Chirstmas Happens Each Day - Over and Over Again

Christmas is about incarnation - it is about Emmanuel - God being with us - today - each and every day.
It is not something that comes just once a year - it happens each day over and over again.

And that is something to celebrate!

Oh, sure, we may not always know how to celebrate Emmanuel in our lives each and every day, 

but our task is to keep our eyes open so we recognize it when we see it.

You know, if I heard it once, I heard it a hundred times this year.
Usually it was said in a crowd of people -
sometimes in the check out line,
sometimes in a crowded aisle -
invariably some person with a harried look on their face would turn to me and say, "Thank goodness Christmas comes only once a year!"

I would usually offer a sympathetic smile -
perhaps a manly grunt or two -
but I never thought the setting appropriate for me to launch into a diatribe
about the benefits of considering alternative celebrations more in tune with tenets of our faith.

But, that is where my mind would go.
For Christmas is about incarnation - it is about Emmanuel - God being with us - today - each and every day.
It is not something that comes just once a year - it happens each day over and over
again.

For two or three hundred years, Protestants were so taken by this point that Christmas day was not celebrated at all.

In fact, many American colonies had laws banning the practice.

By putting all of our emphasis on one particular day commemorating a event that happened long ago, we lose an important part of our faith understanding and it is easy to get lost in the hoopla of the culture around us.

It is a little easier to keep a proper perspective by celebrating what the church calls the
Christmas Season - twelve days of Christmas: beginning December 25 and continuing until January 6.

There were periods of time in our family when we found special things to do each day of Christmas to remind us that Emmanuel is about now - not just a story about then.

Folks in some cultures exchange a gift each day during the twelve days of Christmas.

Folks in other cultures spend twelve days visiting friends and family members - ostensibly looking for the Christ child as did those wise men from the East in our sacred story.

Others spend each day during the Christmas season finding things to do for others - remembering Jesus' admonishment that we are to do for the less fortunate among us.

Whatever we do in this time before The Epiphany, we are reminded that Christmas really does not come but once a year -
but, continues to happen again and again now and into all the tomorrows to come.

And that is something to celebrate!

Oh, sure, we may not always know how to celebrate Emmanuel in our lives each and every day, but our task is to keep our eyes open so we recognize it when we see it.

This takes some training and practice, of course.

But, I am convinced, it happens.

Let one of our resolutions for the new year be to live as though Christmas was real and continues every day our lives.

That's worth celebrating, don't you think?

As for me and my house, we will continue to relate to others as though they are Christ incognito.

If you can, join us each Sunday to hone our skills at recognizing the hidden Christ around us.

If you can't join us, pray for us - as we will for you.

See you in church.

Advent: A Time of Expectancy

What are you expecting for Christmas this year?

Probably not much, huh?

Especially these days with a general malaise pervading our world, 

the war drums pounding louder and louder, 

the seemingly unending threats from terrorism, the economic doldrums, 

and the years and years of Christmases past, 

most of us will approach Christmas this year with low or no expectation.  

While the world around us views these days before Christmas as a time for buying gifts and parties and entertaining, the Christian church calls this a time of Advent – a time of expectancy.

“The coming of the Lord has been the inspiration of the Christian world.  

The power of any life lies in its expectancy.”  
These words were written some 200 years ago by Phillips Brooks, 

who also wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem”;  but, they are pertinent today:
The power of any life lies in its expectancy. 

What you expect affects what you see.
What you expect affects what you experience.

Expect the worst, and you usually find it, don’t you?

But, the thing is, there are always surprises, aren’t there?

During these days before Christmas, our Advent season, we will be looking at stories in our faith that are about expectancy – and surprise. 

For us, Christmas is about surprise. 
It is about the presence of Emmanuel – God With Us. 
In the stories we remember and read and tell at Christmas, almost everyone is surprised, aren’t they? 

Mary was surprised. 
Joseph was surprised. 
The Shepherds were surprised.  

The folks in Bethlehem were surprised. 
The political leaders of the day were surprised. 
Even the wise men were surprised.  

(Perhaps the only ones who were not surprised were Old Anna and Old Simeon who lived with the complete expectation that they would see and experience Emmanuel in their lifetimes.)

You see, we remember and celebrate Christmas because of Emmanuel – a concept so radical and so surprising that it affects our entire world-view. 

Our Christmas stories confirm that God’s ways are mysterious.  

God really does seem to prefer to be incognito.  

This seems to have been true 2000 years ago.  

And it seems to be true today, doesn’t it?

For me, our primary task during Advent is to point to signs of the presence of this incognito Emmanuel in our world and lives today. 
Our Advent theme song could be: “Where, O where is Emmanuel?  Where, O where can he be?”

Like that children’s game, Where’s Waldo?, let us hone our discernment skills so we can see Emmanuel in these days and times of our lives.

During these Sundays ahead, we will tell the stories from our faith-history –  

stories you will hear no where else! 
These are stories we need to hear, again and again.
These are the stories our children need to hear, and our children’s children need to hear!
These are stories that speak to what we may expect to experience –

if we only knew where and how to look.

Where else are these stories being told today? 
Not on TV.   

Not in school.   

Not in many family gatherings. 
It is so important to make church a part of our schedule – 

especially at this time of year.
[Yes, I think there should be a rule: no opening of presents until after the Christmas Eve Candlelight service of stories and songs.]

The power of any life lies in its expectancy. 
Expect more.  

Expect God to be with us in our malaise.

Our God is with us!

Don’t miss his presence this year!

See you in church,

Searching for Meaning In All the Wrong Places

It seems that folks all around us are searching for meaning in all the wrong places, doesn’t it?.

I remember when they promised the good life just by using the correct lard-substitute in your cooking -- don't you?
In fact, it seems everyone bought in to that particular promise, and we all used the phrase in our everyday lives: "Now you're cooking with Crisco."

And the good life was tied to being paged in the lobby of a grand hotel in Havana, and smoking the right cigarette. 
Remember?  "Call for Philip Morris."

And then, there were the penguins. Remember the penguins? I think I was an adult before I knew that penguins didn't coo.
They did on the radio and in the magazine ads.
Remember, the male voice said: "Smoke" and the penguins said, "Cools."
"Smoke Cools."

Then the good life got tied up with driving the right kind of car, wearing the right kind of clothes, hiding B.O. and smelling certain kind of ways, even using the right kind of shampoo.

I suppose it has always been this way. There have always been snake oil salesmen of some kind -- able to make a living because some people are always looking for a way to alleviate their perceived predicament -- seeking the good life, seeking relief from misery and pain and suffering.

Unfortunately for all of us consumers of snake oil, the alluring promises always turn out to be false.
And so it has always been.
Do you remember Hadacol?
Hadacol promised relief from just about whatever ailed you.
 But, alas, the promises of Hadacol were false, weren't they?
As are all the promises of magic elixir that claim to fix things and make life better for you.

We've learned to be wary, haven't we?
And yet – we continue to hope – for a pill or something for a quick fix – for prince charming,
or for an angel of mercy,
or for John Bersford Tipton,
or for Ed McMahan to show up on your doorstep,
or for a miracle that could bring back the way things used to be,
or for a messiah to lead us into the land of the future.

And it is this hope that makes it easy for us to be suckered.
On the one hand we are wary and cynical about any promise,
and on the other hand we are gullible and an easy mark.

Today, people are finding out that devoting a lifetime to working for the company does not guarantee a future abundant life –
or, even devoting oneself to a spouse and raising a family does not always ensure that promises are kept –
or, so-called “secure” investments do not always yield promised abundance.

In times like these, voices like ours need to be heard.

Voices from our faith – past and present – proclaim that life can be lived fuller than ever imagined. 

This is what we talk about and celebrate during our Sunday get-togethers.

Join us this Sunday. 

Invite someone to come with you – or meet them here.

They will be greeted with open arms.

They will hear a message of hope. 

They will find out about living life to the max.

See you in church. 

Summertime and Sabbath Time

Summerti-i-i-i-ime, and the livin’ is easy . . .

So goes the song that seems to capture the mood around here at this time of the year.
Everything seems to slide to a slow glide.
People’s gait seems to change.
Most of our “programmed activity” takes a hiatus.
We seek avenues of solitude and alternative amusements.

For many of us, Summertime has become Sabbath-time:
a time for respite,
a time for rest,
a time for relaxation,
a time for restoration,
a time for rejuvenation,
a time for recovery,
a time for restoration,
a time for rebirth,
a time for reawakening,
a time for recuperation,
a time for resurrection.

Yes, summertime can be all of these things.
Time seems to slow down in the summer, doesn’t it?
(Perhaps it’s the heat and the humidity, but I think it’s more than that.)
Nature has a way of forcing sabbaticals on us.

As if God were reminding us that all moments are precious:
the roses need to be smelled, the breeze needs to be felt, the rain needs to be celebrated,
the fruits need to be savored, the relationships need to be cultivated,
the children need to be befriended –
and laughter needs to resound all around.

Sabbath times are holy times.
And summer times are holy times – if we remember to put first things first.
Putting first things first, means to affirm the words of the Psalmist: This is the day the Lord has made . . . rejoice and be glad!

These are spiritual days.

An article in one of the popular magazines this month proffers:
“Summer offers opportunities not readily available at other times to appreciate the abundance in the natural order of things and the cycle of life – verdant hues and bright colors,
sunny days and soaring temperatures,
the scent of newly cut grass and freshly turned soul,
less and lighter clothing,
trips to the shore,
a vacation or holiday,
travel, outdoor activities, weddings, gatherings of family and friends.”

In spite of all this, it is easy for us to become detached from all that keeps summer so sacred and spiritual.
So, my prayer is that you will find holy times this summer as you take advantage of the days given to you.

Remember to take it easy.
Remember to just slow down.
Remember to keep a Sabbath.
Remember who has given you this day.
Remember who has placed you where you are.
Remember who has given you the people you are with.
Remember whose you are.
Remember who you are.

Our services this summer should help you do these things.
Our focus is on Summer Pursuits, such as Goofing Off.

Have a good summer.
Pray for one another and rejoice in the moments you have.

See you in church,
Clyde

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism

This is how Vice-President Spiro Agnew described the President’s critics over 40 years ago.
How else could we describe the current Republicans’ common and declared stance?

It seems that this has become a litmus test to which all Republicans have sworn.
It has informed all efforts so far to deal with Federal Budget issues and the “so-called” debt ceiling.

This constant negativism is getting so tiring.

Why would anyone elect a person to a Federal office who promises to do what he or she could to bring down the government he or she swears to uphold?
Not only are they liars, but it seems that they are treasonous as well.

Speaker “Speaks-With-Forked-Tongue” Boehner, Senator Mitchell and countless others have openly stated that their main focus during Obama’s presidency is to oppose everything that comes out of the White House.

Shameful.

Top 15 Reasons to Come to Church – Even Though It’s Summer:

15. Sundaes at the Dairy Queen are just not the same thing!

14. With a little luck, the sounds of the air conditioner will drown out the pastor’s voice!

13. Early dismissal means first in line for brunch!

12. If you think it’s hot now – think ahead!

11. This week’s absentee equals next week’s sermon illustration!

10. Come as you are – no need to dress up or down!

9. Comfortable cushioned chairs lets you nap better during the preacher’s sermon!

8. You don’t need sunscreen!

7. Non-fattening Sundays + awe-robic exercise = stronger heart and more healthful soul!

6. Collect additional stars for your crown!

5. Your presence encourages the others so much!

4. The air-conditioner helps to cool off some of the preacher’s hell-fire and brimstone!

3. Chance to hear some good sermons in our pastor’s absence!

2. The fourth commandment doesn’t have loopholes!

1. You are a valued part of the Body of Christ, and the rest of us can’t get along without you!

16 Reasons for Be At Christ Church Easter Sunday

• You will be among friends.

• Celebrations are good!

• Your spirit will be up-lifted.

• You will be accepted here - no matter what you wear.

• You will be welcomed here - no matter what you’ve done.

• You will be welcomed here - no matter where you’ve been.

• You will be accepted here - no matter what you may have said.

• There will be familiarity to the service - presented in an informal fashion with full explanation of what to do when.

• Easter breaks through religious rituals to reveal the birth of a whole new way of doing things.

• You can help CPC break out of old odes of being church and reinvent a new church model more suitable for the 21st century.

• You might find new meaning and purpose for your life.

• You won’t be as lonely as you otherwise might be.

• You certainly will be appreciated.

• You would be listened to - and heard.

• Your presence would give hope to all others present.

• Where else, besides your car or shower, will you get to sing out loud?

Be with us Sunday, April 24 at 10:00 am in the Presbyterian Chapel in Drexel Hill on Turner Avenue at State Road.

Top Reasons to Be at CPC Palm Sunday:

1. It’s good to just celebrate once in a while.

2. It’s good to sing out loud in public!

3. It’s good to join a parade (even if symbolically)!
4. It’s a way to visibly demonstrate your faith.

5. Everyone welcomes you.

6. You will hear a message that could affect your life.

7. You will be among staunch believers – as well as questioners, sceptics, and seekers.

8. We, too, like those of old, will be celebrating the presence of Christ in our midst.

9. Your presence will be noticed by others.

10. You can come as you are – no matter what.

11. You will be welcome.

12. You will be expected.

13. The more the merrier – and we all need more merry, don’t you think?

14. You will bring a smile to someone’s face – guaranteed!

15. Folks banding together can change the world – we see it on TV!

16. Parades are fun!

6 Years Cancer Free!

The annual encounter with my Urologist was good.
No signs of cancer.
"There is nothing for us to talk about," he said.
"See you next year."
"YES!", I said.

6 years ago I wrote these words for our church folks -- and it has since been passed on and on -- I don't know where. You might like to read it. Please let me know if you pass it on.


"Cancer," he said.
"You have cancer."
Sobering words, for sure.

I knew he was talking about the cancer that kills more men each year, save one.

I knew that over 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year.

I also knew that an estimated two million American men are currently living with prostate cancer.

So, the doctor had my full attention.

Thus began three weeks of whirlwind research and consultations and tests.

Fortunately, all doctors concurred that for my age, and my particular circumstance, the cancer needed to be treated aggressively.

Our research revealed that some surgeons were reporting great outcomes using laproscopic techniques. However, only a few surgeons in the Philadelphia were trained in these procedures and few were actually doing the surgery on a regular basis.

As luck would have it, the most experienced surgeon in laproscopic prostatectomies worked out of Bryn Mawr -- alongside the urologist I have seeing for some 20 years!

Not only had he done more laproscpic surgeries than any other area urologist, but he had documented phenomenal success with positive outcomes. And, he is the first -- and currently, only -- one to use the very latest tool: a robot called DaVinci. And, Lankenau Hospital is the only hospital in the Philadelphia area to have this futuristic machine in use.

I knew from my research that confidence in the medical team was one of the most predictors of positive outcomes. I had that.

I also knew that an even greater predictor of positive outcomes was my involvement with the faith group that is Christ Presbyterian Church.

In recent years I have been collecting scientific studies that confirm what I have observed -- and long suspected -- members of faith groups heal quicker, have less pain, and experience better surgical outcomes than those that aren't.
In fact, research confirms that being a member of a church is a better predictor of positive surgical outcomes than the disease itself, the location of the disease, or, even family history.

The prayers and expressions of concern by so many in the church, in other churches throughout the Presbytery, and in other contexts as well, worked with the skill and dedication of the surgeon and the medical team to help secure the most positive of all outcomes.

Not only has my recovery gone very well -- my hospitalization was only about 24 hours and I have had very little pain or other side effects -- but, tests show that the cancer seems to have confined to the prostate and they got it all!

By all accounts, I am now cancer free!


Sadly, over 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year.

This is the cancer that kills more men each year, save one.

It is estimated that some two million American men are currently living with prostate cancer.

And this is a cancer that can be beat with early detection and treatment.

It would behoove all men to get checked today.

Sez the Rev:

Jesus warns against us doing all pietistic acts in public:
when you pray, go off by yourself and shut the door – and by the way, stop using all those empty phrases.
When you give alms – do it in secret, don’t even let one hand know what the other is doing.
When you fast – that is to say
when you work to break the chains of injustice,
or to get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
or to free the oppressed,
or when you share your food with the hungry,
or when you invite the homeless poor into your homes,
or when you put clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
or when you are available to your own families –
do it on your on your own time.

These are not things you seek publicity for.
These are not things you should call attention to.
For sure, these things are to be done –
but do it under the radar.
Wash your face and comb your hair.
Let know one suspect.

I think it is clear that we need to pay more attention to these admonitions.
This is essential to the faith that has been passed on to us.
We can choose to ignore it – to our peril.
Or, we can take it to heart and spend these 40 days in Lent to deepen our faith and how it impacts our life – who we are and what we do.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

When Jesus addressed the crowd about correct methods of righteousness, everyone knew what he was talking about.

They knew about the three legs on the stool of righteous living.

These days we don’t like to read this passage –
the only time it is brought up in the Lectionary is for Ash Wednesday services.
So for folks that never go to Ash Wednesday services, never have an occasion to hear this in church, unless their pastor is somewhat eclectic in his or her approach to Scripture.
But, we need to hear these words.

He said: “It is good to put the disciplines of godly living into practice.”
Jesus assumes you will be praying – and even tells you how.
Jesus assumes you will give alms.
Jesus assumes you will fast –
But, he warns about making a show of things when you do these acts of faith –
these acts of godly living.

In fact, Jesus says it is not kosher to do faith acts for show.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

You see, we have it all wrong when we talk about giving up something for Lent.
The true practice of Lent, has nothing to do with diet – nothing to do with giving something up –
and everything to do with living your faith –
putting flesh on what you say you believe –
enacting your faith.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

Time and time again the prophets and Jesus reminded people in the past –
and reminds us today –
fasting has nothing to do with diet.

Of course, it is a lot easier for us to think that.
But, Micah tells us, Jeremiah tells us, Jesus tells us – what Isaiah tells us:
"The kind of fasting I want is this:
Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free.
Share your food with the hungry
and open your homes to the homeless poor.
Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear,
and do not refuse to help your own relatives.”

Or, as one translator puts it:
"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.”

Time and time again, folks went astray and thought fasting had something to do with diet –
self-deprivation was a whole lot easier to deal with than what the prophets and Jesus said God has in mind.
Fasting has to do with living your faith –
putting flesh on what you say you believe –
enacting your belief.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

The purpose of fasting is not so much a bodily discipline and it is a sharing discipline.
Becoming aware of the needs of others,
and responding to them with generous gifts of our time and talents and money are particularly transforming.
Somehow, somewhere along the way, we have lost the complete meaning of fasting, and alms-giving, and righteous living.

Clearly it is not a new problem.
Even before Jesus’ time, prophet after prophet after prophet took the people to task about their misguided fasting.

Isaiah could say to the devout:
Do you think the LORD wants you to give up eating and to act as humble as a bent-over bush?
Or to dress in sackcloth and sit in ashes?
Is that what you call fasting?
Do you think I will be pleased with that?

They just didn’t get it.

And, quite frankly, we just don’t get it either.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

We need Lent!

Lent encourages us to look within ourselves to see how we have confused popular cultural values with Christian faith.

Through sustained focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, Lent can help us resist the pressures of this culture.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

Remembering that Jesus took 40 days off to prepare for the beginning of his ministry, the church sets aside these 40 days prior to Easter for us to get ready.
This is a time for us to explore the mysteries of the universe,
looking beneath the surface –
within ourselves –
examining our own motives and desires,
and ascertaining exactly what our commitment is:
to what,
to whom,
and what it means.

Check it out.

Sez the Rev:

During this time before Easter we are challenged to open ourselves in new ways to the Spirit’s transforming power – not unlike Jesus did at the beginning of his ministry.
Check it out.

Lent Begins March 13th

From the beginning, part and parcel of the Lenten observance has been alms giving.
The purpose of fasting is not so much a bodily discipline as it is a sharhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifing discipline.
Becoming aware of the needs of others, and responding to them with generous gifts of our time and talents and money are particularly transforming.

During this season we will be emphasizing our One Great Hour of Sharing as a concrete way of self-sacrifice for the needs of others.
The discipline of a daily gift to the One Great Hour of Sharing jar is a concrete way of focusing our thoughts on our individual purpose for living.
It becomes an expression of the faith we proclaim.
We will dedicate these special offerings on Palm Sunday, April 17.

Be with us each Sunday during this Lenten season at Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill.

11 Ways to Observe Lent - According to Jesus

Wash your face and comb your hair. (Mat 6:17b)

Do not put on a sad face. (Mat 6:16)

When you pray, go to your room, close the door. (Mat 6:6)

When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words. (Mat 6:7)

Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. (Mat 6:1)

When you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it. (Mat 6:2)

When you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. (Mat 6:3)

Your heart will always be where your treasure is. (Mat 6:21)

Do not worry about tomorrow. (Mat 6:34)

Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? (Mat 6:27)

Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what God requires of you.(Mat 6:33)

Lent Begins March 13th

Because Presbyterians rebelled against all things Catholic, Lent was never celebrated in most Presbyterian churches until recent years.
But, Lent is such a rich time.
It is an excellent opportunity for us to really focus on things that matter.

Lent is meant to remind us that
the days are getting longer –
Spring is right around the corner.
Signs of life are preparing to bud right in front of our eyes.

And, we need to prepare ourselves to see these signs!

Be with us at Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill each Sunday during these 40 days before Easter.

It's the Presbyterian Way

Lent Begins March 13th

We need Lent!
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Lent encourages us to look within ourselves to see how we have confused popular cultural values with Christian faith.

Through a sustained focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, Lent can help us resist the pressures of this culture.

Lent can remind us that we are called to continue his ministry: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).

Consequently, Lent prepares us for an Easter that is more than bunnies and eggs, an Easter that begins a whole new reality – a whole new world.

Plan to be with Christ Presbyterian Church each Sunday during this Lenten season to prepare for the coming of Easter.

Lent Begins March 13th

Traditionally, the church has set aside these 40 days prior to Easter as a time for personal reflection toward discovery of our purpose and renewed commitment to our faith.

Many cultures make a lot over the fasting nature of these 40 days.
Carnival is celebrated in many parts of the world the day before Lent begins as the last chance to eat meat for 40 days!
In this country Mardi gras is celhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifebrated in New Orleans on “fat Tuesday” – the day before the 40 day fast begins.

Today, we see these 40 days as an opportunity to attend to the parts of our lives that we often neglect.
We are challenged to open ourselves in new ways to the Spirit’s transforming power.

Plan to be with Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill each Sunday to prepare for the coming of Easter.

Lent Begins March 13th

From the very earliest times, Christians took time out before Easter to reflect on their faith, cultivate it, and prepare for a most joyous celebration of Easter.

Remembering that Jesus took 40 days off to prepare for the beginning of his ministry, the church sets aside these 40 days prior to Easter for us to get ready.
This is a time for us to explore the mysteries of the universe,
looking beneath the surface – within ourselves --
examining our own motives and desires,
and ascertaining exactly what our commitment is:
to what, to whom, and what it means.

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went out into the desert for 40 days.
For 40 days he lived without food or, presumably water.
For 40 days he confronted his demons.
For 40 days he prayed.
For 40 days he communed with his God.

Suffice it to say, upon completion of his 40 days in the desert, Jesus had a clearer picture of his purpose in life,
of his reason for being,
of his God-given mission.
And he embarked on his course of demonstrating the reign of love on earth.

On the first Sunday in Lent, March 13, we will be looking at a proper Presbyterian way to observe the Lenten season -- as we remember to his followers who wanted to make a show of their fasting and ritual prayers: wash your face and comb your hair!
Don't let on and don't make a show of what your do.

You are invited to join the congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill as you prepare for the coming of Easter this year.

Great News for CPC

Great News!!!
As of January 24, 2011, Christ Presbyterian Church is out of the real estate ownership business.

On that date a settlement of the Agreement of Sale occurred and Beulah Tabernacle assumed ownership of the buildings.

You may recall that as part of that agreement of sale, our congregation is able of use and occupy the portion of the building that consists of what we are now using – for a period of three years at no additional cost to us.

Over the past year we have made certain adjustments to our way of doing church to accommodate the new arrangement – including the creation of the new church office and pastor’s study.

So, what will we notice different now that the sale has been completed?
Not much.
We will continue our schedule of services in the Chapel every Sunday.
We will continue our Sunday School program.
We will continue the Dorcas group for their regular meetings.
We will continue the office hours for the pastor and church secretary as before.
Various community groups that we have supported in the past will continue to meet in our facilities: the Brownie Troop, and Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups.

But, we will no longer by trying to come up with the $74,000 it cost each year just to keep up and maintain the building.
Now, if the heater doesn’t work, or the plumbing backs up, we call the landlord.

Additionally, and this is huge for us, the proceeds of the sale is invested and will provide a constant income for the church to continue in ministry for a long time to come.

So, you need to keep your church in your prayers – as well as those who are leading us.

This settlement was a long time coming and provided for many moments of uncertainty as renegotiations were required to hold the deal together through the course of past 18 months.

A huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders and we can now breath easier as we gain our strength to look forward to the times ahead.

17 Reasons to Be A Part of CPC 2.0

● Sooner or later we all get tired of going it alone.

● You are welcome here – no matter what!

● It’s a place where you would feel welcome.

● You can experience forgiveness here.

● You can openly express compassion here.

● Where else can you sing out loud?

● It’s a place where everyone knows your name – and cares about how you’re doing.

● It’s a diverse group of people – young and old, from all backgrounds, living in many communities.

● You will experience “authentic” worship service – with elements familiar to most Christians.

● There are people here who believe that Jesus loves you – and we do too!

● You can be a part of a congregation that is given an exciting opportunity to develop and become Church 2.0.

● It’s a place where your input is valued.

● It’s a place where you will be listened to.

● It’s a place where you will matter.

● The stories of our faith are valued here – and you may hear and learn new things about our common faith, new ways of looking at the world, new ways of behavior, and new values for your life.

● You can be a part of a congregation’s renewal and rebirth – helping to ensure the continuance of a progressive expression of Christian faith reflecting the implications of the latest Biblical scholarship and scientific studies of human behavior.

● You can be a part of a new ministry to meet a need dear to your heart.


What about you?
What would you add to this list?
Which would you pick as the 3 or 4 most important?

Check out www.ConnectOnLine.us . Email: CPC@ConnectOnLine.us .

Vision 2012

Please commit yourself to offer a daily pray for your church as we try to ascertain what God may be calling us to do and to be as a church in the days and years ahead.

May we all dream dreams and conjure visions of what could be and how we may make it so.

Hear our prayer, Lord, for your church:
help us to see more clearly what our work may be.
Give us wisdom to discern your will for us,
vision to see what we could do,
courage to pursue it,
and stamina to continue with it.

Vision 2012

With the new year and the impending culmination of the sale of our building, it is time to think seriously about the future ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church:
what might it look like?
where might it be?
what might it mean (for you and me and whoever else we might be serving)?

My hope is that by the time the next new year rolls around, we would have a pretty clear vision of what this ministry (or ministries) might look like, and even be on our way implementing the new vision.

Looking over my notes, I see that some fifteen years ago I wrote of four groups of people that
I saw with a particular need that a church like us could dedicate ourselves to fulfill.

In January of 1995, I wrote:

All around us, people are in need:

Children are growing up amidst societal forces we have never even dreamed of.
For the most part they know no place to get their bearings for a moral compass. Morality, ethics, and even good manners, have vague description.
They don’t even know there is a Golden Rule, much less what it may be.

Parents need so much help with the almost impossible task of raising children in today’s world.

Older Adults need safe, caring, stimulating places to be.
Loneliness is an incubator for a whole host of physical, mental, and emotional problems.

Single Young Adults need ways of exercising their souls as well as their bodies and minds. Care for their needs is paramount as self-esteem lessens as years of aloneness go by.

I firmly believe that our faith has a message for all of the folks around us.
People need what we have to give. People need to hear what we have to say.

Not only do people need what we have to offer, but we have a stake in offering.
We have an obligation to enable all people to be more fully who God intends for them to be.
It’s a Christ-like thing to do.

I am reminded that when Norman Vincent Peale first went to the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, he preached to 40 or 50 people each Sunday morning.
After about six months, he told his wife that people needed to hear what the faith has to say,
if they won’t come to hear it, he would have to get it to them in other ways.
And so he wrote, and published, and spoke in public forums at every opportunity.
Of course, a by-product of getting the word out to everyone is that more people will come.

Norman Vincent Peale realized that Marble Collegiate Church had to reinvent itself in order to continue to be in ministry. And they did. And the rest is history as countless millions of people all over the world have been influenced by their work.

This is our time of opportunity here at Christ Presbyterian Church.
We need everyone praying for this church and the vision that might revealed to us about what our ministry may look like in the years ahead.

Please commit yourself to take time to pray.
And as ideas come to you, jot them down and pass them to your pastor.

Lets all work together on Vision 2012.

The Order of the Golden Cross

On our Anniversary Sunday, February 6, we will again recognize and honor the members of
Christ Presbyterian Church who have been a part of our community for fifty years or longer.
We are fortunate and thankful for their long witness among us.
This is an opportunity for the rest of us to seek them out and let them know of our prayers for them.

The Golden Cross Class of 2011:

Catherine (Clark) Guiles
Nason Clark
Connie (McGann) Hodnett
George Guiles
Virginia Briner Anderson
Dorothy (Weber) Clark
Clara de Orsay
Eleanor Bechtel
Jean (Smedley) Stump
Barbara Anne Daebler
Eleanor Rebman
Deborah Harkins
Katherine Tannahill
Robert Reber
Clara Riddagh
Edwin Riddagh
Mary Raterink
Janet Gille
James Gille
Carolyn Mills
Marianne Weening
John Adamson

Capturing A Vision We Can Believe In

This is our time of opportunity here at Christ Presbyterian Church.

This month we celebrate 84 years of Christ’s ministry in Drexel Hill.

In 1927, 47 people petitioned the Presbytery to charter a new church in the new community of Drexel Hill.

Those “pioneers” were enthusiastic.
They exhibited a strong faith.
They were hope-full.
They were optimistic, to be sure.
But, perhaps even more importantly, they had a strong sense that a church should be here in the heart of their community.

And, they dedicated themselves to the cause.

Who among them could have foreseen the deep depression that struck the country within months?

In the past few months, I have thought often of the folks that were trying to build a church here – only to find the bottom fall out of the whole economy.

For them, priorities changed rapidly.

Certainly, monetary resources dried up.

But, somehow, in some way, their faith, their hope, their dream did not.
In fact, in many ways, the church thrived.

Within ten years talk turned to expansion.

A new building was deemed necessary – and while the economy was still depressed, plans were made to start construction.

These folks believed in the future.
These folks believed they needed a church in their community.

And then, a world war broke out.
Even in the midst of a war those people financed and built a facility dedicated to “the worship and service of Almighty God”.

The past 84 years have seen wars and rumors of wars, faltering economies, uncertain times, and changing populations – and through it all, the community of Christ continued and witnessed and worked and worshiped.

There is no way those 47 folks in 1927 could have foreseen all that was to befall them and their neighbors.

But, they had a vision.
They had a belief.
A church was needed.

And what about us?

84 years from now what will be said about us?

I know, there are some among us who say, “Who cares?”
Then, I think:
84 years ago, there were people who cared.

Time was, folks here had a vision.
Time was, folks here had a belief.
Time was, folks here were convinced that a church was needed in their neighborhood.
But, what about now?

The opportunity is for us to capture a vision that we can believe in:
a vision that projects out into the days and years ahead.

Oh, the church of tomorrow may not look like the church of yesterday.
The church of tomorrow may include shared ministerial leadership.
The church of tomorrow may use different space to worship in and to conduct ministry out of.
The church of tomorrow may include younger and younger people as well as older and older people.
The church of tomorrow will certainly rely on the internet more and more.

I invite you to join me in conjuring a vision of Christ Church for tomorrow:
a vision that we can believe in,
a vision that will inform our work and witness here in the days ahead.

Last month I wrote of Vision 2012
With the new year and the culmination of the sale of our building, it is time to think seriously about the future ministry of Christ Presbyterian Church:
what might it look like?
where might it be?
what might it mean (for you and me and whoever else we might be serving)?

My hope is that by the time the next new year rolls around, we would have a pretty clear vision of what this ministry (or ministries) might look like, and even be on our way implementing the new vision.

I firmly believe that our faith has a message for all of the folks around us.
People need what we have to give. People need to hear what we have to say.

Not only do people need what we have to offer, but we have a stake in offering.
We have an obligation to enable all people to be more fully who God intends for them to be.
It’s a Christ-like thing to do.

I am reminded that when Norman Vincent Peale first went to the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, he preached to 40 or 50 people each Sunday morning.
After about six months, he told his wife that people needed to hear what the faith has to say,
if they won’t come to hear it, he would have to get it to them in other ways.
And so he wrote, and published, and spoke in public forums at every opportunity.
Of course, a by-product of getting the word out to everyone is that more people will come.

Norman Vincent Peale realized that Marble Collegiate Church had to reinvent itself in order to continue to be in ministry.
And they did.
And the rest is history as countless millions of people all over the world have been influenced by their work.

This is our time of opportunity here at Christ Presbyterian Church.
We need everyone praying for this church and the vision that might revealed to us about what our ministry may look like in the years ahead.

Please commit yourself to take time to pray.
And as ideas come to you, share them here.

Christians Putting Their Faith On the Line in Cairo

Among many unnoticed heroic actions - Christians form a human chain around Muslims at prayer during demonstrations in Cairo.

Facing the Day Ahead

The new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

It is good that we begin a new year every year about this time, don’t you think?

As strange as it might seem, the new year did not always begin on January 1!

To be sure, there almost always has been a celebration of the beginning of the new year, but it used to begin March 25. Yep, going back to the ancient Babylonians, some 4000 years ago, and for long periods of time since then, folks celebrated the new year in conjunction with Spring – marking the end of winter and the beginning of new growth.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1752 that England decreed that January 1 would mark the beginning of the new year there and in the colonies.

But, still, the fact is that most people in the world do not mark the beginning of the new year on January 1.

Jews the world over mark the beginning of the new year in September or October.

Hindus in different parts of India celebrate the new year on various dates.

Muslims use a calendar that has 354 days in most years so their new year falls on different dates as well.

The Chinese New Year begins between January 21 and February 19.

The Thai New Year is celebrated in April 13 to April 15.

The Vietnamese New Year is the Têt Nguyen Dan and is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year.

But, we take time just after the darkest time of the year, just as the days get longer, as things change, as more and more light illumines our lives,
to remember where we’ve been,
to remember what we’ve done,
to remember what has happened,
perhaps to evaluate our experiences,
perhaps to celebrate the moments of epiphany,
perhaps to grieve at what has been lost,
and then to look ahead to the days to come.

It is in the looking ahead that our faith gets expressed.
One study has concluded that on average each American makes 1.8 New Year’s resolutions each year.

Well, I know some don’t make any resolutions, because they don’t need the guilt attached to failed expectations.
But, resolutions can be powerful tools for behavior and attitudinal change.
I have seen it work time and time again.

Resolutions can be powerful tools if you write them down.
Resolutions can be powerful tools if you display them prominently on the refrigerator door or the bedroom mirror.
Resolutions can be powerful tools if you refer to them daily,
if you say them out loud,
if you include them in your prayers.

New Year’s Day may be the most active-minded holiday, because it is the one where people evaluate their lives and plan and resolve to take some kind of action.

It is no accident that the ancient Romans named this month January – after Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings.

Janus is always depicted as having two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward.

And, that’s what we do, isn’t it?
We look back on the days past.
And we look forward to the days to come.

As we look forward to the days to come, let us remember that the Psalmist reminds us that each of our days are God-given. What we do with them is up to us. How we spend them is up to us. How we get through them is up to us.

Frets and anxieties and regrets have a way of festering and infecting our lives with unhealthiness. Let’s rid ourselves of them. Misplaced allegiances and unrecognized debts foster unhappiness, unpleasantness and, ultimately, an unfulfilled life.

Let us follow the clue left by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
Because, that’s what we believe, isn’t it?
That’s what we hear and say each Sunday in church.

He or she is rich who owns the day,
and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
Some blunders and absurdities
no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can;
tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely,
with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
The new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

Yes! Yes! Yes! With its hopes and invitations, the new day is too dear to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

This is a call to each of us.
This is a call to our church.

Resolve to pray for your church each day in 2011.
Resolve to pray for all who worship here in 2011.
Resolve to pray for those who need to hear the message we proclaim in 2011.

A prayer for the nations and peoples of the Middle East

In the wake of escalating tensions and civil unrest in the Middle East, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders today have issued a call to prayer for the peoples and nations of the Middle East, as well as PC(USA) partners.

The Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) Cynthia Bolbach, General Assembly Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons, and General Assembly Mission Council Executive Director Linda Valentine called Presbyterians to pray with these words:

“Hundreds of thousands of people have staged protests in the past few days in different parts of the Middle East, particularly in Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, and Algeria. Today, clashes between protestors and the police have intensified to dangerous levels. Lebanon has been in a precarious situation since the collapse of the coalition government earlier this month. Iraq continues to be the target of suicide bombers and other forms of violence. The failure of Israeli-Palestine negotiations is causing many to lose hope in a political solution for this decades-old conflict.

Please remember all the peoples of the Middle East in your prayer. Please remember those whose lives have been disrupted and those who are afraid during this civil unrest. Please also pray for the governments and political leaders that they might govern fairly, wisely, and with sensitivity to the peoples’ lives and dignity.

Please pray in particular for the Christian minorities in the Middle East, as they often become the scapegoat in the midst of conflicts. Although most of the Middle East inhabitants are Muslims, more than fifteen million Middle Easterners are Christians who trace their Christian heritage back to the apostolic era. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has partnered with Middle Eastern churches for most of the last two centuries. Please join your hearts in prayer for our sisters and brothers with whom we have been made one in the Body of Christ:”

God of every blessing,
hear our prayers
for all the nations and peoples of the Middle East:

Guide the people to express their concerns peacefully
and government leaders to respond peacefully;
Inspire all to listen to one another carefully;
Lead all to pursue justice together.

Bless the poor in spirit ...
give them the gift of abundant life.

Words Create Worlds

Lost in the reports and commentaries this past week is this article by Suzannah Heschel.

Speaking directly to Sarah Palin's curious video posting, Dr. Heschel writes: Words both express and shape our thinking and our behavior.

Yes, the gunman who pulled the trigger is the one put on trial, but almost instantly we all began a profound and very moving period of collective soul-searching.
How might we have contributed to an atmosphere in which such a heinous act could take place?
What can we do to change the ugliness of our language?
Do our words and tone indicate a bitterness of heart and an anger in our spirits that is damaging to ourselves and our entire society?

And her concluding words should be heard by all:
Civilized people strive for ways to coexist and seek moral principles that achieve peace and prosperity for all, not just for ourselves.
[Sarah] Palin’s insistence on freedom seems to suggest freedom for oneself, without assuming any responsibility for others;
a perspective that would create a wild realm in which each person looks out for herself, not for the collective. . . .
that is not the message of the Bible.
When God points out immoral behavior, it is of the collective people, not individuals.
The prophet Amos condemns the crimes and injustices committed by an entire society, be it Israel or Edom, and the prophet Jonah calls on all citizens of Nineveh to repent, not just those who have acted in sin.

The dream of the prophets is not for conquest, power, or wealth.
The dream of the prophets is of peace.
A civilized society does not live by the sword, but by principles of justice, and those principles require a clear and careful articulation.
Words do create worlds.

The Boomers Are Coming, The Boomers Are Coming

Today and every day for the next 19 years, about 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach the age of 65.
How is this going to affect what we do in ministry?

While the Boomers have managed to put their own imprint on each of the other life stages, we need to give attention to this new phenomena.

The Pew people remind us "The 79-million-member Baby Boomer generation accounts for 26% of the total U.S. population. By force of numbers alone, they almost certainly will redefine old age in America, just as they've made their mark on teen culture, young adult life and middle age."

Traditionally, age 65 signified retirement from the tasks of making one's way in the world and days of leisure and hobby.

But, not this time. We are reminded: "don't tell Boomers that old age starts at age 65. The typical Boomer believes that old age doesn't begin until age 72".

Take a look: Pew Research Center