Today we worshiped
at Waverly Presbyterian Church, 590 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
15221, 412.242.0643, www.waverlychurch.org,
Rev. Rebecca Hickock, Pastor.
Scripture
– Jeremiah 29:1-9
This is the text of the letter that the
prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles
and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had
carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin
and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and
Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from
Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah
son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in
Babylon. It said:
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God
of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry
and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters
in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number
there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to
which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it
prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God
of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you.
Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying
lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
Bob’s
thoughts:
It
never fails to amaze me how God tweaks our church visit efforts. We had hoped
for Jan to reacquaint with the pastor, but instead we met the student pastor
and prepared to worship. During the Passing of the Peace a young lady
introduced herself as a girl we knew from a youth group years ago.
It
was a difficult place to find our way around as signage was lacking.
The
sanctuary is long and narrow with an exceptionally high ceiling, or so it seems,
at least. It was interesting later when a soloist filled the sanctuary to the
roof timbers with her rendition of the 23rd Psalm.
I appreciated
that the student pastor repeated the prayer requests so the congregation could
hear.
Maybe
we sat too far forward, but for me a lot of the sermon was lost to the echo. It
dealt with her time in Scotland and incarnational ministries: we must be
intentional in bringing Christ to the people and somehow get past our desire
for the reverse.
She
made the interesting point that Christ grew into adulthood before starting His
ministry. People knew Him and He knew them and how to minister to them.
Jan’s
thoughts:
I
am fairly certain I have never been to his area before so it seemed somewhat
like visiting another country…an appropriate feeling as it turned out.
I
was looking forward to catching up with the pastor, a friend I have not seen
for some time, and at first was disappointed that she was away. Instead we discovered
a friend from another church who had moved to this area and we met some new
friends as well. Many people greeted us, introduced themselves, and even gave
us hugs. One gentleman took the time to talk with us about the history of this
older structure.
The
intricate stained glass is a sight to behold and an important part of the
heritage of this church.
If
the choir is as musically gifted as those who led the singing and presented the
solos today, I imagine they are exceptional.
Student
Pastor Rachel Riggle offered the untitled message based on her trip to Scotland
with World Mission Initiative. From this sermon I learned that only 2% of the
Scottish population attends church and that many are 3rd and 4th
generation unchurched. Prior to her visit she had expected to hear sad stories
about how the church was deserted, but instead she heard a message of hope.
Through
the Fresh Expressions Movement, churches there have stopped trying to attract
new members and are being incarnational, programming for and ministering to
those who are there, with the result that those who witness this being the church want to become part of it. They are bringing Jesus to
the people instead of trying to bring the people to Jesus.
I
appreciated the humor, optimism, and passion with which this message was
imparted. I admit I am unfamiliar with the culture in which the church exists
in this area of the world, and my unfamiliarity with this part of this city
brought this point home for me.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray this church can step out in faith and take You to the people in the
neighborhood. Help them to know how to minister in Your Name. Amen.
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