Saint John the Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Saint John the Baptist Church, 377 Linmore Street, Baden, PA 15005, 724.869.2280 http://diopitt.org/parishes/saint-john-baptist-baden, Rev. Joseph A. Carr, MDiv, Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Jeremiah 23:1-6

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”

Ephesians 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Bob’s thoughts:

As we were driving up Route 65 Saturday and talking about where we could go to church today, we stopped at a light and the driver behind us came up to talk. He had noticed our bumper sticker: “Jesus lives so our son lives! Praise God!.” This was the first time in almost nine years anyone commented on it. With our brief exchange as the light changed we learned he was the priest at St. John the Baptist Church in Baden.

I knew if we worshiped there the crosses would be in evidence, which always helps my focus. The sanctuary has a high arched ceiling and great stained glass. The center of each window has a Christian scene depicted and around them the random color blocks of modern windows, a good marriage. The sanctuary quickly filled to a hundred or more worshipers, with a few cute children to entertain me.

There was an opportunity to silently greet those nearby.

The message developed around the understandable examples given by Christ, especially the shepherd. He relayed the likelihood that it would not be a sought-after job, as it is hard enough to pastor a congregation, shepherding would be demanding.

We each shepherd in our own way. People watch and learn from what we do and less from what we say.

An anecdote about a reminder from a child about saying grace brought my grandchildren to mind. They argue about who gets to say grace, and even when it is just my wife and me eating, they are happy to say grace for us. I am always impressed with their prayer and the insight they include on some current need.

The pastor concluded his message by relating the message from our bumper sticker and explaining the Gold Star Flag.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived a little early and wandered briefly before heading for the sanctuary. As we reached the top of the stairs we encountered a lovely corner area decorated as a space to kneel and pray facing what was designed to look like Jesus’ tomb. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.

The sanctuary boasts colorful stained glass with stories illustrated on each window along with descriptive plaques on the walls nearby.

The music seemed to come from the balcony, so it felt like it was floating down over the worshipers.

It took a little time, but I discerned that the booklet in the pew contained the order of worship. This is a different system than we’ve seen anywhere else, but it seemed to work well.

The message was a strong reminder that we all are shepherds, no matter our age or place in the world. People draw conclusions about Jesus by watching His followers, so those who claim to obey Him must set a good example and this must be done out of love. He ended with a question: “We all lead every day, the question is, where are we leading?” Definite food for thought.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray the church shepherds intentionally, keeping their hearts open always to Your message that Christ lives so they can live forever. Amen.