Traditionally, Christians have taken time before Easter to think on things spiritual.
Taking clues from Jesus who before beginning his ministry took a 40 day hiatus, the church has set aside this amount of time during this season when the days lengthen to concentrate on how the faith we profess affects the life we lead.
Through the years, people have used different tools to encourage such thoughts.
Recalling that the Bible says that Jesus fasted for 40 days, many people choose a form of that to help place them in the proper mindset to receive and perceive spiritual thoughts.
The idea of “giving something up” for Lent became a substitute for an all-out fast for Westerners living in an increasingly secular society.
But, we all know that negative behavior in itself does little to stimulate Spiritual thoughts.
And, far more important than giving up something for Lent is a proactive behavior specifically designed to encourage thoughts about our faith and the life we lead.
And, so each of us is encouraged to do something specific during this time before Easter:
• read a book, (Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, by Marcus Borg, will certainly generate thoughts and stimulate conversation with others)
• use a daily devotional guide to help stimulate your thoughts, (if you already use one on a regular basis, add another specifically designed to stimulate new thoughts for the season. I am preparing a devotional guide to be distributed each week during our worship service. Each is designed to put into practice specific actions Jesus often spoke about – actions that will enhance your life and help you live your life to the fullest.)
• pray (set aside a certain time each day, or place a post-it-note with the word “PRAY” on your computer or in a prominent place to remind you that the proper time to pray is any time, all the time)
• do something for others you have not done before (perhaps write a note to people on your Christmas card list – just think what the recipient will think when they hear from you from “out of the blue”, so to speak)
• Come to church every Sunday until Easter as our services will be designed to explore How to Live Your Life to the Fullest.
The first week we will look at the importance of taking time to take a time out – each day – for a season.
(Through our website on the internet you can also sign up to receive daily devotional e-mails to help guide you through the daily time-outs.)
Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to choose to do something during this season.
You will find your faith stimulated and your life enhanced.
This season, this Lent, can be of tremendous significance to you – if you let it, if you participate in it.
Between now and Easter, see you in church . . .
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Celebrating 85 Years Past - And Looking Ahead
The past 85 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 who gathered in 1927 to start a new church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, 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?
85 years from now what will be said about us?
I know, there are some among us who say, “Who cares?”
Then, I think:
85 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.
Over the course of the past year, I have been writing and speaking about 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, jot them down and send them to your pastor.
See you in Church . . .
There is no way those 47 folks who gathered in 1927 to start a new church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, 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?
85 years from now what will be said about us?
I know, there are some among us who say, “Who cares?”
Then, I think:
85 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.
Over the course of the past year, I have been writing and speaking about 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, jot them down and send them to your pastor.
See you in Church . . .
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