Greenfield Presbyterian Church is an interesting little church in the small neighborhood of Greenfield, just south of the Squirrel Hill area in Pittsburgh. I don't really know how many are officially on the church rolls, but since starting there as their pulpit supply in September, 2011, I've preached to as few as five and as many as fourteen. Sadly, there are a few elders I still haven't met because they haven't been to worship.
But this little church is refusing to give up, roll over, and die. The Sunday morning die-hards are made up of four 30-something's, 3-4 of us in our 40's, a couple in their 50's, and one woman probably in her 70's. Once in a while we'll have a young 11-year-old little guy with autism-like problems, along with his mom...and that's "The Church."
They have coffee every Sunday after the service, and they have a "coffee house" every Monday evening from 6-10pm where folks in their 30's and 40's come and visit and play board games together and drink coffee or pop or tea and eat goodies (for a price). The people who come don't attend the church, except those who are in the kitchen selling the refreshments or out visiting with the people. It really is amazing.
They open the church up to outside groups in hopes of making more money to run the church - basically keep the building going. Tonight will be their last night with their haunted house. Yes, you heard me right, the church hosts a haunted house.
One of the elders asked a bunch of his co-workers from the computer gaming/programming company he works at to come help him. So they all worked for HOURS this last week putting it all together and rehearsing who's doing what! Apparently they had over 50 people last night paying $5 a piece to go through the haunted house set up in the church fellowship hall in the basement! They have goodies upstairs for sale along with a crafts table for the kids.
The next event is election day where they will have baked goods as well as soups (to eat there or take home) and drinks for sale. It's the biggest fundraiser of the year. We're hoping to partner with a new church, The Upper Room, for a Thanksgiving Day dinner, chili and caroling night, as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day worship services. Things are not idle here!
I'm amazed at the level of commitment of the people of this church. They pour their hearts into keeping it going...and yet, they hope for so much more...
I've been preaching a series the last few weeks entitled "A Vision for a Healthy Church" and each week I've hit on a different aspect - worship, fellowship, and this week was discipleship. As I talked about how we follow Jesus and grow in our relationship with him I passed around a sign-up sheet for people to sign-up for a Bible study and/or for the new members class. Out of the ten people there, EIGHT signed up to be a part of the Bible study and THREE wanted to be in the new members class! Ya think they're hungry?!!!
Wow. I was humbled by their desire, and convicted to get together a study that will really give them a feast of Jesus and his Word! So I lift up this little church and these committed people to God everyday praying that I will be worthy of the call to minister both to and with them. God's doing something here...and I hope that in my time here I can grow along with this faithful body of Christ. What a privilege.
~Sally
The Family - Summer, 2023
Love these people!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sunday's Sermon - October 30, 2011
A VISION FOR A HEALTHY CHURCH: DISCIPLESHIP
Old Testament: Psalm 119:97-112
97 Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your decrees are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn away from your ordinances, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word. 108 Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. 109 I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. 111 Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
New Testament: Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
10-30-11
Today we’re continuing our series on A Vision for A Healthy Church, and today we are looking at discipleship. Our Old Testament scripture today tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet, and I think that’s a great place to begin because God’s WORD is Jesus Christ.
John 1:1 says that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...” Jesus Christ is God’s Word to us, God’s living Word. The Bible points us to Him, helps us to learn more about Him, it reveals God to us, our Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But Jesus is the center of all that we are.
As God’s chosen people we are justified, that is, we are made just before God, by His grace. In justification God accepts us as righteous - not because of anything we have done or will do, but because of the righteousness of Jesus who took our place.
My Church and Sacraments class has been discussing justification and sanctification this last couple of weeks. They’re big, long, $4 words that aren’t always clear, and aren’t always understood, but they’re so important! They are the work of the Holy Spirit both for and in us, and they are a big part of disciple-making.
On our own we have no righteousness at all. Many of our Reformed theologians would say that we don’t even have enough goodness or righteousness within ourselves to say “yes” to God - that even the energy or the impetus to accept God’s gift of grace comes from Him. Justification is the act of God, through the Holy Spirit, accepting and receiving us into his favor as righteous people. That only happens because of Jesus’ death and resurrection which he did on our behalf.
I think it was John Calvin who said what happens then is the “wonderful exchange.” He compares it to a marriage - when all that is the husband’s becomes the wife’s and all that is the wife’s becomes the husband’s.
When we accept Jesus, when we live into the life God has for us, all that is ours - sin, unrighteousness, disobedience, self-centeredness, becomes Jesus’ - and all that is His - purity, perfect love, pure righteousness and perfection - becomes ours. Christ takes on what is ours, and we take on what is Christ’s, so that all God sees when He looks at us, is the perfection and righteousness of Christ. All debts have been paid.
The analogy that made the most sense to me was the idea of being charged for a crime. So I’m charged for a crime. I go before a judge and I am found guilty. The penalty for the crime is death. But before I can be taken for the punishment, the judge (Jesus), comes down off His seat, has handcuffs put on him, goes before the firing squad, and is killed before I can even say I’m sorry or ask for forgiveness or thank Him or anything. It’s a one-time act. He took on our sin and died for us so that we might have his righteousness.
Sanctification, then, is the living out a life of gratitude in response to what God has done for us. You are that person who was convicted of a crime. We are all guilty, convicted and sentenced to death as sinners - and Jesus Christ went ahead and took our punishment for us. What do you do with that?
It’s one thing when someone does something generous like pay the bill at a restaurant, or even something bigger like take the blame when you did something wrong at work - and they knowingly take the heat for you. But Jesus died. He took on our sin, He suffered and was beaten, He was put on a cross until He died, and He descended into Hell - all on our behalf. He went into a place where God is not so we wouldn’t have to.
I don’t think we can ever really know what that is like. But He did all that for you. He did all that for me. What do we do with that?
I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to do everything I can for God! And it’s not out of some sort of obligation or duty...but out of a deep, almost incomprehensible love for a God who would love me that much!
So that kind of brings us to this idea of sanctification. The word sanctify means to “declare something holy” or to set something apart as being holy. In a way that’s very similar to justification because God does declare us holy! It’s something Christ does FOR us. Sanctification is what the Spirit does IN us. It’s a continuing, progressive work. It’s an effect of continuing grace in our lives. And in case the idea of grace is unclear, grace is “the unmerited favor of God,” it’s getting what we don’t deserve, it’s getting what we’ve done nothing for to earn.
The process of sanctification looks different in every person’s life, as we each react differently to the grace given to us.
It’s kind of ironic that today is Reformation Sunday. It’s a celebration of the power of God’s Spirit to always transform us through a fresh encounter with the Word of God. That’s maybe another good definition of sanctification - an on-going reforming of who we are in Christ. A reforming, both individually and corporately, into the image of Christ.
As part of the process of sanctification, of becoming more holy, many of us are moved to practice spiritual disciplines: prayer, time in God’s Word, worship, spiritual reading, hospitality, fellowship. All of these things grow us in our faith, in our knowledge of God and who He is. The more we experience God - through the power of His Spirit - the more our love and devotion for Him grows.
Truthfully, sometimes I think we really just don’t believe that we are deserving enough for what God has done for us - so we just blow it all off like it’s not even really possible or even probable that He has done what He’s done!
We get stuck in our guilt. We get stuck in our shame, and we simply cannot fathom that there is anyone, let alone the God of the universe, who would love and care for us that much.
But as we spend time in God’s Word, His Spirit opens up to us more and more the story of His love for us. The more time we spend with God in prayer, pouring out our lives to Him - our concerns, our confessions, our guilt, our shame, the more we see and experience the grace and love and acceptance He has for us.
It’s not that our actions bring about God’s grace and love for us, it’s more like - in pursuing to know Him more, the blinders come off of our eyes and we see and experience the love and grace of God that has been there all along!
There’s a tension here that I’ve been trying to dance around - and that is the tension between God’s gift of grace and our own actions. The tension is that all that we have and all that God has for us is a gift. We do nothing to earn it or deserve it. Nothing is required to bring about transformation in our lives.
On the other hand, I don’t think that God wants or expects us to just sit idly and wait for His transforming power. I think that when we pursue God, when we set out to know Him more deeply, by His grace He reveals more of Himself to us. We grow in our knowledge of Him, we become more aware of His presence and work in our lives, we look for Him more in our lives. But the tension lays in not going over that line of believing that it is by our own efforts that our relationship and knowledge of God grows. It is all God’s action. It is all by grace alone.
All that said, we all know that in any friendship - the more time and effort we devote to it, the deeper the relationship becomes, and our relationship with God is no different. The beautiful thing is that God uses so many ways to grow us, to transform us.
We’ve talked about His Word transforming us, but He can also use other spiritual reading to grow us. Daily devotionals, books, classes - especially when we do these things with other people, they grow us immensely. Simply sharing our lives with others grows us. Meeting together regularly to pray for each other, to pray for the church, to pray for our country, to pray for the hard stuff of life. It draws us together and it draws us to God.
Practicing hospitality is another way God grows and sanctifies us. Welcoming people who are different from ourselves opens up the possibility of new experiences and new people. It’s a stretching experience to welcome others into your world - whether it’s at church or at home.
One of the biggest transformations, however, comes with stewardship. It’s one thing to talk about giving our time to God or offering our talents, our efforts, to do what needs to be done in the church or in the community to help others. But when we start talking about money that starts hitting a little close to home!
Years ago our church had a Sunday School class that Kim and I took about managing your money and Christian stewardship. The more we learned what God had to say about Himself and money in His Word, the more convicted we became to move towards tithing. This was not an easy move! We were living paycheck to paycheck and to give ten percent of our income, at the time, wasn’t possible.
So we started at two percent, which for us was still a lot of money! And over time we made our way up to ten percent.
The big shocker for us was gradual and over time. There were some months when we had to make a decision about whether we were going to pay a bill or pay our tithe. We started deciding to step out in faith and pay the tithe and trust God for our bills...and you know what? God blessed our efforts. The more we trusted Him with everything, not just small stuff, but big stuff like money! the more we experienced what it is to really live. I mean live in a way that is fully devoted to trusting God.
I want to make sure you understand that I’m not saying that if you give lots of money to the church and are faithful with your tithe that God will instantly bless you, send money your way, or provide in all sorts of ways. That’s not how God works. But there is an exhilaration, a freedom that comes in trusting God fully. There is something that God does in us when we take a risk... When we risk believing His Word. When we risk believing He loves us that much. When we risk living as though we believe it all.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, means following Jesus...following His lead, trusting in Him and Who He Is, and the life that He calls us to. It means believing enough to live it out. It means living it out enough that those who are not disciples of Jesus see something different in us.
That’s always the question, isn’t it? If you were convicted of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
I would love to help you in your walk with Jesus. That’s what disciples do, we walk together.
I’ve provided Bible reading lists and websites if that is something you would like to pursue. I’ve also put a sign-up list out by the door, so if you’re interested in being a part of a book or Bible study, or if you’re interested in being in the next new members class, we can get those things in motion.
If you haven’t said “yes” to Jesus yet, I encourage you to do so. If you’ve been a bit relaxed in your pursuit of God and you’d like to start anew, I want to encourage you as well.
Let’s take just a little time right now and pray for God’s Spirit to work in and among us and move us in the direction He wants us to go. Let’s pray.
Lord God there are some of us who may have never quite given a wholehearted “yes” to Your call on our lives. We want to take this moment now to listen to Your voice and answer Your call.
There are others of us, God, who, over time have just allowed life to over-take us. The busy-ness of our world took overcame us and before we knew it You were relegated to Sundays. Forgive us, Lord. We invite Your Holy Spirit right now to take us back. We invite Your Spirit to invade our lives in such a way that nothing can overtake us! We take this moment right now, to recommit ourselves to You.
Do a new thing in us Lord God. We are justified in Christ, sanctified by Your Spirit to do Your will. Mold us and make us into Your people in a way that is holy and pleasing to You - and we ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Old Testament: Psalm 119:97-112
97 Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. 98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your decrees are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. 101 I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn away from your ordinances, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word. 108 Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. 109 I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. 111 Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. 112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
New Testament: Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
10-30-11
Today we’re continuing our series on A Vision for A Healthy Church, and today we are looking at discipleship. Our Old Testament scripture today tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet, and I think that’s a great place to begin because God’s WORD is Jesus Christ.
John 1:1 says that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...” Jesus Christ is God’s Word to us, God’s living Word. The Bible points us to Him, helps us to learn more about Him, it reveals God to us, our Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But Jesus is the center of all that we are.
As God’s chosen people we are justified, that is, we are made just before God, by His grace. In justification God accepts us as righteous - not because of anything we have done or will do, but because of the righteousness of Jesus who took our place.
My Church and Sacraments class has been discussing justification and sanctification this last couple of weeks. They’re big, long, $4 words that aren’t always clear, and aren’t always understood, but they’re so important! They are the work of the Holy Spirit both for and in us, and they are a big part of disciple-making.
On our own we have no righteousness at all. Many of our Reformed theologians would say that we don’t even have enough goodness or righteousness within ourselves to say “yes” to God - that even the energy or the impetus to accept God’s gift of grace comes from Him. Justification is the act of God, through the Holy Spirit, accepting and receiving us into his favor as righteous people. That only happens because of Jesus’ death and resurrection which he did on our behalf.
I think it was John Calvin who said what happens then is the “wonderful exchange.” He compares it to a marriage - when all that is the husband’s becomes the wife’s and all that is the wife’s becomes the husband’s.
When we accept Jesus, when we live into the life God has for us, all that is ours - sin, unrighteousness, disobedience, self-centeredness, becomes Jesus’ - and all that is His - purity, perfect love, pure righteousness and perfection - becomes ours. Christ takes on what is ours, and we take on what is Christ’s, so that all God sees when He looks at us, is the perfection and righteousness of Christ. All debts have been paid.
The analogy that made the most sense to me was the idea of being charged for a crime. So I’m charged for a crime. I go before a judge and I am found guilty. The penalty for the crime is death. But before I can be taken for the punishment, the judge (Jesus), comes down off His seat, has handcuffs put on him, goes before the firing squad, and is killed before I can even say I’m sorry or ask for forgiveness or thank Him or anything. It’s a one-time act. He took on our sin and died for us so that we might have his righteousness.
Sanctification, then, is the living out a life of gratitude in response to what God has done for us. You are that person who was convicted of a crime. We are all guilty, convicted and sentenced to death as sinners - and Jesus Christ went ahead and took our punishment for us. What do you do with that?
It’s one thing when someone does something generous like pay the bill at a restaurant, or even something bigger like take the blame when you did something wrong at work - and they knowingly take the heat for you. But Jesus died. He took on our sin, He suffered and was beaten, He was put on a cross until He died, and He descended into Hell - all on our behalf. He went into a place where God is not so we wouldn’t have to.
I don’t think we can ever really know what that is like. But He did all that for you. He did all that for me. What do we do with that?
I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to do everything I can for God! And it’s not out of some sort of obligation or duty...but out of a deep, almost incomprehensible love for a God who would love me that much!
So that kind of brings us to this idea of sanctification. The word sanctify means to “declare something holy” or to set something apart as being holy. In a way that’s very similar to justification because God does declare us holy! It’s something Christ does FOR us. Sanctification is what the Spirit does IN us. It’s a continuing, progressive work. It’s an effect of continuing grace in our lives. And in case the idea of grace is unclear, grace is “the unmerited favor of God,” it’s getting what we don’t deserve, it’s getting what we’ve done nothing for to earn.
The process of sanctification looks different in every person’s life, as we each react differently to the grace given to us.
It’s kind of ironic that today is Reformation Sunday. It’s a celebration of the power of God’s Spirit to always transform us through a fresh encounter with the Word of God. That’s maybe another good definition of sanctification - an on-going reforming of who we are in Christ. A reforming, both individually and corporately, into the image of Christ.
As part of the process of sanctification, of becoming more holy, many of us are moved to practice spiritual disciplines: prayer, time in God’s Word, worship, spiritual reading, hospitality, fellowship. All of these things grow us in our faith, in our knowledge of God and who He is. The more we experience God - through the power of His Spirit - the more our love and devotion for Him grows.
Truthfully, sometimes I think we really just don’t believe that we are deserving enough for what God has done for us - so we just blow it all off like it’s not even really possible or even probable that He has done what He’s done!
We get stuck in our guilt. We get stuck in our shame, and we simply cannot fathom that there is anyone, let alone the God of the universe, who would love and care for us that much.
But as we spend time in God’s Word, His Spirit opens up to us more and more the story of His love for us. The more time we spend with God in prayer, pouring out our lives to Him - our concerns, our confessions, our guilt, our shame, the more we see and experience the grace and love and acceptance He has for us.
It’s not that our actions bring about God’s grace and love for us, it’s more like - in pursuing to know Him more, the blinders come off of our eyes and we see and experience the love and grace of God that has been there all along!
There’s a tension here that I’ve been trying to dance around - and that is the tension between God’s gift of grace and our own actions. The tension is that all that we have and all that God has for us is a gift. We do nothing to earn it or deserve it. Nothing is required to bring about transformation in our lives.
On the other hand, I don’t think that God wants or expects us to just sit idly and wait for His transforming power. I think that when we pursue God, when we set out to know Him more deeply, by His grace He reveals more of Himself to us. We grow in our knowledge of Him, we become more aware of His presence and work in our lives, we look for Him more in our lives. But the tension lays in not going over that line of believing that it is by our own efforts that our relationship and knowledge of God grows. It is all God’s action. It is all by grace alone.
All that said, we all know that in any friendship - the more time and effort we devote to it, the deeper the relationship becomes, and our relationship with God is no different. The beautiful thing is that God uses so many ways to grow us, to transform us.
We’ve talked about His Word transforming us, but He can also use other spiritual reading to grow us. Daily devotionals, books, classes - especially when we do these things with other people, they grow us immensely. Simply sharing our lives with others grows us. Meeting together regularly to pray for each other, to pray for the church, to pray for our country, to pray for the hard stuff of life. It draws us together and it draws us to God.
Practicing hospitality is another way God grows and sanctifies us. Welcoming people who are different from ourselves opens up the possibility of new experiences and new people. It’s a stretching experience to welcome others into your world - whether it’s at church or at home.
One of the biggest transformations, however, comes with stewardship. It’s one thing to talk about giving our time to God or offering our talents, our efforts, to do what needs to be done in the church or in the community to help others. But when we start talking about money that starts hitting a little close to home!
Years ago our church had a Sunday School class that Kim and I took about managing your money and Christian stewardship. The more we learned what God had to say about Himself and money in His Word, the more convicted we became to move towards tithing. This was not an easy move! We were living paycheck to paycheck and to give ten percent of our income, at the time, wasn’t possible.
So we started at two percent, which for us was still a lot of money! And over time we made our way up to ten percent.
The big shocker for us was gradual and over time. There were some months when we had to make a decision about whether we were going to pay a bill or pay our tithe. We started deciding to step out in faith and pay the tithe and trust God for our bills...and you know what? God blessed our efforts. The more we trusted Him with everything, not just small stuff, but big stuff like money! the more we experienced what it is to really live. I mean live in a way that is fully devoted to trusting God.
I want to make sure you understand that I’m not saying that if you give lots of money to the church and are faithful with your tithe that God will instantly bless you, send money your way, or provide in all sorts of ways. That’s not how God works. But there is an exhilaration, a freedom that comes in trusting God fully. There is something that God does in us when we take a risk... When we risk believing His Word. When we risk believing He loves us that much. When we risk living as though we believe it all.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, means following Jesus...following His lead, trusting in Him and Who He Is, and the life that He calls us to. It means believing enough to live it out. It means living it out enough that those who are not disciples of Jesus see something different in us.
That’s always the question, isn’t it? If you were convicted of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
I would love to help you in your walk with Jesus. That’s what disciples do, we walk together.
I’ve provided Bible reading lists and websites if that is something you would like to pursue. I’ve also put a sign-up list out by the door, so if you’re interested in being a part of a book or Bible study, or if you’re interested in being in the next new members class, we can get those things in motion.
If you haven’t said “yes” to Jesus yet, I encourage you to do so. If you’ve been a bit relaxed in your pursuit of God and you’d like to start anew, I want to encourage you as well.
Let’s take just a little time right now and pray for God’s Spirit to work in and among us and move us in the direction He wants us to go. Let’s pray.
Lord God there are some of us who may have never quite given a wholehearted “yes” to Your call on our lives. We want to take this moment now to listen to Your voice and answer Your call.
There are others of us, God, who, over time have just allowed life to over-take us. The busy-ness of our world took overcame us and before we knew it You were relegated to Sundays. Forgive us, Lord. We invite Your Holy Spirit right now to take us back. We invite Your Spirit to invade our lives in such a way that nothing can overtake us! We take this moment right now, to recommit ourselves to You.
Do a new thing in us Lord God. We are justified in Christ, sanctified by Your Spirit to do Your will. Mold us and make us into Your people in a way that is holy and pleasing to You - and we ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Looking back...
Hello Friends,
Yes, I know, it's been WAY too long! I haven't written at all about CPE this summer... Maybe I'll have to copy a letter I sent to some friends that tells about it because it was definitely life-changing.
I'm sitting here in the library and I was doing a bunch of reading for a paper I have to write on C.S. Lewis and something I read must have triggered a thought because before I knew it I wasn't reading at all and I was thinking about how much I've changed and grown since we came here.
In particular I was thinking about worship. You know back home in Colorado I was really spoiled. We had (and still have) a wonderful contemporary service, awesome preaching, very comfortable (should've been my first clue). When we moved here we weren't given a lot of choices as far as worship style went. Sure, we attended Eastminster Pres. for a bit, and they're truthfully the only church I have seen pull off a blended service WELL...but then I had field education at the two churches, and chapel, and there really wasn't a choice to attend the style of worship that I had been accustomed to. This brought about a lot of thought, some frustration, and ultimately transformation.
There are A LOT of Presbyterian churches in Pittsburgh. When they say there's a church on every corner, they're really not joking! There are lots of churches, and the majority of them are quite small - under 100 members. So the only one's you'll find with any kind of contemporary worship are the new church developments. So these last couple of years have been an exercise in "finding God in tradition."
This has been a stretch for me, I must admit. After so many years of fighting and persevering to get our contemporary worship service at home, and get it to a high quality, it was really hard to be "stuck" going to only traditional services. Even our chapel services last year all seemed to go traditional or, the one that was supposed to be contemporary was more "contemplative."
I found that over the last year or so I've really had to focus on God a lot more in worship (I know, right? What a concept!) I had become really dependent, I think, on my emotions getting me to a place of worship. The music, of course, played a big part in that, but also I think the casual nature, even the language of "contemporary" helped me. So this last year was an exercise in finding God in the liturgy, finding God in the hymns, and finding God in the structure, the language, and tradition.
I have to say that this was done reluctantly and sometimes without much joy or praise...but over time, I began to see God, to hear Him, and to experience His presence in ways that I can't really put my finger on - but ways that were different. Maybe it was just a matter of using more intellect than emotion. Maybe it was more balanced between the two. Maybe it's because I was simply being intentional about things... I don't know. But I've found a new appreciation.
I think it might have to do with history. As people would lead chapel and read prayers or liturgies that were written hundreds, yes hundredS of years ago, there was something awe-some about saying something that believers before us had read and believed throughout the ages.
I have a new appreciation for the traditions that have come before us. It doesn't mean that I prefer to have it all in worship every Sunday...but I can see myself incorporating a prayer, a confession, or a hymn in one of my contemporary services someday. I hope, too, that'll I'll be able to communicate, to relate - especially to young people (I keep thinking of my niece Sammy as I write this), the history, the richness, the perseverance of the saints throughout the years adequately. The Christian faith as we know it didn't just appear. The Holy Spirit has moved in people through the ages and we have wonderful writings and songs and art and story to remember their point in history when God moved and made an impact. I think it's important...and I'm surprised. I'm changed...and I'm glad.
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
~Sally
Yes, I know, it's been WAY too long! I haven't written at all about CPE this summer... Maybe I'll have to copy a letter I sent to some friends that tells about it because it was definitely life-changing.
I'm sitting here in the library and I was doing a bunch of reading for a paper I have to write on C.S. Lewis and something I read must have triggered a thought because before I knew it I wasn't reading at all and I was thinking about how much I've changed and grown since we came here.
In particular I was thinking about worship. You know back home in Colorado I was really spoiled. We had (and still have) a wonderful contemporary service, awesome preaching, very comfortable (should've been my first clue). When we moved here we weren't given a lot of choices as far as worship style went. Sure, we attended Eastminster Pres. for a bit, and they're truthfully the only church I have seen pull off a blended service WELL...but then I had field education at the two churches, and chapel, and there really wasn't a choice to attend the style of worship that I had been accustomed to. This brought about a lot of thought, some frustration, and ultimately transformation.
There are A LOT of Presbyterian churches in Pittsburgh. When they say there's a church on every corner, they're really not joking! There are lots of churches, and the majority of them are quite small - under 100 members. So the only one's you'll find with any kind of contemporary worship are the new church developments. So these last couple of years have been an exercise in "finding God in tradition."
This has been a stretch for me, I must admit. After so many years of fighting and persevering to get our contemporary worship service at home, and get it to a high quality, it was really hard to be "stuck" going to only traditional services. Even our chapel services last year all seemed to go traditional or, the one that was supposed to be contemporary was more "contemplative."
I found that over the last year or so I've really had to focus on God a lot more in worship (I know, right? What a concept!) I had become really dependent, I think, on my emotions getting me to a place of worship. The music, of course, played a big part in that, but also I think the casual nature, even the language of "contemporary" helped me. So this last year was an exercise in finding God in the liturgy, finding God in the hymns, and finding God in the structure, the language, and tradition.
I have to say that this was done reluctantly and sometimes without much joy or praise...but over time, I began to see God, to hear Him, and to experience His presence in ways that I can't really put my finger on - but ways that were different. Maybe it was just a matter of using more intellect than emotion. Maybe it was more balanced between the two. Maybe it's because I was simply being intentional about things... I don't know. But I've found a new appreciation.
I think it might have to do with history. As people would lead chapel and read prayers or liturgies that were written hundreds, yes hundredS of years ago, there was something awe-some about saying something that believers before us had read and believed throughout the ages.
I have a new appreciation for the traditions that have come before us. It doesn't mean that I prefer to have it all in worship every Sunday...but I can see myself incorporating a prayer, a confession, or a hymn in one of my contemporary services someday. I hope, too, that'll I'll be able to communicate, to relate - especially to young people (I keep thinking of my niece Sammy as I write this), the history, the richness, the perseverance of the saints throughout the years adequately. The Christian faith as we know it didn't just appear. The Holy Spirit has moved in people through the ages and we have wonderful writings and songs and art and story to remember their point in history when God moved and made an impact. I think it's important...and I'm surprised. I'm changed...and I'm glad.
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
~Sally
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