so this reflection will be a condensed version of two well-written articles by two men I highly respect; our synodical president the Reverend Dr. Matthew Harrison, and the Reverend Dr. Peter Scaer, a professor at Concordia Theological Seminary.

     

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling……There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, 
….The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; 
   the God of Jacob is our fortress (Psalm 46: selected verses).

“A one-person majority of the U.S. Supreme Court got it wrong – again. Some 40 years ago, a similarly activist court legalized the killing of children in the womb. That decision has to date left a wake of some 55 million Americans dead. Today, the Court has imposed same-sex marriage upon the whole nation… Now shall come the time of testing for Christians faithful to the Scriptures and the divine institution of marriage (Matthew 19:3–6), and indeed, a time of testing much more intense than what followed Roe v. Wade…

As faithful Christians, we shall continue to be obedient to just laws. We affirm the human rights of all individuals and the inherent and equal value of all people. We respect the divinely given dignity of all people, no matter their sexual preference. We recognize that, under the exacting and demanding laws of God, we are indeed sinners in thought, word and deed, just as are all (Romans 3:9ff.). We confess that the “blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all our sins” (1 John 1:7). We confess that God’s divine law of marriage and the entire Ten Commandments apply to all, and that so also the life-giving sacrifice of Christ on the cross is for all. It is a “righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:22).

However, even as we struggle as a church to come to a unified response to this blatant rejection of the entire history of humankind and its practice of marriage, “We shall obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). …God help us. Amen. Pastor Matthew C. Harrison”

For the full version of this letter I encourage you to visit

http://blogs.lcms.org/2015/synod-president-responds-to-scotus-same-sex-marriage-ruling

            The following discussion points concerning the sanctity of marriage and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision were prepared by the Rev. Dr. Peter J. Scaer, associate professor of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, Indiana.

1. The Supreme Court decision changes nothing about our Christian faith. There is still a higher court and Christ will be our final Judge. As Christians, we obey the government (Romans 13), but we recognize that our greatest allegiance is to God and His Word, and that in matters of conscience, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

            2. We continue to support one man one woman marriage, as it is taught in Genesis 1 and 2, and as

it is taught by Christ Himself (Matthew 19:1-9 and Mark 10:1-12).

5. We are all called to repentance. As a people, we have not treated marriage with the respect that it deserves. Divorce is far too common among us, and too oft­en we condone and support even our fellow Christians as they live together outside of wedlock. Knowing that we cannot rely upon worldly wisdom, we are called to hear and reflect upon God’s Word and once more come to Him for forgiveness.

6. True love calls us to speak the truth so that all may know the forgiveness and love of Christ. We cannot celebrate that which God calls sin (Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9). By doing so, we leave people in their sin and apart from Christ.

            8. The Court has been wrong before. In the Dred Scott decision, African Americans were counted as less than human. In Roe v. Wade, the rights of the littlest children were ignored, leading to the deaths of 57 million

children. The Supreme Court, like any human institution, is prone to error. As Christians, we recognize that there is a higher, heavenly court and that God’s Word does not change. We also recognize that unjust decisions must be challenged for the good of our neighbor.

            11. Marriage is the only institution that binds a man to his wife and to any children that result from that union. Only the union of one man and one woman is able to produce a child, and that is the reason the state should be involved in marriage, because it is good for children and society.

14. So-called “gay marriage” is not the end of the debate but only the beginning. There is now no consistent logical argument against polygamy, group marriage or temporary marriage. Such arguments, once thought to be extreme, are now commonplace. In the midst of such confusion, the Church must continue to speak the truth in love.

            16. As same-sex marriage becomes the law of the land, Christians will be increasingly persecuted for their belief. Already, florists and bakers have come under fire. Businessmen have lost their jobs and reputations.

Christian adoption agencies have been forced to close. Pastors have had their sermons subpoenaed. Christian schools have already come under assault, having to fight for their accreditation. The free exercise of religion, a constitutionally protected right, is under great assault. We therefore must stand together with people of conscience. We must support those who speak God’s truth in love and are persecuted for living according to their faith in Christ.

This is about half of the talking points, for the full list visit; http://www.ctsfw.edu/document.doc?id=1834

            We have a tough road ahead of us but the gates of hell will not prevail against God and His church. Be informed and be encouraged.           

In Christ,

Pastor Portier

#160 Just Words....

Smoky Mountain Reflections #160

            The summer is upon us and as I ponder things to communicate I find myself wondering, ruminating, if you will, about why there are so many words in the evangelical vocabulary that make me cringe a little bit every time I hear them. Please know that I am not saying that these words cannot be used in a context that is perfectly orthodox (right practice) but for the most part, I think they are used in ways that are unorthodox and a misapplication of the Christian faith. Here are some popular evangelical terms I do not like, and explanations for why.

            Jesus Follower: There is no shortage of good Biblical passages that clearly teach that we should follow Jesus, however when this term is used it is often used to focus on the Christian instead of Christ, in what I believe is an unhelpful way. Instead of reinventing the wheel I prefer the tried and true, 2000-year-old “Christian” because it is more difficult to misuse such a Christocentric term and it keeps the focus on the one to be followed instead of the follower.

            Revitalization: This term has no real Biblical resonance; the closest things to it in the Bible would be to “distill” or “purify”, but these terms are never used in that way. Unfortunately, this term is loaded with a lot of theological and enthusiastic baggage. Most often when this term is applied to the church, it is used to downplay the value of centuries of orthodox practices in favor of newer, trendier, man-centered practices for the sake of “the Gospel”.      

            Seeker: I feel that this term is a misnomer and should be replaced by what it really means: “a dissatisfied church shopper”, because people who are dead in their trespasses and sins do not seek Christ. But don’t take my word for it; St Paul says in Ephesians 2:5 …we were dead in our trespasses…and in Romans 8:7 we read “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. I do not see how we can be “seeker-sensitive” without appealing to the flesh, which not only is not Christ-centered, it is antithetical to Christ.

Vision: We are not speaking of seeing with our eyes here, we are speaking instead of a 21^st century version of the 5-year business plan. There is nothing wrong with the body of Christ in a community finding out what the real needs of a community are and looking for ways to share the love of Christ through works of mercy and kindness in order to establish relationships and share the Gospel through word and deed. However, this term is often used by modern evangelical Pastors (who sometimes act more like CEOs than Pastors) to give the authority of holy inspiration to their priority list. Pastors are called to serve God’s church, not dictate plans.

            Felt needs: Let’s call those what they really are: wants. We live in such a narcissistic society that we have come to the point of letting the world set the priorities for the church. When the church starts looking and acting like the dark world…., who is inviting whom into what place? How about we help the world see what they really need: God’s means of grace; inviting them to come out of the darkness in to the marvelous light, which exposes sin but also washes it away.

Life-changing: Becoming a Christian is clearly a life-changing event, whether it happens when you are 12 days or 12 years old. However, with this term, we again find ourselves falling into a ditch of sorts, focusing on temporal results instead of the eternal reality. Another example of this is the term “Redemptive power”, which is often used as a rabbit’s foot that will guarantee a big house, nice car and beautiful spouse. God’s word guarantees only our eternal condition; there are no temporal guarantees. Will those who live a life in accord with God’s precepts have a long prosperous life? That is possible, but we must also acknowledge that the Bible includes a book called Job, in which a man living in accord with God’s precepts suffered greatly. We must acknowledge that a man “after God’s own heart” (David) suffered greatly. We must acknowledge that history’s wisest man (Solomon) suffered greatly. Over the past 2000 years, many millions of Christians have also suffered and died, simply because they refused to deny Christ.     

            Authentic: The problem with this word is that it is often used to determine in a practical fashion whether what someone is doing is God-pleasing. Meaning, “if it moves you spiritually then it must be authentic!” This idea, however, has been known historically as the heresy of enthusiasm (the notion that God speaks to us directly, through our feelings, rather than His revealed word). The best way to determine true authenticity is to ensure we are communicating God’s truth in accord with His word, using the means he instituted (word & sacrament) to distribute and receive the faith and forgiveness Christ bled and died for. Keeping Christ central is not an easy task, but it is one that Christians are called to. We should then use our words carefully in order to communicate the Gospel clearly.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier 

Reflection #158

Smoky Mountain Reflections #158

            Back in 2006 while I was the Vicar here, I spent the year getting to know the people that made up Saint Paul Lutheran Church here in Sevierville (some 125 souls in about 70 households). Over the past 9 years, however, that number has fluctuated considerably. We are part of an unusually fluid rural community and the way our church family has changed reflects that reality. Through a mixture of baptisms, transfers, funerals, and other events that affect our church roll, we have received 196 souls into membership and removed or transferred 129. Because of these changes, only about 30% of the congregation’s current membership was here at the time I arrived. We are now 184 souls in 96 households and we come from all over the place. We come from 34 of our nation’s states and 4 different countries. We also know how to do many things and have filled many vocations; individuals in our small group of people have held or currently hold jobs as the following: carpenters, domestic engineers, shop owners, clerks, tellers, teachers, sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines, farmers, ranchers, cable car operators, trolley drivers, servers, musicians, students, office managers, hospital technicians, construction workers, sub-contractors, landscapers, architects, mechanical engineers, performers, machinists, factory workers, executives, politicians, dog trainers, accountants, hotel owner / operators, electricians, police, phone sales and service, restaurant owner / operators, truck drivers, secretaries, clothiers, distributors, dispatchers, counselors, and I have probably missed a few. With such a diverse collection of individuals I think that there is little we cannot, with God’s help, accomplish.

              The city of Sevierville has an estimated population that is just a few thousand more than the total number of taxi cabs in New York City.  However, we can also say that we see 2 or 3 million more people come through our community each year than the total population of New York City.  What does this mean?  It means that every day is an opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with an ever-changing audience.

              It is somewhat mind-boggling to consider the diverse nature of who we are and the potential we have to be a positive influence for God and His truth in this community.  While we come from all over the country and even the globe, we are all equally proud of now being Tennesseans. While we also come from many religious backgrounds, we are all equally committed to the truth proclaimed about God’s Word as expressed in the Lutheran confessions.  While being a Tennessean is important and being Lutheran is even more important, it is the title of Christian that should be our greatest source of comfort, because it says to whom we belong. It is that title that identifies us as members of the body of Christ; children of the one and only true living God.

So go out wearing your Tennessee orange and your LCMS lapel pin, but most importantly share the love of Christ that you carry in your heart. Show it in your actions for the sake of the lost and the needy, and comfort others with what comforts you in your time of need.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier

Reflection #157

Smoky Mountain Reflections #157

            Sometimes information can be interesting and fun, though relatively useless. For example, the word “excellent” has had many slang renderings over the years. In 1375 it was “gay”, in 1794 “dandy”, while “neat” and “swell” date back to 1810. In 1896 it was “fly”, in 1920 “wicked”, then “solid”, “groovy” and “cool” came out in the 1930’s. In the 1970’s we had “bomb” and “rad”, and in the 1990’s “beast” and “chronic” came to denote excellence. I come from a time when “killer” and “awesome” were the words of choice, but I find myself uninformed as to the current slang rendering of “excellent”.

            Sometimes information is interesting, puzzling, or frightening. For example, we spend on average 2.66 hours per day on leisure and sport activities while at the same time watching an average of 2.77 hours of television. It seems TV watching is overlapping into other activities, which means we have a nation of multi-taskers doing lots of things (poorly) at the same time instead of one thing at a time with focus and care. If you are considering parenthood, it is estimated that it will cost you $245,340.00 to get your child to the age of 17.  Any parent knows though that a quarter of a million is a small price to pay for the privilege of being a parent, even with its ups and downs.

            Finally, information can also be helpful as we seek to understand our neighbor so that we might speak the truth in love to them and share the Gospel. Just that phrase “share the gospel” causes some of us to shrink in fear, but that need not be the case. Helpful information can strengthen our resolve, making it easier to share that sweet Gospel with others. So, here is some helpful information about our nation, our community, and our church. While there has been an increase in the “nones” (those who do not claim any faith) and while there has been a 2.2% decrease in membership of the mainline churches (from 1991-2012), not all of the information is bleak. Conservative Bible teaching churches have seen a 0.6% increase according to General Social Survey Data from that period. These may seem like small numbers, but remember that these small percentages represent millions of people. While it is sad that 18% of Christians are abandoning the faith, it is encouraging to know that 82% are holding to God’s promises. There is also an interesting link between successful marriages and regular (weekly) church attendance.

            Enough on the national figures though--let’s look at some data on our own community. Our neighborhood here in Sevier County is similar to most of the nation; half of our neighbors have a church home but less than 20% of our neighbors regularly (weekly) attend church. That means that 4 out of every 5 people you live and work around are spiritually starving but our community is well above the national average when it comes to Faith in Christ. We are below the national average when it comes to pro-choice and pro-homosexual-marriage views but 49.3% of our neighbors still believe abortion should be legal and 33.5% believe same gender couples should be allowed to marry.

So, how is this helpful in sharing your faith? Well, now you know what sort of people you may be speaking with so that when you speak the truth in love you can ask a few questions and be ready with some good answers. What is your faith background? Do you have a church home?  What do you believe? Invite your neighbor to tell you about their faith. You would be surprised how willing people are to talk about what they believe. If you discover that your neighbor is part of that 20% figure (an active member of a Trinitarian Christian Church), then you can encourage each other in the faith while learning about your differences. If you discover them to be something other than a saved Trinitarian Christian who is regularly being fed in church, you then have a great opportunity to share the light with someone who is in darkness. If they are not interested, then politely offer to answer or find answers to any faith questions they might have in the future, and respect their request, change the subject and of course keep them in your prayers.

Have a blessed Lenten season,

In Christ,

Pastor Portier

Smoky Mountain Reflections #156

Smoky Mountain Reflections #156

            How does your view of Christ affect your application of who He is and what he came to do for you and your life? A simple biblical answer would be that Christ came into human flesh, suffered, died, rose from the dead to redeem all people and will come again to gather His resurrected saints to Himself in His new heavens and earth for all eternity. While this is true and should be preached and taught at every opportunity, how does one apply it to daily life?

            Daily drowning the old Adam by remembering our baptism and thanking God for this gift is a very good place to start, but then we have to get through the rest of the day. Keeping Jesus first in all that we say and do is easier said than done. Doing everything to the glory of God is and will be a constant struggle with that drowned old Adam. I would like to propose that as we struggle, staggering from ditch to ditch, struggling just to get up with God’s help, only to fall again, we still press on. We are not fatalists, but we are realistic and we acknowledge that as sinners we will often disappoint and hurt each other. We should however still strive every day, with God’s help, to disappoint and hurt a little less…..maybe even love God and our neighbor in the way He would have us do it. 

            I think that the ways in which we tend to apply Jesus and His gifts can be characterized in several ways. This month, let’s look at five of them with the help of metaphors. The first four can be seen as misapplications, while the final one may be a helpful way to understand and apply Jesus’ love to our lives. As I play a little with these metaphors, I would like to thank my classmate Pastor Bryan Wolfmeuller of Hope Lutheran Church in Aurora Colorado who used most of these on his Table Talk Radio program and planted the seeds for this article. The metaphors I’ll use for commonly held views of Jesus are those of a dating service, a bank, a school, a drug store, and a courtroom.

So let’s play with these metaphors a little, shall we?

Dating service: Many see their relationship with Jesus as being similar to one between a boyfriend and girlfriend. The songs these people like to sing have a sort of longing to see Him and touch Him and feel His presence in some way. Their prayers express the same sort of things. When they talk about Jesus they do not talk about what He did for them on the cross or what He does for them in Word and Sacrament, but instead about how He makes them feel. Consequently, these individuals see their church as a place where they can get connected with their boyfriend and snuggle a little bit. Do not misunderstand me; I am not saying that as the bride of Christ we should not seek to be nurtured and comforted by Christ who is our bridegroom, using the means he has instituted, I am simply saying that focusing on the good feeling misses the point of the love and forgivness which provides that feeling.       

Bank: Some see their relationship with Jesus as being similar to one between a banker and an account holder. These people like to talk about how they and their church have stored up in the “bank of good works” all that is needed. These sinners feel comfort that in God’s eyes they are each “good persons”. When all of the good and bad are measured on the scale, they say, the good will outweigh the bad or at least they hope it will, and the pearly gates will be opened wide. The Roman Catholic Church will still today sell you an indulgence to make a withdrawal from this “bank”! But if we look at the Bible, in James 2:10, we find that to break even one of God’s laws is to break them all. So in essence, we are all bankrupt in God’s sight. The scale of righteousness does not measure good and bad on a curve; it only has two possible readings: 100% guilty and condemned, or, through Christ, 100% redeemed.

School: At this “campus”, well-meaning Christians claim to be able to prove that God exists. While every area of scientific endeavor provides good information to shed light on God and His presence, it all boils down to this: without the Holy Spirt making the clear connection between God and His creation, the sinner sees only what he wants to see. While any well-educated Christian can make a rock-solid, rhetorically sound argument for God and His existence in any field of study, only the Holy Spirit can crack the stone of a hardened heart so that faith can take root and grow.      

Drug Store: This view often takes root when a church stops talking about sin, the cross, and forgiveness, and turns Jesus into what is essentially a vitamin, putting all of their focus on how being a Christian will make one wiser, happier, healthier, and wealthier. Besides ignoring Christ’s primary purpose for coming into human flesh and dwelling among us, namely, our salvation, it cheapens His example of how we should live and turns it into a recipe for success instead of a principal by which to live. But the worst thing about this approach is that it sets people up for failure; when being a Christian does not produce what the false prophets promise, they do not give up on the false prophet…they give up on God.

Courtroom: While all metaphors have their weaknesses, this one can still do a very good job of properly showing how Christ’s gift of salvation applies to our lives. We are all guilty and sitting in the defendant’s seat, as the prosecuting attorney (Satan) correctly proclaims our guilt. However, our defense attorney (the Holy Spirit), calls Christ to the stand and asks Him to speak in our defense. Christ says to the Father on the throne of righteousness (the Judge in this courtroom scene): “Justice has been served in this case; what the accuser says is true on all accounts, but he left out one detail: I have already suffered and died for those crimes. Therefore, that defendant is mine; a redeemed child of the triune God.” Amen.

Have a blessed February full of candy hearts and friendly smiles!

In Christ,

Pastor Portier        

Reflection # 155

Smoky Mountain Reflections #155

            Happy New Year!

            As we get this year started I would like to encourage you all to not make a New Year’s resolution. Instead, be about the business of serving God and neighbor because of your gratitude for His great gift of salvation and because your neighbor needs to be loved by you for God.

            I would like to propose that you do this in three simple ways: Engage, Discern, and Speak.

            First let’s engage. Live the life you have been blessed with in a productive proactive way that has you interacting with your family, coworkers or fellow students, friends and neighbors. Do not make this a project; instead make it a life style choice.  Choose to eat meals at the family table whenever possible, not in front of the TV. Choose to have face to face conversations instead of electronic ones whenever possible. Choose to make a deliberate effort to look for opportunities to spend a little time actually talking to your neighbor. When you are communicating electronically, choose to make an extra effort to be kind and thankful when texting, tweeting, e-mailing or talking on the phone. You cannot share your faith in your home at work or at school or in your neighborhood if you are not having regular conversations with people. So unplug from that regular one way radio, tv or ipod, use and have some two way conversations. You may even find out through such conversations that there is some way that you can be of service to your neighbor.     

Next do a little discerning. Spend time in God’s word so that you can clearly tell right from wrong. In an age where we are always speaking about the infamous gray area, where we are unsure what is right or wrong, take the time to get a sound Biblical answer to such questions when you come across them. Read His word. With digital versions of scripture abounding it is easy to find text that addresses your question. Pray for guidance. If we diligently seek His will in all things He will not let us down. Get fed regularly, with daily devotions, regular fellowship, Bible study, and of course fed by Word and Sacrament fellowship weekly. Also add regular rest, to be still and know that He is God.

            Finally speak up, Have the courage to speak the truth in love when you are having all those conversations and you find someone God has called you to love has a hard question to deal with. Take the time to help them find a good Biblical answer to whatever that sticky problem may be. If you find yourself unable to help with such an answer I offer myself as your own personal pastoral advisor, ready to help you find good answers to life’s tough questions.

            So Engage, Discern, and Speak in 2015 and the Lord will be at your side all the way

Blessed New Year

In Christ

Pastor Portier 

#154 Insanity

Smoky Mountain Reflections #154

            You have heard it said before, and maybe you yourself have even quoted this familiar adage: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. The question I would like to ponder this month is: “Does that apply to what we do as God’s church?”. Is it possible that the repetition of the action is not really the issue? Maybe we should examine what our expectations are instead of simply adjusting the ways that we try to meet them.

          Some would argue that worship styles should follow a marketing strategy (read: man-centered). While others would argue that there is only one kind of worship: historic (stubborn opposition to any change is also

man-centered). The church historically has incorporated new things that enrich the worship experience while respecting the beautiful gifts from the past. For our worship to be Christ-centered, we must, in all aspects, seek first God’s will, not our own. What is our motive? Even though we may be lobbying for the right thing, if our motive is “I want my way”, it is a sinful motive. I would argue that what we do in worship is a direct public confession of what we believe and by its very nature outreach. Therefore, what we do should be driven not by what we may think is the best method (e.g., new and dynamic vs. ancient and transcendent), but rather driven and motivated by what God’s word says and how best to convey that truth in worship.

            There really is no debate about what Christ calls His bride (the church) to do; to go and make disciples. How we go about making disciples, however, is what causes debate among Trinitarian Christians. A good Armenian Baptist would point out the need for an altar call, while a solid “double-predestinarian” Calvinist would ponder the futility of outreach while still agreeing that outreach is necessary.  
         

        Evaluation of  things like worship attendance, demographic trends in the congregation and the community, and evaluating the cost effectiveness of any activity the church does or participates in can and should be part of good stewardship of God’s time and resources. But the most important question is how does this worship proclaim and confess Christ?  Is this activity in accord with God’s will? Results can inform our actions and decisions but should not be what drive us. Likewise repetition and comfort are great tools for teaching the faith and discipling (as we are called to do), but empty mindless or vain repetition and ‘my personal comfort’ should also not be what drive us.

In my humble opinion: Our primary motivation for any change, in all things, should be love for God and neighbor.  Using love for God and neighbor as our motivation for any change respects the mystery of what takes place in worship and confesses faith in the truth of God’s love for us and ours for Him. We confess our faith in worship in these ways: First, by using God’s own words in our worship wherever and whenever possible.  Second, by always evaluating and considering proposed additions or changes to the church’s practices, and using only those that confess Christ as well as or better than what they are replacing while expressing the creative power of God through His people. Lastly, keeping Christ central by keeping His Gospel and the administration of His sacraments central. The ancient historic liturgy does these things best because it uses God’s own words, while respecting and accepting the work of God’s people over millennia  (which also confesses the ancient and apostolic nature of Christ’s creedal church). These things are and have been very helpful throughout history in keeping the focus on Christ, His Gospel, and His sacraments.

If the church follows these principals, much of what is done in worship and other activities will be repetitive, .… even if it uses some new musical forms or new liturgical arrangements that look and sound nothing like the historic liturgy, new teaching methods, new technologies, it still uses God’s words wherever and whenever possible. Confessing and teaching the faith in every worship service is what the church does and should do. In a market-centered world, you look to give people what they want, but what God tells us to do is to give them what they need. The ‘other-worldly’ and ‘counter-cultural’ nature of truly divine worship, being confronted with our sinful nature and a bleeding dying Savior, is not and will never be palatable to an unrepentant sinner. But the Holy Spirit works in ways that are not our ways, so we press on, living out our faith and speaking the truth in love to our neighbors, over and over again. We go to His house and receive His gifts the way the church has for millennia… over and over again. Concerning the results, we leave them to the God of creation, in accordance with God’s word through St. Paul speaking to the church at Corinth: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (emphasis added).

Have a reflective Advent, a blessed Christmas, and a wonderful new year.

In Christ,

Pastor Portier