Dear Redeemer family,
“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream, then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, we are glad” Psalm 126:1-3
Are the words of the Psalmist written above part of your thinking, reflection and joyful response to the Lord this week? Like the Psalmist in the words above, are you glad? Maybe some of you are saying, “Why should I be glad? Is there any specific reason why I should join the Psalmist in gladness this week?”
Yes there is! This week we as a local Church, Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA, are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formation and organization of our local Congregation as a Congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the Presbytery of the South East.
As we celebrate this milestone in the life and history of Redeemer, we are also celebrating the loving, powerful and preserving work of God’s grace over the spiritual journey of Redeemer as a Church for the past 50 years. As the history of the Apostolic Church and all the Churches that follows its footsteps would confirm to us, the spiritual pilgrimage of Christ’s Church often involves trials and tribulations for the honor of the name of Christ and the sanctification and strengthening of the saints in it. In the past 50 years, the Lord has been pleased to accomplish many good things through the ministry and testimony of Redeemer in Atlanta area and Presbytery level. But along with those joyous and fruitful days, there were those days and times of hardship and spiritual turbulence that the Church went through. Nevertheless, as you as the body of Christ went through the fiery trials which shook your existence as the Church, the Lord protected and preserved you and your unity as members of Christ’s body through His Word and Spirit. As the Lord through his Prophet Isaiah promised you in Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you”, He indeed was with you all individually and as a Church. He is indeed a Covenant-keeping God and for that he must be honored and celebrated by His people.
For the Psalmist in Psalm 126:1-3, the reason for his celebration and gladness was the hand of His sovereign God that delivered him and the people of Israel from their sins and was still saving and strengthening them through their strenuous Christian pilgrimage. It was for that gracious and loving heart and hand of God that the Psalmist suspended other things he was doing, or planning to do, to direct his mind and heart to celebrate the goodness of God on his own life on the Assembly of God’s people.
Would you do the same thing this weekend as we all are joining our hearts as a Congregation to celebrate the hand and love of God which created us as a Church and preserved us thus far through good and rocky times to continue as a Church?
Be here at Redeemer, and with your fellow sojourners in it this weekend, as we will acknowledge and celebrate the lovingkindness of God on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Redeemer OPC!
Happy anniversary and looking forward to celebrate with you all!
In the love of Christ!
Zecharias