Hey Friends!
I am moving the blog to the newly rennovated website for Faith Pres at faithpresvv.org - I'm not sure if you'll be able to reply yet, but we ought to have that worked out soon!
prayerfully,
Pastor Rich
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Memorial Day, only a little late...
We'll be celebrating Memorial Day in worship this coming Sunday. Most churches ended up having a Memorial Day theme this past Sunday, which also happened to be the day we've set aside as Trinity Sunday.
Interestingly enough, I'm discerning another "convergence" of concepts as I mentioned last week from the pulpit - we'll be experiencing the Sacrament of Communion, a time in which the words "do this in remembrance" of me may be particularly meaningful.
Who do we remember on Memorial day? How do we celebrate this "national" holiday in a world that is increasingly global?
Well, we'll also be setting out into new Scriptural territory starting this Sunday, moving from the book of Acts into a time to "go" and "grow" deeper with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke; which we'll be looking at all the way through the end of November!
Perhaps in this "direct" time with Jesus we may be able to pursue the above question together and ponder the way in which Jesus is our:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
and
Prince of Peace
in a world with so many nations and soldiers? In response to Christ's own risen command in Matthew 28:19, "go therefore to ALL the nations and preach the good news."
My prayer: Jesus be in our thoughts, prayers and reflections that we may seek to know you in conversation and community; so order our thoughts, words and deeds that we may be more like you, Amen.
Interestingly enough, I'm discerning another "convergence" of concepts as I mentioned last week from the pulpit - we'll be experiencing the Sacrament of Communion, a time in which the words "do this in remembrance" of me may be particularly meaningful.
Who do we remember on Memorial day? How do we celebrate this "national" holiday in a world that is increasingly global?
Well, we'll also be setting out into new Scriptural territory starting this Sunday, moving from the book of Acts into a time to "go" and "grow" deeper with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke; which we'll be looking at all the way through the end of November!
Perhaps in this "direct" time with Jesus we may be able to pursue the above question together and ponder the way in which Jesus is our:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
and
Prince of Peace
in a world with so many nations and soldiers? In response to Christ's own risen command in Matthew 28:19, "go therefore to ALL the nations and preach the good news."
My prayer: Jesus be in our thoughts, prayers and reflections that we may seek to know you in conversation and community; so order our thoughts, words and deeds that we may be more like you, Amen.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Trinity Sunday
I'm a little late getting this one out, but prep for this Sunday is Romans 5:1-5, a truly remarkable reflection of Paul's on the nature of God and the experience of living out discipleship by grace through faith!
We often bring to Church our best selves, and accomplishments for the approval of God and everybody else. This passage encourages us to consider suffering, trial, doubt as potentially positive aspects of living out faith.
Perhaps instead of turning to God with requests to deliver us from trial, we should be praying that we grow out of and through it, and somehow, grow in our understanding that God is the one who transforms our lives?
Food for thought...hmmn, communion anyone?
We often bring to Church our best selves, and accomplishments for the approval of God and everybody else. This passage encourages us to consider suffering, trial, doubt as potentially positive aspects of living out faith.
Perhaps instead of turning to God with requests to deliver us from trial, we should be praying that we grow out of and through it, and somehow, grow in our understanding that God is the one who transforms our lives?
Food for thought...hmmn, communion anyone?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Pentecost
The whole month of scripture readings and sermons has been building to this very special service we are going to celebrate/experience this coming Sunday.
We take a step back in Acts, from chapter 9, 11, and 16 to chapter 2: back to the beginning, "back to the future"!
What does it mean for the Spirit to fall on God's people? Is this a singular event? What about before this moment, the approximately 4,000 years of God's people being faithful in their own time and place? What about the 2,000 years that have passed since this singular event?
what about now?
I would encourage you, as I will be doing myself, to read this passage, ask these hard questions, and then look and listen for possible answers or encouragements throughout the week...
prayerfully,
Pastor Rich
We take a step back in Acts, from chapter 9, 11, and 16 to chapter 2: back to the beginning, "back to the future"!
What does it mean for the Spirit to fall on God's people? Is this a singular event? What about before this moment, the approximately 4,000 years of God's people being faithful in their own time and place? What about the 2,000 years that have passed since this singular event?
what about now?
I would encourage you, as I will be doing myself, to read this passage, ask these hard questions, and then look and listen for possible answers or encouragements throughout the week...
prayerfully,
Pastor Rich
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Mother's Day
As I prepare for this Sunday and look at the text we'll be prayerfully examining, Acts 16:9-15, and its intersection with the celebration of Mother's day I'm wondering, what is it about Mother's that like Lydia does with Paul in v.15 "persuades" us so efficiently to do the things we ought, perhaps timelessly expressed in the proverb, "Mother knows best." - any thoughts, or stories?
Monday, April 26, 2010
A New Series..."What the Heaven is Communion?"
Greetings in Christ!
As I set my thoughts and prayers to leading worship in the month of May, I noticed a theme running throughout both the Scriptures and "theme's" of the liturgy/calendar: Communion, a.k.a. The Eucharist, a.k.a. The Lord's Supper.
This has prompted me to create a Sunday Sermon Series for the month of May: "What the Heaven is Communion?"
Together, we'll be exploring in worship, through song and thought and prayer and fellowship what "the table" of Christ has to say to us - each Sermon speaking about the table does: unites (5/2), persuades (5/9), saves (5/16), inspires (5/23), and teaches (5/30).
For this Sunday, 5/2, take a look at Acts 11:1-18.
This passage is a confrontation - Peter is in BIG trouble! In spite of Christ's own command to spread the Gospel, the "good news," to ALL nations, one powerful component of the "early Christian Church" is promoting the concept that "salvation in Christ" is for Jewish law-observers only.
As complicated as this passage is, it gets at a very simple reality - in all times and places human beings endure great temptation to become control freaks.
If we are not careful, we assume that our own thoughts about God, ourselves, and others are what God in fact thinks too - we must be careful to be listeners, and followers, though we are, at times, called by God to speak and lead on God's behalf.
As I look at this Scripture in which someone is in trouble for "sharing the grace of Christ with someone who didn't deserve it," (one way to paraphrase the sentiment of the Jerusalem leaders) I wonder in a metaphorical sense, "who" or "what" is it that exists outside of my concept of grace?
This might not nessecarily mean a "type" of person, but could even be a situation - "I'll never be friends with that person again," or "they'll never forgive me for this," or "I'll never get over that,"
In what ways might the grace of Christ come over your life and unite something you believed to be broken?
Christ's peace guard our hearts and minds,
Rich
As I set my thoughts and prayers to leading worship in the month of May, I noticed a theme running throughout both the Scriptures and "theme's" of the liturgy/calendar: Communion, a.k.a. The Eucharist, a.k.a. The Lord's Supper.
This has prompted me to create a Sunday Sermon Series for the month of May: "What the Heaven is Communion?"
Together, we'll be exploring in worship, through song and thought and prayer and fellowship what "the table" of Christ has to say to us - each Sermon speaking about the table does: unites (5/2), persuades (5/9), saves (5/16), inspires (5/23), and teaches (5/30).
For this Sunday, 5/2, take a look at Acts 11:1-18.
This passage is a confrontation - Peter is in BIG trouble! In spite of Christ's own command to spread the Gospel, the "good news," to ALL nations, one powerful component of the "early Christian Church" is promoting the concept that "salvation in Christ" is for Jewish law-observers only.
As complicated as this passage is, it gets at a very simple reality - in all times and places human beings endure great temptation to become control freaks.
If we are not careful, we assume that our own thoughts about God, ourselves, and others are what God in fact thinks too - we must be careful to be listeners, and followers, though we are, at times, called by God to speak and lead on God's behalf.
As I look at this Scripture in which someone is in trouble for "sharing the grace of Christ with someone who didn't deserve it," (one way to paraphrase the sentiment of the Jerusalem leaders) I wonder in a metaphorical sense, "who" or "what" is it that exists outside of my concept of grace?
This might not nessecarily mean a "type" of person, but could even be a situation - "I'll never be friends with that person again," or "they'll never forgive me for this," or "I'll never get over that,"
In what ways might the grace of Christ come over your life and unite something you believed to be broken?
Christ's peace guard our hearts and minds,
Rich
Monday, April 19, 2010
Preparation for Sunday...
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
This coming Sunday, April 25, in worship we will prayerfully engage God's Word as expressed in Acts 9:36-43.
This passage exists in a long dynamic series of "ressurection" stories all the way back in 1 Kings 17:7 with Elijah, to Jesus himself in Luke 8:40, to our passage with Peter.
Consistent in each of these stories is an "implicit" message about the importance of God's covenant community, the Church, being a place of social equality. As such, the ressurection, the "new life" that each of the characters receives in these different passages not only continues their earthly life but affirms that "salvation" and "everlasting life" are to be pursued and practiced in tangible ways during this lifetime: each one is restored in order to do the right thing.
In a way it doesn't matter whether it is Elijah or Peter who "performs" this miracle, it is God, whom they represent, who is responsible for the gift of new and everlasting life.
In what ways is God giving you and I the everlasting life to do the right thing? What can you and I do this week to show the love of God in tangible ways as we pursue a more just and equitable society?
Jesus give us eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to care and hands to help, in your name we pray, Amen.
This coming Sunday, April 25, in worship we will prayerfully engage God's Word as expressed in Acts 9:36-43.
This passage exists in a long dynamic series of "ressurection" stories all the way back in 1 Kings 17:7 with Elijah, to Jesus himself in Luke 8:40, to our passage with Peter.
Consistent in each of these stories is an "implicit" message about the importance of God's covenant community, the Church, being a place of social equality. As such, the ressurection, the "new life" that each of the characters receives in these different passages not only continues their earthly life but affirms that "salvation" and "everlasting life" are to be pursued and practiced in tangible ways during this lifetime: each one is restored in order to do the right thing.
In a way it doesn't matter whether it is Elijah or Peter who "performs" this miracle, it is God, whom they represent, who is responsible for the gift of new and everlasting life.
In what ways is God giving you and I the everlasting life to do the right thing? What can you and I do this week to show the love of God in tangible ways as we pursue a more just and equitable society?
Jesus give us eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to care and hands to help, in your name we pray, Amen.
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