By Pastor Stephen Hess –
On the weekend of October 20-21, 2018, we will celebrate our 25th anniversary as a congregation. The theme of our anniversary weekend will be “Generation to Generation,” which is inspired by Psalm 79:13: “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” For me, this verse highlights three key truths worth reflecting upon during this milestone year.
First, the church is the people of God and the sheep of his pasture. The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which literally means “those who have been called out.” Believers are those people whom God has called out of the world and gathered together as his flock. Paul says in Colossians 1:13, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
This should serve as a reminder that the church is not a building but a people. As much as we tend to focus on buildings and physical structures in this world, we must never forget that the true church exists wherever God’s flock is gathered. As 1 Peter 2:5 says, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Second, the church is called to give thanks to God continually for what he has done. Thanksgiving is a key thread that runs throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Passover festival was a time of giving thanks for what God had done when he rescued the Hebrews from Egypt and brought them out of slavery. After the coming of Christ, the Lord’s Supper became a way of giving thanks to God for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The reason the Apostle Paul could instruct believers to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18) was because he understood that there are endless reasons to give thanks to God.
In light of all this, it is especially important that we give thanks to God for our anniversary. We give thanks to him for all of his faithfulness over the past twenty-five years. But more importantly, we give thanks to him because we recognize that Highview exists by his grace alone. From a worldly perspective, some people might say that Highview was built by the hard work of dedicated men and women. While it is true that many men and women poured immeasurable amounts of energy into Highview over the years, we know that all the credit and glory belong to God, and therefore all the thanksgiving belongs to him.
Third, the church is called to proclaim the gospel to the next generation. Most people would consider the length of one generation to be about twenty-five or thirty years. What this means is that Highview has existed for approximately one generation. But we know that our task isn’t just about one generation; it is about future generations as well. Ultimately, the church exists to make disciples so that new generations will rise up and follow Jesus.
This is a theme we see not only in Psalm 79 but throughout the Psalms. Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” Psalm 78 says, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done… that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children” (Psalm 78:4, 6).
During our anniversary we will gather together as the people of God in the present, to give thanks to God for the past, and look forward with anticipation to the future. I am excited to see how God will continue to move among us this year and for many years to come!