“The season” in South Florida means two very different times of year. Most prevalent is the season when cold winds blow up north and winter residents and vacationers stream south in search of paradise.

A second season is when hot winds blow down south. We watch the Weather Channel during this season, at the ready to put up shutters, gather supplies, hunker-down or flee in search of safety and security.

Every four years, along with the rest of our great nation, we have another season. It is “the season” of presidential politics. This season combines many of the characteristics and objectives of the first two! I will leave it to you to draw your own parallels!

I recently watched portions of both national political conventions. Carefully-crafted speeches by two accomplished and genuinely brilliant men, President Obama and Governor Romney, bore true two themes found in the letter of James, brother of Jesus.

“All of us make mistakes” and “No one can completely tame the tongue.” [James 3] These eternal truths amazingly presuppose speech writers and teleprompters.

Imagine how inspiring, how compelling both conventions could have been had every speaker and speech from the podium commenced with and then followed the instruction of the 19th Psalm. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer!”

I realize to always give highest and top priority to pleasing God is a challenge for all of us. And, my nose might begin to grow if I were to suggest pleasing God is the strategic aim of a national political convention. Most would agree a convention’s goals are more, shall we say, “down to Earth.” But hope springs eternal …

I grew up being attentive and engaged in politics and I still believe politics and governing are enormously important. I encourage anyone who believes otherwise to read the 13th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans. A careful reading of these verses may drive you to the polls!

Theologian John Calvin’s take on Paul’s writings on government is that civil power originates with the sovereign God. In other words, God is the foundation, not the footnote; the farm, not the farmer. God is source and supplier, not client or customer. Surely people of every political bent can agree we did not build ourselves!

I think the outcome of every election is important, and this year’s presidential election is no exception, but I believe the fate of our nation is always and forever in the hands of God, who is the author of the liberty we champion. What I recommend for every season is that we not look to government for paradise or even for lasting safety and security. These things, much like all God’s seasons, are things of God, not men.

An important endnote from Calvin’s writings on “Religion in the Public Square” is not surprisingly his focus on the church itself.

Calvin did not see church and state merged into a theocratic monster. He called instead for the church to energize distinctly under the leadership of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to be the world-changing community. May this be “the season” for that! And may God bless America in all her seasons!

Cross the bridge and join us this weekend: Saturday evening at 6 p.m. or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. www.communitych.org.

This Weekend’s Message is “The Season.”

Reverend Dr. Dennis Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA.

Rev. Dennis Andrews

Many years ago, a friend and his wife learned they would not be able to have their own natural-born children. They decided to adopt. It took the patience of a judge for them to move through the process, but they finally succeeded.

They imagined an infant from the beginning. An infant, they thought, would be perfect and know them as parents from the outset.

What they received were not one, but two young boys. These boys were anything but infants and anything but perfect. They had been abused by their drug-addicted parents. The boys arrived with mental, psychological and emotional baggage.

But my friend and his wife were steadfast in their parental duties, long-suffering in their love for these two boys through formative years of school expulsions, arrests, juvenile detention and one heart-wrenching problem after another.

My friend once told me, “As hard as it has been, our faith has grown alongside these boys. The experience may have given us insight as to how God feels watching us grow!”

Adoption meant these boys received far more than a new last name and safe place to stay. They were adopted into a family. They were forgiven even when they didn’t deserve it. They were loved. They survived.

Did you ever wonder what would have become of baby Moses had he not been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter or what would have happened to Hadassah, the beautiful young woman who became Queen Esther, had she not been adopted by good ole Uncle Mordecai?

Moses likely would have been drowned with the other male babies. Hadassah probably would have been killed with the rest of her people. The course of human history and the development of Judeo Christian faith traditions would at the very least be different were it not for God’s plans for adoption.

What are God’s plans for adoption today?

There are thousands of children in South Florida in need of physical adoption. If you are able, then I encourage you to consider adoption. But the truth is, we all have need of adoption, just an adoption of a different, more permanent kind.

The Apostle Paul says it this way: “Even before God made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ….”

[Ephesians 1:4-5, NLT]

Our most important adoption is made possible by the cross, not by the courts. There is no lengthy legal process. We consent to our adoption when we accept Christ as Lord.

No perfection required. None of us remain innocent as a newborn child. We all have baggage. None of us are always loveable and we may not deserve forgiveness, but we can all have it through Christ.

Pray God continues to be steadfast and longsuffering with the open loving arms of adoption, patiently watching us grow and accepting us into the family.

Ever think about adoption? I hope so, because the most consequential adoption you will ever think about is your own …

Reverend Dr. Dennis Andrews is a former Indiana Sheriff and Mayor and a graduate of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Tropical Presbytery of Florida (Presbyterian Church USA) and installed pastor of Community Presbyterian Church (Steeple on the Beach) of Deerfield Beach located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA.

By Rev. Dennis Andrews

Meet to Beat the Heat sounds more like something the Oklahoma City Thunder are trying to accomplish than a community gathering at a church in Deerfield Beach!

Our Meet to Beat the Heat will begin at 6 p.m. this Saturday at Community Presbyterian Church on A1A five blocks south of Hillsboro. We may not have room for the massive crowds of a Heat Thunder game, but we have plenty of room for you!

Everyone is invited to this fun-filled, come-as-you-are event.

One purpose of the event is wholesome family fun for people of all ages.

Pizza, stir fry with organic and home-grown vegetables snow cones, will be served. Activities include face painting and “Veggie Tales” for children. You can enjoy upbeat Christian music while you eat.

Another purpose is to celebrate Maria’s House Montessori School. This amazing pre-school has operated on church grounds, one block from the beach, for years and will now operate as a Christian Montessori pre-school. The school’s new name is Steeple on the Beach Montessori School.

The gathering’s main purpose, however, is to share the love of Jesus Christ. This is the central reason Community Presbyterian Church was founded in Deerfield Beach not long after World War II.

The summer heat of south Florida may oppress some people and drive others north for cooler temperatures, but thousands of us enjoy Deerfield Beach year round. Summer can be a great time for us to get together.

The prophet Jeremiah says, “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Fruit from this Saturday’s gathering will include learning more about two of our community’s stellar nonprofit organizations – the Boys & Girls Club and Gateway Community Outreach. They will be on-hand to share information about what they do.

You don’t need a reservation. There is no fee for admission. You just need to come. Call the church office at 954-427-0222 or e-mail communitych@bellsouth.net for more information. Learn more about the church at w w w . c o m m u n i t y ch.org, or from the Community Presbyterian Church, Steeple on the Beach, Facebook page.

See you Saturday @ Six!

Rev. Dennis Andrews is the pastor at Community Presbyterian Church.