Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church

Today we worshiped at Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church, 123 N. Pittsburgh Street, Zelienople, PA 16063, 724.452.7670, www.hzumc.org, Pastor Dan Owen.


Scripture – NIV

Mark 2:1-12 –

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”


Bob’s thoughts:

I met a woman in a local store. We talked for five minutes and she seemed to know me well, including some of my children, but I was drawing a blank. I thought she might have been part of the day care center here. When we saw it has been five years since our last visit, and a need to pick up a few things from our daughter nearby, it was an easy decision where to worship. The fun part was, I thought it was my choice.

There is a beautiful large round stained glass window with smaller panels to the side, above, and below to form a cross.

We received a friendly welcome from a number of people. We were pleased to be here for the commissioning of a mission team headed to Russia and appreciated the chance to talk to one of the young men after the service.

When the pastor started his message, I knew Whose choice it was for us to worship here today. God has used me in some miraculous healings, but it isn’t always the case. Twice He has let me know why there was no healing – once it was my son and once it was me. Christ answered my question through this message: sometimes the power to heal comes and goes, as the pastor referred to Luke 5:17: “And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.” The requirements are that God is willing and someone believes.


Jan’s thoughts:

We needed to be in the area this morning, so we decided to attend the 11:00 contemporary service here. I was relieved when the music we heard as we approached the building turned out to be rehearsal. Our grandtwins attended preschool here several years ago, so we already knew our way around from attending Christmas programs.

Several people welcomed us and one gentleman took time to share with us at length and introduce us to some other folks.

I enjoyed the sound of the praise team which consisted of three guitarists/vocalists, a keyboardist, and a drummer. The bulletin included offers of large print hymnals for the visually impaired, amplification units or a sign language interpreter to aid the hearing impaired, as well as who to see for earplugs if the music was too loud.

There is much going on here, including a mission trip to Russia this week and a men’s event in a couple of weeks with Pastor Ed Glover of Urban Impact as the keynote speaker. I was delighted to be there for the commissioning of the missionaries departing for Russia this Thursday.

The current sermon series is entitled Journey to the Cross…and Beyond and today’s installment was Part 4: The Healing of the Paralytic. The message began with a clip from the movie Son of God depicting this event and the pastor taught through each portion of the Scripture.

He stated that in verse 2, where it says that Jesus preached the word, as the Word, Jesus was preaching Himself. He then reminded the congregation, “When preachers talk too much about themselves (instead of Christ), their listeners should run.”

As he focused on healing, he said two things must be true for healing to happen: God must be willing and someone must be believing, pointing out that healing can sometimes come through the faith of others. Even when prayers are offered in faith, healing is not always granted, and this remains one of God’s mysteries.

At this point I thought it marvelous when the pastor invited questions from the congregation.

The pastor pointed out that Scripture states Jesus first forgave the man’s sins and then gave physical healing because “spiritual healing is way more important than physical healing.”

Stating he did not wish to “over-spiritualize,” he asked everyone to consider what might have become paralyzed in us that we would ask Jesus to heal. He focused on the areas of prayer, vocation, relationships, and witness for Christ, and prayer was offered for freedom from paralysis in any of these areas. I thought this was some good stuff.

This idea of paralysis is a new consideration for me, so I was pleased God had brought us here today.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray You will continue to bless Your church. Guide their mission endeavors that You be glorified. Amen.

Home

We awoke to ice yesterday, and snow came soon after. By the time I had pushed my snowblower to clear a path through our driveway and then took care of our widowed neighbor, I was having trouble walking. That was about when the cautions I had been given about my hernia came back to me.

Sometimes church work can be like that: we volunteer for every opportunity that arises to serve without considering where our heart is and what we might be doing from other motives. It can be one of the devil’s tools, even in the church, where we can overburden ourselves and end up doing less than our best for Him while at the same time denying someone else the chance to serve.

May we take on work for Christ with a joyful heart but may we pray for discernment as to His call.

Allison Park Church

Today we worshiped at Allison Park Church, 424 Duss Avenue, Ambridge, PA 15003, 412.487.7220, www.allisonparkchurch.com, Thomas Manning, Campus Pastor.


Scripture – NIV

Luke 12:13-34 –

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”


Bob’s thoughts:

I was lamenting the lack of a cross but then I found it off to the side, a black cross against a black wall in the dim lights. Somehow it was special that it didn’t jump out at me.

I liked the harmony of the worship leaders, but one voice had almost too much power for the small venue. I hope to hear them after they move to their new building.

Pastor Jeff’s video message was a look at You In Five Years. It made me think of a column titled New Year Challenge by Harlon Cohen from Chicago. Instead of figuring out your resolutions, pretend it is January 2020 and write as if you have lived 2019 already…goals, fears, milestones? “Pick a date beyond the fear and look back with a sense of calm.” What do you want to accomplish this year? What can you do for Christ? I have had times where I wasn’t sure what God wanted me to do, but when I started, He moved me to what He wanted for me. Reflect on how can I make my life worth something for Christ, and start doing it.


Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived with only a little time to spare. Several people welcomed us, and we found seats quickly.

The worship space is black and the wall behind the platform boasts an attention-grabbing pattern of circles with lights that change colors to coordinate with the colors on the screen.

Music was led by a vocalist, a keyboardist, and a guitarist, whose voices blended and supported each other beautifully.

The opening Scripture was Isaiah 43:18-19 and was followed with a reminder that God is doing a new thing. Just the encouragement my heart needed today.

A number of events are planned here, including the Pasta Invitational (great name!), Vision Sunday, and next month they are moving to a newer, updated facility very nearby. An eventful time for this church!

Through the wonders of technology, the message was given by Jeff Leake, Allison Park Church’s Lead Pastor, from the Hampton location. (This multi-campus church’s sixth location will open in March.)

The current series is called You In Five Years and is an effort to encourage people to view their lives from a long-term perspective as well as from the perspective of eternity. The three issues:

1 – Are you saved?

2 – Are you purposely storing up treasure in heaven by investing in the lives of others?

3 – What will matter most in eternity are the souls we work to bring with us.

He took this opportunity to introduce/remind his listeners of local and international outreach and teaching efforts, including offering the Alpha course. After watching a video from the series, I’m sure those who participate will be enthusiastic.

We appreciated the time given by the pastor for conversation following worship.


Our prayer for this church:
Lord, we pray Your continued blessings on Your church. Please guide them as they move to their new building and bring many not-yet-believers to their door to learn about Jesus. Amen.

Butler First Church

Today we worshiped at Butler First Church, 200 East North Street, Butler, PA 16001, 724.283.6160, www.butlerfumc.com, David Janz, Senior Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Psalm 103:1-14 –

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Luke 15:11-24 –

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Bob’s thoughts:

Although we were a little early, we were greeted by one man and he went out of his way to see if there was anything we needed. I thought when we went for coffee, maybe someone would interact with us or invite us to sit, so we took our coffee back to a small table in the narthex till the service started. The man there was friendly.

There is good signage, but had I not had to dispose of our coffee cups, we would have followed others into the sanctuary and ended up in the choir loft, I would not have been a good addition.

The sanctuary has a domed ceiling with stained glass and a large intricate window.

The line I liked best from the message: the cross is like the Tide stick, not like Wite Out. Though I thought the part about the cross would have been more powerful with a cross present. The Associate Pastor did an amazing job: she was clear and understandable and empathized well. She used a personal event to segue into her message.

I found it refreshing that she was able to recite the Words of Institution from memory. The pastor was served though part of Communion was administered silently.

There were some convenient “Sermon Note” notepads in the pew…a great way to take the message home.

Jan’s thoughts:

This building is beautifully decorated with many hospitable touches, from abundant signage to small strategically placed benches and tables.

With three weekend services at this campus alone (there are three campuses in Butler), I was heartened when we were welcomed by several people. A gentleman cordially offered coffee and donuts, which we gratefully accepted.

The large choir was stationed at the back of the chancel, and their vocals flowed with the enthusiasm of the organist.

During the announcements the congregation was informed the pastor was ill and unable to preach this morning, so one of the Associate Pastors would step in and the advertised sermon series would begin next week. No one seemed to miss a beat with these unexpected adjustments.

The Associate Pastor who preached spoke with a touch of humor of the last time she wore the white sweater she wore this morning. She had spilled a drop of coffee on it and her husband suggested a Tide to Go stick, which removed the stain completely.

She contrasted the results of the Tide to Go stick with Wite Out, which is used to paint over an error on paper. Unlike the complete removal of the stain with the Tide stick, it is possible to hold the paper up to the light and still see what is covered.

She stated that forgiveness is like that. Jesus pursues us, and when we accept His invitation, He forgives us completely. There is no trace of our sin that can be seen if you hold us up to the light…it’s utterly gone. Jesus removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west” and He chooses to forget them.

When we seek forgiveness or when we choose whether or not to forgive others, we are choosing between peace and joy or resentment and bitterness and others can sense either when they meet us.

She recommended that our prayer should be: help me be like a Tide stick and not Wite Out.

Communion was served by intinction, the bread silently and the juice with the spoken reminder that Christ’s blood was shed for me. Thank God!

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray for Your continued guidance and blessing in the work of this, Your church. Amen.