McKees Rocks Assembly of God

Yesterday we worshiped at McKees Rocks Assembly of God, 835 Broadway, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, 412.331.8020, www.mckeesrocksag.org, Pastor James Tracey.

Scripture –

Romans 8:1-13 NASB –

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 5:19-21 NASB –

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:9-21 The Message –

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.

Galatians 6:7-8 NASB –

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Bob’s thoughts:

This church was on our list to visit for some time and today God directed us here. We were warmly welcomed from the door and many stopped by in the pew. The real welcome was the smile of a young girl as she danced around the sanctuary.

There was a great harmony between the pastor on guitar and the female lead singer. I found it a challenge to follow the words as we sang as there was much repetition and I got lost easily although she did try to lead us to what was next.

I enjoyed the banners and was happy to see a large cross behind the projection screen.

The message was part of a series on rebuilding His church, and today focused on discipleship. The pastor raised a thought that has gotten me in the past: “Is this what God wants or what I think God wants?”

I had a large garden and sent tons of produce to local food banks, then one year I felt God calling me to stop. Since most of the garden was hillside and it was killing me, it should have been easy to obey. But I believed I was doing this good stuff for God and put in a garden anyhow, a little smaller maybe. The next year I planted peas and started buying seeds, then I heard clearly, “I meant that!” His peace washed over me when I obeyed and that part of the property is now mostly grass.

Another statement I liked – when you are caught in the flesh – “just stop it.” When He calls you, “just do it!”

Jan’s thoughts:

This church has been on our list for approximately four years, and today seemed like the day to visit. We were greeted even before entering the building and welcomed warmly and often. The building is modest, neat, and clean, with some striking banners on the side walls.

The volume of the music was perfect, with the pastor playing the guitar, his wife on the keyboard, and a single vocalist. The voices blended beautifully.

If the message had a title, I think it would have been “Believer’s Choice.” The pastor spoke of the church’s emphasis on discipleship, then defined the term as “learning how to live in relationship with our God, Who loves us.”

He stated that Christians have a choice to live either according to the flesh or to be led by the Spirit. However, living in the Spirit is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of learning to depend on God alone.

He spoke of putting to death the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit, and that we “can’t cast out what must be crucified,” which I thought was very well put.

He asked an excellent question: are you who God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do where He wants you to be doing it?

There was enough food for thought in this message to munch on for some time.

We appreciated the kind invitations to join the congregation for lunch which would be followed by a baptism, but we had to decline.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, Your church is preparing to grow where You planted them. Fertilize the fields of their hearts and help them grow in their love for You. Amen.

Calvin Presbyterian Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 415 E. Grandview Avenue, Zelienople, PA 16063, 724.452.7560 www.calvinchurchzelie.org, Rev. Doug Gebhard, Interim Senior Pastor.

Scripture – 1 Kings 19:4-8 NKJV

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

Bob’s thoughts:

We heard about the service in Fred Rogers’ honor and came to visit. It has been a good while since we last worshiped here and I forgot about their large carved cross. We were warmly welcomed by the Associate Pastor.

I don’t know if a bass is usually part of the praise band, but it sure was a highlight for a Fred Rogers service.

I worked for a while in the motion picture industry, and Fred’s film was one that we processed. He walked in one day when I was in the hallway, dirty and stained from the chemicals I was working around. Fred stopped to chat about what I did there, and surprisingly, said hello when he was on the way out with the owner of the company.

The pastor talked about being Christ-like to our neighbors, and how we don’t always see the angels that help and guide us.

At our old family church, when Christ first called me, I talked to the young children (my favorite people) about angels. They said sure, and pointed to where the angels sat in the balcony, the one that had been removed 40 years before.

A highlight phrase: “Let some word that is heard be Yours.”

Communion was passed silently in the pews, but the pastors were served. I noticed a great innovation: the juice tray was labeled as to juice or wine.

We stayed for coffee after but everyone was busy talking to each other…maybe because there are two services.

Jan’s thoughts:

We knew it had been some time since we visited here (I learned it was five years ago), so when Bob came across an announcement that this service would be a tribute to Mr. Rogers, we decided to join them in worship.

This congregation is in the midst of an interim period, which they appear to be excited about and using to full advantage, which I find refreshing. Some of that may have to do with the stability provided by the continued presence of the Associate Pastor, Connie Frierson.

We were welcomed by several people sitting nearby, and the first time a song was sung from the hymnal, the gentleman next to us handed me the hymnal with the correct page bookmarked.

I expected traditional music, so was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm of the contemporary musicians. The musical selections included pieces by Loudon Wainwright III (“Hank and Fred”), Fred Rogers (“It’s You I Like”, “It’s Such a Good Feeling”, and “I Like You As You Are”) and Bob Dylan (Man Gave Names To All The Animals”), so the advance notice that this service would be “different” was spot on.

The sermon was offered by the Interim Senior Pastor and entitled “Helpers”, in reference to the quote from Fred Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ ”

He began by telling a bit about his personal friendship with Mr. Rogers, also a Presbyterian minister. He spoke of “helping” angels in Scripture, particularly the ones that helped Elijah. And when he pointed out that the angel ministered to Elijah not once, but twice, he emphasized that sometimes we humans need to hear a message more than once for it to “get through.” I can definitely identify.

He closed with the clip of Fred Rogers’ acceptance speech when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. It’s pure Fred Rogers, and if you’ve not seen it, it’s worth watching on YouTube.

In his closing prayer, he included a phrase he learned from Fred: “Let some word that is heard be Yours.” In my opinion, that should always be the prayer of a preacher—indeed, anyone seeking to influence others, whatever the venue.

I was pleased we could participate in Communion as well as stay for coffee afterward.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, please bless this congregation’s efforts to grow Your church and encourage them to be “angels” in Your name. Amen.

Random Thoughts on Hospitality

What is a welcome gift and at what point do you present it to a visitor? What is the intended purpose of the gift? Is it to introduce visitors to your church and facility or simply to acknowledge the visitors’ presence?

What kinds of items are included? A floorplan of the facility is immensely useful if given before the service but less so if the visitor is on their way out the door. Information on the church’s beliefs and programs, missions supported, contact list for questions are all helpful means for a visitor to determine their level of interest.

Do you put things in your welcome bag that are inconvenient for the visitor to hold during the service such as bulky, breakable cups or glasses? Gauging the visitor is helpful: if they have children in tow, perhaps offer a coloring packet.

Is the preacher identified? Is there a coffee/snack time to which the visitor can be invited? This can be a valuable opportunity for both the church and the visitor.

Other gifts that can be marks of hospitality are homemade breads that can be kept in the fridge or frozen till needed. A personal note on the item and dietary concerns related to ingredients is a very good idea. I’ve never had anyone turn down homemade…I loved to send soup home with a visitor who couldn’t stay for lunch. If there is a deli-type lunch area, free tickets or free coffee are hospitable.

Most visitors don’t like the spotlight but are usually open to being greeted. Pass the word, just not from the pulpit. I’d suggest you say “We welcome our visitors,” no matter how obvious their identity may be, without putting them on the spot.

Zion United Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Zion United Methodist Church, 438 Bear Creek Road, Sarver, PA 16055, 724.353.1720, www.zionsarver.com, Rev. Robert H. Wilson, Pastor.

Scripture –

Psalm 51:1-17 NIV –

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Ephesians 4:1-16 The Message –

In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is, He climbed the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the booty, He handed it all out in gifts to the people. Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

Bob’s thoughts:

The church has monitors on the side walls so people farther back can still see, and I did find a cross, so I was happy.

A little girl completely changed my perspective of the friendliness of the church when she walked by and stopped, smiled, and waved. How delightful!

The pastor referred to how God is fine tuning us as we are called to equip others. I guess the question is, how willing are we to accept this fine tuning?

Most of my work has been in construction. I might have argued with architects and engineers, but I never tried to redirect the electrician to finish the plumber’s work or any other tradesman to do a different job. We worked together to complete the project. Do we do this in church? Or do we hold tightly to a particular service only because we have “always” done this job? We need to lose our ego in church and let God use us where and when He wants.

At my last regular job, I supervised about 100 people in various fields. On reflection, I realize I could have been a better boss had I questioned who aspired to be more than they were and who may have been a better fit for a particular job.

I remember a woman in church who was shunned from every place she tried to serve. I asked her if she would maintain the pencil racks in the pews. She loved it, was outstanding in the attention she paid to it, and best of all, she became part of the church she served. She had ownership with that job. The lack of ego let her be happy to serve Christ and she went on to serve in other ways.

Jan’s thoughts:

As we pulled into the parking lot, we were taken aback to see building materials, equipment, and a sizable project well underway as there was no indication of this on the website. Following worship, the pastor was kind enough to take time to explain the intended purposes of this new space. It is planned to be in addition to the existing building and to be used as space for outreach to the community and surrounding areas for a variety of purposes.

As worship time was close when we arrived, we located restrooms with the help of the prominent signage, then found seats in the sanctuary.

The large sanctuary is modern-looking with brightly stained-glass windows lining the walls. In lieu of the usual single projection screen in the front, two sets of monitors are well spaced down each side. It was easy to read the rear-most monitor from where we sat almost all the way back.

I was surprised when a few people pinpointed us as visitors, since this is a multi-service church.

The sermon was entitled “Finely Tuned,” referring to the joy when things work properly, be it a piece of machinery or a group of people, such as the church. He said when it is the church, members need to be humble, grateful, and gentle while speaking the truth in love. It is necessary to stay focused on Christ and lose our pride and ego.

I think, ideally, we should all try to exhibit these characteristics every day, no matter who we work with. It’s a virtuous and challenging goal.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray Your blessing on this, Your church as they move forward in working to show Your love and care to those outside their walls. Show Your power and bless their work in mighty and surprising ways. Amen.