Common pain supports highest priest

The senior minister at Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church enlightened the congregation Sunday during the 9:00 a.m. service when he said everyone must support and challenge one another in order to keep God as the highest priest.

Dr. Thomas Sweet conveyed his sermon titled “Tempted in Every Way” to about 150 people of the congregation.

“Sometimes we look at families and think they have it all together, when in reality they don’t,” Sweet said.

Sweet told the congregation that in order for us to stand firm in faith, we must surround ourselves with a commonality that supports accountability.

“When people gather together, they usually talk about what they have in common,” Sweet said.

Allowing this commonality to be the repeated temptations provides for more support from others. In the same sense, once temptation is resisted, allowing this commonality to become God provides a different everlasting support, Sweet said.

“The support group, Alcoholics Anonymous, allows its members to stand together and challenge one another,” Sweet said.

When a member of AA starts to struggle, another is always close by. The members of AA are there to help each other out, Sweet said.

“As long as we share a common pain that only God understands, we shall stand firm in our faith,” Sweet said.

This common pain of temptation allows for God to resume as the highest priest in the lives of everyone, Sweet said.

Hushed sobbing was heard in the front of the congregation.

Sweet glanced into the eyes in the congregation, smiled and opened his hymnal to sing the closing hymn.

Sweet has been the senior pastor at Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church since May of 1996 when he moved to Tennessee from Texas.

Worship services are held at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. with Sunday school beginning at 10:00 a.m.