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Home Page Grace Notes About Us Calendar Day Care Ministries Personal Testimonies How to Get to Grace Baptist Links & Resources E-mail us	Thoughts from Pastor Dave: November 22, 2004 A Note of Thanks Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.” The imagery of this metaphor looks to the temple for its poignancy. The Jewish temple was constructed in a restrictive manner. There were a number of courtyards between its outer limits and the temple itself. Each of these courtyards was severed from the next by some type of barrier or wall. At each gate a certain category of person could not get any closer to the temple. There was the Gentiles Court, then the Women’s Court, the Israel Court, the Priest’s Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in succession. At each barrier gates existed through which the pilgrim could enter the next court into which they were allowed. In the same way, the Psalmist says that thanksgiving is the “gate” through which we must pass to enter into God’s presence. An attitude of gratitude is an important characteristic of the life of a disciple. With an attitude of gratitude, I would like to thank Grace Baptist Church and all its wonder1ful people, for a number of things. Thank you for your kind thoughts during October’s Pastor’s Appreciation. Your many cards and e-mails were truly encouraging. Your community gifts of my Chief’s jacket and leisure package of movie tickets and “dating cash” were thoughtful. I wear my Chief’s jacket proudly (even at 3-6) and I anticipate my family’s arrival to share in the entertainment. I want to say thank you to the many people who made my installation service a special day. Thank you to the Pastoral Relations Committee, headed by Tony McCanna; the refreshments looked as if Thanksgiving had arrived four days early. Thank you to Jennifer O’Brien for all of her work in making the installation service a true worship experience. I want to say thank you to The Brothers of Grace and our own Grace Baptist Church Choir for offering your gift of music to inspire and delight. Thanks to the Worship Team composed of Saundra Brough, Antoinette Cook and John Turnage. I want to say individual thank yous to the Search Committee whose hours of prayer and questions were culminated at this installation service: thank you Nancy Ashworth, Diana Reiter, Mike Reiter, Bill Turnage Glen Dixon, Vangie Webb, Don Fakhoury, Carolyn Cook-Head and Tina Anderson who was with us in spirit. Finally, I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to Ron Carlson for his willingness to spend time in prayer and contemplation to bring God’s Word to us. I truly feel blessed to be your pastor here at Grace. For His Glory, Pastor Dave To view past issues of the Grace Notes, click HERE.

Thoughts from Pastor Dave: November 22, 2004

A Note of Thanks

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.” The imagery of this metaphor looks to the temple for its poignancy. The Jewish temple was constructed in a restrictive manner. There were a number of courtyards between its outer limits and the temple itself. Each of these courtyards was severed from the next by some type of barrier or wall. At each gate a certain category of person could not get any closer to the temple. There was the Gentiles Court, then the Women’s Court, the Israel Court, the Priest’s Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in succession. At each barrier gates existed through which the pilgrim could enter the next court into which they were allowed. In the same way, the Psalmist says that thanksgiving is the “gate” through which we must pass to enter into God’s presence. An attitude of gratitude is an important characteristic of the life of a disciple.

With an attitude of gratitude, I would like to thank Grace Baptist Church and all its wonder1ful people, for a number of things. Thank you for your kind thoughts during October’s Pastor’s Appreciation. Your many cards and e-mails were truly encouraging. Your community gifts of my Chief’s jacket and leisure package of movie tickets and “dating cash” were thoughtful. I wear my Chief’s jacket proudly (even at 3-6) and I anticipate my family’s arrival to share in the entertainment.

I want to say thank you to the many people who made my installation service a special day. Thank you to the Pastoral Relations Committee, headed by Tony McCanna; the refreshments looked as if Thanksgiving had arrived four days early. Thank you to Jennifer O’Brien for all of her work in making the installation service a true worship experience. I want to say thank you to The Brothers of Grace and our own Grace Baptist Church Choir for offering your gift of music to inspire and delight. Thanks to the Worship Team composed of Saundra Brough, Antoinette Cook and John Turnage. I want to say individual thank yous to the Search Committee whose hours of prayer and questions were culminated at this installation service: thank you Nancy Ashworth, Diana Reiter, Mike Reiter, Bill Turnage Glen Dixon, Vangie Webb, Don Fakhoury, Carolyn Cook-Head and Tina Anderson who was with us in spirit. Finally, I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to Ron Carlson for his willingness to spend time in prayer and contemplation to bring God’s Word to us. I truly feel blessed to be your pastor here at Grace.

For His Glory,

Pastor Dave

To view past issues of the Grace Notes, click HERE.