Hello, Crossroads Family !
New routines, new things happening in our lives, but God stays the same.
I was encouraged yesterday by a note my daughter Esther sent me. She had been reading Psalm 111. Take a look at Psalm 111 sometime today (only ten verses long). Even just scanning through it, some awesome God-words pop out :
- great
- splendid
- majestic
- righteousness : “His righteousness endures forever” (v. 3).
- covenant
- truth and justice
- redemption
- praise : “His praise endures forever” (v. 10).
These were truths Esther made note of from her reading of Psalm 111 :
- God causes us to remember His wonderful works.
- All He does is just and good.
- All His commandments are trustworthy.
- He has paid a full ransom for His people.
- He has guaranteed His covenant forever.
- He has a holy, awe-inspiring name !
- He is gracious and merciful.
- His righteousness never fails.
- Everything He does reveals His glory and His majesty.
- He gives food to those who fear Him.
- He has shown His great power to His people.
- His commandments are forever true.
- Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
- All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.
- He is worthy of our praise forever !
- His deeds are amazing !
I hope you’ve seen these things to be true in your own life, and I hope you’ll be watching for them today. We used to talk about “God-sightings” — a direct answer to prayer ; a specific word of encouragement ; an unusual linkage of events ; a message from His Word. Psalm 111 is reminding us to look for God and to take note of sightings of Him !
Last Sunday morning was like a whole series of God-sightings ! What a good time we had with the McCallisters, great food, having extra time to fellowship with old friends and new. Thanks for being extra thoughtful of each other on a busy and crowded morning of worship ! Special thanks to all who served and blessed us.
Some reminders :
- Worship this Sunday morning at 10:00. Children’s Church during the sermon for 0-7 years old. The sermon will be from Daniel 3. Some songs we’ll be singing this Sunday (if you want to loosen up your voice and plan ahead) : Hosanna (Praise is Rising) ; It is Well With My Soul ; God is Able ; Yes I Will ; Never Once. Daniel 3 is the story of Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace. But more than a miraculous deliverance from unjust punishment, we see the battle of the gods raging on in Daniel’s day, … and in ours. We are in need of additional helpers in Children’s Church ! If you would like to be on a helpers rotation (does not require preparing a lesson), please let Michaela Walker know (michaelaroseann@gmail.com). Thank you !
- Immerse will be starting up soon ! We would love to have as many at Crossroads as possible be a part of Immerse this fall. Our first get-together will be Wednesday, September 10, 7-8:15 pm, at the church, and we’ll meet for 11 weeks on Wednesday nights. Immerse is a reading program in which each week you read an assignment in the Bible (this fall, from the prophetical books of the Old Testament). Then, on Wednesday nights we gather in small groups to discuss what we read during the week. We use four simple questions as a springboard for our discussions : (1) What stood out to you this week ? (2) Was there anything confusing or troubling ? (3) Did anything make you think differently about God ? (4) How might this change the way we live ? Let Forrest Drury know if you’re interested or need further information ! (forrestdrury@gmail.com)
- Women’s Ministry : Our Women’s Retreat is coming up at Kamp Keirsey (just north of Nevada) on Saturday, September 13 (8:30 am – 4 pm), followed by the start of a new season of “Breakfast & a Bible Study” which will begin Saturday, September 20 (8 am at the church). For information or questions about either activity, please contact Erin Townsend (ektownsend12@gmail.com). If you’re interested in participating in Breakfast & Bible Study, Erin would like you to sign up by September 14 so she can order books in time. The study book will be Now and Not Yet : Pressing In When You Are Waiting, Wanting and Restless for More” by Ruth Chou Simons.
- Men’s Recharge. Men, the date of the September men’s Recharge study has been changed. The new date is Tuesday, September 23, 6:30-8:00 pm, at the church. We had a great time and discussion of the 7th commandment a week or so ago. This is a good opportunity for accountability and encouragement among men. Hope you’ll be there !
Other dates still being determined :
- Our young families with children are hoping to go bowling together soon !
- Our Missions Team is giving thought to the best date for another hot dog dinner outreach at one of our local parks.
- I would like to lead a Sunday night class at some point this fall. Trying to sort through my schedule and find dates that work. It would be a class on correctly understanding and interpreting the Psalms.
- We are in need of scheduling a Membership Meeting for those interested in church membership at Crossroads. I hope to have more information soon !
My Fall Schedule
The start of school means my return to Nevada High School for a tenth year of accompanying vocal music students. It’s sometimes hard to visualize what other people’s jobs are like, isn’t it ? Here’s a little sense of what my job at Nevada High School involves :
- I’m at the high school for three class periods, Monday-Friday, 9:45 am – 12:45 pm. The three classes are General Choir, Treble Effects girls show choir, and Soundsational Singers mixed show choir. These are rehearsal times for us.
- In addition, beginning the Thursday after Labor Day, we have a rehearsal every Thursday night during the school year from 5-7 pm.
- Later in the year, we’ll have a series of Saturday competitions which involve traveling to other schools to compete each week against 20 or so other show choirs. Those trips involve leaving Nevada around 6 am and returning oftentimes around midnight.
- I rehearse outside of regular school hours with vocalists preparing solos for All-District choir, District Contest, and State Contest, and I accompany them to those events (Carthage, Neosho, Stockton, Columbia) during the year.
- I play the piano for awards assemblies, National Honor Society induction, Senior Sermon, and other similar events at the high school during the year.
- I am the pianist for the school musical which involves after-school rehearsals this fall and the performances in November (in addition to learning the music on my own at home !).
- We’ll have another series of show choir camps, probably in January, which will be all-day Saturday and Sunday afternoon rehearsals to complete and perfect our shows for the competition season.
- Finally, I do have to practice all that music at home which requires time and devotion. I’m a pretty good sight-reader, but to do my best for the students I really do have to practice !
I’m thankful for the joy of being part of the community by serving students and others at the high school. It’s a special joy for me, at this stage in life, to still be playing the piano. God has also given me some great contacts and opportunities to build bridges.
At the same time, you can probably see that this chops my day up into lots of little pieces (not ideal for pastors who need periods of unbroken time for study and prayer if they want to be well prepared for preaching and counsel). And with the current and anticipated growth at Crossroads, it has become harder to divide myself and do well at both responsibilities. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Our hope at Crossroads is, this December, to approve a church budget for 2026 that will include a full-time pastors salary starting next September. This is an important step in the life and growth of our church which would not only benefit us now but, more importantly, would put us in a better position for hiring a future pastor when the time comes. It is, in a sense, a part of the “building” program.
Thanks for your prayers for me — I am truly grateful and humbled — and thanks for your prayers for God’s leading through this project which our church elders — and I believe you, as well — feel God has laid on our hearts. Thank you for your generous giving to God’s work at Crossroads !!
More Prayer
- Please be in prayer for Phil Ward, a friend of David Prickett, who is currently in the hospital and fighting Hodgkins Lymphoma. Thank you !
- Let’s pray for individuals and families affected by the shooting today in Miinneapolis.
— Tom
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