Baldwin Presbyterian Blog

Blog Vacation

2011-08-08T10:11:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all my blog followers :-) Be aware that I'm taking some vacation time and will not be updating posts during August. However the sermons will still be available (at least the couple I'll be preaching) at http://presbysermons.blogspot.com/

Hope that wherever your summer is taking you is a good place to be. Regular blogs will resume in the Fall. God Bless.

Adrian.

Jacobs Wrestling Match

2011-08-01T09:24:00.001-04:00

Jacob met an angel by the river. They get into a fight and wrestle until dawn. Jacob walks away bruised but blessed. Not the average bible story! But it just happened to be the story behind our sermon this past Sunday, which can be found here.

I like this story. It gives me hope. Because like many people (even ‘Pastor’ people) I find that faith does not come easily. I struggle with the inconsistencies of what I believe. I listen to the arguments of those that see no need for God and often find myself agreeing with what they say. I struggle with the actions and mistakes that the church has made and will make. I struggle, not only with my own beliefs, but to recognize as genuine the beliefs of others that also claim the name Christian.

That is why this story gives me hope. Because Jacob’s struggle is very physical and very real. It involves his whole being. This is not some early morning prayer on a beautiful mountaintop just as the sun is rising and the birds are singing. This is hands on struggling to find a way through the darkness and grappling with the unknown.

And the reason I like this story so much is that in the midst of the struggle is God. A God representation that does not seek to justify itself or explain itself or rationalize itself, but a presence that gets hold of Jacob and challenges him; “Go ahead. Make my day”. A presence that will not let him pass by.

And when Jacob does walk away, he limps. He is hurting. Yet he also has a new name. Israel. A name that indicates the striving of God. The God who will seek to bless us even as we seek to usurp His place.

So, I guess where I’m going with this is to say; “Don’t be afraid of the struggles. Believing was never meant to be a breeze. Faith is fire. “

Prayer: “Lord, we come before You with all our doubts and struggles. In the midst of them, help us to find Your presence. We thank You that You are the God who strives to bless us. And even though our walk of faith can truly be quite lame, let us never give up our seeking after truth. Amen.”

Jacobs Wives

2011-07-25T13:02:00.000-04:00

Jacob was tricked by Laban into marrying two wives. Is there anything we can learn from such a story? Well it turned out to be the topic of our sermon last Sunday, which can be found here.

At the heart of the story is the love that Jacob has for Rachel. It is an experience of human love and longing that seems to transform Jacob. Instead of getting mad or getting even (as he previously seemed inclined to do in situations of conflict) Jacob is prepared to sit it out and accept that sometimes landing your dream girl took longer than you expected.

Such seems to be lesson that applies to many areas of our lives. We all have our hopes and dreams. But we are nor masters of our own destiny. We need patience. We need to accept that things may not turn out exactly as we had expected. We need to keep trusting that God is on our case and for that reason, whatever transpires is ultimately in God’s hands!

That is never easy. Jacob learnt that lesson the hard way! Affairs of the heart have a tendency to be complicated. Circumstances can change in a heartbeat. We never quite escape our past. We can never be sure of the actions of those around us.

For our part the best we can do is trust in God, and prayerfully seek the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit in the different situations that come our way.

Prayer: “Lord, we do not always understand Your ways! Stories from the past challenge us and invite us to rethink our attitudes. Yet Lord You blessed Jacob, and You blessed both Rachel and Leah. Help us to understand that You desire only our best, no matter what others do to us or the mess we get ourselves into! Amen.”

Jacob’s Ladder

2011-07-18T09:41:00.001-04:00

Whilst Jacob sleeps he dreams of a ladder reaching to the heavens. A sermon reflecting on Jacobs experience can be found here.

One of the phrases from the story that resonates with myself is Genesis 28: 16 when Jacob ponders “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it”

Finding God in the midst of our everyday lives can take us by surprise. I know that as Christians we give lip service to grand theological phrases like ‘omnipresence’ (meaning ‘always there’) but it still throws us a curve ball when that presence is discovered in tangible ways.

As summer congregations dwindle and folks have more significant things to do with their time than attend church services, it can raise all sorts of questions in a pastor’s mind.

But then I remember, thank God, that it’s not about me. It’s about that presence of God that often we don’t recognize. Jacob had a deep sense of awe when he awoke from his dream. God was going to bless others through his compromised life.

Remembering that ‘The Lord is in this place’ can save us from feeling our efforts are futile or insignificant. We love because Christ first loved us. We serve because Christ came to serve. We believe because God believes in us.

And though attendance may well be down during the summer months the most important focus of any worship service remains our Lord Jesus Christ, who promises that wherever even two or three gather in His name, He is going to be in the midst of it all.

Prayer: ”Lord remind us that it is never about the numbers, but all about the grace You have revealed to us in and through Jesus Christ. As Jacob dreamt of a ladder teeming with angels, help us to be aware of the unseen cloud of witnesses always surrounding our lives. May we know like Jacob that ‘Surely the Lord is in this place’. Amen.”

Jacob and Easu

2011-07-11T09:12:00.000-04:00

Jacob and Esau. The conflicting twin boys who came out of the womb fighting each other. They became the subject of our sermon this past Sunday, a sermon that you can find here.

I admit to enjoying these Old Testament stories of family conflict and rivalry. They seem to ring so true to contemporary life and appear to be mirrored in every age. From the rivalry of Emperors’ of Rome, to the struggle of European monarchies, from Popes to Reformers, maybe even in the conflicts of Republicans and Democrats, there are those underlying structures of family and power.

And then in our own lives, as so well expressed by Paul, there are our personal struggles. The singer/songwriter Garth Brooks comments, “The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself.”

As I read these stories I am reminded of our urgent need for the Grace of God to redeem us and for the Holy Spirit to recreate our lives. And I don’t mean just in some abstract way, but in a daily way that touches on the way we approach our routine tasks and how we speak and act with one another… in the present.

Thankfully the promises of God’s grace towards us are universal in application. Let us reach out and make them ours this week!

Prayer : “Lord, help me find my way in Your way! Amen.”

Lives of Faith.

2011-07-05T09:11:00.001-04:00

We began our summer sermon series on the life of Jacob by taking a look at one of the Patriarchs who came before him, namely Abraham, the great Father of Faith. A sermon reflecting on two of the folk he interacted with, namely Hagar and Ishmael, can be found here.

The soap opera like account of the dysfunctional family that gave birth to Jacob does not make for easy reading. Lies, betrayal and a capacity for doing it all wrong are consistent character defects. The voice of God is often not heard, until after the situation that could have been avoided has taken place.

Yet, the wonder of it all is that the grace of God wins every time. This gives me some hope. I see the mess we often make of things, and realize that over and again we display a great inability to rightly discern the voice of God.

These Old Testament stories carry the simple truth that God is greater than we are. As we face problems both at an individual and corporate level, we do well to remember that!

Prayer: ‘Lord, it is often the simple things that we fail to grasp. That we do better when we follow Your leadings. That though we miss up, you offer forgiveness and a chance to get it right through Jesus Christ. That Your Holy Spirit is there to be the strength in the midst of our weakness. Remind us often of these simple truths we pray. Amen.’

Being Connected

2011-06-27T09:17:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday we welcomed Rev Mark Tammen to our pulpit. Mark is the newly appointed General Presbyter for the Presbytery of Long Island and spoke at our Adult Forum about the challenges of being part of the larger church, which in our Presbyterian situation consists of a local Presbytery, regional Synod and national General Assembly.

Every denomination structures itself in different ways… and even those churches that claim to be independent often form alliances with like-minded brethren (or their female equivalent) somewhere along the line. For myself one of the things I enjoy about belonging to the P.C. (USA) is that we do have a larger body, in our case the Presbytery of Long Island, that we relate to. You can find out more about the Presbytery, and the work that is done with our support, by following this link.

For myself it is great encouragement to meet with other ministers and elders from around the Presbytery and share our concerns. As we do so we often find we are facing the same struggles and problems. Our Presbytery meetings, though sometimes beset by the tedium that any governing body experiences, can also be truly inspiring. A high point can be the stories shared by those who feel newly called to ministry as they tell of their faith journey. It is fascinating to hear how the Spirit is at work!

I have to confess that the word ‘committee’ is not one that fills me with hope. Yet as I participate in the work of different Presbytery Committees I can often sense that God is guiding and leading us in unexpected ways.

Being connected is important. The Church is about more than what happens in our local congregations. It’s good to remind ourselves that we are not alone and that it’s not all about us!

Prayer: ‘Lord, we are thankful that the work of Your church goes far beyond what happens in our pew. We are aware that there are things we can accomplish together that we cannot achieve alone. We thank You for the privilege of sharing in ministry through the connections we have. Most of all we are thankful for the connection we have with You, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. Amen.’

Trinity Sunday

2011-06-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

As well as being Trinity Sunday, our Church here in Baldwin squeezed in Sunday School singers, recognizing graduates, celebrating our Sunday School Teachers and may even have mentioned Fathers Day somewhere in the mix. The sermon for the day spoke about transitional lenses! Want to know more? The sermon can be found here.

Meanwhile, getting back to that Trinity thing. It seems to be a stumbling block for many. Claims that it was an invention of early theologians and that it isn’t in the bible abound. Other religions tend to misinterpret it. In certain passages of the Koran, the Trinity is pictured as being the Father, the mother (Mary) and their son Jesus. Such a construct is entirely lacking in the Christian Scriptures!

Whilst the phrase ‘Trinity’ nowhere appears in the Bible, the New Testament certainly does speak of God as a Father, Jesus Christ as ‘Son of God’ and the Holy Spirit as being an essential part of the nature of God. All three are spoken of in close relation to one another, and none of the three acts independent from the whole.

Analyze it too much and you end up weaving knots. Ignore it and you seriously omit a big part of the New Testaments understanding of who God is, what Jesus was about and how the work of God continues to impact our world through the Holy Spirit.

Personally I have room for mystery. I am grateful to those theologians who dig deep and seek to explain it. But I also notice that the New Testament authors did not the feel the need to do so. They just lived it.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes when we seek to explain everything we just muddy the waters. Help us have the kind of faith that is more about living than theorizing! We thank You for the love shown to us in Jesus and are thankful for the way Your Spirit continues to work His ways into Your everyday world. Amen.

Pentecost

2011-06-13T09:35:00.001-04:00

The Church was given birth through the action of the Holy Spirit who energized the disciples as they waited together in worship and prayer. Our birthday sermon can be found here.

The Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote “Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing. We are as ships without wind or chariots without steeds. Like branches without sap, we are withered. Like coals without fire, we are useless. As an offering without the sacrificial flame, we are unaccepted.”

Our direction and our energy are both dependent upon the action of God’s Spirit working in, through and around our lives. Without the Holy Spirit, Christian life degenerates into a hard slog to attain unreachable ideals. Without the action of God’s Spirit inspiring us and renewing us we maintain a graceless existence.

John’s gospel describes the Holy Spirit’s work as being ‘Living Water’. Already this summer here in Long Island we are experiencing high temperatures and our weather broadcasts are issuing warnings to stay hydrated and seek the shade.

If we feel our Christian life has become dry and lifeless, maybe we need to seek a Holy Ghost refreshing! How do we do that? Through prayer. Through meditating on God’s Word. Through worship, alone and in the company of others. Through reminding ourselves that every day we live, we live in the shadow of an Almighty God whose love is for us in Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, today we seek the refreshing wind of Your Holy Spirit to blow upon our lives. Remind us that our strength lies not in what we can achieve, but in what Your grace can do in us and through us. Fill us with Your Spirit this day. Amen.

Table Talk

2011-06-06T10:50:00.003-04:00

This past Sunday was our Music Sunday. It was also a communion service. We were led to the table by numerous musical contributions varying from anthems featuring the chancel and bell choirs to piano pieces by some of the youngest children. It was truly a delight and a feast of many different sounds.

My own contribution was a communion song titled 'Table Talk'. As some folk had asked for the words, this is a suitable place to post them.

'Lord, I can scarcely understand,
The love here shown to me
The broken bread, the red, red wine,
This sacred mystery

Lord, although my faith is weak,
It’s here my soul flys free
The broken bread, the red, red wine,
Speaking liberty

Oh Lord, my Lord, Such love shown here to me
Jesus, Jesus, Crucified yet free.

Lord, I can scarcely understand,
How death became victory
Your broken body, the red, red blood,
The Cross of Calvary

Oh Lord, my Lord, Such love shown here to me
Jesus, Jesus, Crucified yet free.

Lord, I can scarcely understand the love here shown to me.'

Following worship, in the afternoon, we were treated to a jazz concert by Matt Wilson and guests that served as a fund raiser for 'Relay for Life'. A most musical and inspiring day!

The Death of Stephen

2011-05-23T09:14:00.000-04:00

In our cozy churches where sometimes the worst that happens is somebody reads the wrong bible passage or the choir are a little off-tune in the anthem we easily forget that the Church was built upon the experience of martyrdom. One of the first martyrs was Stephen, a deacon chosen by the apostles. A sermon reflecting on Stephen can be found here.

One of the most startling aspects of Stephen’s testimony is the depth of his courage. When hauled before the Sanhedrin to give an account of himself, he could easily have softened his message a little, so as to cause nobody any offence. Indeed, if he’d kept quiet about his faith he would never have been on trial in the first place.

There is something burning in Stephen. You can call it the fire of the Holy Spirit or describe it as passionate devotion for Jesus Christ, whom he called Lord and Savior. However we describe it, Stephen just could not keep quiet about what had been done to Jesus Christ, who had done it and how God turned it all around and had raised Jesus to glory.

That his opponents don’t see things that way, is not so much a cause for despair on Stephen’s part, so much as it is a call to prayer. As they stone him he prays that God will forgive them. There appears no evidence of malice or hatred in what Stephen has said, rather he just laid it out as he saw it. Stephen is executed through stoning. Barbaric, but sadly not even unknown in some parts of the world today.

What a challenge such actions lay before us! Where is our passion? Why are we not motivated to speak out in such bold terms? What if persecution such as the earliest church faced were to come our way? Would we crumble and keep quiet or would we rise up and keep faith?

Not easy questions.
No easy answers.

Prayer: Lord, the faith of the martyrs is such a deep challenge to our easy going expressions of discipleship. We are complacent and content with not making waves. We are often uncertain in our belief and hesitate to take a stand for what we do not fully comprehend. Forgive us. But also renew us. Increase our vision. Deepen our desire. ‘Grant us courage for the living of these days’! Amen.

Tartan Sunday

2011-05-16T09:16:00.001-04:00

Tartan Sunday is a Sunday that the Presbyterian Church here in Baldwin takes time out to consider the historical roots of Presbyterian faith in the ministry of John Knox in Scotland. In our P.C. (USA) Book of Confessions (which helps guide the way we interpret our faith) one of the earliest documents is the Scots Confession. Our Tartan Sermon can be found here.

John Knox believed that there were three signs that marked any church as being authentic. Faithful proclamation of the Word of God; faithful administration of the sacraments and effective church discipline. It is probably on the latter of these, church discipline, that he would find fault with us today. Although our Book of Order has a whole section devoted to the matter, it is probably the least referenced section of the volume.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. The most effective form of discipline is self-discipline rather than that of an outside body. There have historically been many abuses of authority on the part of those who felt it their task to rule it over others with an iron hand.

We shy away from the word ‘discipline’ as it implies heavy handedness and judgmental attitudes. Yet it is from the root of ‘discipline’ that we have the much more accessible word ‘disciple’. We much prefer the ‘disciple’ word. That could be because we look at discipleship through rose-colored spectacles rather than the demanding definition that Jesus gave us.

Scripture teaches that discipleship involves taking up a cross, having a love for God that places all other loves in jeopardy and seeking the welfare of our enemies. This is, of course, not the way we function! We do our best to avoid confrontation, are prone to make idols of just about anyone or anything that makes us feel good and rejoice when our enemies get what we feel they deserve!

John Knox was however also aware that Christian life was not an effort of disciplined self-will but a response to the grace of God. In a section in the Scots Confession on the Holy Spirit we read “Our faith and its assurance do not proceed from flesh and blood, that is to say from natural powers within us, but are the inspiration of the Holy Ghost…”

Prayer: ‘Lord, if our faith were to be judged by rules of discipline than we could be in deep trouble. We are thankful that Jesus did not come into our world to condemn but to redeem. As we sense Your grace may we be moved to serve others in the strength of Your love. Amen.

A New Commandment (Mothers Day)

2011-05-09T13:04:00.001-04:00

This past Mothers Day in worship we thought words of Jesus from John’s Gospel "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Our sermon can be found here.

The implications of the gospel message are not hard to understand. Counting other people as equally significant as ourselves, treating others like we would like to be treated, loving all people regardless of who they are or where they may be coming from. The complications arise as we try to live out those simple precepts!

Many of us are blessed to have been a glimpse of what unconditional love looks and feels like through the example of our parents. They put up with our worse, they tended us when sick and lifted us up when we fell. They often made sacrifices so that we could have a better life.

At the time we may not have appreciated it. We interpreted their care as being a restriction to our freedom. We didn’t want to come home that early or play music that quietly. We couldn’t understand why they had to know where we were going or who we were with. It is only with maturity and hindsight that we see their actions as flowing from love!

We can be the same in our relationship with God. Religion is seen as restrictive. We don’t want to play by all the rules because we are convinced that we know best. We forget that the nature of God is love and the work of the Spirit is to help us be more reflective of the life of Jesus (particularly in our relationships with each other).

Prayer: Lord, we are thankful for all those who in our life have taught us the meaning of love. May we allow their good example to shape our actions. Help us to grow deeper in Your love that we may reflect the life of Jesus in our daily actions. Amen.

The Doubter

2011-05-01T11:29:00.001-04:00

The Doubter

I’ve always had a place in my affection for the disciple Thomas, or ‘Doubting Thomas’ as he became known. We reflected on his experience of the resurrection as we met around the table for communion this past Sunday. Notes from the sermon can be found here.

I find that there is a huge part of myself that is decidedly skeptical. The story is that Thomas wasn’t there when Christ appeared alive to the other disciples. Thomas just won’t take their word for it. He wants to touch and see for himself.

No matter how reliable the other disciples were, or how close they had grown as friends, when it came to talking of impossible things like resurrections you just couldn’t take anyone’s word for it. Not even your closest friends. After all, Judas had been a close friend and look how that turned out! Better to trust nobody.

Things like resurrections just don’t happen. Unless you happen to be in a room and Christ stands there in front of you saying, “Here. Touch the scars”. How do you deal with that? Thomas did the only thing he could do. He bowed down and said “My Lord, My God”.

I suspect I am not alone in having those days when religious faith just doesn’t add up. I don’t want to take any persons word for it (be they friend or foe). I want to see. I want to touch. Don’t give me that ‘Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believed’ stuff, because it is not working; I want something more tangible.

And then Jesus shows up. No, not in the room as a visible person telling me to stick my fingers where a spear had pierced His side, but as a whisper in the wind or a phrase in the midst of an unexpected conversation. As a word of scripture suddenly becomes illuminated or in the midst of a prayer that I’m suddenly aware has become a conversation. I sense a presence and my heart is moved and involuntarily I’m thinking “My Lord, My God!”

Of course you are not going to take my word it. You are not living in my skin. And no I can’t prove it or explain it. In our Easter service we a number of times used the phrase ‘Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed.’ Ah, the mystery of faith!

Prayer: Lord, some of us understand Thomas all to well. We think we need to see. We say we cannot believe till we touch. Grant us eyes that see Your presence in unexpected places and ears to hear Your Spirit whispering our name in places we don’t always hear. May our doubts lead us to Your presence. Amen.

Easter

2011-04-25T09:28:00.001-04:00

We celebrated our Easter services this past Sunday. The sermon for the day can be found here.

For a brief period after we were first married my wife and I attended an Elim Pentecostal Church in West Kirby, England. The Elim denomination had purchased the building from the Presbyterians and the notice board outside still declared itself Welsh Presbyterian, so our first visits were somewhat of a case of mistaken identity. However we enjoyed the exuberance of their worship and the warmth of their welcome.

Pentecostal theology emphasizes the present work of the Holy Spirit as being evidence of the reality of Christ’s living presence. One of the abiding memories of worshiping there was hearing Ray, one of the elders, singing his favorite hymn from the Pentecostal songbook. Ray had a booming voice that would fit well in any operatic production, and his countenance as he sang always expressed intense emotions.

As we celebrate this Easter season of resurrection I still hear echoes of Ray singing with all his might…

“He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today
And He walks with me and He talks with me
Along life’s narrow way,
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives,
He lives within my heart.”

The simplicity of the words express a divine truth. That the truth of resurrection is one we need to capture at the center of our being. It is from our center in Christ that we reach out to others, ‘imparting salvation’ through our service.

Prayer : Lord, it as we allow Your love to transform us that we recognize Your presence within. It is as we work with You in serving others that our faith is confirmed. Help us to be Easter people with resurrection as our song. Amen.

Palm Sunday.

2011-04-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday we begin our journey through Holy Week with our Palm Sunday service. We reflected on the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Our sermon can be found here.
It is a sad reflection on human nature how quickly the cries of ‘Hosanna’ turn to cries of ‘Crucify’. How easily public opinion can sway between welcome and condemnation. Today’s hero is tomorrow’s villain.

Such can remind us of the importance of seeking the guidance of God in both the good times and the bad times. If we go along with the voices of the crowd we may end up cheering somebody on the way to their death. If we add our voice to shouts of condemnation we may be found accusing the innocent.

Seeking the still small voice of God amidst all the other voices that crowd in on us is never easy to do. Times in the Christian year, such as Holy Week, offer an opportunity to do some intentional ‘listening’. As we recall the fickle nature of the voices of the crowd we are invited to seek God’s guidance as to what is really going on!

Prayer: Lord, our lives are influenced by many voices. Some cry out in fear. Some cry out in despair. Some seek to deceive us. Some come to tempt us. Amidst all the other voices, help us make time to hear Your voice. Speak to us through scripture. Speak in the silence. Speak to us we open our hearts in worship. Help us make the most of this Holy Week to discern Your will for our lives. Amen.

Busy Times at FPC Baldwin

2011-04-04T13:31:00.003-04:00

Despite the lack of blogs the last few weeks have been busy times at First Presbyterian of Baldwin! This coming Sunday our Children present an abridged version of 'Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' during morning worship. This past Sunday we came together around the communion table and reflected on the experience of Barabbas. (Notes from the sermon can be found here)

Two Sundays ago we were taken to India with a presentation by a mission team including our own Margaret Cook on their recent visit to the Church of North India. And the previous Sunday, whilst I was away leading a youth retreat for youth from John Knox Presbyterian Church in Ohio, the church in Baldwin celebrated Women's Sunday. Again Margaret Cook was the leader of worship.

April marks the start of my third year as pastor here in the church. I have to say it has been a wonderful experience alongside some great people who enjoy their church and the mission it has within the community. It has been quite an experience getting to know a new area and a new congregation over the last two years. One for which I am truly thankful to God!

I still reflect on the fact that my ministry here began on April Fools Day 2009. Scripture invites us to be 'Fools for Christ'. In the face of a world that increasingly belittles faith and makes light of claims to spiritual realities, it is clear many regard our task as foolishness.

But as I see folk feeding the hungry, donating towards Japaneses relief, consistently supporting community initiatives and witness the amazing work that many organizations that meet within the walls of this small corner of God's Kingdom get up too... I am quite prepared to be counted amongst the foolish of Baldwin.

I look forward to days that lie ahead :-)

Stairway to Heaven

2011-03-14T10:03:00.001-04:00

Not the classic song… but the vision of Jacob in Genesis 28:10-22 as he lay with his head on a stone in the wilderness. Our sermon from last Sunday can be found here.

Verse 16 of the Genesis passage reads; ‘When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." ‘ It raises the question of our own awareness of the nearness of God. Although in our doctrine we speak of God as omnipresent – always with us - we do not excel at practicing the presence of God.

I suspect that this is partly due to the fact that the spiritual journey is one that takes place within relationship. We are often in the presence of people with whom we have no relationship. Every time we walk a busy street, take a train ride or go to the shops there are a whole lot of folk around us we have no interaction with. If we enter a crowded elevator alone it seems we positively try and avoid even making eye contact with our fellow travelers!

Human relationships do not take place simply because we are in the presence of other people. Communication has to be initiated and pursued. Friendships take a while to grow. Love even longer.

God is always present. But a relationship with God has to be nurtured through interaction with God. It doesn’t just happen. God is there for us but we need to take active steps to be there for God. Prayer. Meditation. Reading Scripture. Worship. Service. In such ways the presence of God becomes evident.

Prayer: Lord. Thank You for the promise of Your presence this day. Help me to be present for You! Amen.

Who Did Jesus Die For?

2011-03-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday as we gathered together around the communion table we explored the question “Who did Jesus for?” Normally I’d post the sermon, but as it was as much visual as spoken, there was no transcript. However one of the verses we focused upon was from Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”

This is an amazing verse to focus upon as we come to the communion table. Upon that table we place visible signs of the broken life of Jesus. His body that was shattered upon the cross. The wine representing His blood that was shed for the sake of love.

Who did Jesus die for? For sinners. For all those who are prepared to admit they are broken and lack the strength in themselves to live in the way God calls them to live. To those who are prepared to receive Him, through faith, there is the experience of life being transformed by the same God who raised Christ from death.

We rightly call the sacrament a mystery. I really cannot properly explain how sharing bread and wine together nurtures our life with the love of God. It just does. The Holy Spirit has a way of interpreting the common actions of taking, tasting and sharing in a way that touches our hearts.

As with so many other things in Christian life it is all about grace. It is not our own actions, but our response to what God has done that changes us. ‘While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’. I love the words of Horatius Bonar’s communion hymn, written in 1855.

‘Here, O our Lord, we see Thee face to face,
Here would we touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all our weariness upon Thee lean.

We have no help but Thine, nor do we need
Another arm save Thine to lean upon.
It is enough, O Lord, enough indeed;
Our strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone.’

Prayer: Lord, you nurture our lives in many different ways. We confess our great need of Your love to forgive us, renew us, change us and guide us. We place our lives into Your hands this day. Amen.

Can we heal the World?

2011-02-28T09:27:00.001-05:00

It seems that common to all people are those days when we think “Why bother. Nothing that we can do can make a difference.” Our sermon (which can be found here) took the title “Can we heal the world?”

The Kingdom of God appears to invade our world not through the big things but the little things. In the bible reading of the feeding of 5000 the whole event turns around what seem like tiny actions. A young lad offers to share his lunch. A prayer of blessing is said. There is nothing particularly earth-shattering about such simple actions.

Yet through sharing and blessing a miracle takes place. One could become bogged down trying to explain how or why or what actually is actually going on in this story. There are many different layers to the account. It has deep theological overtones and appears within a particular context. It is great to ponder and investigate such avenues.

But there is also a simple beauty about the fact that little actions bring about big changes. The little things we consistently do everyday make a difference. It makes a difference when we show thankfulness for the blessings we are receiving or offer a prayer at mealtime. Random acts of kindness that let others know they are cared about are never insignificant. Offering the little we have to be used by God in whatever way God can use it is a big thing.

A boy shares his lunch. A prayer is offered. Leave the rest in Jesus hands and you never know what can happen!

Prayer: Lord, Forgive me for those times I forget to care. Help me to be open to the opportunities laid before me. Help me to see that no action is without significance in the light of Your love. Amen.

Why are prayers not answered?

2011-02-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we pondered the problem of unanswered prayer. The sermon can be found here.

To many atheists the explanation for unanswered prayer is simple. There is no God. But what about answered prayers? Well that it is just coincidence. Has to be. If there is no God there can be no answered prayers. End of story.

As a theist I have to ask … ‘How many prayers have to be answered before it becomes more than coincidence?’ If even one single prayer in the whole history of the universe turns out to have been more than a coincidence; where does that leave arguments about the non-existence of a force that answers prayer?

Fact is that over the years, in ways mundane and moments that have graced my life with an awesome sense of wonder, God has answered prayers. The simple fact that I am where I am, doing what I do, is difficult for myself to understand without relating it to the way God has guided my life.

An atheist will suggest that there are other forces at work that have led me to my current work. That I am befuddled and brain-washed and they will offer a whole host of other explanations. They have to. The only other conclusion would be that they had got it wrong.

I also would assert that biblically speaking ‘no’ and ‘not now’ are considered equally valid answers to prayer as ‘yes’, and that negative answers need also to be balanced into the equation.

Of course when Jesus spoke of prayer He kept throwing that word ‘faith’ into the mix. Not just any sort of faith, but a faith that believes that God has our absolute best in mind, has a purpose for our lives and whose Holy Spirit is able to lead us and guide us through the many perplexing situations of our lives.

The sort of faith that when we don’t understand continues to ask ‘Not my will, but Your will be done’. A faith that includes present relationship, past experience and future hope.

Nobody can prove faith. You can’t set up laboratory experiments to measure it. It resists calculations. It is not a formula. It lacks physical dimensions. It defies defining. It is hardly surprising that Jesus speaks of it in relation to prayer!

So let us pray! “Lord, I don’t always understand how prayer works. But I do understand that I need You more than my words can express. Help me to be comfortable with mystery and be trusting that Your way is best. Amen.”

Does it pay to be Good?

2011-02-13T11:31:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday we reflected on if seeking to live a good life actually made any difference to ourselves or the world around us. The way of the world seems to be that prosperity has no link to morality! The sermon can be found here.

There are many who adopt an ‘ends justify the means’ philosophy. Whether it be governmental justification of torture or something far more mundane such as parking illegally because we ‘are just in such a rush today’ there are circumstances where people feel taking a course of action that would otherwise be unacceptable is O.K.

By way of contrast scripture invites those who follow Jesus Christ to be above reproach. In the Kingdom manifesto we know as the sermon on the mount we are counseled; “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven”. (Matthew 5:16)

When speaking of those who aspire to leadership in a congregation Paul places the highest standards before his young friend Timothy. “The overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity.” (1 Timothy 3:2-4)

‘Do gooders’ are often regarded as hypocritical meddlers who do more harm than good. Neither Jesus or Paul suggest the way of God’s Kingdom is one of self-righteously enforcing our morality upon others. It is rather about doing the right thing whatever it may cost and however personally uncomfortable it may be.

Whether it means involving ourselves with a cause for justice and peace or simply obeying traffic laws the bottom line is that we are instructed in scripture to be shining examples of God’s love!

Prayer: Lord God, You call us to be people of Kingdom standards. We know ourselves well enough to see such is only possible through the intervention of Your Holy Spirit and through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us this week to let our light shine so that others obtain glimpses of Your love. Amen.

Souperbowl Sunday

2011-02-07T10:20:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday we sang football related songs, raised money for the local Freeport Food pantry and reflected on ways we can help others. Lots of links today!

The sermon.
Our congregations rendition of “Drop Kick me Jesus”.
An update of the total money raised by the campaign.

Thanks deservedly go to our youth that participated in the service and all those who contributed.

The Sunday School sang for us the song ‘Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me’ . They reminded us all that whatever efforts for justice we make,they have to start where we are!

Prayer. ‘Lord, help us to sense Your presence this day, in a way that centers our lives, that we may share such peace with others. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.”

Where are you going?

2011-01-23T09:46:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we reflected on the theme of where our lives may be heading. The sermon can be found here.

One of the problems in seeking direction is that we are often just too caught up in the journey to stop and ask. Commitments on our time impede from all directions. Work, family, travelling in between appointments, meeting deadlines… our schedules are not our best friend!

It is sometimes only when are forced to stop travelling on the crazy train that we find the time to ask where it may be heading. Times of illness, weather related cancellations, simply getting caught in the traffic can create a space where we suddenly become reflective and ask; “Just where is my life heading?”

In a society that rejects sabbath such momentary pauses can be our ‘little sabbaths’. Time to take stock and evaluate the journey. Space to ask where the direction of God and the things of God’s Kingdom fit into the picture.

Make the most of such moments. They can be revolutionary!

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, we hear Your call to follow You. We confess we often do so without truly thinking it through. We get caught up in the everyday madness. Direct us and lead us. Show us where changes need to be made and grant us the strength of Your Holy Spirit to make them! Amen.

What are you looking for?

2011-01-16T11:40:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to find what you are looking for if you are not exactly sure what it is. Such is the dilemma that occupied our thoughts during our sermon this past Sunday, which can be found here.

I feel that for many of us the spiritual quest is one that we really cannot define. We kind of know what we are searching for, but we can’t frame it with words. It is not certainty. It is not conviction. It is not answers (particularly when we are not even sure what the questions are).

Yet we are attracted to the message of Jesus Christ and to the way that being part of a spiritual community enables us to follow Him. Maybe it is just as well that in the passage we were considering today (John 1:29-42) Jesus frames His invitation in the words “Come And See!”

There is something about the journey that is a revelation all of itself. Along the way we discover things that we hadn’t even realized that we were looking for. Sometimes when we find them we wonder how we ever managed without them!

And if that sounds rather vague then I make no apology. Even Paul spoke of only ‘seeing through a glass darkly’. Jesus invites us “Come and See”. Come and see what? We can only find out by following.

Prayer: Thank You Lord for the encouragement to follow that not having to know all the answers can bring to us. You welcome the curious. You invite the seekers. Help us to stick with the journey and seek the company of others to travel it with. Amen!

What are you doing here?

2011-01-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

As a New Year gets underway we rapidly become busy. After a brief pause for reflection and resolution making it seems things soon get back to the state we describe as ‘normal’. Yet is into the midst of our normality that God often chooses to step. This past Sunday we reflected on the experience of John the Baptist who was rather surprised when Jesus showed up at the banks of the Jordan. The sermon can be found here.

It is as Jesus is baptized that a voice from heaven describes Him as a beloved son with whom God is ‘well pleased.’ The sacrament of baptism declares to us that God is pleased to claim us as sons and daughters. We may not always feel pleased with our spiritual progress, or even feel there is much for God to be pleased about in our lives but… nevertheless… God continues to desire our utmost good.

In the light of our faltering steps and uneasy commitment we have those days when we question our ability to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There are times when we ask ourselves; “What are you doing here?”

Then, unexpectedly, God shows up. Shows up in the voice of a friend or someones random act of kindness towards us. Shows up by placing before us an opportunity to bless another. Shows up in the words of a song on the radio or by an insight in the midst of a comedy routine on TV. Shows up in places we weren’t looking.

And then we remember that we are not disciples because we are good at it! We are disciples because God is a God of Grace and refuses to despair of us. Through the influence of God’s Holy Spirit prompting us to have eyes that see and ears that hear, we can discover God in ways and places we had never expected!

Prayer: Lord, help us to stay awake to Your presence within us and around us. Remind us that we are children of Your pleasure. Encourage us to keep listening and keep serving, especially when we have more questions than answers. Amen.

The New Year

2011-01-03T09:15:00.001-05:00

Yikes! It’s 2011 already. The years just seem to zoom on by. In church yesterday we reflected on our need of the grace of God to get us through the times of our lives. After reflecting on a sermon (which can be found here) we shared bread and wine and sought spiritual nourishment for the journey ahead.

Whilst we can make some inspired guesses at what a New Year may bring, the truth is that it remains a blank page. There’s most likely going to be some great things and some nasty stuff that gets written on the pages. That’s usually what happens.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth setting ourselves some goals for the coming days. I’d say ‘making resolutions’, but somehow ‘goals’ feels like a less demanding concept.

See… I was never a very good soccer player. I could mis-kick a ball in more ways than I knew how to do it properly. If I ever got near to scoring the adrenaline would kick in and I’d end up hitting the ball with way too much enthusiasm or just completely missing altogether. I was never offended when folk didn’t choose me to be on their team. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be on my team!

But the thing is… goals are things you keep pursuing and working at. Resolutions, well you either keep them or break them. Goals, you can keep on trying!

So forget the resolutions and set yourself some goals. They don’t have to be anything super-impressive or mega-spiritual. Things like ‘a little less TV and a little more exercise’; ‘occasionally eating out less and putting the money aside to help the local food pantry’; ‘signing up for something at church that I haven’t done before… just to give it a try’.

It often seems that lasting changes in our life come through little steps. May you have a grace filled 2011!

Prayer: ‘Lord, help us to set ourselves some attainable goals for 2011. Guide us to the best use of our time, talents and treasures. Whatever the year brings our way, help us to allow Your love and hope to be a part of it. Amen.”

Shepherd Song

2010-12-20T12:25:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, the fourth in Advent, our service took on a musical theme. We had special music from the choir augmented by trumpets and drums, a wonderful anthem by the hand-bells and a Calypso Carol for childrens time. My own contribution was the Shepherd song … a version of which can be found here.

In the midst of all the music one of our elders read from the King James version of the Bible the account of the angels and the shepherds. He had e-mailed me earlier in the week to say that he would prefer to read the traditional version rather than the version in our NRSV pew bibles. There is just something about familiar words that communicates the Christmas story in a special way!

He also shared how he was reading from a bible that had been presented to him in 1942 by one of his great-grandparents. After the service another member shared how they had been praying about whether to give their own great grandchildren and grandchildren the gift of a Bible for Christmas. The experience of hearing somebody share how precious such a gift had been to them, answered their prayer.

One of the themes of the Advent season is that ‘The Word’ becomes flesh. We are blessed when during worship we get a sense that God is at work in ways we had never anticipated and through actions that are very human.

Throughout this Christmas season may we continue to have experiences of the Holy Spirit that are truly ‘incarnational’… a theological term for God becoming flesh and hope being born into the midst of our everyday world.

Prayer ‘Lord, help us in this holy season to seek for Your love to be born in the midst of our celebrating. We thank You for this joyous season, and pray for all those we know of who are finding it hard to celebrate because of their life circumstances. Continue to shine the light that removes all darkness. Amen.’

Prisoners of Hope

2010-12-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

Our lesson for the third Sunday in Advent focused on John the Baptist and his situation in prison. The sermon can be found here.

The majority of us have those times in our lives when we seriously question the validity of our faith. If Christianity is such good news, how come our world is still so full of bad news? If Jesus came to be the savior, how come so many seem to be on a path to nowhere? When we are going through a dark patch in our personal lives such questions can be particularly imprisoning.

In the darkness of his prison cell John found encouragement through Jesus quoting to him Isaiah’s words about the ‘blind receiving sight, lame walking and good news being proclaimed to the poor.’ Those words bid John look beyond the confines of his immediate circumstances and see a bigger picture. Not easy to do, for sure!

But whoever said the journey of faith was meant to be easy? Whoever said there wouldn’t be days of darkness and doubt and struggle? Such were certainly a feature of Jesus own spiritual journey. At various times we see Him weeping, angry, and sweating blood as He struggled with God’s will. On the cross He declares He feels forsaken by God.

Despite the struggle, to paraphrase John’s gospel, “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it”. It’s O.K. when we have doubts and our faith is more struggle than it is victory. It seems to be all part and parcel of what makes faith a reality rather than a fairy tale.

It’s partly what can make Christmas such a meaningful celebration. There is nothing particularly attractive about taxes, census taking and fleeing persecution. Having nowhere to stay and being forced to give birth in a stable is a desperate situation to be in. None of us would describe a life driven by visions of angels and vivid dreams ‘normal’.

Yet the eye of faith sees in these events the hope of redemption and dares to proclaim that through Jesus Christ we can all be prisoners of hope!

Prayer: “Lord in this Christmas season, guide us through our struggles to places where the light breaks through. Through Your Holy Spirit, be born in our hearts afresh and imprison us with Advent hope. Amen.”

Advent Sundays

2010-12-06T10:14:00.000-05:00

During Advent our sanctuary is filled with the sights and sounds of the Christmas season. We have a number of special programs in worship … children sing, instrumentalists accompany the choir, families light the candles each Sunday. We also have a number of special collections. Mittens adorn the Christmas trees. There are boxes of food in the porch that will be distributed to local pantries. We receive a Christmas Joy Offering. And of course we still do all the regular stuff like confessing, preaching and praying!

We have a number of added programs. The Deacons provide a coffee hour after worship. Our Sunday School offers us an annual play after which we sit down together for Christmas Dinner. We have a special Jazz concert by one of our members. We visit some local homes carol singing after which one of our families opens up their own home for fellowship.

On Christmas Eve we have two services, one at 5 p.m. for families, then at 11 p.m. we meet for a service of Carols, Communion and Candlelight that extends into Christmas morning.

It is a good thing that we have these opportunities to remind ourselves of the Christian meaning of the season.

An Advent Prayer
Lord, as we travel through these crazy days of Christmas keep us in mind of the deeper meanings of the season. Take us to the hillside to hear the angels song. Help us to marvel at the wonder of Jesus birth. May we join with the Wise travelers who journeyed to Bethlehem. In a world often desperate for hope, may we fix our hopes in your love. Amen.

Feasting on Hope

2010-11-29T09:40:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent we focused on lectionary passages that were about the coming Kingdom of God. The sermon can be found here.

The motif of ‘surprise’ in the Matthew reading (Matthew 24:36-44) is the one that always fascinates me. Whilst telling us in no uncertain terms that the day of the Lord will come, we are cautioned not to speculate about when such an event may take place.

Rather our call is to work at the kind of things that bring the Kingdom closer. If we want to see a hope filled world then we are invited to offer some hope. If we wish to see war at an end then we are called to support initiatives towards peace. If we want to see the poor lifted up, then we are called to do some serious sharing from out of the abundance God has blessed us with.

The surprise seems to come when our small and seemingly insignificant actions are shown to have made a difference to somebody and opened a little window of hope into their lives. ‘One day’ the prophets declare “All will be well”. In the meantime do the little things that turn out to be the big things.

Prayer: Lord, in this Advent season we seek that our lives may be a source of hope for others. We dare to believe that You have all things under control and one day its all going to turn out right. But until that time help us to carry on trusting that our actions make a difference. Amen.

The Living Difference

2010-11-08T09:21:00.001-05:00

In our sermon this past Sunday we were thinking about the Sadducees and their doubts about resurrection. The sermon can be found here.

How can belief in the resurrection make a difference to our daily lives?

Belief in the Resurrection offers a fresh perspective on justice.
Many times we hear the complaint that “Life is not Fair”. There was nothing ‘fair’ or ‘just’ about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Yet God was able to turn the ultimate catastrophe into the ultimate victory through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Belief in the resurrection grants to us the hope that God can take the most unjust and desperate situations and use them for some good and eternal purpose.

Belief in the Resurrection places life into a larger framework.
If we believe our actions have an eternal significance then we are less likely to make hasty decisions or invest ourselves in activities that benefit only ourselves. We will take seriously the invitation of Jesus to find Him in the most needy of those around us. As our lives are transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit we seek to help others experience His living love.

Belief in the Resurrection offers a hopeful perspective on death.
If death is the end, then death is the ultimate catastrophe. However if death is a doorway into something greater, then death is nothing to fear. As St Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”.

Prayer: Lord, we ask that belief in the power of Your love to overcome death may transform our lives. Help us through Your Holy Spirit to be resurrection people with ‘Hallelujah’ as our song!” Amen.

Get out of that Tree

2010-11-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

Zacchaeus was the little guy who climbed up the sycamore tree to see Jesus pass by. But Jesus didn’t pass by. He stopped in His tracks, looked up into the tree, called his name and told him to ‘Come down’ as He was coming to his house that day. A sermon on Zacchaeus can be found here.

Zacchaeus is a fascinating character. His name means "pure," yet the Bible tells us he was anything but. He was a chief tax collector in Jericho, the city where the walls had fallen down. Jesus was passing through the city on His way to Jerusalem. Zacchaeus was hated by the Jews not so much because he was a tax collector but because he had intimate contact with Gentiles.

Jesus told Zacchaeus to hurry down out of the tree: Jesus was going to spend the day at his house. Jesus was spending more and more time with people who were "undesirable" and He explained His reasons for associating with them; the Son of Man had come to seek and to save those who were lost.

Jesus cared about Zacchaeus just as He cared about everyone, no matter their profession. Zacchaeus was truly a changed man after he met Jesus. He repented of all the wrong things he had done. He understood what Jesus said about "turning around" and following in His ways. He promised Jesus that he would pay back the people from whom he had taken too much in taxes according to the laws of Moses -- fourfold.

Jesus told Zacchaeus that his faith had caused him to be counted among God's people. Anyone, in fact, who comes to Jesus in faith and believes in Him is saved by his or her faith. If Zacchaeus had a chance, so do we!

Prayer: Lord, it is good to know that whoever we are and whatever we have done, You still come seeking after us. You always offer us the chance to make amends and start over again. May we welcome Your love into our daily routines this week. Amen.

The Jonah Syndrome

2010-10-24T09:47:00.001-04:00

A question I’m often asked is “Why did you come to America?” Something resembling an account of the events that led me to this beautiful and spacious land can be found in this past week’s sermon…. which can be found here.

In the sermon I reflect on the way Jonah resisted the call of God and remained unimpressed by God’s grace towards the sinners of Ninevah, even when they repented. I suspect there remains in each of us something of ‘The Jonah Syndrome’. Do you recognize any of these Jonah symptoms in yourself?

When you hear of trouble, you say ‘Somebody should do something about that!’ By ‘somebody’ you mean ‘somebody other than yourself’. When you sing the hymn ‘Here I am Lord’ you are actually thinking ‘There they are, Lord”

When you sense God’s call to deal with injustice, you want to hide? I mean, after all, Ninevites are not nice people. Unpredictable. Threatening. Scary. Why would anybody want to help them? It was their own fault they were in such a mess! I admit it. I find some homeless people scary. I worry about getting involved in certain peoples situations because I’m afraid where it may lead. I don’t like being ‘not in control’

When it comes to a whole host of dilemmas, from immigration to welfare reform, from helping the poor to housing the homeless, there is a part of my that wants to ignore the issues and pursue different directions.

When things turn out good for your opponents, you get a little sulky. It’s hard to rejoice about others well being, particularly if they are people you don’t particularly like! You would much rather see them brought low and get what you believe they deserve. Jonah thought that ‘The blasting of the Ninevites’ would have made a great fireworks show. Why did they have to go and repent? And why on earth would God show mercy to them?

How easily we forget that we are all in the same boat when it comes to being ‘sinners who fall short of the glory of God’. Were it not for the grace of God, we’d all be lost! Who do we think we are presuming upon who and whom not the grace of God should fall upon. Who made us judge and jury?

As I say… I suspect we all fall victims of Jonah syndrome!

Prayer: Lord, thank goodness You don’t treat us the way we treat each other. Help us to see others as being Your much loved and special children. May that particularly be so with those we find it hard to get along with! May our lives reflect your mercy and our ways reflect your loving kindness. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN.

Go Forth…

2010-10-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

As part of a series reflecting on some of my own experiences I preached this past Sunday about sensing a call to ordained ministry. That sermon can be found here.

One of the Scriptures referenced in the sermon was Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you”. Consider the following things about Abram’s calling …

Abram left a lot behind. In the kind of patriarchal world in which Abram dwelt leaving the house of your relatives and your father was a radical move. The extended family was his entire support network. Family ties were not the sort of thing you messed with! It is hard to leave that which we love and have grown accustomed to. Yet such is the journey of faith Jesus calls each of us to make. Declaring Him as ‘Lord’ pushes all other relationships (even our closest ones) into the shade.

Abram didn’t have a destination. Some where “I will show you” is not a physical address. He heard God’s call and followed not knowing where the journey would actually take him. The only assurance he has is that because God is leading him, it would turn out to be somewhere good. God never seems to show us the whole map of our lives at one time. All we hear is ‘Follow”.

Abram was obedient. He followed. He sensed God’s call. He, no doubt, had a head full of questions. But he put all of that behind him and moved forward into God’s promises. Our journey of faith is a one step at a time process. We don’t know where it will take us. We don’t need to know. Our motivation can simply be that we know that our God is with us!

Prayer: Lord, You call us to ‘Go forward’. Yet so often we cling to what we know rather than taking those risky steps of faith. Remind us that wherever it is we are called to go, we have the promise that You go with us. We don’t need all the details. What we need is Your love. Amen.

Called to Be Free

2010-10-10T09:13:00.001-04:00

Since moving to my current church a number of questions have been re-occurring. “How did you become a Christian? “ “What made you want to be a minister? “Why did you move from your home in Great Britain to the USA?” To answer those questions I’m preaching a series of sermons (This is my Story, this is my Song) the first of which can be found here.

In the sermon I reflect on a verse from Galatians 5:13; “You were call to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature. Rather serve one another in love.” Note from this verse these things about freedom;

Freedom is a Calling. God calls us to come out of lives that are self-seeking, self-satisfied and self motivated and discover that seeking the Kingdom of God is the true path of freedom. This involves us making some hard choices and definite decisions. We choose to listen for God’s direction through scripture. We decide that the pressures of this world will not mould our existence, but rather the prompting of God’s love.

Freedom is not self-indulgence. We have this warped notion that freedom is doing whatever we want to do. In reality following such a path leads to nothing but ingrained habits, addictions and the inability to make realistic choices. Jesus invites us to make His love the center of our being, a love we can know and experience through the Holy Spirit.

We are set free to serve. As we allow ourselves to be inspired by the Holy Spirit our focus shifts from ourselves to others. The two great commandments about “Loving God” and “Loving our neighbor” take on a sharper focus. We find ourselves not only wanting to help make a positive difference in peoples’ lives, but greatly enjoying it!

Prayer: Lord, You call us to freedom. But freedom is not what we always think it is. True freedom can only be found as we surrender to the influence of Your love. Help us to find our center in You. Amen.

World Communion Sunday

2010-10-03T17:48:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday was ‘World Communion Sunday’ and as we gathered around the World Wide Table we reminded ourselves that our family of faith is much larger than just our local church. The sermon for the day can be found here.

We also received a special Peacemaking offering, indicative of our hope that peace may yet come to our fractured world.

After 2000 years of history, Christianity can be found in many different forms and guises. Though Scripture talks of us as being ‘One Body’ we also sadly have to acknowledge that some of our bones are broken, some of us are ‘out of joint’ with each other and the picture we present to the world is not one of unity.

One of the places that healing can take place is around a shared table. Regretfully, because theologians can’t agree about a mystery, our differing traditions are not always welcoming of ‘outsiders’ to sit with them. But ‘times they are a changing’ and we can but hope and pray that our divisions may yet be healed in order that we can more realistically embody hopes for the peace of all.

So today I lift up the work of all those agencies that are seeking to bring our churches together. We all have so much to learn from other traditions! Our local organization is the Long Island Council of Churches. I’m sure you have similar organizations in your own neighborhood and would encourage you to support them in whatever way you can.

Prayer: Lord we are not a united church. We do not witness well to our world through our divisions. Increase our love for those who are different from us. Break the hardness of hearts that cannot see beyond their own limited perspective. Amen.

Lessons from Lazarus

2010-09-27T09:08:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday we approached the parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, about the rich man and Lazarus, as a play in 3 Acts. Discover the drama for yourself here.

During our Childrens Time we thought about Paul’s word to his young friend Timothy that ‘’the love of money was the root of all kinds of evil”. It may well pay dividends to reflect further on the wealth issue! We can note the following things:-

Wealth is transitory. The rich man’s wealth is gone in Hades (16:23). Last Sunday we looked at a crooked manager who suddenly faced bleak prospects (16:3). Elsewhere in Luke Jesus tells us of a farmer whose retirement savings goes to others on the night he dies (12:20). The point is clear. Money, possessions, and the good life that they bring with them are temporary in character and in the end completely untrustworthy.

Wealth obscures moral vision. The rich man knows Lazarus by name, but he looks past him day after day. As long as he is wealthy and self-sufficient, he has eyes only for himself and cares nothing for the welfare of others. Our comfortable situations can blind us to those less fortunate.

Wealth creates chasms between people. Wealth can be an impassable barrier that separates people one from another and prohibits meaningful interaction. The rich man’s moral blindness toward Lazarus during his lifetime isolates him from human contact and comfort in his own time of need.

The problem is not in wealth itself, but in the power of money to become an idol that completely controls our lives. Whenever we allow our money… or even our lack of it… to determine our joy, then we are allowing the values of this world, rather than God’s Kingdom, to determine how we live our lives.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be satisfied with what we have and use all that we are to help others discover the joy of Your Kingdom. In this way our lives will truly be rich. Amen.

Tony Malonely

2010-09-20T09:05:00.001-04:00

‘Tony Malonley’ is an imaginary character I created this past Sunday to illustrate the parable of the dishonest manager in Luke 16:1-13. You can enjoy the sermon for yourself here.

To set our meditations in a slightly different direction, commentators note that Luke has a number of parables in which people of status are brought low and need help from those in a less fortunate position.

A traveler on the road who is set upon by thieves receives help, not from his Jewish contemporaries, but from a Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37). A son who squanders his inheritance begs to become as one of the hired hands. (Luke 15:11-32). In our parable a manager of dubious character seeks help from his debtors.

Elsewhere scriptures teach us to be modest in our self-apraisal and to ‘Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord”. Jesus suggests that it is better to be engaged in taking the plank out of our own eye, than seeking to take the speck out of the eye of another.

Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary
comments “Perhaps this is why the Lord praises the corrupt manager. The manager's sagacity lies in his ability to discern his own situation. He may be "ashamed to beg" (16:3), but he is prudent enough to recognize when his status has evaporated”

Our traditional denominations no longer occupy the lofty role they once played in society. As we seek to discern our own situations, there is a lesson here for us. The old ways of doing and being just don’t work in todays world. As individuals the same can also apply. It’s not so much about who we were. It is who we are seeking to be in the current moment that will define our future.

Prayer: Lord, we confess our tendency to cling to our status and hold onto that which we know best. Changing days call for changing ways. Help us have humble hearts eager to be directed by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lost without Knowing it

2010-09-13T10:01:00.001-04:00

I was traveling down the road, so busy talking to the person sitting in the passenger seat that I failed to notice that there was an intersection. The road I wanted went one way, the way I went was the other way. It was only when we came upon a shopping mall and a set of traffic lights that I realized our error. I had become so preoccupied that I had become ‘lost without knowing it.’

As we reflected on Luke 15: 1-10 and the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin this past Sunday we thought about the dangers involved in being lost! That sermon can be found here.

What are some strategies we can turn to when we feel lost?

Look at a map.
The Scriptures can be a great guide to help us through our problems. As we read of how different bible characters dealt with the issues of their day, we can often find guidance for ourselves. Some of the greatest sayings of Scripture can give a framework in which to find the way. ‘Treat others in the way you would like them to treat you’ ‘Pray for your enemies’, ‘Be Patient’… these little nuggets can help us navigate many moral dilemmas.

Ask Directions.
I know what they say…. real men never ask for directions! Yet Christian doctrine has always insisted that Jesus was a ‘real man’. And He found it very necessary to carve out a place in His life for prayer. So have His disciples across the centuries. When we are feeling lost, we seek God for direction.

Help others.
Becoming involved in a cause outside of ourselves can often bring answers to questions we didn’t even realize we were asking. Seeing things from another persons perspective. Maybe walking a while in their shoes. Such experiences can provide the sort of purpose and meaning that we may be missing in our day to day routines!

Prayer: Lord, when we are feeling lost help us to find our way through Your Holy Spirit being our guide. Guide us as we listen. Guide us as we serve. Guide us as we pray. Guide us through the Scriptures. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

The Call and the Cross

2010-09-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

As we met around the communion Table this past Sunday we considered the topic of our calling of Jesus to take up our own Cross and follow Him. The text of the sermon can be found here.

In a world were we like to take things easy… why on earth would we willingly take on the kind of commitment that Jesus asks of us?

All is not well with our world. Whilst we enjoy the benefits of freedom, health and bountiful resources, we are the fortunate ones. The same cannot be said for many with whom we share our planet. It seems not simply a religious principle, but a humanitarian one, that we who have much should not rest easy whilst many have so little.

History teaches that progress rarely happens without struggle. The great freedoms we enjoy are not accidental. Laying behind our privileges are the historical acts of those who selflessly pursued higher goals… often to the point of surrendering their own lives. Struggles against slavery, for equal rights for women, for just labor practices… the list goes on and on.

We seek a higher goal. If we dare take the name ‘Christian’ then we intimate that we are taking on the mantle of Christ-like living. We state our belief that His way of doing things is the ‘WAY’, that His life represents what ‘LIFE’ should be, that His truth is the ‘TRUTH’ regarding what really counts for something.

Prayer: Lord, we hear Your call to take up a Cross and follow. We may not want to hear it… but You keep calling. Help us to recognize that You call us to bring positive change to this world we share with so many others less fortunate than ourselves. Amen.

Calling

2010-08-29T09:12:00.000-04:00

Our summer series on “Repeating themes” concluded by looking at the theme of “Calling”. The text of the final sermon can be found here.

Matthew 4:17-22 gives us the account of Jesus calling fishermen as His first disciples, redirecting their fisher skills to be used in service of the Good News.

What skills have you accumulated over the years? We are all different, working in different places, gathering differing skills. Have you ever sat down and thought about what you fill your days with? It can be a valuable thing to take some time out and take a personal skills inventory. It can also be quite surprising!

How can your skills be used to promote good news? Jesus took fisher skills and harnessed them for the work of the Kingdom. Such is a calling He invites us all to embrace… namely using ‘who we are’, for the purpose of extending to others His loving invitation to encounter God. The greatest tool God can use is our willingness to be the people God intends for us to be!

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am Your unique creation, different to any other. You have led my life thus far and equipped me with many skills. Help me to allow You to use who I am to share the message of Your love with others. Amen.

Living

2010-08-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

In Worship this past week we looked at the theme of living. The sermon for the day can be found here. Biblically speaking… what is life? An all to brief survey follows. Life is….

The breath that is God breathed into every soul.
Symbolized by a Tree of life
Saved in Noah.
Restored by Elisha.

The path of blessing for the righteous.
Praised in the Psalms... as God redeems, guides, protects,
... a fountain, a joy, a blessing.
The reward for humility (Proverbs)

In the prophets, a way to pursue.
Become as a 'watered garden'
A covenant of life and well-being.
A river that flows through the temple.

For Jesus...
Something God will take care of. Don't worry.
Something defined by more than life on earth.

For John...
In Christ is life
Whoever believes has eternal life
John 3:16!
Jesus is the Bread of life... to be consumed.

In Acts
Jesus is the author of life.
Repentance leads to life.

In Romans
Seeking brings life
We are saved by His life... to walk in newness of life.
All die in Adam, all live in Christ.

In Corinthians
The Spirit gives life.
Life is at work in us.
Our true life hidden in Christ.

In Titus
We are encouraged to take hold of life

In 1 John
Life is manifest in the love we have for God and each other.

In Revelation
We eat from the Tree of Life
Our names are in the Book of life.
We drink from the Water of life
And the Spirit and Bride say “Come”…

Prayer: Lord Our God we thank You for the gift of life. Teach us this day to embrace the abundant life that Jesus offers to us. As we glimpse Your purposes in our daily lives may we be renewed to serve one another. Amen.

Dying

2010-08-09T09:15:00.002-04:00

In our summer worship services we’ve been examining reoccurring themes that weave in and out of the Bible’s 66 books. This past week we looked at the theme of dying. The sermon for the day can be found here.

As Christians we should not be afraid to talk about death. We are mortal and somewhere along the line death will be our destiny. We confess to believing that death is not the end but part of a process that leads us home. On what grounds dare we make such bold assertions?

We first and foremost have the witness of Jesus Christ. It is a pillar of our faith that “He died and He rose again”. The work of Jesus began long before He was born and will continue long after we have gone. He raised Lazarus from the tomb. He spoke about eternal life as a fact. He demonstrated to His disciples both in His resurrection appearances and through His ascension that the boundaries we place upon life do not apply. God raised Him from the dead!

We have the witness of countless saints who across the centuries died in the hope of Christ. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, declared in his dying moments; “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts7: 56). The conviction that this life is not all that there is has led many to stand firm as intimidators threatened to take their lives. They have glimpsed something beyond the boundaries death seeks to contain us within.

We have the witness of Scripture. Paul writes in Romans 6:8 “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.” Spiritual growth involves dying to our self and living for Christ. As we share in His death, so we are promised we will share in His life (both in the now and beyond the now).

Through our faith in Jesus Christ we are given an opportunity to glimpse beyond the barriers of space and time, and invited to believe that “we ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Prayer: Lord, help me to see death as part of Your plan for our lives. Let us not be fearful of its power nor be in dread of its inevitability. Remind us that there is more to life than life on earth. Help us not to live only for alone but live everyday in the light of eternity. Amen.

Covenanting

2010-07-26T09:24:00.001-04:00

We have been looking in our summer worship services at reoccurring themes that flow through the Scriptures. This past Sunday we spoke about covenanting. A sermon on that very topic can be found here.

One of the things we touch on in the sermon is the idea that to covenant with God means agreeing that God knows best! How can we build that notion into our daily lives? (This may well be an exercise in ‘back to basics’ but it is good to remind our selves of simple things!)

Seek God through prayer. Prayer is not about getting God to do what we want, but getting ourselves to do what God wants. Spending some time each day with God in prayer is therefore an important part of keeping covenant with God.

Seek God through Scripture. We see throughout scripture people who both disagree and agree with Gods actions in their lives. It goes without saying that things usually turn out best for the ones who agree with God. Scripture informs our faith journey in so many ways!

Seek God through worship. Being part of a community of faith is important. Christianity has little room for lone rangers. God does not want us to go it alone. We can do so much more together than we can ever accomplish on our own.

Prayer. "Lord; help us to be people of new covenant faith, who know Your ways because of time spent in Your presence. Help us to live lives that show they agree that Your way is the best way! Amen."

Creating

2010-07-19T09:45:00.001-04:00

A reoccurring theme that flows through the 66 books of the Bible is that of ‘Creating’. Such was our meditation during Sunday worship this past weekend. The sermon can be found here.

One of the verses we reflected upon was 2 Corinthians 5:17 ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Note the following things.

Creating is in Christ. The biblical notion of creating involves the work of God. Sometimes people ‘take a break’ or try and ‘get away from it all’ in their quest for renewal. Christian renewal is not getting away from anything, but immersing our selves deeper into the love of Christ. Without the action of the Holy Spirit the creating process is incomplete.

Creating brings change. Paul simply says that ‘the old is gone’. So often we put up with the same old ways. The creating work Paul has in mind is of a different level altogether. It involves a break with our past. We can struggle with that because we resist change! We must bear in mind then that this a change that we are called to make ‘In Christ’. That Christ died to set us free from sin and bring about a change in us!

Creating is in the here and now. ‘The New has come’. The work of creating is happening. We don’t have to wait to for the program to start. Rather we are called to cooperate with the action of God in the now! In practice that means prayerfully seeking where the Holy Spirit is at work within us and around us.

Prayer: Lord God, You are the creator of all that it is good. In Christ You have created the way for us to be free from sin and live creative lives. Renew us through the work of Your Holy Spirit and help us to discover new ways of being faithful. Amen.

Now… about the Bible

2010-07-12T09:07:00.002-04:00

Our worship service this past Sunday focused on the central documents of the Christian faith contained within the Bible. The sermon can be found here.

Here are some helpful hints to guide our scripture reading.

Pray. If there is a God, and that God inspired the people who wrote down their experiences in the pages of scripture, then it is going to be helpful to tune into that God as we approach a time of reading and contemplating!

Be methodical. In order to get a view of the overall message of such a huge collection of writings then a little organization is required. There are things such as reading plans and ‘Through the Bible’ resources available all over the internet. There may even be one in the back of your bible.

Be random. The many books of the Bible make awesome material just to dive into and read whatever you find. And if you are involved in prayerful diving it may even be that the Holy Spirit will guide you to exactly what you need to be hearing right now!

Be serious. Seriously! Intentional application always brings awesome results.

Move on. If you are bogged down in a particular section… then don’t be. Move on. It’s O.K not to understand the relationship between Aaron’s priestly robes and some random verse from a book you find it hard to pronounce! If you make your bible reading a life long journey… you’ll get there one day.

Enjoy. Scripture is meant to give us life not a headache. Meditation should offer joy not frustration. It’s only when we admit we’re floundering that we start to float. And swimming is better than sinking.

Prayer “Lord, Thank You for the books of the Bible. Help me to discover each day truth that will guide me and words that inspire me. Amen”

The Real Thing

2010-07-04T09:16:00.001-04:00

In John 6:55 we hear Jesus saying “For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.” Last Sunday’s sermon focused on this verse and can be found here.

The sixth chapter of John is a meaty theological discourse. It begins with Jesus miraculously feeding the crowds with literal bread before walking on water, moves onto Him speaking of Himself as ‘Bread from heaven’ and concludes with words about who will betray Him. There are so many images and themes interwoven into the narrative that one could pursue an endless series of reflections. Hence the need to isolate a verse.

So I am sticking with the flesh as ‘true food’ and the blood as ‘true drink’. And whilst images of communion naturally spring to mind maybe there are other ways to consider this verse.

True Food
Good food is the sort of food that truly brings us nourishment and growth. There are endless amounts of folk who tell us what we should and shouldn’t be eating. Sometimes we take notice. Other times we go our own way.

Likewise in our spiritual journeys. There are practices that help us grow. There are many advisers offering us their insights, and some of it works for us and some of it leaves us cold.

By speaking of Himself as true food the implication is that to truly grow spiritually we must feast on the teachings that Jesus came (in the flesh) to offer us. Putting it ever so simply … Jesus offers good teaching that can make us whole.

True Drink
Connoisseurs of fine wine know the difference between a mature full-bodied vintage and a bottle of cheap plonk from the supermarket. That difference will be reflected in the price tag.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our salvation, the shedding of His blood on the Cross of Calvary that we may live free and forgiven! To truly drink in what God has done for us in Christ is a life-changing experience. As we come to appreciate the significance of what God has done, so we seek to be channels of God’s love to others.

Prayer: “Lord, help us to feast our lives upon the love You offer to us through the Holy Spirit. May we know Your teaching as the authentic pattern by which to order our lives. May we carry with us the awareness that Jesus died for us so as we can live for others. Amen.”

The Perils of Procrastination

2010-06-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

In our sermon based on Luke 9:51-62 we identified three unwelcome characters who have a habit of hindering our spiritual progress, ‘Mr. Knowitall’, ‘Ms. Promise’ and ‘Uncle Hangon’. To discover more about them you’ll have to read the sermon found here.

To take things a little further I wanted to consider what Jesus says in verse 62 “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Why is ‘looking back’ such a hindrance to discipleship?

Looking back focuses us on what we may lose rather than what we may gain.
We hear something that sounds worth pursuing. But then we get back into our usual routine and we look around and start with the ’But what if?’ and the “But I’m not so sure” questions. And there are plenty of visionless souls around us to confirm all our fears for us! The vision fades and procrastination takes over.

Looking back binds us to responsibilities we may need to let go!
The image of ‘plowing’ is an image of hard graft. Jesus asks some hard things of us. ‘Take up your cross” isn’t exactly a party invitation. “Let the dead bury the dead” doesn’t roll easily off the tongue. We reach points in our spiritual journeys that are really tough! Do we take this course (which is hard) or do we take this one (which will be even harder)? But we cannot take on the responsibility of building God’s Kingdom till we let go of our own little empires.

Looking back causes us indecision rather than prompting us to action.
“‘Let me say my good-byes first” is one of the responses made to the invitation to follow Jesus. To put it another way… ‘Before I can follow you I need to put everything else in order so that there is no element of risk involved in my faith journey.’ If we are seeking order and clarity then we are not hearing what Jesus is asking of us. Faith is a risky business. It can be a messy business. The positive side is that through faith we discover that God is able to do greater things for us than we ever dared imagine!

Prayer: “Lord, I confess my indecision. You called. I said “Hold On”. Teach me not to look back to the comfortable places but look forward to the great adventures. Amen.”

Dealing with Demons

2010-06-21T09:23:00.002-04:00

Luke 8:26-39 was the scripture for our service this past Sunday. It is a passage that deals with a confrontation between Jesus and a man known as ‘Legion’ because he was possessed by so many demons. A sermon on the passage can be found here.

Thankfully most of us have not become so overwhelmed by the evil in our world that we are in the situation of the unfortunate man whom Jesus delivered. But I suspect we all wrestle our own demons… though we may not call them by such a name. We may prefer terms like habits, compulsions or addictions. We may see them as illnesses of mind or body or simply human failings. Yet like the demons that possessed the unfortunate man in the graveyard, they haunt us and could destroy us unless we are delivered from them.

The Good News in the passage is that Jesus is the One who can deliver us. It is worth noticing the process by which deliverance takes place.

Confrontation. When the light of Christ’s presence falls upon the man his need is revealed. As through worship and prayer we open our lives to God, the dark places of our own lives can be revealed. We may not like what we see. We may feel like the man that such places are left well alone! But Christian growth involves dealing with those parts of life we’d rather forget about as well as functioning from our strong places.

Naming. Jesus is quite specific in seeking to identify the mans problem. “What is your name?” he asks the demons. So we need to be specific when dealing with things that threaten our spiritual growth. Name them and claim Christs victory over them. We try and work with God as we seek for the Holy Spirit to recreate what is currently in chaos! If our problem is ‘lust’, then we call it what it is. If its ‘avoidance’ then we acknowledge that when faced with our problems we try and run from them rather than deal with them! We name it so God can deal with it!

Sharing. The chances are that whatever we battle others are having the same battles. The existence and success of such groups as Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous testify that we oftentimes can best fight our demons in the company of others. The man Jesus delivers is invited to ‘tell others what God has done’. Christian life is meant to be communal. We are encouraged to bear one and others burdens!

Prayer: “Lord, we don’t like to consider ourselves as possessed of demons, yet we see in our lives habits and practices that seem to control us. We pray for Your deliverance from all that would hinder our spiritual growth and prevent us sharing Your love with others. Amen.”

Footnote – At F.P.C. Baldwin groups for both AA and GA are in operation. Further information can be found at the following web sites.
A.A.
Camblers Anonymous

Breaking Bread amidst the Storm

2010-06-07T09:51:00.001-04:00

As we came to the communion table this past Sunday we looked at a passage in Acts 27:27-44 where Paul is threatened with shipwreck, but encourages his fellow travelers to break bread with him and be encouraged. The sermon for the day can be found here.

Here’s some further thoughts on how communion can encourage us amidst the storms of life.

Sharing communion during stormy days reminds we are not alone.
The whole thing about the word ‘communion’ is that involves more than one. It’s not just about us. At the very least it involves two parties… God and ourselves! As we break bread and drink wine we do so at the invitation of Jesus… an invitation that is offered with the words, “Do this in remembrance of me”. Whatever may come our way today let us try and remember we do not face it alone.

Breaking Bread reminds us that we are all broken.
We have this inbuilt tendency in the the midst of storms to look out only for ourselves. The person who falls overboard doesn’t cry out ‘Help us!’ but ‘Help Me!’. Scripture teaches that we are all sinners who fall short of God’s glory, or to put it another way, we are all drowning in our own false notion of self sufficiency. We all need God’s help and mercy, and that grace comes to us through Jesus Christ, who at the Cross totally identifies with our brokenness! As we face today's problems let us recall that we are all broken!

Sharing wine reminds us that God love is poured out for us all.
God’s love pours out of an empty tomb. Death is revealed to be a loser. The last word is not defeat but victory. We are saved by grace through faith. Paul broke bread amidst the storm and all were encouraged. Let us seek this week to allow the peace of Christ to carry us through!

Prayer: “Lord, it can be a mad mad world that brings many storms our way. In the midst of the confusion help us to find Your peace and so be an encouragement to our fellow travelers!” Amen.

Trinity Sunday

2010-06-01T10:04:00.001-04:00

I find the doctrine of the trinity one of the most baffling yet somehow ‘seemingly right’ aspects of Christian theology. ‘Baffling’ because no matter how we try and fathom it we never really get our heads around it. ‘Seemingly Right’ because it crystalizes the New Testament disciples experience of God into a simple formula.

They had understood God as Father yet come to see how in Jesus that God stood with them. They felt the presence of Christ within them and around them through the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of His inter-relation both with the Father and the Spirit. There is a wonderful sense of community and understanding and relationship tied up with the whole thing that is at the same time mysterious and beautiful.

Understanding with our minds and actually living out our faith are of course two different things. My reflections for Trinity Sunday can be found in a sermon titled ‘Living the Trinity’ here.

A prayer: “Lord God, our Creator and Father, help us live in a way that reflects the wonder of Your creative genius! Jesus Christ, Savior and Redeemer, help us to seek always to live in the light of Your teaching; Holy Spirit, inspirer, comforter and guide, create within us both the will and the strength to be a part of Your work of transformation! Amen!”

Transformation

2010-05-03T09:39:00.002-04:00

The breakout of Christianity from its Jewish roots was a momentous occurence. The earliest disciples were not convinced that embracing all the world was God’s plan. But the actions of the Holy Spirit convinced them otherwise. (See Acts 11:1-18). A sermon on just such a topic can be found here.

Consider the experience of Peter.
It was against everything Peter had been brought up to believe to go to the house of a Gentile and eat with him without going through all the rituals that were expected of a Jewish believer. But God had called Peter to embrace a more inclusive way of being, one that pushed him beyond his comfort zone. Who are we excluding? Who are the ‘untouchables’ in our experience? Whom may God be calling us to reach out to who is not currently on our radar?

Consider the experience of Cornelieus.
He was not a Jew. He was not familiar with the ways of the Jews or the conceptions of a Messiah. He believed in his God in his own way. Yet God heard his prayer and pushed him beyond his comfort zone. There would be a steep learning curve ahead! Where are the unfamiliar areas in our own spiritual walk? What will the learning curve look like if we are to enter into a better understanding of our faith? And how do we attack that curve?

Consider the experience of the Council.
For a church body to accept such radical change… without a lengthy process of meetings and discussions… was truly a miracle. It meant a total refocus. But such was the change they allowed the Holy Spirit to work amongst them. And the results were… to say the least… spectacular. As we consider our own church structures there is certainly something to chew on right here!

Prayer: "Lord, we need Your Holy Spirit to change our focus. Like Peter You call us to embrace those we have dismissed. Like Cornelius You call us to be listeners and learners. Like the council in Jerusalem You call us to allow our structures to be transformed that we might embody the mission incentive of going into all the world with Your gospel. Transform us Lord! Amen"!

Peter’s Prayer

2010-04-26T09:18:00.002-04:00

In Acts 9:36-43 Peter offers prayer for a disciple named Tabitha who has died. A miracle takes place and her life is restored. The miracle is a prelude to an even greater miracle… the church recasting her mission to include Gentiles as well as Jewish believers. A sermon including such musings (as well as some reflections on the prayer life of John Knox… as it was preached on Tartan Sunday) can be found here.

Some further reflections on prayer.

1. Prayer restores life. In the case of Tabitha that seems to have a literal application! But beyond that exceptional setting it remains true that active involvement in the discipline of prayer animates our spiritual life. Through prayer we tune our lives towards God’s will. The more in tune with God we become, the greater our ability to do the things to which God calls us.

2. The outcome of prayer can never be predicted. It is not my impression that Peter entered into the situation with the awareness that a life was going to be restored and the mission to the Gentiles was about to be launched. He just enters into the situation and places it into God’s hands. Prayer is never about getting God to do what we think we would do if we were gods. Rather it is allowing God to be God!

3. Prayer brings joy where there was previously only grief. The outward circumstances may often stay the same. That illness may continue. That death may still happen. But prayer changes the focus from being upon the situation towards the One who walks with us through the differing scenes of our life journey. Prayer brings confidence where there has previously been fear and hope where hopelessness has been the dominant theme.

Prayer: Lord, we ask as Your disciples of old asked… ‘Teach us to pray’. Encourage us to share our hearts deepest fears that they may be conquered by Your love. Instruct us in the ways of listening and understanding. Speak to us in our imagining, dreaming and serving that our whole selves may be energized by Your purposes. Amen.

His Way

2010-04-19T10:01:00.001-04:00

Acts 9:1-6 gives us the account of the conversion of Saul. He is changed from being a man intent on destroying the church into one of Christianity’s greatest advocates. A Sermon on this passage can be found here.

What can we learn about the process of change from this account?

Firstly… Changing from doing things our way to doing them God’s way takes time. Whilst the flashing light and voice from the sky were things that happened in a moment, the time leading up to the decision was one that took many twists and turns. It was the influence of many of those he persecuted that helped change Saul. Scripture mentions the martyrdom of Steven as being one of the events that Saul witnessed.

A similar story holds true for many if us. We can’t all point to dramatic moments of decision but many of us are aware that the call of God had been consistently pursuing us over the years… as much through our mistakes as through our triumphs.

Secondly… Notice how personal the call is. Jesus calls his name. “Saul, Saul!” In a similar way the call of God is one that demands our personal response. Belonging to a church, attending services of worship, going through the religious motions… all these are important aspects of belonging to a religious community. But we can do all those things without realizing that there is also an intensely personal dimension to being a disciple. We are called to a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. One of the marks of that relationship will be the realization that God knows who we are… and calls us by name.

Thirdly… To follow God’s way means turning from doing everything our own way! This may be stating the obvious. But we cannot go on doing the things the way we’ve always done them and claim that we are following the new way of Christ. If change is to come to our world, it has to begin with us! The spiritual journey is one of putting away the old and embracing the new.

Prayer: Lord, help me to pursue the new life of Your Spirit. Teach me this week to find Your way amidst the many ways that will seek my attention!

OBEDIENCE

2010-04-12T15:10:00.001-04:00

Obedience is not a word we always use in relation to spirituality. It comes into play when we have to make a choice, between what we perceive is God’s way and what we suspect is against God. That was the kind of choice that Peter had to make when the Sanhedrin forbade him to carry on ministering in Jesus name. A sermon based on that passage from Acts 5:27-32 can be found here.

Some additional thoughts on OBEDIENCE.

1. People are quick to notice when they perceive disobedience in the life of Christian leaders. Abuse scandals, money scandals and dramatic falls from grace easily attract the headlines. The kind of thing that never gets reported is the everyday faithful lives of so many Christian folk. Ask them why they pursue certain standards and they may not be able to put it into words. It’s part of who they are. It’s just being obedient to God.

2. Obedience to God is not so much a duty as it is a joy. The desire to do things God’s way grows out of our love for God. Our love for God grows out of the notion that it is a love we are returning, not a love we are earning. In that sense obedience is neither tedious or burdensome but a faithful act of devotion.

3. Obedience is not easy… because we are all rebels at heart. If we encounter something that looks O.K. to us… but somebody says “Stay Away”… we question their advice. As we read scripture we may discover insights that we question. It is at those times that obedience becomes a challenge.

Prayer: “Teach me Lord to do Your will. When my desire is lacking, send Your Holy Spirit to inspire. Help me to live in a way that brings glory to my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen”

Three Crosses

2010-03-29T11:17:00.001-04:00

Luke’s gospel gives us the account of three men who die on crosses. (Luke 23: 33-43). A sermon for Passion Sunday can be found here.

The first man dies hurling insults at Jesus. He sees nothing redemptive in the acts that are taking place. He is embittered and hardened to the fact that the Savior of the world was right at His side. “Save others? He can’t even save Himself!” It is a fact that the message of Holy Week will be lost on so many who have no appreciation of who Jesus is and what He can do for them.

The second man has an understanding of the significance of Jesus. He realizes that Jesus had done nothing deserving crucifixion. He senses that something significant is taking place. He asks “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom!” Such faith is rewarded by a promise “Today you will be with me in paradise”. This Holy Week is an opportunity to reconsider the significance of the life and death of Jesus and figure out how the events all those years ago apply to our lives today.

The third man is the Savior Himself. He offers prayer for those who persecute Him. “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing”. As we go through our “Not knowing what we are doing” lives we should rejoice that our failures and sins meet their match in the love of God. The grace of God is sufficient to meet our deepest needs.

Prayer: “Lord, during this week leading towards Easter help us to be those who receive Your Spirit and are made new. Help us to hear Your rich promises and grant to us a deeper understanding of the death of our Savior” Amen.

Lotion Devotion

2010-03-22T09:49:00.001-04:00

In John 12:1-8 the actions of Judas and Mary are in stark contrast. Mary overflows with devotion. Judas is revealed to be less than graceful. A sermon on just such a theme can be found here.

For myself the passage challenges me to consider the nature of our relationship with God. For Judas, it appears he is possessed by an attitude that afflicts so many of us… “What’s in it for me?”.

When Judas observes Mary unashamedly anointing the feet of Jesus and kissing His feet, he is offended. Such outward shows of devotion were uncalled for! And what a waste of good perfume. That money could be put to better use. It could, for example, be given to the poor. However John comments that Judas was not in the least concerned about the poor, but rather consumed with self interest.

For Mary the question is one of love. Her life has been touched by the grace of God and she gives thanks in the best way she knows how. She does not care an iota what others may think, either of her actions or the way she chooses to spend her limited income. She loves Jesus and expresses that love in a personal and powerful way. Jesus approves of Mary actions.

What of our love for God? Are we like Judas who is constantly on his guard, wondering how much discipleship may cost? Or are we like Mary? Giving of our best because we know our lives are blessed beyond measure by God’s overflowing grace?

Prayer: “Lord, help us to turn aside from selfish concern as we consider the way Jesus gave Himself, heart and soul, to the world. As we reflect on the price He paid for our salvation, may our response become one of overflowing love. Amen.”

Beware of the Trees

2010-03-17T10:46:00.001-04:00

I was out walking in the woods when the wind stated to blow. As I made my way home the weather grew worse. Suddenly, with a loud crash, a tree fell to the ground, narrowly missing me. I was a little shaken! Pondering the experience later in the day I reflected on those times when the unexpected happens. A sermonizing of such thoughts can be found here.

In Luke 13:1-9 the disciples are asking Jesus the ‘Why?’ question. A group of Galileans have been slaughtered by Pilate. A tower in Siloam has collapsed and killed a number of people. Why did these things happen? Were the people worse sinners than the rest of us? Was it a case of ‘What goes around, comes around?”

Jesus uses the event as a teaching moment. Life is very fragile. Any moment we could be transported to eternity where we will stand before God. His words seem harsh; “I tell you; unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did” (Luke 13:3).

I am reminded that our salvation is by the grace of God alone. Every day we enjoy life on this earth is a gift. Every time we wake up to greet a new day is a miracle. Not because we are good (or because we are bad) but because life is a great mystery and none of us truly know why we are here or when our time may come to depart. There may well be a tree in the forest with our name on it. Or not.

Make the most of the moment! There is great wisdom in the quote “‘Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody’s watching.’ We never know what tomorrow brings so we best live a faithful life today.

Prayer: “Lord, Your words call us to remember that nothing in life is certain except the depth of Your love for us. When we are full of questions that find no answer help us to cast all our cares on You and then… get on with living each day to the fullest! Amen.”

Foxes, Hens and Chickens.

2010-03-01T14:42:00.003-05:00

In Luke 13:31-35 Jesus proclaims “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under wings, and you would not have it !” He also describes Herod as a fox. A sermon reflecting on Foxes, Hens and Chickens can be found here.

Foxes
Foxes are not favorably inclined towards chickens other than as a food source. Scripture warns us that Satan is not a fox, but a ‘roaring lion’ out to frustrate all those who seek the path of discipleship. However we view such images the lesson remains the same… the spiritual road is fraught with dangers. There are things that can destroy our faith and sap our desire to follow. We need to take care that our pride doesn’t blind us to our fragility.

Hens
The imagery of God as the mother hen who wishes to gather up her flock in her wings is one of the most tender in all of scripture. Though there are dangers on the road, God desires to shield us and protect us. To hold us close and reassure us. When life gets crazy it can be a healing thing to take in a deep breath and imagine God wrapping warm wings of protection around our lives.

Chickens
Chickens are the brood that the hen seeks to protect. Unfortunately the chickens are headed away from the hen and towards the dangers that can destroy them. We have that same tendency in our selves. Sure we know what Scripture teaches… but we’ll try things our way instead! And then we complain that things haven’t turned out as we expected. The good news is that God still desires our ingathering!

Prayer. “Lord we confess that we have stupid chicken days. We know we should turn to You but we carry on as if there were no dangers to disrupt our calm or destroy our faith. Help us to see that Your desire is to bless us and protect us. Restore to us a rightful mind! Amen.”

Temptation

2010-02-22T09:13:00.002-05:00

In Luke 4:1-13 Jesus is led into the desert and faces a number of temptations. A sermon on that passage can be found here.

Dealing with temptation

"Turn the Bread into Stones". In other words ‘solve all your problems with a quick-fix’. Be it world hunger or personal diet there are offered to us endless solutions. ‘Send money here’. ‘Buy this’. Global poverty issues canot be solved by throwing money at them any more than our waistlines can be trimmed down by puchasing the latest keep fit DVD course. There are no quick fix options for discipleship. It's the long haul that brings results and builds solid commitment.

“It’s all yours”. Satan offers Jesus dominion over all creation and peoples. Of course it comes at the expense of compromising His beliefs. How many times have we heard that voice? “Forget your convictions for a moment, take a short cut, it will get you what you want”. In so many areas of life we are fooled into believing that the end… namely our personal influence and power… justifies us using means that are less than godly. We foolishly compromise on what we believe rather than allowing God's Word and the inner voice of the Holy Spirit be our guide.

“Jump of the Roof… God will catch you!” Of course God loves us! But that doesn’t mean that we can live however we please. We are invited to return that love… not strain it to breaking point. ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test” comes the voice of Jesus. The danger is that if we persistently refuse to learn, refuse to see and refuse to hear…then we become a person who has not learnt, nor can see, nor can hear anymore the loving call of Jesus saying, "Come to me and be made new".

Prayer: Lord, Scripture teaches us that You truly understand the temptations we face in our lives. The desire for things we shouldn’t have. The search for instant answers for our complex and deep rooted problems. Our tendancy to be presumptious of Your love. Forgive us. Renew us. Strenghten us through the power of Your Holy Spirit. ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’ Amen. “

Don’t Blame Peter

2010-02-15T11:10:00.003-05:00

“Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" - not knowing what he said.” (Luke 9:33)

Luke 9:28-36 gives us the account of an event known as the Transfiguration. It’s an awesome moment. Jesus is transfigured by the glory of God and seen communing with two great figures of the Old Testament, Moses (representing the 'Law') and Elijah (representing the 'Prophets'). Peter is in awe! A sermon on this passage can be found here.

Peter should have kept silent but instead he speaks out. At other times in his life, when he should of spoken out, he kept silent. Don’t blame Peter. We are all guilty of acting just like him. I’m sure you can think of things you wished you had never said and actions that you now regret having taken.

One wonderful thing about this story is that although Jesus corrects Peter, Jesus doesn’t disown Peter. It’s not a comfortable thing to have your faults exposed. Yet until they are, spiritual growth is unlikely.

It is for us to take our whole lives and apply to them the scrutiny of the love of God. Seek for God to show us our faults, and God will do so. But be aware… this may be a humiliating process. Not because God is in anyway unkind, but because our own faults are hard to face. We quickly turn the spotlight on other people’s shortcomings, but if we ourselves wish to be transfigured by the glory of God, then we need to shine the light of God’s love upon ourselves.

Prayer: Lord, I’m hesitant to invite You to shine Your light into the darkest corners of my life. Remind me that healing will not come to those places until I’m prepared to let You in to heal the hurt. Thank You for the renewing power of Your love in forgiving the failings we hesitate to name. Amen.

Super Bowl Disciples

2010-02-07T11:55:00.002-05:00

Only a small number of people ever get to play in a Super Bowl game. The demands placed on the players are incredible. Win or lose, they have to give their all to their game.

Jesus calls us to be disciples with a high level of commitment. A sermon reflecting on that theme can be found here.

In common with disciples of all times and all places following Jesus involves leaving something behind. In the first fisherman's case it was their work and home. For our selves it can be our habits and ways of thinking that need changing. What kind of things might Jesus be calling you to leave behind at this point in your spiritual journey?

Discipleship also involves taking on something new. The first disciples had to become "Fishers of men". Allowing our lives to be embraced by God’s love adds a new dimension to our daily life. Are there any ‘new things’ that God is calling you to embrace this year?

For the first disciples following Jesus meant they had to go somewhere else. They had to move beyond the comfort zone of their familiar surroundings. Where met God be inviting you to reach beyond your comfort zones?

To succeed at any venture takes not only inspiration but also determination. Be it NFL success or spiritual maturity … the call is to press forward with all that we are.

Prayer: “Lord help me to respond to Your love with determination and allow Your love to change me. And when I fail, pick me up again and remind me that Your love is stronger than my weakness. Amen. “

Misplaced Pride

2010-02-01T08:59:00.003-05:00

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us.
(Jane Austen)

When Jesus preaches in His hometown the people are not impressed. After all isn’t He just Joseph’s son? A sermon reflecting on the story can be found here.

Misplaced pride can be a tremendous barrier to spiritual growth. There is a right sort of pride to have in ones self or ones community. The sort of pride that comes from thankfulness and from rejoicing in whatever good has taken place.

Misplaced pride is the sort of pride that sees only the positives and ignores the negatives. It is ‘rose-tinted glasses’ pride. It refuses to acknowledge that there can be room for improvement or any need of change. Most disastrously of all it blocks out grace from having free reign in our lives.

We must caution ourselves against being so proud that we fail to recognize the potential in the familiar. When Jesus sought to work wonders the home-town crowd just couldn’t accept that wonderful things were meant to happen in their ordinary day to day to experience of people and places. And the result? Nothing happened!

Do not join them in their unbelief. Do not allow misplaced pride to prevent your spiritual growth. Believe.

Prayer: Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief! Help not to exclude my daily, familiar and routine life from the sphere of Your blessings. Amen.”

What’s it all about?

2010-01-25T10:48:00.002-05:00

In the first sermon recorded by Luke, Jesus gives us His mission manifesto.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord"

A sermon on this text can be found here.

Central to this proclomation is the idea that Christ’s coming was the dawning of the time of the Lords favor. The poor would have some good news. The struggling ones would find release. The ones who couldn’t see would receive vision. The ones who felt like they were being walked all over would walk free.

We can apply this text to our own lives. Where do we feel in poverty? What are we seeking to be released from? In what areas do we feel life is trampling all over us? Where in in our life are we seeking direction?

To believe that Jesus Christ is a Saviour means allowing Him to save us! To preyerfully seek His perspective on the struggles of our lives. To seek to apply the scripturs teaching to our daily dilemmas.

The promise remains the same. The Holy Spirit is still the Counsellor, Comforter and Guide. Christ’s living love has not lost any of it’s power to renew and refresh our lives.

Prayer: “Lord help me today to apply Your love to the situations I am struggling through. Remind me when I give up on myself that You never give up on me. May this day be a day of the Lords favor! Amen.”

Annual Sports Fest

2010-01-25T09:29:00.002-05:00

Sunday, January 31st, 2:30-6:30 p.m. the Church is having its Annual SportsFest . . . Fun and Games Afternoon. There will be bowling for all who are interested (cost for bowling is $8.00 for 2 games and shoe rental) at the Baldwin Bowling Alley on Grand Avenue.

If you don’t bowl, there will be bridge, scrabble and other board games for adults at the Church. All activities followed by a Pizza Supper in Beyer Hall. All are welcome to this fun-filled event!

DID YOU SEE THAT?

2010-01-17T12:22:00.000-05:00

John 2:1-11 records for us the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. As you read through the account you become aware that a lot of the people present at the wedding feast missed out on the fact that any miracle had taken place. All they knew was that for some reason the host had saved the best till last. We can so easily miss out on what God is doing around our lives. Miracles can happen and we miss them.

A sermon on that theme can be found here.

Sometimes we sing a hymn or hear a piece of music and we may think ‘Well that’s nice". But so often there is a story behind a song that can take our appreciation to a new level.

Consider a hymn such as Frances Ridley Havergal’s ‘Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee’. Frances was the daughter of a rector in Worcester, England… who was in his day one of the finest church musicians around. She, like her father, was exceptionally gifted but prone to periods of doubt and depression. Though constantly in a religious atmosphere she struggled for many years to accept herself as a child of God. It took a real act of surrender for her to allow Christ to take His rightful place in her life. Having struggled personally to break through into a living faith she was anxious to share her journey with others.

The hymn ‘Take my Life" came out of an experience she had staying with a family where religion was on the back boiler. Aware of her hosts low spiritual expectations when she arrived she prayed "Lord, give me all in this house". Over a period of five days she led every member of the household into a deeper faith with the exception of two daughters.

Retiring to her bed on the last night she was awoken by the governess who told her the daughters were in great distress. She counseled them and led them to faith in Christ. When she returned to her room she was too excited to sleep. She records in her diary ‘I passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own conscecration, and these little couplets formed themselves and chimed in my heart one after another …"

She speaks elsewhere in her diaries of how writing for her was praying. Rather like she had, as a child, asked her Father when composing a poem "What do you think I should say next?", so her hymns came out of her relationship with God who gave her, in her own words; ‘not merely thoughts and power, but also every word, even the very rhymes. Very often I have a most distinct and happy consciousness of direct answers."

It’s easy to sing a hymn with the mindset of those who saw no miracle at the wedding feast when Jesus turned water into wine. It is only human to think… well that’s a nice tune or pleasant little rhyme… without realizing that behind the words are often some wonderful stories of the grace and love of God.

As we go through our lives it easy to take so much for granted and miss out on daily miracles taking place all around us. It is the work of God to take the common place and make it into a special place of blessing and wonder. Keep the eyes of your heart open because you don’t want to miss a thing!

Prayer: "Lord forgive me for my low expectations. Help me to be awake to the daily miracles all around my life. Amen"

BE PRAYERFUL

2010-01-11T09:08:00.002-05:00

There’s a little detail in the account of the baptism of Jesus that is easily missed. The Holy Spirit did not alight upon Jesus the moment He was baptized, but the heavens opened as He was praying. Luke 3:21 reads; "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven opened".

A sermon reflecting on the timing of the praying and the coming of the Holy Spirit may be found here.

In religious life there things we need to do together and things we can only experience for our selves… on a one-to-one with God basis.

Baptism is one of the together things. So are Communion and Corporate Worship. There are many mission adventures that we cannot embark upon alone. From the start ‘Church’ has been all about community.

But there is also a very personal side. On a personal level we need to develop a living faith in Jesus Christ that is energized through prayer. Time and time again Jesus withdraws to lonely places to recharge His spiritual batteries one on one with God. If such a practice was necessary for Him, how much more so for us!

A wonderful New Year resolution to make is "BE PRAYERFUL". It is as we pray the Holy Spirit transforms our life journeys. It was when Jesus prayed that the Spirit came and empowered Him for the journey ahead. To repeat some words from our sermon…

"If you want to be a real treasure to your church, to your family, to those you love, to your community, and you value your own personal growth and your own well being, then let 2010 be a prayerful year.

This is a win-win resolution to make. You are not being asked to give anything up. You are being invited to deepen your relationship with God. You are being invited to deeper fellowship with God and a deeper experience of God’s love."

Prayer: Lord, help me to make 2010 a year of prayerful journeying. Amen.

A NEW YEAR PERSPECTIVE

2010-01-04T10:11:00.002-05:00

Paul writes from the confines of a prison to his friends in the Phillipian Church : "I forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead" (Phillipians 3:13). As we begin a New Year his perspective of leaving the past behind and pushing forward to the future is a great attitude to embrace.

A sermon on that very thought can be found here.

What sort of things might Paul have been leaving behind him?

Resentments: Being in prison does not appear to be the best strategy for launching a world wide mission. Paul could have complained about his lot, even given up on the idea that Christianity had anything worthwhile to offer the world. Yet instead of cradling his hurts, he allows God’s Spirit to put it all behind him.

Worries: There was a lot Paul had to worry about. But that’s not the choice he makes. Instead he simply trusts in God. He has faith and trust in God over and above his worries. He believes God’s love is strong enough to hold his life in His care.

Failures: Paul had been a one-time enemy of Christ. He had stood by and held the coats when Stephen was stoned to death. He had caused a lot of pain and created a lot of enmity towards the church. But that was then and this was now. Yes… he had failed. But now he lived in the freedom of the forgiving grace of Jesus Christ.

What things keep Paul moving forward?

He realizes he is only human. He speaks of doing his best. He doesn’t sit back and wallow in self-pity. He does not regard grace as a cheap commodity without implications. He actively pursues a higher goal.

He finds his strength in Jesus Christ. Elsewhere Paul complains that in his human nature he lacks the power to move on. He rejoices that God’s Holy Spirit grants him a power to travel beyond his own limited resources and achieve things that otherwise would not be possible.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter into a New Year help us to put all our resentments, worries and failures behind us. Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to move forward in faith and in the knowledge that You will walk with us throughout the coming days. Amen.

Youth Event... coming soon

2009-12-24T10:21:00.004-05:00

Mission Impossible

**** Youth Lock In ***

for our Middle School/High School Students

Friday 8th January through Saturday 9th January 2010

8:00 p.m. Friday – 8:00 a.m. Saturday.

Games, Movies, Discussion, Mission Project, Snacks, Breakfast!

Bring a Sleeping Bag and a pillow.

See, call or e-mail the pastor to register.

WOW!

2009-12-20T11:36:00.001-05:00

Luke 1:37-55 tells us about Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. It was a ‘Wow!” moment. It causes Mary to break into song. “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior!” Life brings along ‘Wow!’ moments to us all. Our sermon can be found here.

As we approach Christmas reflect on some of the “Wow!” moments in your own experience. Think about your earliest Christmas memories, your first job, your first kiss or your first car. Remember those times that have taken your breath away. An unexpected surprise. A precious gift. A milestone that has helped you be who you are today.

Think of the way people around you have blessed your life and helped you through the difficult times. Be thankful for the mentors, the teachers, the family members and friends… who often never realized they were having such a profoundly positive influence on your life.

Above all be overwhelmed for a moment as you consider God’s greatest gift… Jesus Christ. Consider the influence that small bay in the manger was to have, the lessons He bought that have changed the world for the better, the teaching He gave that we still strive to follow.

Think on His sacrifice and the promises Scripture makes regarding His death securing our salvation. Reflect on the mystery of His resurrection and the empowering of the Holy Spirit that can be born into your daily life.

And as you reflect pause for a moment to consider the ‘Wow!’ factor in all of the blessings that God has invested into our lives. It’s Christmas.

Prayer. “Lord, You truly are an awesome God. Thank You for every blessing that has transformed my life and shaped my destiny. Help me never to take such things for granted, but out of thankfulness may I seek to be a means of blessing and joy to others. Amen.”

JOY TO THE WORLD

2009-12-14T09:23:00.003-05:00

The prophet Zephaniah ben Cushi is not exactly a household name. He writes words that are mostly gloom and doom to the unfaithful folk of his nation during the reign of King Josiah. But amongst his words are also some tremendous ‘Good News’ verses.

One that stands out is Chapter 3: Verse 17; ‘The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." The Sermon can be found here.

Words of encouragement right here!

God walks through our troubles with us. We may not always sense God’s presence, but the promise remains. ‘The LORD your God is with you’.

God battles on our behalf. ‘He is mighty to save’. Zephaniah pictures God as a warrior who fights for His peoples salvation.

God is crazy, madly in love with us. The prophet tells us that we are the apple of God’s eye. "He will take great delight in you"

God desires that we rest in His love. In the midst of our worlds craziness God invites us to take a breath and find the assurance that our lives are safe when committed to His care. ‘He will quiet you with His love’

God sings a love song over us. God loves us so deeply God has even composed a song in our honor and loves to sing it! Don’t take my word for it… I’m just passing on what the prophet said. ‘He will rejoice over you with singing.’

The song that began with Zephaniah ben Cushi gained new harmony when Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and angels filled the sky with glorious song. Take some time out during this advent season to thank God for the Good News!

Prayer "Lord, in the midst of the discouraging headlines and Christmas rushing, remind us that You are the God who is for us… not against us, the God who is not trying to catch us out but to catch us up in His arms, the one who comes not to condemn us but to save us, the One whose very name and nature are a love song. Amen."

OUTLASTING THE ENERGIZER BUNNY

2009-12-07T09:01:00.003-05:00

My adapted version of Isaiah 40 verse 8 reads; "The Grass Withers, the flower fades, the energizer bunny eventually runs out of gumption; but the Word of our God will stand for ever." The sermon that goes with it can be found here.

Our mortality cannot be avoided. The clock keeps ticking. Even the energizer bunny has a battery that eventually dies. How do we build stuff into our lives that has a lasting quality?

Welcome life’s seasons. We are all just passing through this life. We need to make the most of every step of the journey. Embrace every stage of life for what it is! Each season carries its own special beauty. Every day brings its particular challenges. We recharge our batteries by acknowledging that ‘This is the day that the Lord has made".

Build on God’s Word. According to Isaiah the only thing that really lasts for ever is the Word of God. There is all sort of stuff we can build our hopes on, but a lot of it ultimately leaves us flat. But if we seek to apply the principles of God’s Word to our daily lives then it really makes a difference.

To reiterate some words from the sermon:- "If we seek for our lives to be molded by the teaching of the One who came to us as a baby in a stable in Bethlehem all those centuries ago, then we are allowing principles and forces and dynamics with eternal reverberations to shape who we are and what our life will be and where our lives will take us."

Accept the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We are not called to make this journey alone. Jesus promised His disciples that He would send His Holy Spirit to be their helper and their guide. We fall and fail time after time. By God’s love we are forgiven and renewed. By God’s Spirit our batteries are recharged and... we… saved by grace through faith… can outlast energizer bunnies!

Prayer: "Lord in this season of Advent we can become over tired and down hearted. Our strength and patience can run out. Help us to take the time to build into our lives the eternal principles of Your Word and to turn to You for the renewing power of Your Holy Spirit to refresh and renew our lives for Your Service." Amen.

LOOK DOWN THE ROAD

2009-11-29T11:27:00.003-05:00

Our reading for the first Sunday of Advent came from Jeremiah 33:14-16. The sermon that went along with it can be found here.

Jeremiah is a forward looking prophet who was travelling through some difficult days. He realized that things would get worse before they would get better.

When we are in such situations, where can we find hope? Here are a couple of Jeremiah’s suggestions.

Realize that God never gives up on us.

The people were well aware that their desperate circumstances were the result of their own failure. God had spoken but they hadn’t listened. God had directed them and they had headed in the opposite direction. God had called and they had searched for another voice to follow. What they had not realized was that God never gives up on God’s people.

It is the same for us. We mess up time after time. We know the right, yet do the wrong. We get ourselves into situations where we can point the finger of blame at nobody other than ourselves. At such times it is good to remember that though we may just about be ready to give up on ourselves, God never gives up on us. God is always ready to restore us and renew our lives.

Rely on God, not on our own efforts.

Recall Jeremiah’s words of hope to his hopeless ones. ‘Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safely. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:16)

Salvation would come to the people, not because of their own efforts, but because of what God would do. Though they couldn’t see it, the time they were travelling through was not their final destination. They are to look down the road and anticipate God’s deliverance.

Likewise, as we travel through difficult days God calls us to look down the road and see the possibilities that form if we allow His Spirit to lead us and guide us. No instant fix is offered but through sticking with God real change can come. We can join with Jeremiah in declaring “The LORD is our righteousness.”

Prayer: Lord when times are hard, or we have messed up once again, we find it hard to trust in You. Remind us that You never give up on us. Teach us to rely on You, not on ourselves for our salvation. Be our righteousness and so help us to look down the road of our lives with anticipation and hope. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T09:07:00.002-05:00

May God bless you and yours during this special season. As families get together and time is taken to reflect on our many blessings we are reminded that... if nothing else... we're still alive and kicking! Enjoy.

Christ the King – Music Celebration

2009-11-18T10:18:00.002-05:00

This coming Sunday (November 22nd) our worship service will take the form of a musical celebration. Musical offerings of both a formal and informal nature shall ring forth as we celebrate that Jesus Christ is our Lord and King!

FAITH IN CHANGING TIMES

2009-11-15T09:41:00.002-05:00

"In a New York minute everything can change’ comes the song over the radio. (The Eagles). A visit to Ground Zero poignantly reminds us the truth of such a statement. In our bible reading from Mark 13:1-8 Jesus speaks to his disciples of how even the great temple that they were admiring would one day soon be nothing but rubble, a prophecy that came true when the Romans ransacked Jerusalem in AD70.

The sermon can be found here

Holding onto faith in the midst of a world that often seems to spiral out of control is a challenge for believers of any generation. Jesus suggests a way through.

Don’t be led astray. In every age there are those who seek to provide us with the answers that will save us all. Atheists suggest religion is the problem, politicians blame each other, economists blame the market, and everybody has an opinion! The challenge for one seeking to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to allow His truth to be the lens through which we view all other beliefs.

Don’t be alarmed. There has yet to be an age that has not been characterized by wars, rumors of wars and other such disastrous events. Such has always been the way of the world, and will continue to be so. Reformed theology relates the chaos to the inherent sinfulness of our human condition. Notice how when a crisis comes along there is always somebody to say; "Here’s yet another sign that the end is near!" Jesus strongly suggests that we need to take care interpreting signs of the times lest we reach the wrong conclusions. The ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ offers a great perspective. "Don’t Panic!"

Do be alert. Whilst encouraged to find our peace in God, we are also cautioned to be awake to the changes that are around us. If we are going to put our faith in something, better put it in something that is tried, tested and true. The Christian gospel has proved remarkably resilient. A personal faith in Jesus Christ provides resources that cannot be found elsewhere. God’s Spirit can bring to the center of our existence a hope that transforms our worldview and helps guide us through the maze.

For sure others will come suggesting they have a better way.
For sure there will be wars and rumors of wars.
For sure nothing stays the same. Even temples turn back to dust.
In the midst of a changing world Jesus invites us to hold fast to His love!

Prayer: ‘Lord let us not be led astray, let use not be alarmed. Keep us in Your love and guide us through the changing circumstances we encounter each day. Amen.

THE WIDOWS MITE

2009-11-09T08:59:00.003-05:00

It’s one of those stories that whenever you hear it you can’t help but be challenged. The one where the rich person drops some money in the collection box, then along comes a poor widow who puts only two pennies in. Jesus asks the people who gave the most? But I’m ruining the story!

Mark 12:38-44 is the biblical passage and the sermon that goes with it can be found here.

Last week I challenged us to consider our stewardship, particularly in regard to our financial giving. I even suggested that we consider what portion of our income we may give to support our church. Now along comes a passage that tells us that its not about portions!

So what it is about? Well… … mostly THANKSGIVING! (Which conveniently is also the next celebration that will gather families together across the nation). And most of us have a lot to be thankful for.

Even if we didn’t;

as may have been the case with the widow…

or certainly was the case with the prophet Habakkuk who declared the crops had failed and the cattle had died…

and even those hardy pilgrims who after sailing on the Mayflower faced trouble, trouble and more trouble… still we are invited to join with the prophets prayer;

"Yet, I will exult in the Lord, I will be thankful, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength." (Habakkuk 3:18-19)

So as our official stewardship season moves into the season of thanksgiving let me say again what I said in the sermon:- "Giving is a spiritual practice and an expression of a life that knows itself touched by the Grace of God. It is not a duty but a delight. It is not a requirement but a heart response to the love of God … It’s not about ‘making a donation’ but everything to do with ‘overflowing with thankfulness’."

Prayer: Lord, in my heart of hearts I know I have so much to be thankful for. Help me to express my thanksgiving in ways that bring joy to others and which help to grow Your Kingdom. Teach me to be a faithful steward of all that You have blessed my life with. Amen.

THE RIGHT ANSWER

2009-11-02T10:54:00.003-05:00

In Mark 12:28-34 a scribe praises an answer that Jesus has given regarding the commands of God. "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'He is one, and besides Him there is no other'; and 'To love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

In our church we are currently in stewardship season. Seeing how this answer relates to the use of the many gifts God has blessed our lives with forms the core of this weeks sermon which can be found here.

Some thoughts about Biblical Stewardship.

1. Giving is related to our perception of what we have received. If we feel God has dealt us blow after debilitating blow then we are not likely to be overflowing with generosity towards the things of God. However if we feel our life is abundantly blessed, then we abundantly give in return.

2. Giving is about spiritual growth. The church is neither a social club nor a philanthropic cause. The Church is the family of the people of God. Within that community we are joint heirs of God’s promises as we seek to encourage each other to be faithful servants. Our financial input (along with the commitment of our time and the way we use the spiritual and natural gifts God blesses our lives with) is a barometer of our spiritual progress. Giving is an expression of our devotion.

3. Giving is about our values. The things we value in life are the things we invest in. Nobody throws thousands of dollars away on things they have no connection with! If we believe in our faith community it is the most natural thing in the world to commit ourselves in tangible ways to the growth of that community.

The Stewardship Challenge This weeks sermon invites us to do something specific. To personally consider what portion of our income God is inviting us to be giving in order to enable our Church community to thrive. Such is a challenge for us to prayerfully consider with an open heart and an open bible.

Youth 'Bash' at Baldwin

2009-11-02T10:42:00.003-05:00

Sunday Night (1st of November) we held an event for our youth and were delighted with a good turnout of some of our own and their friends. Pizza and Brownies were consumed, time was spent just hanging out and a few wild games ensued! We also were able to talk about things we'd like to commit to in the future. Our next youth meet will be on Sunday 15th November at 7:00.p.m.

Prior to our youth meeting our confirmation class began in earnest with 10 youth embarking on what we hope will be a year long journey towards confirmation.

Some weeks ago I sought your prayers for the development of programs for our youth and children. With Kingdom Kids, Confirmation and a Youth Bash we can surely rejoice that God is good and pray that the works we have begun will prosper and grow! Please keep these ventures and their leaders in your prayers.

Visit of Moderator of the Church of South India

2009-11-02T10:26:00.003-05:00

We were privileged this past Sunday to be addressed by Rev Dr. John Wilson Gladstone, the current moderator of the Church of South India, who spoke to our adult forum following morning worship. He talked of the challenges and joys of ministry in his nation.

Amongst the challenges were the predominance of other religions, particularly Hinduism and the fact that in some districts whilst religions were permitted to spread their message, conversion was not acceptable! Even though some faced persecution, the church was growing and new congregations were being added every month.

He shared some of the history of his nation, and in particular the caste system which still held great influence on peoples lives. When asked about the strengths of the church that produced growth he emphasized personal experience of Jesus Christ, a vibrant faith that trusted in God for the salvation of the whole person, and the deep commitment of its leaders.

More about Rev Dr. J.W Gladstone can be found at Wikipedia (and also links of interest regarding the Church of South India)

BARTIMAEUS

2009-10-25T11:55:00.001-04:00

Mark 10:46-52 gives us the story of Bartimaeus, a blind beggar man sitting by the road, pushed aside by the crowd. He cries out in desperation for Jesus to meet his need and finds healing.

The sermon can be found here.

1. Blind. Consider situations in your life where you are finding it hard to see. Maybe in a relationship that seems headed nowhere. Or changes in work. Or dealing with a particular issue. Blindness is not only a physical issue. It can very much be a spiritual condition. Prayerfully ask God to renew your vision.

2. Pushed Aside by the Crowd. Have there been voices in your life that suggest God is not interested in your particular circumstances? When Bartimaeus cried out for his need to be met he was met with the response that Jesus would have more important things to do than to deal with him. Don’t believe it! Don’t listen to the negative voices that belittle God’s love. In prayer thank God that His love is so awesome that if you were the only fallen creature in all creation Jesus would still have gone to the cross to set you free!

3. Keep Shouting. Bartimaeus didn’t listen to the voices that sought to silence him. He, in scripture’s terms “prayed without ceasing”. An important aspect of his prayer was its reality. It was whole hearted. Such is the kind of prayer that always seems to get results. When prayer life becomes barren, it is worth challenging ourselves to seriously consider the depth of our commitment. Ephesians 6:18 instructs us; “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying…”

Final Thought: It takes courage to go against the crowd. But in an age where the crowd seems to be heading away from God, we need to stand our ground and wholeheartedly pursue the reality of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

What do you want?

2009-10-19T09:12:00.002-04:00

Our reading today came from Mark 10:35-45. It’s a passage in which James and John request to be seated at Jesus side when He comes to reign in power and glory.

The sermon can be found here

Today’s lesson challenges us to consider, not only what we want in life, but how our desires can be achieved.

1. It speaks to us about prayer. Our prayers can be self-focussed rather than God focussed. We tell God what we think God should give us. Sometimes we are even 'James and John-like' in that we have a sense that we deserve to have our requests answered in the way we feel they should be. That is not praying! Prayer is seeking what God desires for our lives and seeking the strength to achieve it. Of course we pray about our needs, but we need to first discern the difference between needs and wants.

2. This passage speaks about perseverance. Jesus asks the disciples if they are capable of drinking the cup that He will have to drink. His life is about to be submerged into deep suffering. They desire a crown, but fail to see that Christ’s glory came through a Cross. The Christian life does offer great things. But they do not often come easy. Spiritual life is the long haul option!

3. This passage is also about pride. “Everybody wants to rule the world”. (Or at least their small corner of it.) Jesus us calls to the abandonment of our quest for personal gain and towards embracing a servant lifestyle that keeps the needs of others always in our minds eye. Now that is not easy! It doesn’t grab the attention in the way winning a race or gaining a promotion may do.

Prayer. Lord Your Word invites us to consider what we want from You. By asking the question it challenges us to consider our motives. Teach us how to pray in a way that sets our life on the path You wish us to follow. Through your Holy Spirit preserve and protect us on our journey. Save us from the kind of misplaced pride that takes away our desire to serve others. All these things we ask in our Saviors name, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

2009-10-11T09:40:00.002-04:00

CAMELS AND NEEDLES

This past Sunday we looked at a passage from Mark 10:17-30. Jesus made the statement that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Such an observation is the kind of thing that’s bound to raise some questions!

The sermon can be found here

In his book ‘A GOSPEL TREASURY’ - Poems Based on Lectionary Gospels, Andrew Daughters has the following reflection on today’s passage.

Lord, I almost wish You hadn’t said the words you said that day,
How it would be hard for those with wealth to climb the heavenly way.
For the people You were seeing had so little when compared
With what I just take for granted in the worldly things I’ve shared.

I’ve a home, a place more comfortable then any You had seen.
And I probably live better than the average King or Queen
Lived when You were on the earth and teaching people what to do.
Yet we think that we don’t have enough though real wants are few.

We own things that were not dreamed of. We enjoy them every day.
And they make our lives so easy. Yet we seldom think to pray
In thanksgiving for the much we have we don’t appreciate.
And that’s too bad. For if we did then we would really celebrate.

But, at least, Lord, I am grateful that You said it’s not for us,
In the end, to earn our heaven. I would never make it thus.
Though a rich man can’t buy heaven, still according to Your word,
As a gift he can receive it, like a poor man, from the Lord.

Lord, when I am taken home, I know that I can only take
what my lifeless hands can carry as that final trip I make.
Help me, Lord, convert my treasure into heaven’s currency.
That way, I won’t be a pauper when this life is gone from me.

Scratching For Peace

2009-10-05T09:18:00.002-04:00

Our reading for today, (which here in Baldwin was also World Communion Sunday and the Sunday we received a Peace Making Offering) came from the Old Testament Book of Job 1:1, & 2:1-10.

In these early passages the situation of Job is put before us. He is suffering, not because of any action he has taken, but due to forces beyond his control. Such is the situation of many people throughout our world. In the midst of such a dilemma, how is Job to find peace?

The sermon can be found here.

We are confronted daily with issues that we have no control over. War, hunger, injustice, and poverty to name but a few. Most of the time they seem so overwhelming we feel there is nothing we can do. As Billy Joel sang, “We didn’t start the Fire”.

Job gives us some guidelines towards action.

1. Scratching for peace. Job is covered in sores. Naturally he begins to scratch. Such is where a search for peace or justice usually begins with us. Something gets under our skin and we can’t ignore it any longer. It becomes personal and we start to take action.

2. Questions for peace. Job is challenged to believe the conventional wisdom of the day. Bad things happened to bad people; therefore Job must be a bad person. He protests his innocence. His wife suggests he should curse God and die. Job expresses surprise that one so close to him had been taken in by such shallow arguments. He will not curse God but rather protests that God was not subject to the same ground rules as mortals! We should not stop at scratching, but start to ask questions about the issues that draw our attention.

3. Surrender for peace. Job s powerless to change the events that have befallen him through his resistance. Instead he seeks a path of surrender in the hope that through his situation God would work some unknowable purpose. In a similar way, our hopes for change must rest in God, not in our own self-sufficiency. It is through ordinary lives such as our own that the Kingdom of God is being constructed.

Prayer. “Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”. Lord, as we pray such words help us to respond to the challenge of being Kingdom builders, of bringing Your perspective and love to bear on issues that trouble and disturb our lives. Create within us a servant heart. Help us to accept that whilst we can never fully understand, there is still so much we can do! Amen.”

World Communion Sunday, Peacemaking Offering and Crop Walk.

2009-09-28T09:27:00.004-04:00

This coming Sunday there's a lot to enjoy!

First of all it's WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY. We'll be opening worship with different translations of John 3:16 before sharing around a table laid with bread and wine with folk all over the world. Following our service will be a chance to sample breads from around the world in the Beyer Hall.

We'll also receive during worship our Peacemaking Offering. The Peacemaking Offering was created in 1980 to support the efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to live out a deeper commitment to peacemaking as part of our faithfulness to God. It is one of four special offerings designated by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly.

In the afternoon a number of folk are taking part in the 'Crop Walk' at Baldwin Park (From 1 till 3) supporting the work of the Church World Service in seeking to eradicate hunger around the globe.

Hope you can be an active part of the day!

Who’s in Charge?

2009-09-28T09:23:00.001-04:00

In Mark 9:38-50 the disciple John comes upon a group of religious people doing the work of God. He hears them pray “In Jesus name”. This makes him mad. Who did they think they were? He was the disciple! What right did they have to be doing disciple stuff!

The sermon can be found here.

1. Today we’d probably call John’s problem a control issue. Somebody was in his space, operating in his personal domain and he did not like it. Maybe we can identify areas or issues in our own experience where we feel threatened because we feel that the particular area is all about us. Jesus suggests to John that it is never all about us. That it’s all about God and God’s purposes being done.

2. This passage also gives us what critics suggest are some of the harshest words spoken by Jesus. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.” Plainly this is not a passage to be interpreted literally! A less dramatic way of interpreting these verses about cutting off hands and gouging out eyes would be to say; “If something is damaging your life, cut it out!” As I suggest in the sermon, Jesus is here saying, ‘John, if you want to control something, then work on controlling yourself”

3. The passage closes with a call for Christians to ‘Have salt in themselves, and be at peace with one another’. When a person has a sense of their own worth before God and a desire to live in the will of God they exert a positive influence on those around them. They are not afraid to seek peace. They look for the image of God in others.

Prayer: Lord we all have control issues. Help us to realize that it’s not all about us and allow You greater room to move in and through our lives. Where we are involved in practices that may be damaging to ourselves or others, help us to take Your advice and ‘cut it out’. Teach us what it means to be ‘salt’ in our world and live at peace with one another. Amen.

Bike Ride Rescheduled

2009-09-28T09:16:00.002-04:00

Due to the rainy day the bike ride had to be rescheduled. We did however enjoy hot-dogs and hamburgers, birthday cake for Matt Wilson and much singing in the Beyer Hall! On the afternoon of Sunday October 18th we shall attempt once more to put pedal power into action!

Bike Ride and Picnic

2009-09-22T11:23:00.000-04:00

This coming Sunday (Sep 27th) we have an all-church bike ride and picnic at Bethpage State Park. Riding begins at 2:00… hot dogs and light supper follow. If you don’t want to bike, that’s fine! Just come along and enjoy a time of fellowship.

Hope to see you there :-)

Who is the Greatest?

2009-09-21T09:35:00.001-04:00

We often measure greatness in terms of personal achievement. The great ones are the ones who have become noticed and the ones whose names we all remember. Even in our own lives we can fall prey to seeing our own greatest moments as those when we were the center of attention or the most noticed.

In Mark 9:30-37 Jesus redefines the notion of greatness by placing a child before us, and teaching us "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

The sermon can be found here.

1. Think of the people you most admire. What are the qualities that inspire you about their lives? How do those qualities match up with the qualities of greatness that Jesus spoke of?

2. We are called to have a childlike (but not a childish) faith in God. Where in our life are we living like a child of God? Where may we need to make some changes?

3. "Then Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35 NAB). What might it mean to place our selves last of all? In what ways are we expressing our service to God both in our personal life and in the life of our community?

Kingdom Kids

2009-09-17T10:16:00.003-04:00

Our first Kingdom Kids meeting took place this past Tuesday, attracting 8 children who played, sang and ran around like crazy things as well as listening in to the story of Jonah. Please pray for the growth and success of this new venture.

If any folk would be interested in helping out, either through arts and crafts or with other skills they think the kids would enjoy, then please do be in touch!

Kingdom Kids is a group for children, grades 2 thru 5. that meet on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m in the Beyer Hall.

What Sort of Messiah?

2009-09-14T09:09:00.003-04:00

In Mark 8:27-38 the expectations that the disciples have for Jesus as the Messiah appear very different to those that Jesus lays before them. They seem to be expecting somebody to take away all their woes and bring them to some significant position of worldly prestige whilst Jesus proclaims; ""The Messiah must go through great suffering. Even the elders and religious authorities will reject Him. He will be killed and in three days rise again."

Time after time Jesus goes beyond our expectations, throws us a curved ball and everything becomes pear shaped! Things do not become easier when He lays down the requirements for true discipleship.

The sermon can be found here.

Think on each of these invitations Jesus offers. Prayerfully seek for God to show us how these verses apply to our own situation.

"If any want to be my followers let them take up their cross and follow me." "Lord, what does taking up a Cross look like for me in my life, right now? What are the things I need to do today that will enable me more faithfully to follow You?"

"For those who seek to save their life will lose it, yet those who lose their life for me and the Gospel will save it." "Lord… help me discern the things I need to let go of in order for Your love to truly be in charge."

"For what do you gain if you gain the whole world and lose your life?" Lord… teach me to place greater value on the things that outlast this life rather than be consumed by the passing things of the moment. AMEN!

Baldwin Herald Article

2009-09-11T11:30:00.001-04:00

Click on the picture for a readable view.

Rally Day Reminder

2009-09-10T22:10:00.003-04:00

Don't Forget...

This coming Sunday is Rally Day. Worship will be at 10:00, followed by a chance to register for Sunday School and a picnic in the park. Come and join the fun!!!

Ephphatha – "Be Opened"

2009-09-08T09:22:00.002-04:00

Our reading came from Mark 7:24-37. In the healing of a man born deaf and mute Jesus uses the phrase ‘Ephphatah’ (meaning "Be Opened") to speak to the mans condition. Prior to this account we have the deliverance of a Gentile women’s daughter, following a conversation she has with Jesus that reveals her faith in God. The sermon can be found here.

The initial part of the passage is an encouragement for disciples of Christ to be open to find faith in unexpected people and places. The woman is described as a Gentile. Jesus plays on this fact, even using for her the derogatory term that some Jews used for such folk, calling her a ‘dog’. She turns the phrase around and reminds Him that even the puppies under the table were able to enjoy the crumbs! Acknowledging her faith, Jesus responds, and healing comes into the situation.

The second part of the passage concerns the healing of a deaf/mute man. Jesus takes him aside, and prays (with a sigh) "‘Ephphatah’, which as we’ve seen means, "Be open". Again healing comes into the situation.

In an age when Christianity is increasingly becoming marginalised and many congregations have witnessed more prosperous days, surely Jesus invites us to "be opened". To stretch our faith and believe that this is a time when He is still working in unexpected ways through unexpected people in unexpected places.

We may, like Jesus, make this prayer with a sigh. It would be easier if there were a comprehensive, one size fits all blueprints to follow, but discipleship has never worked that way!

We can apply this to our personal lives.

Are there situations where we have very little expectation of God working?
Where are we in need of ‘being opened’?
What is there in our lives that would cause Jesus to sigh?
To what or to whom are we blind?
Where should we be speaking out instead of remaining mute?

Prayer: Lord, in our lives together as Your people and in our individual journeys of faith guide us to be opened to the possibilities of change and renewal that Your love can bring. Amen.

Human Precepts or Holy Doctrines?

2009-08-31T09:30:00.002-04:00

The prophet Isaiah brings stinging words. "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as holy doctrines.' In our Scripture passage from Mark 7:1-23 Jesus pulls no punches. He accuses the Pharisees of ‘play-acting’ religion and going through the motions without their hearts really being in it.

Sermon can be found here.

How can we avoid falling into the traps Jesus condemns?

1. Listen and understand.
Go beyond what people say and look to the Scriptures. We live in a day when people read a lot about the Bible without actually going to the source to understand for themselves. The most important commentary is that which comes to us through the Holy Spirit as we apply ourselves to prayerful reading of God’s Word.

2. Look around and don’t be afraid.
God is at work in our world in so many different ways and places. God remains the awesome Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of all that is! As we engage with others in reflection and conversation it can be surprising where God shows up. Be open!

3. Let God be God
Mark 7:21-23 "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

Never try and put God out of a job. God knows how messed up we can be. God knows how to fix things. The only way to change the human heart is to let God be God.

Prayer: Lord, save us from making ourselves the center of our own tiny little worlds. Teach us to read Your Word with anticipation, to recognize your love at work in those around us and to allow you the space to accomplish those things You desire in our lives. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen.

RALLY DAY APPROACHES - Prayers needed!

2009-08-31T09:18:00.003-04:00

Rally Day will be observed here in Baldwin on Sunday September 13th when we shall celebrate the beginning of our full schedule of Sunday School for our Young folk and Adult Forum for the not so young by sharing together in a picnic after worship. Rally Day also marks the beginning of a new season in our churches life.

Three things I would ask you to pray about in particular during the coming months.

1. Kingdom Kids. Starting Tuesday 15th of September, from 4-5 p.m, we are launching an activity hour for kids (2nd thru 5th Grade). Aimed at our own church kids and hopefully their friends, we aim to provide an evening of games, songs, activities and stories to build both fellowship and faith amongst our youngest ones.

2. Youth and Adult Study. I would dearly love to start some kind of youth meeting for our older youth… both Middle School and High School. I’m currently thinking of having something on a Sunday evening… and seeing how that works. I realize so many of our youth have overflowing schedules that the last thing I want is to place more burdens on their time. Hopefully we can create a space in their week that brings the kind of spiritual growth that enables them to better use the time they have!

Also some adult folk have mentioned the possibility of a bible study group… again the major difficulty appears to be making room in our schedules. Please keep listening for announcements and praying God will guide us as to how best we can be in fellowship around His Word.

3. Stewardship. It goes without saying that in order for God’s Kingdom to grow there has to be a corresponding commitment of our time, talents and treasures. You may have noticed in your own life how God’s blessings are related to our willingness to offer our lives to God. We cannot reap the rewards of that which we are not prepared to sow. In order for there to be a great harvest there has to be an overflowing of sowing!

Thanks for your prayers, concerns and suggestions. Let us continue to trust in God to guide us and lead us.

To Whom Can We Go?

2009-08-24T09:23:00.001-04:00

Sermon can be found here.

In our bible passage (John 6:56-69) Jesus is offering the people some difficult teaching. Many, who came flocking when free bread was on offer, are now turning away from Him. He continues to lay down the challenge, asking those closest to Him if they also were going to hit the road. Peter gives the reply: "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”

Some insights gained from this passage:
We may have to travel through days of decline before we see growth.
It seems crazy that somebody seeking followers would be acting in such a way as to drive people away from Him! Yet with hindsight we see how Jesus was sorting out the true followers from the fair weather ones. Stormy days were ahead and disciples whose faith was not genuine would be lost.

Spiritual growth has those times when we seem like we are taking more steps backward than we are forging forward. God has to weed out of our lives habits or tendencies that further down the road may cause us to lose our devotion. Times of dryness or struggle are not necessarily a sign of a lack of faith. There are times when faith only grows by being put to the test.

Knowing who and what we believe is so important
Peter’s confession reveals that he had truly grasped the significance of who Jesus was:- the Holy One of God who gave to his life an eternal dimension that he could never find anywhere else.

The routines of bible study and prayer are a discipline to help us deepen our relationship with God. They remind us of who God is and what we are called to do. When we let such disciplines go by the wayside, our faith suffers and we start searching for other things to be our ‘daily bread’.

Our calling is to be faithful.
In a culture where everybody has more of everything than they could ever need, being a disciple (and calling others to discipleship) is never going to be easy. Yet we must persevere. Why? We have the words of eternal life. We have the message of Jesus Christ’s love for all people. We have something to offer that people can’t find anywhere else.

A prayer “Lord, we would like our spiritual journeys to be plain sailing. Yet we are very much aware that it doesn’t work that way. You want to dig deep down into our motives and desires and we don’t always want to go there! You call us to depend on You for all things yet we go seeking other sources for our daily bread. Bring us to that place of confession where we can say with Peter “Lord, To whom else can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. Amen”

Forever Bread

2009-08-17T08:59:00.002-04:00

This past week we returned to the Gospel Lectionary passages and focussed on John 6:51-58. The sermon can be found here.

The scripture deals with the proclamation of Jesus as being "the living bread that came down from heaven." We are told; "Whoever eats of this bread will live forever". Such a statement is obviously open to misinterpretation!

The passage makes a link between the bread of which Jesus speaks and the manna that the Israelites were sustained by in the wilderness during the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. Just as God sent manna down from heaven, to feed them and sustain them, God sent Jesus, to walk amongst them and to be the One through whom they could find real life.

Question to consider: ‘How does God sustain our lives? How do we find the ‘real life’ Jesus spoke of’
A re-occurring theme in John’s gospel is that the old has gone and, in Jesus, the new had come. This was not a comforting thought for the religious folk of the day, who thought they had a handle on all things God related!

Question to consider: ‘How open are we to do things in new and different way? Are there any preconceptions that we hold that could prevent God working in and through our lives?"

A great hymn of William Williams (Pantecelyn), much loved by Welsh folk, , has the refrain ‘Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more, feed me till I want no more ‘. The hymn reflects that Jesus IS our forever bread and invites us to feed our lives and our spirits upon His love. Here’s the Choir at the Morriston Tabernacle, Swansea, Wales, with an inspirational rendering of this classic hymn.

Oh Absalom

2009-08-10T09:48:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday’s Lectionary reading from 2 Samuel 18:5-9+15+31-33 gave us the account of the rebellion and death of David’s son Absalom. Weaving in and out of the story are various power struggles that have come into play because of David’s sin with Bathsheba… an event that broke trust with his family and with his colleagues, such as the army officer Joab (who witnessed the betrayal of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah). The sermon can be found here.

Some lessons from this scripture.

1. People are imitators rather than listeners. They pay more attention to our Christian walk than our Christian talk. Critics of Christianity draw attention to our historical failings no matter how much we talk of the good that is being done in Christ’s name today.

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

2. It’s important to find a balance in our life between our commitment to our work and a commitment to our relationships. David failed to give his family the attention he should have done. As a result things happened that could have been avoided. Relationships on the home front are seriously important!

1 Corinthians 7:3 "A husband must give to his wife what she has a right to expect, and so too a wife to her husband."

3. God loves us with the depth of a parent’s love for a child. David cannot but grieve the loss of his son. Although that son is in rebellion, David sees only his lost child. So it is with God. God looks at us with a perfect Father’s eyes.

Matthew 7:9-11 "What man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? "Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

A prayer: "Thank You Father for Your inestimable love! Help me to find a balance in my life between my work and the relationships I have with those who are closest to me. Help me to be a disciple of Jesus, not just by word, but by my actions. Strengthen me for Your service through Your Holy Spirit this day. Amen"