“Write
this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the
one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the
seven gold lampstands:
“I
know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient
endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims
of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are
liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
“But
I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did
at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you
did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from
its place among the churches. But this is in your favor: You hate the evil
deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
“Anyone
with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to
the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of
life in the paradise of God.”
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
tried to visit this church a few years ago and, being a 70-mile round trip, we
were not in a hurry to try again. Jan found their website and the correct
location, and I’m glad we made the trip.
I was
welcomed by a Marine at the door who said there were several other Marines
there also, and we were greeted by a few people sitting near us during the
official greeting time. I was sorry to see the children leave before the sermon.
There
is an appealing cross and innovative use of an older church building; from the
sanctuary down, it was more modern than expected.
The
praise team sounded talented but I was surprised to feel the floor vibrate with
the bass. I appreciated the solo from the female leads.
We
watched a video of the Serve the Burgh project which was just completed.
One
of the children’s directors delivered the message and asked the church to make
a loud noise so the children would wonder what they were missing…the neighbors
may have wondered too.
The
message was part of a series called “Priority Mail” and how we get correction
mail along with encouragement mail from God and we are to accept both joyfully.
He talked about his acceptance letter from Grove City and his eventual
realization that he needed to change his major. This was the story of our
oldest daughter at Grove City also.
The
Marine I met was one of at least a half dozen ushers who stood around the
perimeter throughout the service, though I am not sure why.
There
was good signage in the part of the building we saw as well as mention of
handicapped accessibility.
Jan’s
thoughts:
Several
people smiled and said good morning, and the usher who gave me a program, whom
I had asked about the location of the ladies’ room, saw me come back up and
checked that I’d found it, which I appreciated.
We
also had us a chance to look around a little bit. The colorfully-decorated
children’s church area looked like it was definitely geared for kids.
Upon
entering the sanctuary, we noticed the contemporary instruments in the front so
we chose our seats based on the location and direction of the overhead speakers.
I was glad we did when the music started and I felt the bass vibrations in my
feet. The worship leaders’ music was well done and the voices blended
harmoniously but I’m fairly certain the volume would have been a problem had we
sat almost anywhere else.
The
platform was simple, with what looked like a solid periwinkle color on the rear
wall and a plain white cross rising from the center. I thought it looked striking.
A
video updated the congregation on an event called “Serve the Burgh” (www.servetheburgh.org)
in which the church partnered with other churches and organizations in the area
to perform service projects in the community.
The
current sermon series is “Priority Mail: Letters to the Churches in Revelation”
and this week’s entry was titled “Bold Faith Can Handle the Truth.” The message
was presented by Josh Hall, who serves this church as one of its Kid Ministry
Directors. He was enthusiastic, upbeat, and passionate with many personal
stories and examples.
He
began with stories about good mail versus bad mail he had received and the
necessity of reading both, especially when they are from Jesus. He sees what we
do right, He knows our struggles, always gives precisely the right direction,
and knows the best reward for our efforts.
He
closed the message with the admonition to always seek the Truth, even when it
is not what we want to hear. When it comes from Christ, it’s what we need to hear.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray this church gets to expand their Serve the Burgh program as it sounds
like an inspired way to take their witness of Your message to their neighbors.
Amen.
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