Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this update to read important prayer requests and announcements, including our Church Christmas Party this Saturday evening!

Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

December 15th, 2021

“From the mouths of children and infants, you have ordained praise”

– Psalm 8:2, Matthew 21:16

Earlier this week, I attended a Christmas piano recital my son was playing in, along with about 20 other students from Orangewood Christian school. They ranged from 1st – 4th grade, and, understandably, the pieces were very simple, with most of the kids plunking out Christmas carols with individual notes or parallel octaves.

On one hand, it would be very easy to disregard these piano pieces as basic, and barely worthy of attention (except for my own son, of course). But as kid after kid got up there and played, I considered what a profound thing was happening: to get even such simple, basic songs picked out on a keyboard, it took years of investing: feeding them, clothing them, loving them, caring for them, sending them to school and piano lessons, etc. And these many months and years later we get an “O little town of Bethlehem” or “Silent Night” melody in return. Though basic, though simple: it represents so much investment!

And then, of course, I couldn’t help but think of what all our praise means to God and the broader universe: Here we are; born in corruption and depravity, yet through years & generations of investment, we get a dim concept of God’s glory and worthiness to praise, and He gets the little promising firstfruits of basic praise from our lips.

Though the kids’ music is so simple, and though our best efforts to praise and speak about God are so rudimentary, they portend something so much greater! As parents rejoice over their kids’ first melodies, so God must rejoice over our meager affirmations, knowing that much greater things are in store. And the devil and his minions must shudder!

Like the first plant buds sprouting out of the ground, small indications herald so much more! I pray that our praise, elementary though it may be, would fill God’s heart with joy for all the investment he’s given to us and this world in general. Nothing less than His best attentions, utmost care, and irreplaceable only Son.

May God bless you and your families the remainder of this week.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum