Mosaic Community Church

Today we worshiped at Mosaic Community Church, 2801 North Charles Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15214, 412.321.3911, www.mosaicpittsburgh.org, Saleem Ghubril, Volunteer Presbyterian Pastor.

Scripture – Matthew 1:18-25 NIV

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Bob’s thoughts:

I was glad we could come worship with friends and hear the message from one of them. It is always an easy sell to get me to come here for worship. There is always a host of cute little ones running around and I truly enjoy the faith walk stories people here share.

Most times I look forward to singing in church where my voice is lost in the overall total, but today the harmony was so great I kept quiet so as not to spoil it. I walked around and thoroughly enjoyed the rendition from the Praise Team in different parts of the sanctuary. The building is a large high ceiling building with hard surface walls but today the acoustics were great.

One of the points our friend stressed in the message was that in receiving Christ, we receive a “full pardon”, a good phrase from a former lawyer. Our natural response should be repentance, but it is still a daily struggle for all of us.

Jan’s thoughts:

I was glad our friend invited us to worship here as it’s always a blessing to worship in this community. They provide a generous continental breakfast prior to the start of the service during which there is ample opportunity to visit with current friends and meet new ones.

The three lead vocalists sounded exceptional together, along with the keyboardist (who was a first-time visitor), the guitarist, and the drummer. The music was terrific.

The message was presented by our good friend, and the title was Salvation from Sin: God’s Rescue Plan for Humanity. He outlined God’s purpose for Jesus’ incarnation, life, and death, which was to save ALL people – past, present, and future – from their sin. This salvation includes complete pardon and should result in our repentance and sanctification (becoming more holy). He pointed out that we all have our own process of sanctification, so God deals with each of us individually…the process is unique to each of us.

Following the message, I was blessed by the invitation to come forward and participate in handwashing to symbolize Christ’s washing us of our sins.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray Your constant blessing on Your church that they may continue to joyfully welcome these little ones in Your name. Amen.

Valencia Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Valencia Presbyterian Church, 80 Sterrett Street, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.625.2002, www.valenciapresbyterian.com, Rev. James W. Kirk, Pastor.

Scripture – NRSV

Isaiah 9:2-7 –

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Matthew 1:18-25 –

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

“Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Bob’s thoughts:

Today we hoped to be led to a church that was celebrating Advent and it was a special treat to be here for the family candle lighting. It was done well, and I was grateful to be present.

The leader of the Moment for Ministry talked about addressing the physical and spiritual needs of those to whom they hope to minister, an important starting point.

The pastor brought up an often-overlooked piece of the Christmas story, the love of Joseph. What I liked: “If Joseph needed a savior, we do too.” And a favorite: “We are called to do more than we think we can do but not more than God can do.”

I enjoyed the harmony of the Praise Team, especially in the offertory Trust in You, as it was strong and powerful. A favorite line from that song: “When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through.”

Early in the service I was pleased to hear it identified as Christ’s church.

Jan’s thoughts:

We slipped into a back pew just as the service got underway so there was no opportunity to greet anyone prior to worship. The pew arrangement is unusual and we were on the far side but could still see some of the front.

I enjoyed the three ladies leading the Praise Team. Their voices blended and harmonized so well and their sound was distinctive.

The message was entitled Birth Love, referring to the love a parent experiences for their newborn. The pastor focused on Joseph and his love for Mary and Jesus, including a soliloquy and poem written from Joseph’s perspective. In one of them it was stated that Joseph was known to be a righteous, obedient man, and asked if Joseph needed a savior, don’t we also?

He pointed out that Joseph experienced God’s love even before Jesus’ birth and that God is with us, even today, from birth through death, and beyond. He loves us and He is trustworthy. Amen.

The beautiful offertory, Trust in You, was a new song to me, but one line struck me: “How could Heaven’s heart not break the day You came?”

This concept came to me when I dealt with our son’s death and realized that from my human perspective, I was sad to see my son leave his life here. But surely, even as we celebrate Christ’s entry into our world, God the Father must have mourned His leaving Heaven, especially knowing the horrific suffering He would experience. Wouldn’t God the Father have experienced the birth of our Savior as something of a death? That was when I began to take comfort knowing that my son suffers nothing now and into eternity, and I praise and thank Christ for His willingness to suffer to make salvation possible.

We were greeted and kindly invited to stay after worship for a luncheon, but were unable due to a prior commitment.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will continue to guide and bless this congregation as they strive to minister in Your name. Amen.

River Oaks Community Church

Sunday we worshiped at River Oaks Community Church, 1855 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012, 336.766.0033, www.riveroakschurch.org, David Beaty, Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Luke 1:26-38 –

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Ephesians 2:10 –

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Acts 1:8 –

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Bob’s thoughts:

We drove to North Carolina to see our southern granddaughters in a Christmas program and were blessed to be there for worship also. I really appreciated the wide aisle spacing where we were as I needed to stretch a bit to ease the pain in my legs.

I was pleased to hear the voice of the female lead during worship and later we got to hear our granddaughters sing in the program.

The pastor’s message wove around our supporting role in God’s plan. It is most humbling to realize God plans to use us, requiring our obedience.

A favorite thing to me about worshiping here, besides being with family, is the lead pastor’s style. He doesn’t have to get loud to emphasize his points. Worship is always joyful with this group of believers.

Jan’s thoughts:

We were in North Carolina visiting our daughter and granddaughters, so it was ironic that the pastor was just returning from two weeks away following the birth of a grandchild. Yes, grandchildren bring almost as much change as children do.

This is a large church with two services (three on Christmas Eve). They are very well organized with an abundance of volunteers and countless outreach programs. I’m thrilled our family members are part of this church family.

As I search for my new role in life, the message, Fulfilling Your Role in God’s Plan, was of particular interest to me. The pastor spoke of God’s sovereignty and our supporting roles in His plan to make known the name of Jesus everywhere (Luke 1:31-33). The Holy Spirit equips us for our roles and our part is to respond to God’s Word with humility, faith, and obedience. In this respect, our role model should be Mary, who responded to the news that she would give birth to the Christ Child with, “I believe; I am the Lord’s servant; I submit to Your Word.” This is a worthy heart-attitude and I hope I can live up to it.

We returned to the church at 4:30 for the Christmas play entitled “Back to the Manger” in which both granddaughters had singing parts. I was overjoyed to see this outstanding production! The storyline was imaginative (based on “Back to the Future”) and all the students were just marvelous.

By the time we left, the 11.5 inches of snow that caused the week-long school cancellation was mostly melted and the rain had stopped, but what an amazing day it had been.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will protect Your church from the demonic warfare that comes with obedience. Strengthen them, we pray. Amen.

Old Union Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Old Union Presbyterian Church, 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046, 724.538.8672, www.oldunionchurch.com, Rev. Dr. Peter de Vries, Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Zechariah 2:10-13 –

“Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord.

“Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Malachi 4:1-6 –

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”

Luke 3:1-18 –

“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

Bob’s thoughts:

We showed up an hour early for the second time based on online information. Rather than wait an hour, we searched for a place to eat. We did eventually find the place we were looking for, but it caused us to be a few minutes late. Understandably there is no way to say if we would have been greeted.

I enjoyed the large wooden cross on the wall and an additional projection screen in the side annex where we sat. Signage was minimally-sized but adequate to locate the restrooms and sanctuary.

We were blessed to be here for a solo by a young woman and that the pastor got to sit with the congregation for a Sunday. I believe most pastors would welcome such a chance.

Thought the gentleman reading Scripture had an excellent recovery to a problem in the delivery.

We are called to complete repentance, not “I’ll try not to do this next time.” She quoted a statistic, that visitors decide to stay/return in less than one minute. Greet them that you don’t know, not just those you see every week.

We were once members of a small church that in one year took in 40 new members because someone spoke to them.

Mission and evangelism overlap, but one thing that works is to tell your story, one on one.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived during the announcements and quickly found seats in the back of the crowded sanctuary.

At first I was perplexed, as worship leadership seemed to be provided by different people from among the congregation and the choir. After the service we learned that, in commemoration of the pastor’s 25^th anniversary at this church, the session had given him the opportunity to simply worship while they led the service. In the course of the conversation, he expressed his deep appreciation for this wonderful gift.

The sermon, Making Your Choice, was presented by a choir member. She asked, “What if John the Baptist (or Abram, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jonah, or Paul) had chosen not to do what God asked of them?” She quoted statistics indicating that just over 41% of the world’s population had not heard the Gospel in spite of Jesus’ Great Commission, and outlined five ways individual members could support missions:

1 – Pray, by far the most vital and most appreciated form of support.

2 – Connect, and make it personal.

3 – Welcome visitors. She offered the most recent statistic, that visitors to a church decide within the first 30 seconds whether or not they will return.

4 – Mobilize, and get others interested.

5 – Go. It’s not necessary to go to another country; you can almost certainly find people right down the street who don’t know Christ.

She closed with the reminder that we make a choice with every person we meet.

Several people welcomed us after the service and we were invited to attend the luncheon for the pastor.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray Your church will share their story and spread the Good News. Amen.

Christ Community United Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Christ Community United Methodist Church, 205 N. Duffy Road, Butler, PA 16001, 724.287.4462, www.christcommunityumc.org, Bruce Gascoine, Pastor.

Scripture – NKJV

Malachi 3:1-4 –

“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.

And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts.

“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap.

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years.

Luke 3:1-6 –

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

Bob’s thoughts:

I drive past this church when I go to the VA and have wanted to show Jan the area and get lunch at a favored nearby restaurant. Seemed like a win-win to find a church that celebrates Advent.

It is a pleasant sanctuary with a modern low arch ceiling and light blue pews and carpet.

I checked and there is a large wooden cross behind the projection screen; I thought the screen might be up for part of the service.

They are planning for members to bring in favorite nativity sets for display for a Sunday. I thought of one of mine that includes some plastic zoo animals and Santa, that means a lot to us.

There were some square foil pieces on the wall like a crossword layout and today they turned over the first word: Prepare. Cute idea.

During the Passing of Christ’s Peace, a young boy came across the sanctuary to greet us with a smile and hand outstretched. There were a few adults who said hello, but his genuine welcome was special. When there are two service times, people frequently don’t greet people they don’t recognize.

We were blessed to be here not only for the start of Advent, but Communion and a baptism.

I believe the pastor was accurate in his reference to Advent as the “lost season” and many view it simply as a time to light candles. He had some quotes from a former pastor’s book and I think this line I liked came from there: “Do the good things and challenge yourself to do the hard things.”

Maybe God will direct us back for the traditional worship service sometime.

Jan’s thoughts:

Outdoor signage is a treat, as it allows visitors to determine the doors most likely to be unlocked. We entered near the Fellowship Hall to allow for something of a tour as we wandered to the sanctuary.

The worship area was appropriately decorated, of course, and looked lovely. I was especially fond of the shiny Advent banners decorating the walls. The super-sized projection screen allowed the display of words that were easy to read even from the very back.

When we entered the sanctuary, we noticed squares of shiny wrapping paper hung on the far wall. We were curious but there was not time to ask anyone about them. Toward the beginning of the service, a youth went to the front and recited a reading while the first Advent candle was lit. While this occurred, two others turned over some of the wrapped squares on the wall to reveal the word of the day: prepare.

During one of the announcements, members were invited to bring their own nativity sets to help decorate the church on one particular Sunday this month. I thought this was an imaginative way to involve everyone in the decorating.

We were privileged to witness a baptism following the Kids’ Time. After that, everyone was instructed to greet each other. Several folks nearby greeted us, and a few did so as they made rounds, but it was special when one youngster, perhaps 6 or 7, made his way over to shake our hands and welcome us.

The message, entitled Prepare, focused on preparing ourselves to experience Jesus’ Presence during this Advent season.

It was a joy to participate in Communion, offered silently by intinction.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray Your church is ready to follow You into the future, that preparation is complete and the time has come to act. Amen.

Home

We both succumbed to a stubborn, worship-disrupting cough/cold, so rather than share it, we opted to stay home. We pray that you have been connected and blessed.

I have friends who seem obsessed with the weather, constantly checking the latest information from multiple sources. I notice when I state my narrow concern, “Is it going to rain?” the response is always the same: “Let’s check.” Perhaps it is better, more up-to-date, maybe just a chance to look at the Weather app, but it gives me pause to think.

People are always quick to quote biblical directives, whether or not they are actually from the Bible. This help is given freely and authoritatively (gospel, if you will), but not enough to check/quote the chapter and verse.

If we don’t look at the word of God, what are we citing? Are we helping or leading astray? Maybe we all need to check the app and witness for Him, making sure we are using His words.

Wayside Emmanuel Church

Today we worshiped at Wayside Emmanuel Church, 4437 Mitchell Road, New Castle, PA 16105, 724.652.6439, www.waysideemmanuelchurch.com, Pastor Bryan Warner.

Scripture – NIV

1 Samuel 20 –

Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”

“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.”

So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

Bob’s thoughts:

It is always special to be greeted by a Marine at the door to the church.

Seeing the three crosses on the outside wall prepared me for the great wooden cross inside flanked by two smaller ones. We were warmly welcomed, including by another Marine, and a number who thanked me for my service.

I had hoped that we could offer to lay hands and pray over a woman who seemed to be in some distress during the service, but couldn’t locate her afterwards.

A recent sermon elsewhere dealt with friends from whom we should distance ourselves; today’s included some of the aspects of being a good friend. The odd part was both times I heard Christ’s message for me before the pastor spoke.

When Christ claimed me, all those I had thought of as friends left me, so that message was a little late for me. But I realized I was burdened just the same with too much stuff. Today it was clear that some of my friends about whom I have been judgmental are maybe those to whom I haven’t been enough of a friend.

We have a Friend to emulate in Christ, and I pray we are up to the challenge.

A member I spoke with was lamenting the lack of tithers. I would offer that there has never been anyone who was having financial troubles to whom I recommended tithing who came back to complain. You can’t out-give God.

Jan’s thoughts:

A Marine greeted us warmly at the door and others welcomed us as well as we made our way to the restrooms and then to the sanctuary.

The fellowship time was winding down as we found our way downstairs, and had we arrived earlier we would have enjoyed the coffee and donuts. It looked like a generous spread.

In addition to the three crosses we noticed on the outside of the building, there were three at the front of the sanctuary as well.

This traditional church and blended service included somewhat contemporary songs led by an organist and several women who exhibited a pleasant harmony.

The pastor referenced last week’s message about Ruth and Naomi and stated the takeaways: loyal love is important; we must be the reflection of Jesus; we must be an encourager; and friendships matter to God. Today’s message was Friends to be Thankful For: #3 Jonathan and David.

He pointed out that Jonathan was the eldest son of the king while David was the youngest son in his family and a shepherd. They could not have been more opposite, and their relationship of mutual respect and care could only have been orchestrated by God.

This message reminded me that I need to nurture the friendships with which God has blessed me.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will continue to comfort and guide Your church to new life in You. Amen.

New Life Christian Ministries

Yesterday we worshiped at New Life Christian Ministries, 139 Knoch Road, Saxonburg, PA 16056, 724.524.1547 www.newlifexn.org, Dr. Chris Marshall, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – ESV

Proverbs 18:24 –

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:6 –

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:10 –

Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

Bob’s thoughts:

Sometimes we are blessed to see God’s orchestration to get a message through to us.

I recently went to the VA to get my hearing aid repaired and, as usual, steered the conversation to Christ and our church visits. The church we talked about sounded familiar, and today, needing an early service, we came to take a look.

I don’t always remember a church, but this one was familiar right away. We first worshiped here the second week they were in this location and God has blessed them in growing His church.

I was lamenting the loss of the large cross that was on the wall until I looked up and saw the cross toward the ceiling.

We were greeted and some thanked me for my service, including a time later in worship. I was surprised that only once did the laser lights shine on the congregation. There were patterns projected on the ceiling and overhead cross. The volume was good and I liked the harmony and lead singers. The three screens made it easy to see, even when I had to sit down.

Christ’s message for me personally came through when I read the title of the pastor’s sermon, Necessary Endings: Friends. When Christ claimed me, I had a lot of friends and they all went away. I lamented the loss till I realized Who was doing the pruning.

I have been cleansed in that regard but have a lot of things weighing me down. After a few deaths in the family I received a lot of tools and other things. It wasn’t long before I realized they were more of a burden than a blessing. Many truckloads went away at that time, but now I’m sure it’s time to do it again. I worked in many fields and created artistically in mixed medium, but I know He will lead me through in prayer. I’m looking forward to where I’ll be next, and who I’ll be.

Jan’s thoughts:

Bob met someone from this church so we visited at her invitation, also because we sought an early service and they have one at 8:30 in addition to Sunday services at 10 and 11:30 and one Saturday evening at 6:30.

We last visited this church four years ago, and last week they dedicated a recently completed expansion. There seems to be a great deal going on here. The signage was helpful, as was the coffee, and the service began shortly after we found our seats.

Three projection screens in the front made it easy to see what was going on even from the very back.

The stage was lit with spotlights, which gratefully did not wander into the seats. The cross that was on the wall at our last visit had been moved to make room for one of the screens, and it is suspended at an angle above the stage. It was truly striking.

Veterans were recognized and prayed over, which was deeply touching.

The message began a new series based on a book by Dr. Henry Cloud called Necessary Endings. He began with a quote: “Sometimes, in order to thrive, something else must die. Nowhere is that more true than in relationships.” He emphasized his Take Home Point: True friends build us up, but false friends can lead us to destruction.

He pointed out that followers of Christ should approach necessary endings with truth and love, and that they are easier to embrace and execute when you believe something normal is happening.

I appreciated this message and have downloaded the church’s app so I can hear the subsequent parts to this series.

We were grateful for the time given in conversation by both the pastor and Bob’s friend.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, the growth is impressive, and we pray Your church continues to be a beacon where You have planted them. Amen.

Crossroads Church Cranberry

Today we worshiped at Crossroads Church Cranberry, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066, 412.494.9999, www.crossroadsumc.org, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Matthew 28:1-10 –

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

James 3:4-5 –

Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Ephesians 4:29-32 –

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Bob’s thoughts:

With recent upheaval in our lives, we were looking forward to a quiet service where we knew what to expect. But today our grandson had a troubled day. It is easy to be upset when there is seemingly nothing you can do and most troubling when it is not the normal behavior. I didn’t expect him to sing along, but noticed he was watching the rear wall projection and mouthing the words.

An important thought from today’s message: “Jesus can change your path” …something He is doing in our lives right now.

I interpreted a line of the sermon, “Run toward the pain”, as a take-off of the Marine motto, “We run toward the gunfire”. We were admonished to pray and speak as bridge builders.

I realized that as annoying as it is to me to repeat a line from praise songs over and over, during Communion, it works. We were given a time for confession, and I got a personal message for me from God: I need to be more of a bridge builder.

Jan’s thoughts:

We had one of our grandchildren with us most of the weekend and wanted to make sure he attended church where he usually goes, so we found ourselves here.

As always, the coffee was delicious, the people were friendly and welcoming, and the music was well done.

The message was the last in the 3-part series and was called Encountering Jesus Redirects Us. This was timely for me, as He has done just that this past week when my job ended. The pastor pointed out that when we meet Jesus, we become messengers of hope, which means we run toward the pain in this world and we can pray and speak as bridge builders. He reminded us that we make a difference with the compassion we show and the hope we bring to others, and that courage is contagious.

This message reminded me that God indeed has good plans and that Jesus’ redirection of my life is an opportunity to discover those plans.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we are grateful that You continue to guide Your church to where You want them to be. Amen.

Edgewood Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Edgewood Church, 430 Edgewood Road, Beaver Falls, PA 15010, 724.843.2889, www.edgewood-church.com, Pastor Michael Coleman.

Scripture – ESV

Ephesians 4:11-15 –

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Matthew 5:5 –

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Psalm 33:16-18 –

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

Bob’s thoughts:

I liked the cross at the flagpole in the parking lot, as well as the one in front of the Communion table.

We were welcomed by a number of people and many brought others to introduce to us.

I loved the sound of the praise team…great harmony and solo voices. The lighting coordinated to the song and provided just the right effect with the lights/shadows through the ceiling joists.

The Daylight Savings Time skit was priceless and I appreciated the testimony during the offering that you can’t out-give God.

A favorite line from a worship song: “When death was arrested and my life began.”

The message spoke to meekness; it was well developed and supported Scripturally and relevant now. I liked his story about his college choice and when it washed over him that he wasn’t supposed to be at this utopian setting.

A strong point of the message: to be angry at the right time and not at the wrong time, a recent lesson for me. I felt God speaking through him to get the message to me. The pastor apologized for needing a sip of water periodically, but I noticed God was using it for a poignant pause to emphasize a point.

In the area of controlling one’s anger, an important lesson for the day was that when a parent says “don’t spill your Nerds” and the child only hears “spill your Nerds.” But his girls’ angelic faces would make it impossible to be angry about them obeying directions.

I don’t know how extensive the renovations were, but we were not aware we had visited recently as only the pastor looked familiar. I believe God sent us back just for today’s message.

I do wish I had remembered to ask about one of their missions, Communicycle.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived early and looked around, grateful for the coffee. As we waited for the service to start, we sat outside the worship area where a handful of people stopped to introduce themselves and chat. One of the ladies we spoke with said the worship area and adjacent children’s area were completely redone earlier this year.

We located seats in the back of the worship area where still more folks greeted us with conversation before worship.

Likely due to the recent renovation, the walls were bare; the front wall was attractively designed, and the projection screen appeared to be framed and immovable.

We had already been treated to the praise team’s rehearsal, which we appreciated from the hallway. Even so, I was impressed by the use of the lights to enhance the musical effect during When Death Was Arrested.

As the service began, Pastor Mike spoke about the Squirrel Hill shooting yesterday and read Psalm 34:15-22 then followed with prayer.

The current sermon series is called BE Attitudes, and this week’s entry was Blessed Are the Meek. As this was a recent topic of conversation between Bob and me, we felt called to attend this church today. Only after we returned home and checked the blog did we realize we had visited this church only six months ago, yet nothing looked familiar because of the extensive renovation.

The young pastor who preached is the son of the lead pastor. He defined meekness as giving full control of our life to God and spoke of three aspects of meekness: controlling our anger, self-control, and humility.

It was a message well worth hearing, and I was glad to be there.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we thank You for leading us here to meet with You. We pray You continue to bless and guide this, Your church. Amen.

River Oaks Community Church

Sunday past, we worshiped at River Oaks Community Church, 1855 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Clemmons, NC 27012, 336.766.0033, www.riveroakschurch.org, Pastor David Beaty.

Scripture – ESV

Matthew 6:16-18 –

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 9:14-17 –

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."

Bob’s thoughts:

If I believed in coincidences, I would find it odd that our daughter chose to join the only church we had visited in this area almost a year ago. I do know God has brought her and her children to a healthy church that is on track with God’s purpose for them. She has found the stability and support she needs, and we are thankful.

I was pleased to note the church has sprinkler protection…an expensive safeguard.

The parking directors were helpful. When I saw the large cross on the outside and found smaller versions in the sanctuary, a lot of my questions were answered.

After only a brief exchange, I later went back for a refill of coffee and was greeted by name.

There is diversity and a wide mix of ages among the worshipers.

Three large screens made it easy to read the music and Scripture. I appreciated the reflection of the colored lighting on the suspended ceiling gridwork. The harmony of the praise team was agreeable and I enjoyed the solo by the female lead. I relished hearing the Scripture read with inflection.

We were pleased to be here to witness baptisms, and appreciated hearing their statements of faith and being able to see the baptisms on the projection screens.

It was most impressive to learn the building campaign will include mission giving. I was overjoyed to see some of their mission contributions; that is the best sign of a healthy church. You cannot out-give God. This church is blessed indeed.

The message was about fasting and I believe it brought a lot of understanding. Was well developed with supporting Scripture and current relevancy focusing on right motives.

Jan’s thoughts:

As our daughter will soon join this church, we were grateful for a chance to visit again and worship with her.

This is only our second visit here, but we’ve only seen a small portion of this vast campus. We caught up with our daughter and she directed us toward the coffee and restrooms, which was enough that morning.

Several people greeted us and many smiled as people of all ages either hung out following the education hour or waited for the second service to begin.

The service began with the baptism of three youths all under the age of 10. Each began with a video of the child telling about their faith walk followed by baptism by immersion and prayer. I was heartened by the sincerity of the faith expressed and felt honored to be present.

This church will soon begin a capital campaign for the purpose of enlarging and enhancing the building to accommodate the expanding congregation. Recent weeks have been dedicated to developing the spiritual thinking of the members. I was seriously impressed when the leadership stated that 10% of the funds given toward the capital campaign would be applied toward mission.

The message was entitled Beyond Our Comfort: Prayer and Fasting for a Closer Walk with God. I cannot recall the last time I heard a sermon on fasting, and the message was clear and convincing. He defined biblical fasting, listed reasons, types, and motives for fasting, and provided practical suggestions.

I am delighted to know our daughter and granddaughters are being fed from this theological table.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we are thankful as always for Your Presence in worship and grateful for Your guidance and reassurance in growing Your church. Amen.

Mars United Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Mars United Presbyterian Church, 232 Crowe Avenue, PO Box 805, Mars, PA 16046, 724.625.1365, www.mars-up.org, Rev. James Steiner, Interim Pastor.

Scripture – Job 13:1-12 NIV

“My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips. Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal? He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality. Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

Bob’s thoughts:

After some confusion over a church start time not being updated on a website, we ended up with time to kill and found a good breakfast place with delicious coffee and a church nearby where we could worship.

This small church is older but has a modern feel to it. There are dual projection screens and a third for the side-facing choir. The choir sounded pleasant but the print on the screens was small and so poorly contrasted as to be mostly unreadable. The congregation is older and I’m sure would benefit from more readable monitors.

I might have to pick up the book from the children’s message for our grandchildren. The message went well and was a good segue to today’s message: How NOT to Console a Friend, a favorite subject of mine. The valuable advice: show up, shut up, and keep up.

My favorite memory is visiting a widow from our church. I never spoke a word; I got her water, tissue, held her hand, steadied her walk, I listened only. She commented later that what I said meant the most to her in her sorrow. Be there. Place a reminder on your calendar to send a note on the anniversary of the loss. Don’t hesitate to bring up the loss, even if the bereaved doesn’t want to talk then about the person, they will still appreciate knowing you remember.

Let them talk! My therapy when our son was killed was to talk about our loss and his life and witness. Jesus Christ got us through the tough times but talking about him let us recover some sense of reality. It is a new normal and it takes time to get there.

A few people said hello and a woman spoke to us after the service, sharing their hopes of rebuilding as a church during this interim period. We did see some younger folks in worship, which is a good start. I don’t know if they have done a church assessment yet but hope they are praying to discern what God wants next for His church.

Jan’s thoughts:

After an unpredictable morning and redirection, we arrived just before the 11 a.m. service.

A few people welcomed us in the short time before the service began, and others greeted us during and after worship.

It has been 9½ years since our last visit to this church and we found it interesting that we recalled only one physical element of the facility: the doors separating the sanctuary from the fellowship area.

The sanctuary is traditional and the atmosphere formal…this felt like the church in which I grew up. It has been some time since we followed along with a bulletin and an order of worship.

The 11-member choir wore identical robes and a group photo was displayed on the monitors during the anthem.

The church welcomed Rev. Liddy Barlow as the guest preacher. Rev. Barlow has served as Executive Minister of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania since April 2014.

The message was entitled “How NOT to Console a Friend” and was based on both Job and her personal experience with loss. I appreciated her positive perspective on what one can do to comfort a friend in grief:

1 – Show up. In other words, be there, connect, and offer to perform specific tasks or functions as opposed to saying “Let me know if I can do anything.”

2 – Shut up…and listen. I have found this hard to remember sometimes.

3 – Keep up. Just as there is no timeline for grief, there should be no expiration date on showing care and concern for a friend who is experiencing a hard season of life.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You will unite Your church in one accord to follow Your direction. May we all know the joy of serving You. Amen.