Otisville Pres

Flood ideas and thoughts

2011-09-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked about the Emergency Response Team helping some of the many folks in need. We have had a few folks say they are willing to go when I team gets going, but so far we don't have leaders who feel called to this kind of ministry and have some experience and leadership skills. When those leaders emerge we will get together to talk about what should be done where.

In the mean time, we can respond to local and regional needs because of the flooding. Begin to think about ways you would be willing to respond, what you might have to offer in terms of time, skills, experience and resources? Flood buckets can be assembled, American Red Cross training can be taken, a skills bank can be put together.

Several of our trades people have been helping folks without payment because they are so overwhelmed. What can we do to support those trades people so they can use their skills to God's glory but still be able to put bread on their own tables?

Start on your knees and then get up and do something!

One idea in already is a furniture rummage sale with flood victims getting first choice. A way to get rid of your over stocked furniture, while helping people who have been flooded. This project has it share of challenges, but it's an idea. What's yours?

Discussion Point: Why I am not a Christian

2011-04-15T09:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a funkly little article that may get you to think.
http://catchjohnfischer.wordpress.com/

It suggests that tell people you are not a Christian, but a follower of Jesus may open up doors to conversation that would amaze you. The author posits that most people who are turned off to Christianity are not necessarily turned off by Jesus.

So where do you fall on this discussion? Are you a Christian or a follower of Jesus? What are the pitfalls of labeling yourself a Christian in this culture?

Sermon for April 3

2011-04-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

Intensity

A Baptist pastor was walking down the street in town one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. The boy was very small and the doorbell was too high for him to reach, so after watching the boy try his best for a while, the pastor crosses the street, walks up behind the child and placing his hand kindly on his shoulder, leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring.

Crouching down to the boy’s level, the pastor smiled caringly and asks, "And now what do we do?" To which the boy replies, “And now we run!"

Have you ever been scammed? Like having someone tell you something on April Fool’s Day you bought hook, line, and sinker, only to find out it was an intentional set up? Have you ever believed something so deeply, were so sure that it was true, that when you found it wasn’t you just felt crushed?

Tell me then, what do you do when you find out? Get mad, act confused, try to explain it away, somehow save face, pretend it never happened?

Listen then to this:

You know that our ancestors were told, "Do not murder" and "A murderer must be brought to trial." 22But I promise you that if you are angry with someone, you will have to stand trial. If you call someone a fool, you will be taken to court. And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.

What are the chances that some of you have called someone you know an idiot…today…here at church…during this sermon?

And here all this time I thought, I was led to believe, I was told probably by that guy at the pulpit talking right now that Jesus loved me, and here he is tell me that I am going to straight to hell for calling that moron of a brother-in-law of mine a first class jerk!

And don’t get me started on the next thing on the list of six things Jesus needs you to know that ensures that you are nothing but a fry baby. I have not had sex with that woman! Though I might have perhaps once in my lifetime joined old Jimmy Carter by lusting in my heart! Maybe more than once, okay when I was 16 every three minutes, but how can it be that being normal means I lose it all.

How can it be fair that lust after the fairer sex is sin and calling my friends and neighbors morons, especially my fellow believers dopes can mean that I lose my relationship with God forever. How can my day to day behavior and attitudes and choices ruin my future!

It’s not fair and not right. I feel scammed. Why is my relationship with God dependent on my relationship with God…’s children?

So wait a minute, you aren’t suggesting that my relationship with God in the ultimate sense is somehow predicated upon, built on, nurtured by, my relationship with God now are you? This isn’t like one of Sam Tucker’s lessons where if you want big muscles then you have to exercise regularly now is it?

If the Holy Spirit is in me and the Holy Spirit is in you, then the way I treat you is the way I am treating God because God lives in you. And the way you treat me is in fact your preparation to live with God in eternity because what we are learning now is how to live in the Kingdom of God. So when I treat a woman as just a sexual thing and don’t recognize her as God present here and now I end up treating God poorly. And when I call my best friend a jackass, I am for all intents and purposes calling God a jackass, because God lives in him.

Hell fire is sounding just about hot enough!

But I thought that Jesus came to save us?

But Jesus can only save those who finally understand that… they – need – saving.

The greatest plight of humanity and it’s greatest folly is that sin makes us believers of the idea that we are not in need of saving, that we are not great sinners, that we are blameless before the law, that we, the greatest generation of Pharisees ever born are willing to apply the law to others, but not to ourselves.

Jesus here in the Sermon on the Mount makes the Law intensely more difficult, making failure inevitable and absolute, thereby leading finally to confession, brokenness, meekness, humility, and all the of the conditions the Beatitudes require. And by the same stroke then also makes an apprentice - who filled with the spirit and motivated by the law of love - unable to do the minimum the law requires, but always out to live with the intensity and willingness and constant preparation to do the most love centered and love inspired thing possible to care for God’s kingdom and it’s people!

Whereas the Law of Moses, as embodied in Pharisaic minimalism and sophistry allows the keeping of the law at the bottom-most level, the Law of Love motives us, even compels us to Christ-like levels of caring and compassion!
If you understand the person sitting next to you in the pew as Christ present with you, how you treat him or her reveals just how much you love God!

Women, whom the Mosaic law saw as property, become beloved sisters for whom every man in the church is motivated to treat as Christ present!

Brothers and sisters who do things that make us crazy, become Christ present to us, forcing us to look deeper and care more, especially when we are exasperated with them, because we have to ask ourselves what it is that God wants us to understand in this relationship that stands us at the edge!

Scammed!

Thinking we can sin with impunity is the scam! It turns out instead that every sin slows down and even impedes our growth as believers! It clouds our relationship with God! It makes the waters muddier so that we can’t see the Kingdom of God that is already here! If only the fog we keep making by living lives not completely full of the Holy Spirit’s presence, could be transformed by Jesus at the very center of all we do and say and think!

Intensity!

Jesus intensifying the Law so that we can see clearly what is behind the Law: God at working on our behalf to make us more like Jesus! Amen!

Sermon for March 27

2011-03-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Salt.

I know you all know what salt is. I bet all of you have seen a salt shaker and used one. You probably are even aware of the many uses of salt. Salt was and is so common, that Jesus could use it in a single sentence and let his disciples know, in the Sermon on the Mount, what and who they were to be.

Salt.

Wikipedia says of it, “Salt, also known as table salt, or rock salt, is a mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride. It is essential for animal life in small quantities, but is harmful to animals and plants in excess. Salt is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous food seasonings and salting is an important method of food preservation.

“The taste of salt (saltiness) is one of the basic human tastes. Salt for human consumption is produced in different forms: unrefined salt (such as sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. It is a crystalline solid, white, pale pink or light gray in color, normally obtained from sea water or rock deposits. Edible rock salts may be slightly grayish in color because of mineral content.

“Chloride and sodium ions, the two major components of salt, are needed by all known living creatures in small quantities. Salt is involved in regulating the water content (fluid balance) of the body. The sodium ion itself is used for electrical signaling in the nervous system. However, too much salt increases the risk of health problems, including high blood pressure. Therefore health authorities have recommended limitations of dietary sodium”

Salt.

As noted above, salt mainly comes from either sodium chloride dissolved in sea water and then removed by dehydration or from rock deposits, by taking the rock pulverizing it and soaking it in water to dissolve the sodium chloride and then running off the water and letting it dehydrate so that salt crystals form. The excess rock minus the salt is thrown away.

You are like Salt.

Sitting here in the salt shaker, you are wonderful but pretty much inert. Why? Because salt in too high a concentration doesn't work well; in fact it can be deadly. Put a live object in a container of salt and the salt will draw out all the moisture in it until it is dehydrated and dead, just like a church that is no longer doing anything to spice up the world around it.

Salt does its best stuff when it is scattered, when the salt shaker get tipped over and a little is sprinkled over the area needing flavor or preserving. Too little salt is ineffective as well.

You are like salt.

So to make a difference in this world those who are followers of Jesus have to get out of the church and start salting it up, bringing flavor, do preserving, fighting off the negative elements of decay, sin, and melting the layers of ice that often hold back a culture and a people that are made in the image of God, gifted and talented, but terribly misdirected in their pursuits in this world!

And you are like light.

Not dim bulbs as in the picture, but people who have in you the power to change the world from a place of darkness into a place filled with God’s marvelous light! Of course, not connected to a source of power, not firmly attached to an electrically charged receptacle, you are just a $.99 piece of glass and wire, but firmly connected to Jesus the source of power, and firmly set in a faith community that holds you firmly to the base, you my friend have the ability to light up the world.

Remember what Jesus said, “I am the light of the world!” connected to Jesus, you come with the Holy Spirit’s ability to bring good news to all situations, able to bring God’s presence into every relationship, able to be God’s ambassador in situations that need to see and feel God’s love in a hug, a kiss, a gift, or a helping hand.

Jesus reminds us right after his teaching of the beatitudes in verse 1-12 that we are essential to his mission and ministry in the world. We are not on our own, but neither are we to think that what we do doesn’t matter. In fact Jesus makes clear that what we do, how we live, what we say, how we care is essential if this world is to understand how much God loves it.

You are like light.

So don’t hide and don’t be afraid. Instead shine with every color of the rainbow so that like just after Noah’s ark, the whole world can see that God is here. Amen? Amen.

Sermon Notes for March 27

2011-03-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

The sermon this week is focused on Matthew 5:13-20 from Matthew section often called the Sermon on the Mount. It's where Jesus suggests that the Kingdom of God is like salt and light.

What are some of the things salt does: flavoring, preserving, melting snow and ice (does the Kingdom have the power to melt hard hearts); and what about light. It chases away darkness! It can bring warmth. It makes dark places less scary and sometimes less dangerous.

And if we are the Kingdom of God present here and now what does all that suggest about us? Or how we should be acting, living, being?

Bowling Outing

2011-03-22T13:28:00.001-07:00

Friends,
The bowling event on Sunday was a whole lot of fun. I know there are more pictures out there, so I will be looking for them. I've added one here (maybe more) just so you can see what it was all about.

Growing Churches # 4

2011-03-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Idea # 4 - Open to all

One family tells the story of looking for a new church. On Sunday they entered the front door and discovered a church greeter before them. The woman looked at them for a moment, and then a bright smile came over her face, as she reached by them to greet some people entering the church she knew. Needless to say, the family never returned to that church.

The problem is not just with greeters in our churches, although there is need of improvement, it's a congregational problem. Warm, welcoming churches are that way by intention. They have chosen to be open to newcomers, and are interested in growing. And it can't be just a few. The whole congregation needs to see that it has a part in being a welcoming congregation.

Sermon Notes for March 20

2011-03-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well this week the passage is Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes. Several years ago I remember reading Robert Schullers book, the Be- Attitudes, arguing that waht Jesus describes in this section from what is called the "Sermon on the Mount" the attitudes of Kingdom people.

He suggests that what Jesus is inviting us to do is to become Blessed by acting and living in ways that are Kingsom like. Hmm. I wonder if that is possible?

My recollection of the Be-attitudes is that they are hard, esoteric, very unlikely ways of living and being. And yet, maybe that is because I haven't read them carefully, or maybe only read them in a bible version that used language that was remote and so made the attitudes seem unreachable.

What do you think?

Growing Churches # 3

2011-03-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Idea # 3 - Visiting Newcomers

On an average Sunday, how many visitors do you have at your church? If you don’t know, you really need to find some way to greet them and get some basic information. Not to be nosy or pushy, no newcomer wants that. But there are ways to get a name, address, and phone number that aren't intrusive or unsettling, and what an aid they can be to following up on new people.

One interesting statistic suggests that if a newcomer is contacted by a layperson from the congregation with a phone call within 36 hours of their visit, there is an 85% chance that person will be back the next week for a second visit. Imagine what good follow up would do in your congregations situation. Most churches have regular visitors. To get them to stay is the challenge.

After getting the newcomer's name and number, the next step, of course, is to make the phone call or visit. Note that either seems to work. And note that the call is made by a layperson, not the pastor. In fact, statistics suggest that when only the pastor calls within 36 hours, less than 50% of the newcomers come back! The reason seems to be that newcomers expect the Pastor to call (please note clergy), but are surprised and warmed by a call from a caring person in the church.

And the emphasis needs to be on caring. What seems to be important in this kind of call is not information sharing, about church activities and the like, but an open call that says "thanks for
visiting our church" as well as "is there anything we can help you with".

If this kind of call can be made by Tuesday evening at the latest, people seem to respond. Of course, that means a lot of work must be done and quickly. Names and phone numbers have to be in
the hands of those who will call by Monday morning. And the callers have to be people who can talk openly to newcomers.

And then, when the newcomer responds to the call with, "well, actually I'm glad you called, what I really could use is a baby-sitter for tomorrow afternoon, so I can go to the doctor," comes the next
step.....

Sermon for Sunday March 6

2011-03-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

So friends, here are my notes from Sunday's sermon. I usually write a manuscript, but this Sunday I used notes instead. If you have questions, please write and let me know what's on your mind!

The scripture was Mark 1:21Jesus and his disciples went to the town of Capernaum. Then on the next Sabbath he went into the Jewish meeting place and started teaching. 22Everyone was amazed at his teaching. He taught with authority, and not like the teachers of the Law of Moses. 23Suddenly a man with an evil spirit in him entered the meeting place and yelled, 24"Jesus from Nazareth, what do you want with us? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are! You are God's Holy One." 25Jesus told the evil spirit, "Be quiet and come out of the man!" 26The spirit shook him. Then it gave a loud shout and left. 27Everyone was completely surprised and kept saying to each other, "What is this? It must be some new kind of powerful teaching! Even the evil spirits obey him." 28News about Jesus quickly spread all over Galilee.

Notes:

1. So, what do you do on the worship day? Jesus went to church!
2. What does the text mean when it says, “a man with an evil spirit?”
3. What do you know about demons?
4. It sounds like a lot of what we know comes from movies? Is it accurate?
5. The bible talks about evil spirits. A lot of what it talks about sounds like
a. Either physical illnesses – epilepsy
b. Or mental illnesses – schizophrenia
6. What is Jesus response to the evil spirit? To tell him to leave!
a. How is that different than healing him?
7. Jesus confronts the evil spirit, but doesn’t seem to confront confused thinking why?
a. One possibility is that he believes in evil spirits
b. Another is that he sees the difference but chooses to teach by action
i. Getting rid of evil spirit gives people different understanding of it
8. My suspicion – Jesus is bilingual
a. Jesus speaks first century Aramaic
b. Jesus also speaks first century understanding
c. He chooses to speak in a way they understand while challenging their understanding
d. In the same way a bilingual person thinks in Spanish and English
i. but speaks in the language people can understand
9. Do evil spirits exist
a. Are there forces that live in opposition to God – yes!
b. Are most ills in this world evil forces – no!
c. Do we as Christians have the power to confront both – yes!
10. Here is the point of today’s scripture!
a. Jesus has authority over both evil and ills
b. A new kind of authority
c. An authority and responsibility Jesus passes along to his disciples! Us!
11. We are by Jesus choosing his hands and feet in this world. Amen.

Sermon Notes for March 6

2011-03-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

This passage from Mark 1:21-28, has some interesting and thought provoking aspects. How do we understand this idea of evil spirits?

We live in a particular time when evil spirits and demons are pretty well ruled out by science, but more in the awareness of people because of entertainment like TV and movies.

Last week I asked the Middle School kids what they knew about demons. They came up with quite a list! One of them had even watched the movie "Legion" a film so dark and scary I wouldn't watch it in a million years.

They knew that demons were: bad guys, sons of Satan, scary people, not people, needed to be exorcised, are part of a natural balance, fallen angels, created, role testers.

Since I am guessing most of this they did not learn in Sunday School (although maybe) it seems our younger generation is getting their "spiritual" information from Hollywood!

So when Jesus is approached by a man with an "evil spirit" what does that mean? And when the bible says that Jesus said, "be quiet and come out of the man," what does that mean?

Mark tells us that the people were astonished and said, "even the evil spirits obey him." It seems to suggest that evil spirits are no match for Jesus. Does that mean if we put the demons from "Legion" in the presence of Jesus that they too would move on out of town leaving behind a quiet, un-demonized population?

Hmm, that sounds really good. Now what about a sermon?

Sermon for February 27

2011-02-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

God's Peace and Love, a sermon for Black Heritage Sunday
Edgar Hayes

As we move along on our journey, the one Jeff (our pastor) began so we could get to know, understand, hear and learn more about Jesus, I want to talk about a personal story of mine. As an African American male growing up in America, this is one of many stories I could tell, this one in particular stands out most to me. It was when I was a young lad in college many moons ago.

After leaving college one day, I walked to the train to get home. The station lies at the bottom of the hill and the hill itself curves so the person at the top cannot see the person at the bottom and vice versa. As I walked around the curve headed down to the station, I suddenly encountered a woman who was coming up the hill, and when she saw me, she quickly tucked in the gold chain around her neck. This many years later that incident sticks with me, one of many, but so glaring in its stark outline, she saw my skin color and immediately reacted.

Years later after the incident, I wrote a mini drama in Shakespearian tongue and performed it at a coffee house I conducted. I named it “The Encounter”. As the protagonist and antagonist approach each other it crescendos into a climax of fear, anticipation, purse clutching, nervous anxiety until they pass. And then it ends with “What did he sayeth? What words had he spoketh? ‘Good morning?’ What doth it mean?”

What doth it mean? What doth it mean for a Christian to feel humiliated, misunderstood, and degraded because of the color of his skin? What doth it mean for a Christian to degrade, fear, dehumanize, another Christian, or any human being for that matter, because of the color of their skin or for any other reason?

It all boils down to our misunderstanding or lack of understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to be a Christian! The word Christian first appears in the book of Acts 11:26. It was used in Antioch to describe the followers of Jesus

Are there any believers, disciples, followers of the Word in God’s house today?

How about Sunday Christians?

Any part-time, every other day Christians?

Are there daily Christians in the house of God?

We believe Jesus died for our sins and that he is our Lord and Savior so we put on this Christian tag. (Edgar puts on a big tag with “Christian” written on it!)

But do you know the price of this tag? Do you know the weight of this tag? It’s too heavy a burden to bear. We should be walking with our necks bent because of the weight of this tag. We should all be coming to the Lord praying “Lord help me carry this heavy load”. And the grace of God will come to us and lift us up by the shoulders to help us stand upright. And then we can ask, where do you need me Lord?

And he’ll say, “the people in Roscoe aren’t doing too well, can you mend a broken home? An earthquake tore through a nation, can you help build a school for the children! People have lost their jobs in your area, can you help me get them together to figure out a way to lighten their burden? A neighbor needs prayers of healing, can you pray for her?

You’re not asked to be perfect and do everything. God knows what you are capable of and how He can use you. “My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Yet, instead of listening to and leaning on God, we tend to lean on our own understanding by conforming to what the world says a Christian ought to be. Thus becoming a Sunday Christian a part-time every other day Christian.

“You mean I have to love my neighbor, I can’t stand that ole bat.

I’m too busy to pray.

Feed the hungry! Tell them to get off their lazy butts and feed themselves.”

And when we talk like that, what are we moving closer towards? Old forked tongue, the ear-whisperer himself!

“Why is your back bent,” he asks? “You know, it’s only a piece of paper with writing on it.” And we begin to listen to the world around us. “It’s ok if you begin to stand up on your own. You see, it’s just a piece of paper with writing on it. Why don’t you take it off and let me hold it for you.”

So you hold onto it just for a rainy day.

But it has to be more than just a passing name, more than just a get into heaven free card. John the Baptist said to the Israelites it’s not automatic. He said, “out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”

Let’s take a look at what happens when we call ourselves Christians yet follow the world: slavery - control and enslavement of human beings; Jim Crow - laws created to segregate, repress; “separate but equal”, apartheid in South Africa, the Holocaust in Germany, the Rwanda massacre…all perpetrated by Christians. How can that be? How can that be the practice of followers of Christ Jesus?

Because all the “ok”-ers, the local, state, and federal government put it into law, and neighbors, radio, schools, media, newsprint, family members, friends, and even the church gave their tacit approval!

(Using Mr. Potato Head and slowing pulling off the parts – arms, legs, ears and all to illustrate what harsh words and actions do to people.) These people are animals, the reasons why we are having so many problems is because of these people, they stink, they’re dirty and nasty, they’re beneath us, they’re inferior, cock roaches, and savages!

"It will be seen that when we classify mankind by color, the only one of the primary races, given by this classification, which has not made a creative contribution to any one of our twenty-one civilizations is the Black Race." - Dr. Arnold Toynbee, famous historian The Study of History, Vol. I, page 233. Even academics gave their approval when they wrote such nonsense as this! They became the ok-ers of dehumanization.

It becomes easy for a Christian to kill, torture, enslave, bully, terrify, and destroy another human being once we start listening to the ok-ers and start dehumanizing individuals in our heart. But ultimately, we end up dehumanizing ourselves in the process, because it moves us further and further away from Jesus and God Almighty. “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

Our misrepresentation also causes others watching us to lose, leave, or just not want to be a part of such an ambiguous faith. To be an everyday Christian, we have to take everything to Jesus. We must not conform to the ok-ers of this world. We have to turn to the One who said “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” And by our love, they will know that we truly are Christians. Amen

Growing Churches # 2

2011-02-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Idea # 2 - Welcoming Newcomers

Newcomers react positively to being greeted and welcomed as long as they are not bowled over.

Conversations with newcomers, and statistics suggest that greeting newcomers is imperative if a congregation is to retain its visitors. It seems that visitors greeted by only one person rarely come back for a second visit. However, 90% of the visitors return a second time if they are greeted by seven individuals or more on a Sunday morning. (Good evangelism happens when the congregation as a whole sees reaching new members as the personal obligation of each member; and does it!)

Preparing the congregation for this task isn't always that easy. Many of us who come to church on Sunday seem to feel that we are the guests, rather than the hosts! Changing this attitude starts at
the top, of course with the --- session. Did you think it was the pastor? Yes, as part of the session. One of the elder's responsibilities needs to be greeting newcomers.

Of course, that means saving our business discussions until some other time, but quite frankly, most of our church business contacts should be done sometime other than in passing on Sunday morning anyway. Then, it's the Deacons turn to get into the greeting habit. And the Sunday School teachers and the choir. After all, you never know when you might meet a newcomer looking for a choir to join!

Sermon Notes for February 27

2011-02-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we celebrate Black Heritage Sunday. Edgar Hayes is preaching, Derrick Cash is dancing, Sam Tucker is reading, we have a drumming group, special music, and lots of good food planned for afterward. Come and join us at 11:00am for the big celebration.

Edgar will also be preaching at 8:30am and 9:30am so come and get some good food for your soul at those hours too!

Growing Church #1

2011-02-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

Idea # 1 - Who are your visitors?

Find out who your visitors are! You can't possibly get to know them if you don't know their names addresses, email, and phone numbers. Only then can you follow up intentionally. And remember, your interest is in serving them, not the other way around. Your contact should be upbeat, interesting, and interested. You are not trying to sell the church. You are offering your interest and concern. If they then want to return to your church, you have opened a positive door.

There are four ways to get the information you need, possibly more: One is to open a visitors book in the back of the sanctuary, and offer visitors the chance to sign it. But remember, not all will. (Be sure to follow up with a personal visit or phone call. (See Idea #3, Visiting Newcomers.)

The second is to place visitors cards in the pews and invite people to fill them out and place them in the offering plate. This is better, because cards usually ask for clearer, more specific information than guest books.

The third idea is to use a ritual of friendship that gets every member to sign an attendance pad in each pew. This is like the card idea, except that everyone fills out the pad. It's big advantage is that as you pass the pad down the pew and then back, everyone gets to see the names of everyone in the pew.

And fourth, and probably best, use persons as greeters who regularly (so they know who are visitors!) approach newcomers and fill out for them visitor cards. This way you have complete, legible cards and personal contact. The greeter knows the visitor's name and basics about them, can answer the visitor's questions (where are the bathrooms, is there a nursery, which hymnal should they use, etc.), and is known to the visitor by name because the qreeter is wearing a name tag (not the visitor)!

Try this and see if you don't have a few more newcomers to email or call!

Sermon for February 20th

2011-02-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Sermon on Mark 1:16-20

So instead of a sermon today I've decided I want to teach you all a game. You interested? Can you imagine what it is? Charades? No. Texas hold'em poker? No. Dodge ball! No, no, no.

It's called follow the leader. In order to play we have to all get in line with the leader at the front and then the leader starts the line off and we have to do whatever the leader does. If you don't do what the leader does, you have to sit down and you are out of the game. The last person still playing the game except for the leader wins and becomes the new leader.

So, who wants to play? Okay. And who wants to be the leader?

But before we start let me ask you a question. How do you follow the leader? That is, how do you know for sure what the leader is doing? I guess you have to watch, and listen, and make sure that what the leader is doing is something you can do, and that you are doing the right thing, and then do what the leader does.

But what if you are not sure what the leader is doing? I’ve played “Simon says” and been caught not doing what the leader did because I wasn’t really watching and listening very well.

I mean what if the leader says, "Today you're sins are forgiven, so stand up paralyzed man, pick up your sleeping bag and go home." How exactly do you do that? And what if he walks on water? Do you really think I’m pitching myself over the side of the boat to see if I can do it too?

And what if the leader raises back to life a dead girl? Am I supposed to do that, ick! Or what if the leader goes all bonkers on the money-changers and ticket sellers in the church? Are you supposed to do that?

I suppose our leader of the game here today wouldn't do those things; they would just walk funny, or do a jumping jack, or sing a song, or tell a funny story. You could probably do all of those, right? But what if he said, "The Father and I are One." Then what would you do?

I suppose you could ask one of the other people in the game, I mean one of them must understand what the leader is doing and saying and thinking, right?. I mean the leader can't be that cryptic can he or she?

Or you could ask a former leader of the line what the current leader of the line is doing or thinking, although depending on whther they are paying attention or net, they might or might not know what is going on.

Or I suppose you could ask the leader.

Because if you don't understand what you are supposed to do to follow the leader you could do it wrong and the leader could say you are out of the line, and out of the game, and out of the community that is following the leader.

I would hope that if you ask the leader what the leader did that you are supposed to be doing, then at least if you do it wrong, think it wrong, feel it wrong - at least the leader knows you were trying to get it right, right?

The object is to learn to follow the leader so well that you become like the leader: think like the leader does, see the world the way the leader does, act like the leader does, talk like the leader does; so that at some point you can become the leader, so much like the leader that you are basically indistinguishable, soul mates, one person, reflections in the mirror, so alike that anyone looking at one of you can't tell you from the other in the mirror in the way you function in the game.

I mean, that is how you win, by being the leader's double, doing exactly like her or him!

Mark tells us that as Jesus was walking along the shores of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew and later James and John and asked them to come follow him, and they left everything to be part of the adventure Jesus offered.

Following a teacher in Jesus day was really all about following. You went and lived with the teacher, you went where the teacher went and learned about life and how to understand it and how to live in the way the teacher thought was right and meaningful by encountering everyday situations and watching what the teacher did when he encountered them.

You learned about the value that the teacher put on people and things and experiences from watching and hearing and feeling the master’s word and actions, and then could hear the master’s explanations for his words and actions and even ask questions.

You didn't get knowledge from a book, although the Torah and the Prophets were readily available, you got it from the master directly. It was a lot like playing “follow the leader” except this was real life and for keeps!

You learned how to be like Jesus by ...being like Jesus. It happened in the marketplace, in the homes of friends, in contacts with other political and religious and civil leaders, and in the living of day to day life.

It happened in community, in the Temple and synagogue sometimes, but most often it happened in the interaction between Jesus and the world while the disciples watched and learned and prepared to do likewise.

It happened in real life and in real time, and since that is the place, not in church, where being like Jesus matters the most, in our homes, at our jobs, when we shop, and play, that’s where we too need to live out life's great adventures with Jesus.

Jesus came by the seashore and invited a bunch of regular folks to come and play “follow the leader”. And they left everything and began learning from the Master. How about you? Are you ready to follow the leader? Amen.

Sermon Preparation for February 20

2011-02-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

So, this is a bit late. Sorry about that. I will set a regular schedule for my sermon notes soon. I will probably post them on Wednesday and then (in a perfect world) port the sermon on Sunday or Monday.

In any case for this Sunday I am working on Mark 1:16-20 where Jesus calls the first four disciples. It is a very short passage with just a few terse details. The calling of the other disciples comes later, and this calling focuses on details around their being fishermen and being asked by Jesus to come and learn to catch people.

It's an odd one, not the least because it is a call to discipleship of a sorts, of folks who don't seem to be typical disciples and who are being asked not to do typical disciple things, at least that is my first impression.

So what to do with this? It leads nicely into a conversation of followers of Jesus being invited into a different kind of relationship, one more like an apprenticeship than into typical first century discipleship, but is that the way the sermon should go. Hmmm.

Growing Churches

2011-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

So here is the beginning of my thoughts on growing churches and my re-write of my booklet on the topic!

Question number one is, Do you want to grow? That is the most important question of all. If you do, and you’re willing to work at it, it can happen. But you have to want to grow from the janitor to the session, from the pastor to the Church School.

It is said that many congregations talk about growth, but they really don't want new people. What they want is more people to help do what the current people are getting tired of doing. But that is not what new people are about. New people come with new ideas, new expectations, new gifts and talents. They can be like new wine in an old wine skin. They can have so much fizz they burst the old church apart, wanting to change things, be in leadership, give more money away, and worst, ask more new people to come and join.

Growth, of course, does not necessarily mean numbers. Many congregations are “growing" even though their numbers of members are staying the same. Growth is mostly an attitude; an attitude that says that we truly want new people to come and be part of our faith adventure. If that attitude is true of your congregation, and you are doing what you can to invite and welcome new people, then the rest is in God's hands. But don't be surprised if over time a new visitor decides to join your local band of Jesus' followers.

Below you'll find some ideas about evangelism for churches that want to grow. Look through them. Pick and choose. Try some out and see what happens. Then go back and try a few more. Just remember, once growth happens, it's addicting. Have fun.

New Direction

2011-02-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in not writing much for this blog over the past few months, so I have decided to prime the pump by going back to the future by rewriting some material I developed years ago in relationship to church growth.

The material is from a publication I did for our church newsletter that later was used by our local presbytery and eventually was made available at a synod. It was called "Presbyterian Evangelism: Practical Ideas for Growth Minded Congregations" and put together many of the thoughts I had had about what helps churches invite and then incorporate new people into the life of a congregation.

Well I've decided the material needs some reworking, so over the next couple of weeks and months I will attempt to rewrite and edit old material and add some new thoughts on "growing". And you are welcome to join in by adding your thoughts and comments here.

Don't be afraid to suggest new ideas, correct things you think I have missed or even argue if you like, though politely please! The idea is to think in a "growing" way about helping folks come and follow Jesus with a nearby group of fellow disciples.

So, the next edition of this blog will have page one from a new series of practical ideas for growth minded congregations. And we are off!

February 13 Sermon

2011-02-13T03:55:00.000-08:00

Friends, here is Sunday's sermon!

Mawidge...mawidge is what bwings us togewer today...
Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement, that dweam wiffim a dweam...
... Ven wuv, twoo wuv, wiw fowwow you fowever..
... so tweasuwe your vruv..

A quote such as it is from the classic movie “The Princess Bride”. Amazingly, today’s scripture lesson from John’s gospel, is about marriage too, but not about marriage. Confused? It turns out that John shares the story, the only one recorded of Jesus attending a first century Jewish wedding feast in Israel, and never once tells us anything about the wedding!

So, even though Valentine’s Day is here and you’re thinking about romance, I gotta break it to you; this story isn’t about love, it isn’t about romance, it isn’t even about marriage, it’s all about Jesus first miracle. But don’t despair. There are a few tidbits here, and before I’m done I share the crumbs of what I’ve found.

It’s hard to imagine because of our images of Jesus as the Cosmic Son of God, but the gospel writers present Jesus pretty much as an everyday guy, with a everyday life, especially when we find ourselves with Jesus walking the streets and roads of Galilee and even later in Jerusalem.

Jesus eats, he tells stories, he is accused of hanging out with a bad crowd. He comes from a small town. He goes to synagogue. He has parents and even occasionally listens to them. He starts out as a baby, becomes a teenager, and eventually an adult. He goes to Seders, attends celebrations in Jerusalem, and even more pedestrian, he goes to a wedding.

Not that we are told anything about the wedding like who was getting married, what the details of the ceremony were, whether the groom broke a goblet under his foot at the end, whether there was a huppa, whether a Rabbi was there, and why, why, why, Jesus and Mary and the disciples were there!

John places Jesus at the wedding reception, a wedding reception at which it appears he has no other responsibilities other than to show up. Why his disciples are there isn’t clear. The wedding is in Cana, a city that we can’t even really identify, but was probably a short distance from Nazareth; and it appear that at least Jesus is related to one of the families in the wedding, as may have been others of the disciples.

John frames the big question of the event, as a contest of sorts between mom and her adult son; think Jason and Karen Ketcham, Brian and Sue Farley, Mike Jr. and Allison Wilbur.

The practical concern Mary has for the wine running out and the need for more wine suggests a familial sense of responsibility. Providing sufficient wine would mean that the celebration would go on to its natural end. Running out of wine would mean that the party would have to end early, forcing a huge loss of face for the Bridegroom.

And it sets up this bizarre exchange, whether mary decided that Jesus can fix the wine problem, and Jesus seems at least a little miffed or maybe confused or maybe even amused at Mary’s request
He seems out of sorts John tells us, because dealing with the wine is not what Jesus wants to do, is supposed to do, or is a misunderstand of who Jesus is.

It’s interesting. Jesus seems to accept the basic Jewish understandings of marriage. He never really suggests another way of dealing with the relationship between men and woman, he just leaves what has happened over time in the Jewish tradition alone. He only suggests, and then sometimes in a traditional way, that there is anything about marriage that needs fixing, remembering that Jesus lived in a time of arranged marriages.

One, that divorce, an arrangement that Moses made with God, is not a Kingdom idea, that in essence it is a concession to the broad based sinfulness of humanity, that divorce is part of the fall, that though it happens it is jus more evidence of how badly we needs God’s intervention in our lives.

Two, in a conversation about the Levirate Law, which has to do with a woman having children and inheritance issues, a form of early social security, that in the eternal Kingdom, marriage is not part of the picture. Jesus says we will not be married in heaven.

Which leads to the third thing Jesus implies, that while marriage here and now has to do with procreation and interrelationships between people, marriages eternal significance has mostly to do with our relationship to God; that it is a concrete example of an abstract idea; that God is faithful to us and we should be faithful to God and the best example in the here and now of what that looks like and feels like is marriage, and contract and relationship so tight that it is almost like living in another person’s skin.

Jesus gets up in his mother’s grill, because of his mother’s pointed request, which by the way she handles just fine, like any normal mother would, by telling the servants to go and do what Jesus is about to tell them to go and do, because:
One, this wedding is not the time and the place for a miracle, nor to reveal who he was.

Two, because this kind of thing was not his calling, a reminder to all of us that we are not to waste our time and energy doing stuff that is not our calling, except possibly for mom.
And three, that physical miracles were a misunderstanding of who Jesus was! Jesus was not here on earth to do miracles, he was here to reconcile humanity to God.

Marriage is tough. Trying to put two lives together for all of time is really hard work. We make mistakes and we have to learn to be humble, and ask for forgiveness, and learn to love a person who sometimes is a complete jerk. But that’s exactly the point. Learning how to live in another person’s shoes, or another person’s skin, or another person’s soul, is exactly the training and insight we need to begin to understand what our relationship with God should be like.

The Holy Spirit, God’s presence is already in us, living in our shoes, in our skin, in our souls. We are, as it were already married to God. Now we have to learn what it is like to live into God, and marriage is the closest simulation we can get this side of eternity of how to live a fully God filled life.

So, if you are married, give thanks for the special privilege you have been given to understand just a little bit more of what it is like to in fellowship with God. If you aren’t married, give thanks to God that you don’t have to deal with his dirty socks or her shelf full of shampoo and conditioners, and know that God will still be at work in you making you more and more like God everyday. True truth!

Love, true love, will follow you forever! Amen.

Sermon February 13 notes

2011-02-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

Friends:
Sunday's sermon text is from John 2:1-12, the wedding feast in Cana. There are lost of tidbits.

One is the context of the passage is a Jewish wedding feat in the 1st Century in Israel. While there are good bible dictionaries that make talk about this as well as Joachim Jeremias' book "Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus", I also read a web page offering some insight into modern Jewish wedding ceremonies.

See http://www.squidoo.com/jewishweddingcustoms

Also, I am working on these notes.

Tidbits
1. Jesus accepts the basic Jewish understanding of marriage. Here
He disputes divorce, in that it is a concession to sin, contrary to see 3
He suggests that in the eternal kingdom, marriage is not the issue, because see 3
Marriage is a concrete example of an abstract idea; God’s faithfulness

2. He gets all up in his mother’s grill
Because it is not his time
Because this is not his calling, his ministry
Because she is asking for something concrete while Jesus mostly is working abstractly

There is more, but we will see where all this goes. ;-)

Defensive Driving

2010-10-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Liberty Mutual is pleased to be able to offer this 6-Hour Point & Insurance Reduction Course. By participation and completion of the course, without any test taking, you will:

* Receive a 10% insurance discount on collision & liability premium for the principal driver,valid for 3 years.
* Reduce the total points on your driving record by up to 4 points for violations occurring within the past 18 months.
* Refresh your driving skills and learn techniques for collision prevention.

Date: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Time: 9:30 am - 4 pm
Otisville/Mt Hope Presbyterian Church
25 Main Street
Otisville NY 10963

Cost: $22 per person
(check or money order made payable to NTSI)

RSVP by 11/18/10 to Candace Behensky at
Candace.Behensky@LibertyMutual.com or
845-496-8990 Ext. 52730.

Good Challenge

2010-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

The hyperlink below takes you to an article and some discussion questions related to Anne Rice's open statements about leaving Christianity while continuing on with Christ.

She is tired of "Christianity's infighting" and "anti everything" positions. Read the article and note down your thoughts here for a rolicking discussion.

http://www.smallgroupministry.com/ideas/breaking-news/recent-convert-rejects-organized-religion

Volunteering is a pain!

2010-08-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

In Philippians 4:4 the Apostle Paul writes: "Rejoice, and again I tell you rejoice." It seems he thinks that life as a follower of Christ out to be one that makes praise just naturally flow to our lips.

And yet, as I travel the byways of our congregation's life, I often find people who are deeply involved in the church's activities, organizations and life that are finding it really hard to rejoice.

On first inspection one might think that there was something wrong with their spiritual lives, that maybe their prayers were going awry or their didn't really like worship any more.

But a closer look revels different information. While their spiritual lives may be in a rocky place because of what life is throwing at them, often the real source of joylessness is what they are doing in ministry.

Volunteering is making them blue! That can happen for lots of reasons, but one of the biggest ones is that what they are doing as volunteers no longer inspires them, no longer pulls at their heart strings, no longer gives them meaning and purpose; it has instead become difficult, tedious, and energy draining.

But...folks don't want to give us doing what they have been doing, usually because of fear; fear that the ministry will stop, fear that this will mean they have failed, fear that people will think less of them, fear that they will not find another ministry that will thrill them.

So they continue to do ministry that is making them miserable, and truth be known, often making the people around them miserable too!

Let me be clear. God has not called you to any ministry that makes you miserable. God has not called you to any ministry that you dread. God has called you to rejoice in Him, so there will be challenges in ministry, so that you through him can overcome. But if you are not happy doing what you are doing in ministry right now, do what the firemen teach you when your clothes are on fire! Stop! Drop! And roll!

That's it! Stop - what you are doing for God's kingdom. Don't worry, God will deal with that in God's own way! Drop - to your knees and ask God humbly and happily what you are supposed to be doing. God has new plans for you. Quit being so busy you can't listen!

And roll, get that flexibility and joy back in your life by rolling on over to a new place and a new calling in life. Let God take you and lead you by the hand to a new ministry that will thrill you! Learn how to pray again by being in a place and doing a thing that scares you, not bores you. Meet new people, learn new skills, change your church address and open your heart again to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And learn what means to rejoice. And again I say, rejoice!

Scout Jamboree

2010-08-05T07:54:00.001-07:00

Just got a great picture of the scouts from Troop 1 at the church who attended the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill Virgina. They are from left, Brent Shorter, Danny Siper, John Galdun, and Tyler Gibbs. Way to go!

Pete Seeger nd Habitat

2010-06-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

Pete Seeger - Habitat Concert

IF I HAD A HAMMER: CONCERT FOR A HOUSE!

Habitat for Humanity of Newburgh is hosting an open-air concert featuring the legendary Pete Seeger and friends that will take place on Saturday, July 3rd from 1-4PM on the lawn at Washington's Headquarters, overlooking the Hudson River waterfront in Newburgh, NY.

All proceeds from ticket sales ($10 in advance, $15 at the door) will go to build Newburgh Habitat for Humanity's next house in the City of Newburgh, NY. Kids under 12 free with an adult.

Food and drink from local restaurants.
Bring the family, and sing along!

For further information, including ticket purchase and directions, go to

www.habitatnewburgh.org or www.HabitatSeegerConcert.myevent.com

Stephen Ministry

2010-05-13T04:48:00.000-07:00

A Great Way You Can Help a Hurting Friend

Do you have a friend, neighbor, coworker, or relative who is going through a difficult time? Here's a great way you can help them--tell them about our Stephen Ministry! Stephen Ministers are members of the church who have received special training to provide high quality, confidential, one-to-one, Christian care to people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, coping with a cancer diagnosis, going through a divorce or separation, battling a chronic illness (or caring for a spouse or parent who is chronically ill), experiencing a great deal of stress, facing the loss of a job -- or encountering any of countless other life challenges.

Stephen Ministers meet weekly with their care receivers to listen, care, encourage, and provide emotional and spiritual support. (Males are matched with males, and females are matched with females.) The caring relationship lasts for as long as the person needs care. It's free, and it's a powerful way you can help a hurting friend.
To learn how to connect someone you know with a Stephen Minister, talk with one of our Stephen Ministry Leaders: Gerda Krogslund, Glenda Teabo-Sandoe, or Deanna Prisco. Our Stephen Ministers are there to care!

Peace is essential

2010-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when there is no peace. 80,000 people without food as the sides in a country battle over control.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-10/terrorists-kidnap-a-hero/

It is hard to imagine what this is doing when we live in a world that by comarison is absolutely placid. Pray for peace!

Need someone to care?

2010-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are in the midst of a temporary trying time, some kind of crisis, or a longtime series of problems, it is often helpful to have someone to talk to. The problem is, most of the people you normally talk to are either tired of listening or are part of the difficulties.

One possible solution is asking for a Stephen Minister to be available to talk to. Our congregation has about a dozen Stephen Ministers all trained to be listeners, caring friends, who are willing to take the time just for you to listen.

Each Stephen Minister can offer to you a caring person who will listen and keep your information confidential, being there to pray with you if you like, and certainly there to offer a hug and a quiet sharing opportunity when you need it.

The program is so powerful and so important that PBS, the Public Broadcasting System has made a video story about it that is currently at their website.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-9-2010/stephen-ministries/6044/

There are other resources there as well that help tell the story of a program and people whose whole purpose for being is to offer caring when you need it most. If you are in need of a listener, or know someone who is, make sure you watch this video and give one of our Stephen Leaders a call. Contact the church for phone numbers or email addresses.

BJ, Crystal and Grandpa

2010-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

BJ & Crystal were married in Lancaster County Saturday outside a beautiful restored brick house and a wonderful restored barn where the reception were held. 120 or so friends and family traveled to be part of the event.

It was made all the more unusual because of a special event at the rehearsal dinner!

For those of you who have not seen the Facebook page, a special ceremony took place, when BJ's grandfather recieved several medals he never got when he left the Navy in 1946. The story can be found at

http://www.facebook.com/USNavy#!/photo.php?pid=3979065&id=74281347822&comments&ref=mf

All in all, a wedding to remember.

Stephen Ministry

2010-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

When should you call and make arrangements to talk to a Stephen Minister?

When you have decided that whatever is bothering you can't just wait.
When you hear from others that you are just not happy and you need to talk.
When is starts to effect how you are feeling, acting, and living.
When your prayers just are happening anymore.
When God gently nudges you!

What Is a Stephen Minister?

Stephen Ministers are faithful Christians sent by God to help you through a life crisis.
They are filled with God's love and knowledge, which you will find quite priceless.
They'll walk closely with you and be your trusted friend.
They will keep everything in confidence, forever.
They will be there until you're whole again.

What would send a person to find a Stephen Minister?
Maybe you've lost a loved one or job on which you depend.
It could be a serious illness, and you feel you need a friend.
So you don't have to go it alone when life's challenges you must bear.
Just let them know of your need, and a Stephen Minister will be there.
(Poem by Betty L. Delfosse)

Who should you call?
Jeff Farley
Gerda Krogslund
Glenda Teabo Sandoe

Apprentices unite

2010-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

What is happening in your apprenticeship? Are you growing or shrinking in your faith, your skills for caring for others, your willingness to risk loving other people?

Contrary to the way most people practice their faith, Jesus never intended for us to learn how to be faithful by the discovery method. The idea was not to learn by sending all his disciples out into the wilderness and leaving them their to survive or wilt on their own.

He said he wanted disciples, apprentices to learn faith and living faith from being with him and the other disciples! Faith is not a solitary activity. It is to be done in a community with other faithful people; other faithful people who are trying to raise kids, trying to have great marriages, trying to figure out how to get kids to college, trying to understand retirement, living and dying, growing and growing old together.

So how are you doing with your apprenticeship?

Have you learned anything new? Have you shared your insight with someone who loves you with God's love. Have you intentionally gotten together with other disciples just to share the everyday stuff to see what God is doing with your everyday stuff?

Maybe it's time to not go it alone. Maybe it's time to be part of something larger than yourself.

Sunday's Sermon April 11

2010-04-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

When we were over to Geri and Anthony Scozzafava’s for the book study, The Five Languages of Love (which by the way is still open to new participants!), Geri told us of being a kid growing up going to Catholic Church. On her way during the Mass to receive the sacrament she got giggling out of nervous habit.

The priest, not understanding what was happening, said in front of the whole congregation, “What is so funny young lady,” of course mortifying Geri and a friend. Geri remarked how devastating that was, that she was embarrassed in church instead of being received with grace in church.

Like Statler and Hilton, the Muppets Odd Couple, always with a word of wry criticism, seeing the worst in others, but never seeing it in themselves.

How easy it is to become a Pharisee and turn from the grace you yourself have received and even worse, turn from offering grace to others who have come to Jesus to hear those incredible words of acceptance!! Can you imagine Jesus at the altar with the sacrifice in hand saying such a thing to a nervous or even silly child.

The Pharisees, who were believers in Jesus in Acts chapter 15, and the Jewish believers in Galatians chapter 1 were not intending to be mean. They were just extending what they thought was the logical extension of the gospel to Gentiles, that they, through Jesus, would become Jewish believers; that they too would then rejoice in the Torah and keep it as the Jewish believers were.

They were not being mean or intending to be mean, as much as Paul was frosted at them. He wasn’t angry because they were not extending the gospel to the Gentiles. They were! They thought all Gentiles should hear and heed the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah.

No, Paul was mad at them because inadvertently, without real understanding, they were tying cement blocks to the feet of the whole Gentile Community by suggesting they be circumcised and begin living the Law.

They were sincere in believing that people had to become righteous in order to be acceptable to God. They thought of that as happening through the law and circumcision. They did not understand imputed righteousness; that is holiness to given to us by God.

Grace is as simple a concept as it can be. God loves you and accepts you as you are! If you are willing to let him, God will wonderfully shape and mold your life as you go forward from today. But in order for that to happen, you have to let go of your control of your life.

And, you have to let go of control other people’s lives as well. That is, you have to let them experience grace; from God, of course, but also from you.

And the Law is a step backwards from grace, from where we let God, to where we are in charge.
Grace you see, is easy but hard.

Grace is God choosing to love you as you are!

For me, and for all humans, we want to love you too; but naturally we want you to change: because you are imperfect, because you need fixing, because you don’t measure up.
Paul suggests we throw away the measuring stick and instead flee into God’s presence where grace does away with our attempts at human standardization.

Think about it this way. Are you married? Just how good a spouse is your beloved? Perfect I assume. Now transport your loving relationship to a place and time where there are no measures by which you could measure your spouse’s spouciness. Now how good is your spouse? The two choices are perfect, because I have no idea how to measure spouciness, or since there are no comparisons relationships to use, then wonderful. If the only standard you have is the love of Christ, then loving with your whole heart would be the only possibility, and the only conclusion is grace.

That is the way in which Christ loves you! With his whole being, and that is the way in which we are to love each other. Grace makes the standard of the law unnecessary, because if we live in grace and live out grace, the law will be fulfilled. And it becomes superfluous.

That is why Paul had no desire to send the Gentiles back to the law. The Law was a dead weight. It was a sign post of going in the wrong direction. People quickly and easily saw it as a way to measure themselves and others, and a way to judge themselves more holy than others without realizing that it also condemned them all.

Grace lets me off the hook and you off the hook. I am no more holy than you are, no less holy either. We are all made holy by Christ’s grace, and so we now live in that holiness as we live out grace towards each other!

The Five Languages of Love suggests that being filled up with love is a matter of discovering our primary love language and then letting others fill up our love tank by letting them love us in a way we will understand for sure that we are loved. And being sure that we are loved, we will, quite willingly choose to speak other people’s love languages so we can fill up their love tanks.
Grace: loving others not because we want something from them; instead loving others so that they will be filled with love. And a world it would be.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believed in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Grace. Amen.

The Shack

2010-03-31T15:48:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me about the book The Shack by William P. Young. As I had mentioned to another people who have asked, it is an interesting approach to the questions of tragedy and faith, theodicy.

I see it as a possible way to understand all of the great questions, a particular narrative answer that may or may not satisify. It left me with questions. It made me wince one or twice as a theologically trained person, but it was great story.

I listened to it on CD. I'm actually glad I heard it that way, because I heard it as story, not propositions. I liked it. It has made me laugh more than once. And cry quite a few times. And I have a new picture of God in my head, and a new voice for God as well, different than the old guy with the flowing beard that has been in my head since childhood.

If you would like to discuss the book sometime, I would be glad to be part of a discussion organized by someone. I am to overwhelmed by other ministry responsibilities to offer to be an organizer, but for an evenings conversation I would make time, especially if it is an invitational event.

Tents

2010-03-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sue Maney Eggleton found some tents that could be shipped to Haiti, waiting for Schad's arrival there. She thought two are possibilities. What do you think and what would be the best way of making this happen?

She writes:

Jeff,
After seeing and listening to Mr. St. Louis' presentation on Sunday, I've done some checking into the price of waterproof tents. I also spoke with him about the most suitable tent to send (terrain (rocky) and number of occupants (4-5) per tent).

I also went on-line to see what the climate is like in January and February. The temperature can vary (low, 60 - high, 80 degrees) this time of year, depending on location.

After looking at various web-sites (L.L. Bean, Cabelas, Field & Stream, Dick's Sporting Goods and Gander Mountain), I think these are two reasonable options due to their size, supposed durability and waterproof ratings. They're not cheap, but for living accommodations, you need something that will last for more than a weekend or two.

Apparently, it will take 1-2 weeks to deliver them (International Express Delivery) and the shipping cost will depend upon the monetary value of the shipment (i.e. $450-$600 = $125 S & H). I would like to try to coordinate their delivery for March 26th, so that they are there for Mr. St. Louis' arrival on the 28th. It will be tight.

If there are some folks that would like to contribute toward the purchase of some tents, I would be more than happy to see if we would be able to negotiate a discount (possibly 10-20%, depending on the volume) and make the delivery arrangements.

Here's some information with the web-sites. If you have, or anyone else has (especially the Boy Scouts/Eagle Scouts, etc.) any other suggestions, I would be more than happy to hear them.
Please let me know what you think.

AMAZON.COM
Columbia® Bugaboo II Dome - Item # 414880
$149.99
Highlights:
5-person tent.
GoBeDry® Rain Protection System
http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Bugaboo-12-Foot-9-Foot-5-Person/dp/B00170JZCG

L.L. Bean
King Pine Dome Tent - 4 person - #TA224320
$299.00
Highlights: Even on rainy days-sturdy, protective waterproof panels, durable floor and plenty of ventilation, screen room, traditional dome shape - proven to shed wind, while the full-coverage, waterproof rain fly keeps the tent dry.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53082?pi=660554&qs=3012739-Google_Base&subrnd=0

Horns for Haiti Next friday

2010-03-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

Orange Confidential: Benefit concert will help send aid to Haiti
Time Herald Record
Posted: March 11, 2010 - 2:00 AM

The Otisville Brass Quintet will perform a benefit concert at 7 p.m. March 19 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 391 Mount Hope Road, Middletown.

Free-will donations at the door will help support Middletown High School guidance counselor Schadrac Saint Louis on a return trip to his native Haiti this spring to bring humanitarian aid. Saint Louis spent four days there in February distributing water and food with a Haitian aid group, and he'll return to take more supplies to the area where he grew up, near Croix-des-Bouquets a few miles from Port-au-Prince.

Middletown High School staff and students and St. John's Church donated to Saint Louis' initial trip.

The Otisville Brass Quintet (including the Times Herald-Record's own Oliver Mackson on trumpet and flugelhorn) will perform classical, sacred, patriotic, blues and polka tunes.
For more information on the concert, call 341-0924.

Saint Louis is also collecting nonperishable food, hygiene kits, clothing, tents, blankets and shoes for his return trip to Haiti, with the assistance of the Otisville-Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church and St. John's Lutheran Church. Donations can be made at Otisville-Mt. Hope Presbyterian, 25 Main St., Otisville (contact Rita at 726-3298); at St. John's (contact Cathie Heil at 733-4039 or Julene De Leeuw at 341-0924); at Studio Ayo, 113 Cottage St., Middletown (contact Damola at 820-8504); or at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry (contact Caitlin Kruger at 914-674-7640). You can also call Schadrac Saint Louis at 300-5913.
Heather Yakin

Minisink School News

2010-03-12T05:43:00.001-08:00

I got this email this morning:

"Minisink Valley Schools on Friday morning announced that the District is laying off forty (40) teachers at the end of June 2010. This is in addition to the fourteen (14) teachers they offered early retirement to and we may lose in June 2010 due to attrition. This is also in addition to the teachers that have left previously and have not been replaced due to a hiring freeze.

"The district announced that the result will be larger class sizes. Class size for regular education classes average 25-27 students. With a possible reduction of 54+ teachers this could easily relate to 35-40 students in a class.

"Many Minisink residents are not aware that the district has $11,791,699 of taxpayers money that will grow to be over $13,000,000 by June 2010. New York State reprimanded Minisink Valley Central School District for holding onto too much taxpayer money and that they need to have a plan in place to spend it, because they can only hold 4% of the annual budget in reserve."

Several people have asked what this means for us as a community and a church. It a minimum it will mean several changes because of the disruptions in classes at the schools. It will also mean that some of our church members and friends will be unemployed (especially since this seems to be the pattern at most local districts and we have teachers staff and administration members at many of them).

There are several things we can do. We can attend school board meetings so we are well educated about what will happen. We can have our antenna up for folks who may be loosing their jobs and need much love and assistance, emotionally and possibly financially. And we can begin to think of ways we can help families educationally, especially if they will now be under served by before and after school programs.

This is a time when the church can make a difference, by not giving into fear and panic, but instead showing how people of deep faith handle adversity, by banding together to care for each other and the community God has given us to care for.

So what can and should we do. Call together some of your friends and lets think and dream together. Our kids and their educations matter. Our teachers and school employees matter too. How can we be the church of Jesus in this situation?

Haiti

2010-03-09T12:30:00.001-08:00

Today a web letter from CWS (Church World Service) the Blanket Sunday and CROP Walk people says that 230,000 people died in the earthquake in Haiti. They are working there as best they can, but the need is overwhelming. See http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8561&news_iv_ctrl=1221

It is amazing what has happen, and what is even more amazing is what will happen!

Two things for sure:

1. Things will get worse. The rainy season is coming to Haiti and the people there are in no way prepared. There are no tents. People are camping out in shelters made from bed sheets. If we think this part of the crisis is bad, it will only get scarier.

2. People will do something!

Like Schadrac St. Louis, who is planning to go home again the end of the month with the support of our congregation, the St. John's Lutheran Church, and the Middletown School Community.

And like the Otisville Brass Quintet, who will be playing a concert entitled "Horns for Haiti" on Friday night, March 19 at 7:00pm at the St. John's Church on Mt. Hope Road to benefit Schad's trip.

The situation calls for despair. The gospel calls for hope, and "hope" is our middle name. So off we go to make a difference! How about you? ;-)

Sunday

2010-03-04T08:04:00.000-08:00

This week we are with the Apostle Paul in Lystra, where he and Barnabus participated in a healing, were mistaken for Greek god, Zeus whose Temple was nearby, and then stoned by a roused up crowd when they refused to be consider as god's.

Paul is stuggling to make clear to an audience that doesn't much understand the idea of a monothestic faith what it means to understand Jesus as Christ and Son of God. The missionary task of translating biblical ideas over multiple cultures is challenging.

Healing in there minds was a sign they were gods or at least sons of gods. The idea was foreign to Paul. He was human, invited into a relationship with God through Jesus. He was able, but God could work through him, and through them if they were interested.

Which leads to the 1 Corinthian reading: idols aren't real, so food offered to them is safe to eat. None-the-less, scruples are important. If a person is concerned about doing something that might appear to comprimize them or their faith, don't be a part of putting them in that position. Be faithful to them and with them. Put them in a position to grow and be stronger.

Hmm. How can we help each other get stronger?

Job News

2010-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

It appears that some businesses are thinking the weather might someday improve enough to think about spring! Hallelujah!

So Matt passes along this tidbit about Lowes, the home improvement store (see below). It may be there are others as well. Be sure to pass along anything you hear and we will send out the opportunities.

If anyone is asking, most Lowe's Stores, including Chester are hiring, right now. Mostly Seasonal / Temp positions but it will be good employment for at least 6 months and would have the potential for a permenant position, after the summer. Lowe's offers competitive pay ( based on Retail Pay Scale and Experience). Anyone Interested can apply at: Lowes.com/Careers

Job Opportunity

2010-03-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

For someone who may be looking for a job, Jim Eggleton passed along this heads up. It may not be what you are looking for, but who knows. If we hear of other opportunities, we will pass those along as well.
Jeff

Kohls distribution center here in Wurtsboro is hiring again. The interviews begin next Wed., 3/10. Anyone can stop in to the distribution center on Route 209 and fill out an application at any time. We're open from 5:30AM to 1:30AM every day. I don't know how many people we're hiring. The shifts are 10 hour shifts 4 days a week, Sun - Wed, or Wed - Sat, 5:30AM - 3:30PM or 3:30PM - 1:30AM. Starting pay is about $10.50 to $12.00 per hour depending on which shift.

More Barn news

2010-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

Here's an article from 1876. Thanks again to the Mt. Hope Historical Society and Nancie Craig who sent me this document a few years ago.
Lee Runnalls

The Orange County Press
November 1876

A Fire in Otisville,
[Correspondence of the Press]

Thanksgiving day, a little after one o’clock Charles W. Loomis’ barn was discovered to be on fire. He succeeded in removing his three horses and some of his farming tools. His hay, a two-horse wagon, horse rake, land roller, a quantity of potatoes and turnips were burned. Origin of the fire unknown. Insured for $500 on the building and $300 on the contents. About fifty feet from the barn stands the Presbyterian Church, which by the efforts of the people and the favorable direction of the wind, was saved. Considerable damage was done to the inside of the church by taking our stoves, carpets, etc. If the church had burned, nothing could have saved the main part of the village, from Northrop’s corner to Galen Otis’ house. Elder Uptegrove’s house being in the direct line of the fire, had the burning shingles on the roof several times, but water was promptly used, and no damage was done. Fire was also kindled between Wm. H. Hill’s blacksmith shop and the M. E. Church, but was discovered in time to prevent any damage.

It is very unfortunate for Mr. Loomis, and one of the luckiest escapes for Otisville possible.

Fascinating!

The Barn

2010-03-02T05:10:00.000-08:00

Pictures are starting to come in of the barn as it used to be. Lee Runnalls posted this postcard from the 1800's of the church and the barn next to each other on Main Street.

Fell free to send other pictures along if you have them!

Barn Collapse

2010-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Earlier today the barn next to the church collapsed. Thankfully no one was hurt. There is some debris next to the right-of-way, and there is a part of the wall near the church still standing, so some demolition is necessary.

The weight of the snow took it down. I don't know for sure how long it has stood next to the church (and it may even precede the building of the church) but it is a long time. It is sad to see another of the great symbols of Otisville's wonderful past slip away.

I suspect there will be some issues related to the church, since the space between us and the barn is tiny, but not too much. I have a feeling a bulldozer will be needed to get into the barn, and that will probably close off our right-of-way for a day. I don't think it will limit other access, so regular activities should be fine.

What a great start to the week!

Friday at the Ranch

2010-02-26T10:41:00.001-08:00

Well... Snow it is!

Many thanks to all who have been helping with snow removal: Sue, Derrick, Aaron, Amanda, Kyle, Zack, Kyle, and Matt, as well as Frank, Mike, and others who have given us their best.

At this point the doors are accessible, but the parking lots are full of snow, plowed as well as is possible, but with mounds of plowed up snow. Frank has been working on a frontloader to see if we can get some help.

As for church and church activities, who knows. The weather is not supposed to get much better until Sunday, and even then it is in doubt. So hang in there. It's Lent and so we must contemplate our sinful condition and God's grace shown to us no matter what. Hmmm. Shoveling is a form of penance? ;-)

Many thanks to Arlene Strecker for the picture. She has a few others that are quite nice.

Jeff

Thursday

2010-02-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Obviously, church activities are off for today, since we are having a hard time keeping up with the snow. The snowblower is off to the shop. Sue and I have been shoveling, along with Derrick Cash, and the teenage shoveler. We have also had Frank Ketcham here trying to get the snowblower to work right, which it seems it just won't (no real power). Oh well.

If the weather is better tomorrow, we will open the office and try to get ready for evening activites. We will need to look for a frontloader to empty out part of the Orchard Street parking lot. We have lot multiple spaces with more to go today.

Snow

2010-02-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well friends, there is snow and more snow to come. Thankfully, Brian was home for two days and school was closed so Sue and I and even Derrick Cash got out and did some shoveling. Our paid teenager means well, but like others seems to see only the small picture of what could be shoveled and not all that should be shoveled. Oy Vey.

Program wise Tuesday night's activities were canceled. I am not sure about tonight's Stephen Ministry training, but will watch the weather and make the call later today. AA I suspect will meet. SYF I am not sure about.

This Sunday is Black Heritage Sunday, a great day to celebrate the unique diversity that God has raised up in the church. Truly a mixture of different folks from different places, nations, origins, lifestyles, backgrounds, all together to praise the living God!

And the Blood bus is coming, a physical way to put our lives on the line for others. Blood is essential for saving lives and we can make a difference!

So, barring awful weather, I hope to see you here at the OMHPC soon. There is a reason "hope" is our middle name! Amen!

Shadrack's trip to Haiti

2010-02-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

Shad St. Louis returned from Haiti with a frenzied passion to return over Spring Break to do more for his village. He and his cousin were the first people to get there with assistance, and they are less than 15 miles from where the earthquake hit! He purchased and distributed hundreds of bags of drinking water and bags of rice or noodles for everyone, who still do not have any clean water.

The devastation was worse than he envisioned; he didn't recognize his town! He has created an 8 minute video clip that he would be happy to share with us if we are interested in viewing. If not, he does want to extend his thanks to us for our support, and the Church community in Haiti was overflowing with appreciation to us.

They wrote thank you signs on cardboard as a means to express their gratitude to us! I hope to show the video to the group involved in the Rock-A-Thon, but wasn't sure if we should go bigger than that?

Along the same lines, Shad plans to send large totes by plane or boat to provide clothing. I am thinking that we can encourage our Church community to host a "Spring Closet Cleaning" event where we can donate clothes to this effort. It will be a very quick initiative, as he hopes to be able to send it by mid-March.

Friends, what can we do. If you would like to be part of this effort, please let Jeff know immediately and we will have a planning meeting this next week. Here's a way we can make a difference, and maybe even see our mission efforts first hand.
Jeff

Presidnetial Politics

2008-06-24T09:30:00.001-07:00

For an interesting read, see

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080624/ap_on_el_pr/rel_dobson_obama

Join me here for a conversation.

Christian Character Peacemaker

2006-09-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well, last week's sermon is now posted as an mp3 file at the church's website www.otisvillepres.org . You can go there to listen and to download this sermon, as well as four of the five podcasts in the sermon series on Christian Character.

We have been looking at the book of James and have dealt with several topics, including purity, prejudice, profanity and peacemaking.

This coming Sunday we will be dealing with praise.

Prais is the best part of being a person of faith.

Christian Character

2006-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

For those who may not have been in worship the last two Sundays, w have started a new series on Christian Character.

We started with Purity as a part of Christian Character. Who and whose we are leads not only to a new kind of thinking, it also leads to a new kind of being. Purity in Action means we have to live out our faith.

last Sunday we went on to talk about Prejudice and Christian Character. It is pretty hard to justify hating, or discriminating, or marginalizing anyone with Jesus looking over your shoulder. He loves the whole world John 3:16 suggests and so then should we.

This week we go on in this series from the letter of James, to chapter 3 and the issue of profanity, especially gossip and talking people down, not just the swearing thing. When we fail to see people as Jesus sees them, we are all in danger of profaning the image of Christ! wow.

The last three sermons are now on the church website as podcasts. Go to http://www.otisvillepres.org/podcast.htm
right click on the podcast you want to listen to, and save the file as to your desktop. From there you can click on it to listen, or move it to any mp3 player.

As always, for questions, just send a note to info@otisvillepres.org !

It's Been Awhile

2006-07-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

It has been several days since I wrote. The summer has taken it's toll in keeping me busy away from the computer. But the scripture lessons go on and this week is not different.

The lectionary lesson moves from Mark to John this week. And strangely enough from mark's version of Jesus and the feeding of the 5,000 and the boat trip accross Galilee to John's version. I have no idea why. i don't see significant differences. Why would the lectionary writers offer this up.

A mystery that hopefully will be resolved by Sunday!

Podcasts

2006-07-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I should have noted that the church web iste is www.otisvillepres.org and the specific address for the podcasts is http://www.otisvillepres.org/podcast.htm

If you have problems with the site, send me a note at jeff@otisvillpres.org

New Material

2006-07-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Today I added to the church web site two more podcasts, one for July 2, the other for July 9. I am back working for the gospel lessons in the lectionary.

In a week or so I hope to be able to do a podcast of John Goldsith and I (and maybe a few others) talking about Rene Girard and his ideas from an anthropologic perspective. We're not sure what we think of it all yet, but we do want to talk about it.

If you are up for the discussion, let me know and we'll add a microphone.

New idea

2006-07-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

We are going to try something new. We are going to start posting the podcasts of the sermons each week on our web site (www.otisvillepres.org) instead of at Our Media, because for whatever reason, Our Media is being very difficult.

I appologize, becuase that will mean that feeds won't be available (unless we can figure out how to do that from our web site), but regular downloads will. Bear with us and I think this will smooth out a whole bunch of problems.

I will note here when the next podcast is available. I'm hoping this evening or tomorrow.

Equip the Saints

2006-07-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

As hard as I try, I have not been able to get the podcast of the June 25 sermon to hand at Our Media. Because I have been working on that, I have been neglecting the mateiral I really want to post here.

I also have the podcast from July 2 ready to hang. It may instead of being hung here, be added to our web site at www.otisvillepres.org as a regular downloadable file. On July 2 we moved from a four discussion of the Spiritual Gifts, back to the lectionary.

July 2, the fourth Sunday in Pentecost took us back to Mark's gospel and the healing of the woman who had been hemmoraging for a decade, and the raising up from the dead of Jarius' daughter.

Jesus is moving with power, that is until July 9th, when he returns home to Nazareth. Incredible faith, and then, no faith. You can't believe in God's power when you refuse (or unable, giving the benefit of the doubt) to see God in another person.

Makes me wonder if there is some projection going on here; I can't see God in me, so I can't see God in you. Hmmm.

Gifts in Community

2006-06-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

That's the fact of it all. The Spiritual Gifts however you configure them are much less about the gifts and much more about the church they've been given to. Paul goes to great lengths to make sure that the Corinthians understand that the gifts were given as diversity into a unity that is essential, and at the center of that unity is love.

The diversity of the gifts, no matter what they are, can only be for the good of the body, and that body is the one that has Jesus as it's head. There is no room for putting down anyone with any gift, because all have been given by the Spirit as the Spirit feels they should be. The foot is as important as the eye; administration and helps as gifts are just as important as speaking in tongues and miracles in the church. Not outside of it, not in a church that is messed up, but in a church that is connected by the love that comes only from God.

Below find the podcast of the Sunday sermon from June 18th and let me know what you think. Just right click on the link and "save file as" to your desktop, then click the link and listen. Your comments are appreaciated and can be emailed to the link below, or directly to jeff@otisvillepres.org

http://www.archive.org/download/One_Spirit/OneSpirit.mp3

One Spirit

2006-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

The work on Spiritual Gifts continues. Unfortunetly, I'm having a hard time getting the podcast to load to the archive so you may not see it until the internet traffic dies down.

In any case, last weeks work was from the material in 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul agains takes up the image of the body as a way of understanding how the gifts given by the Spirit work. He goes to great lengths to talk about the "oneness" of the body, convinced that Spiritual Gifts in particular and diversity in general can tear apart what is supposed to be a unified church.

Humans seem to love to seperate and to define themselves as "not them". That seperation thing afflicts the church and has afflicted the church since it appears the beginning. Some gifts are better, therefore some people are better.

No so says Paul. All gifts are given by the spirit on purpose to particular people exclusively for the building up of the body of Christ. This is not a process by which superstars of th church are made or are born. In fact Paul will make clear elsewhere that if superstars will be made,it will happen only because they have outdone all others in humble self effacing service.

Spirit Gifts

2006-06-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, June 11th we began our conversation about spiritual gifts. The first text we looked at was Romans 12:1-21. Next week we will look at 1 Corinthians 12 and then June 25th we will look at Ephesians 4.

The reason for looking at the spiritual gifts is to help the people in the congregation, including me, ask the question, who should be doing what? So often the church muddles along with people doing tasks they really don't like and really aren't suited for. Maybe that is necessary in a small church where their are very few people to do things (although I really don't think that's true). But it is in no way necessary in this congregation.

The challenge is to get healthy vibrant ministries connected with spiritually gifted people who can see in those ministries how they can make a difference in this world for Jesus Christ. It is not about filling slots in some kind of work schedule. It's the process of giving permission to gifted people to use their gifts.

That may require changing the programs that exist. It may even require ending them so that new ministries can emerge that fulfill the needs of the congregation even better than those old tired programs.

This is only the beginning. Listen to the podcast below and see what you think.

http://www.archive.org/download/Spirit_Gifts/SpiritGifts.mp3

Monday Again

2006-06-05T06:43:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the podcast from Sunday June 4th.

http://www.archive.org/download/Spirit_at_Work/SpiritatWork.mp3

What does Pentecost mean for the average church? For us it means that we really need to get to work. We carry in us tremendous potential spiritual energy. But we have to unleash that energy in doing the ministey that Christ has called us to. Whether that ministry be local in fighting the NYRI power line though Otisville, or internationally worrying about Darfur, we need to be the church.

That does not mean sitting around involved in insipid worship. Worship is just the gathering. It's what we do outside the church that reveals the real power of the Spirit. Take a listen and let me know what you think.
Jeff

This Ministry

2006-06-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! This has taken forever to get back to; the podcast of the sermon from May 28!

http://www.archive.org/download/This_Ministry/ThisMinistry.mp3

I started it by on May 31 but just couldn't get time to finish the project. Now the poscast for June 4th is ready and I need to hang it and start the next one. This particular sermon deals with the replacing of Judas as an apostle and the idea that the apostles moved quickly to deal with problems, seeing them more as oppotunities for the Spirit to work.

Maybe we should think the same way; life hands you lemons, make lemonade. That's the way I'm going to approach the idea of the New York Regional Interconnect putting high voltage DC power lines right through Otisville; this is an opportunity for the church to make lemonade!

Tuesday

2006-05-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry my attention has been pulled elsewhere this past weekend. The death of a 42 year old mother of two from breast cancer was a real challenge. What can one possible say in the face of such saddness.

Then there was the weekend itself with a group of seven families gathered together to camp. It was really good to see the Caldwells up from Pennsylvania with sons Tyler and Logan, and dogs Rusty and Baxter.

Then there is this stupid powerline that is supposed to go right through the center of Otisville, basically obliterating the business didstrict and possibly part of the church. I have an idea this is going to become more of a pain before it's over!

Sunday's sermon referenced the powerline, reminding everyone that problems are possiblities when the Spirit is present! I have been able to send up the podcast to the archive yet, so maybe later in the week.

Poured Out

2006-05-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy week. The podcast was ready on Monday but I couldn't get it to load to the archive. Then I took a trip with my daughter's High School chorus to competition. It has set me back about three days. So here we are finally.

The scipture lessons we have been following have led us to Cornelius' house. Cornelius is a Roman soldier, a faithful man, who has sent some believing Jews to Peter to get him to come and explain things.

Peter has just gotten over having a vision where he is commanded to kill and eat unclean animals. Now a Gentile is sending for him to explain the way of Jesus. Coincidence? The arrival of the Holy Spirit in the middle of Peter's sermon makes it abundantly clear that there is nothing left to be done but to have the believers baptisze the new believers.

The Spirit's being poured out is all the evidence needed. Wow. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

http://www.archive.org/download/Poured_Out/PouredOut.mp3

Gospel to Go

2006-05-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

When Philip went down that road to Gaza, he was following the leading of the Holy Spirit. None-the-less, it must have been a strange experience. Here is was a fairly faithful Jew off on a mission to introduce and African or possibly Arab eunuch from the territory of Sudan near Darfur to the good news about Jesus.

He was a man of power and influence talking to a nobody like Philip. He was a male with at least gender identity issues talking to a righteous Jew. He was a learned man, talking to a fisherman. Wild beyond belief, but an introduction to the reality of the gospel as presented by Luke.

The gospel knows no bounds. The Spirit goes wherever. Our boundaries, hangups and obstacles are of no interest to the Spirit. Will we listen, understand and obey?

http://www.archive.org/download/Gospel_to_Go/GospeltoGo.mp3

Azotus

2006-05-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

This week the Acts reading takes on a fanciful journey with the Apostle Philip, who is first whisked away to Gaza, and then later Azotus (or Ashdod, the Port City). Luke's recording of this story gives us a picture of major changes happening to the Apostles and to the early church in Jerusalem.

While the Apostles have up to this point been dealing with Jerusalem, and the problems of the church in Jerusalem (if indeed at this early stage it can be called a church) the death of the newly minted deacon Stephen, and the persecution that came with his death has squeezed the believers right out of downtown.

Philip, intent on following the Spirit's call ends up on the road from Jerusalem south, to Gaza, and beyond it to the wilds of the southern reaches of the Roman Empire. There he is called to interpret for a man leaving Jerusalem for home in Sudan (not far from Darfur) the scroll of Isaiah. The man is a eunuch, a religious man who has been checking out Judaism.

Fascinating! The gospel to go is going to a non-Jew, an African, and it appears a man who by Old Testament standards was already rejected by God because of his sexual deformity. Yipes! How in heavens name will this preach!

Grace is a funny thing. It is always graceful, even when we wish it not to be. The Spirit moves where it will. The gospel to go preaches to all of God's children. Amazing! Grace!

Your Best Defense

2006-05-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the final product of last week agonizing over the text. The council who met to talk to Peter and John in Acts 4:5-12 just didn't get it. They were, like many authority figures are, ready to scold the rabblerousers in their midst. They weren't necessarily interested in listening to them.

Peter however had other ideas. He told them like it was. The lame man who was healed, was healed by the the power of the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Not only that, but it was by the name of the very Jesus they had sacrificed when they sent him along to the Romans to be tried and ultimetly crucified.

The had rejected a stone they thought useless, a stone Peter pointed out was in fact the most important of all, using words from the Psalms and images from Isaiah. They were unable to see hwat God was doing, just as had been predicted by the very prophets they often quoted.

The true test of the story is of course what we hear in the text. I hear a calrion call to be aware of what the Spirit is doing. Take a listen and see what you think!

http://www.archive.org/download/Your_Best_Defense/YourBestDefence.mp3

The Stone Rejected

2006-05-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

The lesson from Acts 4 has Peter preaching at his trial (or whatever you want to call it) before the chief religious authorities in Jerusalem. Peter wants to make clear that in the case of the lame man's healing (Acts 3) they are quilty of the healing, with the note that the healing was not because of their power or holiness.

The healing was accomplished through the use of Jesus' name, Jesus of Nazareth, the very guy the chief authorities rejected as the Messiah. Peter further suggest's that not only did they reject Jesus, they additional failed to noticed that their rejection of Jesus was noted by God long before it happened. They rejected Jesus just as God said they would. They allowed the Messiah to become the scapegoat, because they just could not see who Jesus was and why he was there.

Their need to sacrifice him (not kill him, the Romans took care of that) in order to satisfy the need for sacred violence led to the greatest horror of all time, the intentional scapegoating of the Son of God.

But here is the real rub Peter suggests; God, totally unmoved by your bizzare reasoning and need for sacred violence has raised the dead scapegoat back to life, he is not dead, not cast aside, but instead has returned from exile, from the dead to expose your violence, your sacrifice of the innocent, your reliance on human ways of thinking, not God's.

God has made Jesus the crucified, the King of kings and Lord of lords; even the Lord of life which he has now granted the lame man. Wow!

So now, what do I do with this?

Me Heal?

2006-05-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday's sermon took a different turn than I expected. While writing it, the question really became, "if Peter and John could heal the lame man, why can't I?"

It became particularly of concern to me because of two realities, one is that there are a lot of people around us here in the church family that really need some heavy duty healing (cancer as well as other stuff), the other Peter's own words.

Peter says, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" (from the NRSV). In other words, what do you people think, we did this? Get real?

We like to think Peter and John and the other apostles were superheros. They could do that stuff because they weren't like us. Peter response is, yeah right! Oh yes we are!We are normal Joe's. What you see we didn't do, God did!

So if they aren't superheros, then something else must be at work here, because very clearly the assumption of the New Testament is, we can do likewise. And I suggest should be unless we aren't followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Take a listen and see what you think.

http://www.archive.org/download/Author_of_Life/AuthorofLife.mp3

Thursdays

2006-04-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Thursdays are the day I finish up the bulletin for Sunday and make final decisions about worship. Usually those decisions are informed by the work I've done all week, but not always.

Today is one of those Thursdays. That's because I have been worked on my lines for the Murder Mystery Comedy on Saturday. I'm finding it difficult to memorize "It's foolishness to blame the fool, for folly is her only rule," and at the same time figure out why Peter was preaching to the crowds in Jerusalem.

He and John had just healed a lame man at the Temple. Pretty soon the Temple authorities were going to haul them off to jail. But in the mean time, Peter stood up and started preaching. He says among other things that Jesus is the author of life. Hmmm?

I've never heard that one before. What does it mean? What is Peter thinking? Where does he even get the idea? It is not an Old Testament image.

What it means is that I have work to do. Memorize lines and figure out scripture and what is today?

Thursday!

Doubts Ally

2006-04-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend I am in a play, a murder mystery actually! As Philosopher Phil one of my lines is "Doubts ally with mass confusion, adding folly to illusion." It's a comedy dinner theater thing and we are having a lot of fun. It also led to this past Sunday's sermon title and theme.

John's gospel presents the disciples as doubting, all of them. Locked in against the authorities, they are hiding from the awful news; the awful news that Jesus is missing, the more awful news that he might be alive.

They just don't get it. After all, dead guys don't just get up and start wandering around. It sounds way to much like a grade B horror flick, "The Zombie that ate Jerusalem." In fact that's why I think the whole "Shalom" thing is so important. Jesus comes to where they are locked in and says, "wazz up". Then they knew it was him; not a dead zombie Jesus, but the formerly dead Jesus alive.

In fact, John's gospel flies right in the face of the claims of gnostics and others, including the protagonists in Dan Brown's "The Davinci Files", that Jesus didn't really die, he just escaped his body (as in the gospel of Judas) and went on happily ever after with his nuclear family of Mary Magdeline and 2.5 children.

Oh well. This is my take on it. Enjoy!

http://www.archive.org/download/Doubts_Ally_1/DoubtsAlly.mp3

It's Friday

2006-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

Good heavens! What happened to this week?

Easter was a wonderful celebration of the resurrection with all three services very well attended. Mark Yuengling's empty tomb set was a smash hit. People were truly impressed, I think, and it lent itself well to the bells and brass and Easter Choir singing out songs of praise.

The sermon from 11:00am is available below. Remember to right click on the hyperlink and "save as target" onto your desktop. It is a live recording and so doesn't have the podcast opener and closer.

http://www.archive.org/download/What_Difference_Resurrection/07Track7.mp3

Now it's on to this Sunday's material, good old "Doubting Thomas". My sermon title will be "Doubts Ally" from the murder mystery we are doing on Saturday, April 29th. One of my lines as Philosopher Phil is "Doubts ally with mass confusion, adding folly to illusion." Somehow it fits with poor Thomas' reasonable doubts, reasonable until he meets the risen Lord himself.

Faith just isn't all that reasonable. If it were, it wouldn't be faith.

Good Friday

2006-04-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

I am stugling with what to say on Sunday. The resurrection is so power a message it seems to me it stands on it's own. What could I possibly say that would matter o anyone about it?

I can make a statement of faith, that is "I believeit', which is not a bad thing. It just seems to me that Sunday should be so much more. Then I look at the lesson for the day, especially the Mark 16 passage. Basically it appears the women fled the tomb terrified. Not much of an Easter proclaimation there!

Not that I can blame them. Going to fuss over a dead Jesus, they find an empty tomb and an angel who tells them Jesus is alive. I'd be terrified, confued, amazed and fearful too.

So what to say. He is risen, he is risen ineeed. But more...what?

Wednesday

2006-04-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

It's getting hard to concentrate. There are so many things to be done before Easter Sunday, I find my mind flitting from project to project hoping against hope that it will all some how get done!

It communion on Thursday going to be prepared? Do I have the footwashing bowl? Will everything go all right on Friday? What about the coffehouse on Saturday? What will I say at the Sunrise service? Any food for the Easter Sunrise Breakfast?

And then it is time to stand up and preach on Easter. I need my mind to quiet down and I need to concentrate. But how?

Easter is for this community of believers the most important gathering of all. The resurrection is the focal point (which is why the flap about Jesus being alive and married after Easter is such a big deal). This death by an innocent who stand up to not just power, but our own lust for victimage at the core of our faith. The lamb slain, but raised to life by God.

Oh boy! I have some very serious work to do!

Palm Sunday

2006-04-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived the onslaught. It was a wonderful day with lots of things going on. The Bllodmobile was here. The Sunday School had a special program. The Kafe was open. We arranged most of the Easter Sunrise Breakfast.

Then later in the afternoon, Mark and Eric, Bob and Marilyn showed up to try a first hanging of the empty tomb drop for Easter. Wow! It's like a mountain side moved into the sanctuary. They still have to figure out the opening for the empty tomb and I have to get to Marlu's costumes for the Roman Centurion's outfit and another angl costume, but I think we are almost there.

Oh, and we didn't have a sermon yesterday (although one I had planned is available as an mp3 below) because we showed the movie on Holy Week, Part I, the High School Sunday School Class had made. It was an excellent contemporary interpretation of Jesus arrival in Jerusalem, cleansing of the Temple, interogation by the authorities, and release to teach again in the Temple. Copies of the DVD will be available by Sunday.

And while we're on it, CD's of Sunday's worship are available and if all goes well, DVD's of the Easter Sunday experience will be available shortly after Easter. CDs are going for $4, and DVD's of Easter for $7.

Anyway, please find below our latest podcast, "Carpets Not Palms". Remember for computer users, right click and "save as target". Pod people can go to the feed.

http://www.archive.org/download/Carpet_Not_Palms/CarpetnotPalms.mp3

Friday before the Palms

2006-04-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Tonight we cut the palms!

It has become a small tradition that we now gather on the Friday before Palm Sunday to seperate the individual palms from the stalks on Friday night (since Saturday always seems to be busy).

We have ice cream sundae's (too bad it's so cold out) and get outselves all excited about Sunday and our hosannas sung while waving palms in the air. The kids don't get to cut palms, after all we want to wave palms not fingers. (eeww) But after the adults with sharp knives do their stuff the kids carry the palms upstais in preparation for Sunday.

It's a reminder that Holy Week is really here, a special jump start for some of us who haven't been paying real good attention, and for the preacher, a reminder that it is time to get prepared for Sunday and beyond, cause it's here....

Palms Dead Ahead

2006-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is a bit of a challenge. It is such a well known Sunday with the themes so well laid out that it is very difficult to stray too far from the obvious, Jesus is come to town and all hell is about to break loose!

It is also a Sunday almost all of the regular crowd of church participants will be in church, unlike Easter Sunday, when some will have gone away with their families on Easter break, and when visitors will change the worship dynamics significantly.

There is a real part of me that wants to reverse the Sundays, so that all the regulars can celebrate Easter together, singing the hymns at the top of their lungs, not only know the responses, but believe them with all their hearts.

Then we can have the visitors come on Palm Sunday following and go over the basics, make Palm Sunday the seeker event, not Easter. But we have what we have; a Palm Celebration that has to make the Passion real loud and clear, and an Easter Celebration that has to declare not only the resurrection, but also the message that only Jesus' death makes any sense of his resurrection.

I love this time of year!

Lifted Up

2006-04-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday's worship services were well attended, for which I am thankful, but from which I am also exhausted. Getting people networked so that they can make decisions and get things organized and done is always a great challenge.

The sermon on the other hand seems to have come together fairly well. The realization that the visit of the Greeks was a pivitol moment in John's gospel helped enormously. This is it! Holy week can begin.

Next Sunday we will do the Palm Sunday thing, since we have been talking about the cross and passion right along. The triumphal entry just becomes another piece in the puzzle that leads to Jesus death.

I'm thinking that fairly soon, we'll need to have a discussion about the "discovery" of papers that suggest Jesus lived after the crucifixion and was married. CNN this morning had a new clip about it. The idea that the pseudoepigrapha is somehow new, or shocking or that it shows much of anything is much ado about nothing, but I suppose that a discussion some evening at church would be appropriate.

Anyway, Sunday's sermon can be found below. Remember, right click and "save target as" if your going to play it on your computer, or for mp3 player people go to feeds http://feeds.feedburner.com/OtisvillePres to get this added to your player.

http://www.archive.org/download/Lifted_Up/LiftedUp.mp3

2006-03-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

What do we do with the Greeks in John's text? It seems some people from the Greek speaking territories had come to Jerusalem, had heard about Jesus, and wanted to interview or at least meet him. They went and found Philip and then Andrew (both Greek names?) to see if they could get an audience with Jesus.

Several commentators make clear that this doesn't seem to be a situation where the author of John means us to think they were Greek speaking Jews. No, these are Gentiles, people who we're seeking for sure, but true outsiders.

Jesus response is troubled and troubling. He seems to suggest that their arrival is a true harbinger of the end of his ministry. More than that, they are the sign that his death is immanent. Add to that that he doesn't speak to them and you have to wonder what is going on.

I'm still not sure where this week's texts are leading us, but you are welcome to come along for the ride.

2006-03-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

Here it is Wednesday, and I haven't got any more prepared for Sunday than I was on Monday. The problem is ministry keeps getting in the way of preparation.

One family came to talk about their rally powerful grief. Another came to get food. A trip to the hospital to see a parishioner in need and to visit another who is being a good friend and caregiver.

A trip to another church to moderate their session, made more difficult by the leaving of a friend who had served them as a pastor, though not ordained. Murder Mystery rehearsals, a growing Boy Scout Troop for which I am chairman, oy veh! When am I supposed to get time to look at Jeremiah 31:31-34 and John 12:20-33.

I did read the lessons. God is going to make a new covenant, this time not written in stone, but in his people's hearts. They will always know the law, and presumably therefore, know God. And yet Jesus makes clear, these same people will raise me up as sacrifice, as a scapegoat.

Wow! No way to dodge that bullet. Here the Girardians suggest is the key. It wasn't God who wanted Jesus dead, it was us. We make him the ultimate proof of our full investment in smashing the law. But how to peach this mess, now there's a challenge.

New Sermon

2006-03-27T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's a new week and time to add another podcast to the list. This one is last week's sermon on John 3 and the story from Numbers 21 about the bronze snake, "Not Condemned".

It was an odd story and raised lots of questions as people thought about the text. The question as to whether the snake was an idol was raised; but most didn't see it that way.

This week's lessons in Jeremiah and John 12 again make the point about Jesus' death being absolutely necessary. He "must be lifted up". His crucifixion changes everything. I have no idea yet where to go with this material.

Below is last week's sermon. See the most recent blog on feeds to add this podcast to your podcatcher. Or, if you will play it on your home computer, just right click on the url in purple and "Save Target as" to your desktop.

http://www.archive.org/download/Not_Condemned/NotCondemned.mp3

Friday Follies

2006-03-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

All week long I have been hoping to get back to this tome, but it just hasn't been possible. Jason Horner's funeral took important time, time of course well spent, with family and friends in need.

Now it's time to look forward to Sunday. The big key is understanding the bronze snake on a stick story in Numbers 21. Why would God attack the whining Isrealites, and why with snakes. I get the possible connection to the story of the fall and the snakes. I'm just not sure why God would destroy his own people. Again I point out, I am not disagreeing or doubting, just monumentally curious.

And then we move to John 3, where Jesus explains the "lifted up" part as a precursor to his own being lifted up. It's all presented as an obvious call to have faith in God's provision. Faith in the one lifted up overcomes sin and death. That sounds mighty good to me! It preaches.

I have been searching for another choir piece to rip to mp3 and hang here, but I just haven't got time. If someone wants to join me in this ministry, you can give me a hoot and maybe we can cull out of the cds recorded each Sunday some great new music.

Consumed One

2006-03-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

Sorry about that. Forgot to insert the space that would make the url Igave you into a hyperlink. Try this.

http://www.archive.org/download/Consumed_One/Consumed1.mp3

Consumed One

2006-03-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here we are again, just about to start the new week. It's hard to imagine that Palm Sunday is just three weeks away at this point, but it is. We have lots to do in preparation.

Yesterday's services were very well attended with lots of folks checking out what they can get involved. Tickets for the Murder Mystery Dinner theature are gone for the &:00pm show, but there are about 50 available for the 2:00pm show. Lunch will chicken parmigana and baked ziti.

The Easter Sunrise Breakfast tickets will be available Sunday. The Blanket Offering this year has been tremendous, well over $1500 in $5 increments have been given. What a joyous way to make a difference in the lives of those who need help the most.

Shortly I'll begin my preparation for Lent 4 with it's gospel lesson including John 3:16-17. Until then find below a podcast of Sunday's sermon. Peace!

http://www.archive.org/download/Consumed_One/Consumed1.mp3

Living God

2006-03-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

You may find this url to the Classical Choirs "Spirit of the Living God" works better. Remember to right click and save the url and it's file to your desktop for a audio program to open.

http://www.archive.org/download/Living_God/LivingGod.mp3

Remember tonight is our coffeehouse here in Otisville! The Choir from the Howells Church and from The Drew Methodist Church are coming as well as several other groups!

And tomorrow a promo for the new HS Class Movie on the begiining of Holy Week!

Classical Choir

2006-03-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece I snipped from a recording of the service on March 5, the Classical Choir singing "Spirit of the Living God".

http://www.ourmedia.org/node/187497

New Feed

2006-03-17T07:09:00.001-08:00

Try this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/OtisvillePres

New Feed

2006-03-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

Try this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/OtisvillePres

House cleaning

2006-03-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

This Sunday's sermon and scripture are a handful!

The text is from John 2, Jesus cleaning out the Temple. John puts the text early in his gospel, while the other three (synoptics) put it during Holy Week. (We are actually going to think about it in two places too; Sunday when we study the story, and Palm Sunday when we see a movie of the story made by our High School Sunday school class.)

The best quote I have seen this week in my preparations for the weekend is by Peter Michaelson, when he responds to someone else's suggestion that Jesus is just doing housecleaning. He says, "Please remember, I'm a guy here, we're not talking about a feather duster, I do housecleaning with a power washer."

Still, it's a shock to see Jesus so angry and determined. He made a whip John says, whether he was just whipping the animals or the people as well I don't think matters. He was toasted and prepared to engage the authorities in a battle of authorities.

On another note, some folks have mentioned the podcast of the sermon having problems. We are still learning how to do this. I think the settings I used for the recording made to large a file. None-the-less, if you right click on the url and save the file to your computer and then open it with Windows Media Player or another program that can play mp3's you will get a decent sound. I do need to pickup the volume next time though.

The podcast is at http://www.archive.org/download/Apprentice_Problems/March122006.mp3

Podcast

2006-03-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

Well now, maybe we have some traction on this podcast thing. Try the link below and see if it takes you to the podcast of last weeks sermon.

http://www.archive.org/download/Apprentice_Problems/March122006.mp3

If it does we may have all that we need to make weekly sermons available.

2006-03-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Now the process of adding to this blog and connecting to the podcast goes on.

Below I have added a link to our groupsite at Yahoo. You can go there to get other information

http://rss.groups.yahoo.com/group/otisvillepresbyterianchurch/rss

This evenings class Bible for Beginners went well. 14 people were in attendance and we looked at Genesis 1 - Genesis 25. Next week we begin again with the stories of Issac and Jacob.

Newest Blog in Otisville

2006-03-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Otisville Presbyterian Blog!

We will also be beginning a podcast of our Sunday sermons too, so watch out and watch here!

Recent news:

Our Bible for Begiiners course has 24 people enrolled with Candy Burnett and I leading the whole mess. What a challenge to introduce the Bible to folks in eight easy lessons.

Look back soon for more information!