Dutilh Church

Today we worshiped at Dutilh Church, 1270 Dutilh Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 724.776.1094, www.dutilhumc.org, Tom Parkinson, Senior Pastor.

Scripture –

Luke 10:38-42 –

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Matthew 7:21-23 –

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Bob’s thoughts:

We were greeted by only a few people, the norm for a church with multiple services, but to me always seems backwards. I think it is a loss not to get to know members who attend at a different time than you, and maybe get to welcome a visitor.

We were treated to a good cup of coffee and a few minutes to look around. Some years ago there was an article in Guideposts magazine about this church’s resurrection after a fire and it has always had a special place in my heart.

The large cross in the sanctuary is suspended in front of colorful stained glass windows. The side stained glass looked musical to me, a term I never would have thought of. Everything about the church seemed brighter and more alive than what I remember from our last visit.

We were honored to be present for a commissioning of members for upcoming mission endeavors. I don’t remember mission being a priority the last time we visited but was thrilled to see they support Pittsburgh Project and Center for Hope, a couple of my favorites.

I was glad we got to hear the female lead sing alone as I enjoyed her voice and the harmony with the male lead singer.

The sermon, “Stepping on the Scale,” maybe should have been the balance scales, our “doing for” God and our time “being with” God. The message developed from the Scripture about Martha and Mary and the importance of serving and being.

We were long-time members of a mainline church and served in many areas including the governing body. When we left, there was a necessary time of getting back to knowing and worshiping God without the overwhelming serving.

The pastor also talked of when they served a community dinner on a regular basis and how people would get burned out and quit. The best we ever did was invite the homeless from the men’s shelter to Maundy Thursday dinner. We sent chartered buses for them and had them sit them randomly so they could interact with members of the congregation at each table. It was truly a blessed time.

I have had a vegetable and flower garden most of my life and last year felt God wanted me to give it up. Like most Christians, I prayed about what God wanted me to do instead of gardening. I was sending truckloads of produce to the local food pantry and supplying a lot of others with fresh organic food. I thought, of course I was doing what God wanted me to do, so I put in a garden.

This year I planted peas on St. Patrick’s Day and prepared for a downsized garden. I heard from God again, “I meant that about the garden.” I had toiled under the idea that this was what God wanted and never realized this was what Bob decided that God wanted.

I don’t know what He will lead me to do next, but today’s sermon reassured me that my time spent with Christ will be infinitely better than anything I do on my own.

I have a cousin who spent many years in school pursuing his doctorate before a career teaching school. He came to visit, we got a cold beverage and some cheese to snack on, and sat on our back porch watching nature. He commented that he had gone to school for a long time to learn that what I was doing was what he was seeking, that chance to relax and enjoy what was around us. I think we need to take time to know and enjoy God.

When I think of Martha and Mary, my mother Mary comes to mind. When she prepared the big family dinner, it was all one room with the dining area so even when she was busy with preparations she was still able to converse with her sisters who were visiting. I hope, by that interaction, she felt as much a part of the occasion as those of us who dined.

Jan’s thoughts:

Back in May a member of this church invited us to re-visit after their new pastor arrived on July 1, so that’s what we did.

A trio of women greeted us warmly the moment we entered and kindly directed us toward the coffee and cookies that were set out.

The lobby area is spacious and colorfully decorated. We found plenty of directional signage as we sought the restrooms. I found the stained glass breathtaking.

I appreciated the Order of Worship along with the numerous announcements. This seems to be a very busy church and involved in a great deal of outreach. Today two mission groups were commissioned: one group will work with The Pittsburgh Project and the other will head to Costa Rica. In the course of the commissioning, the pastor made the strong point that every person who will participate in these missions is a minister, they should take that authority seriously, and remember they are representative of Jesus Christ. This is true for every Christian everywhere, even when we are not on a mission trip.

The music for this contemporary service was well presented and the voices of the two vocal leads blended flawlessly.

I can’t recall the last time I heard a Prayer for Illumination, especially just prior to reading the Scripture, but one was offered today.

The sermon (which was delivered without notes) was entitled “Stepping on the Scale” but it did not mean what I was afraid it might. It was about “being with versus doing for.” The pastor told a story about when he made Easter dinner for friends and how he was so busy with making / serving / cleaning up after dinner that he had no time to spend with the guests. He equated this story to the familiar one of Mary and Martha wherein Martha did exactly what was expected of a woman in that situation (i.e., prepared food) while Mary broke the cultural rules by sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha was busy “doing for” Jesus while Mary was “being with” Jesus, and Jesus said Mary chose the better thing.

He pointed out that when “doing for” Jesus outweighs “being with” Him, we are operating on a spiritual deficit. We must balance the scale between “doing for” and “being with” Jesus.

He also stated that although Christ knows everything about us and all that is in our heart, He gains access to our heart for purposes of transformation when we stop and simply “be with” Him. That we must open our heart to Him because He does not take what we do not give Him. But if we want Him to know us, we must allow Him access.

This was a different spin on a familiar Bible story, and I learned that I need to work on balance. I’m always asking God what He wants me to do, and the message I heard today made me think perhaps Jesus doesn’t want me to “do” something but to just “be with” Him.

I think He wants that sort of time with all His children.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray this church continues to serve You and the community, but even more so that they spend time just getting to know You. Amen.