Today we worshiped
at First Alliance Church, 111 Mission Meade Drive, New Castle, PA 16105,
724.654.4512, www.firstalliancenc.org,
Rev. John McCready, Pastor.
Scripture
– NLT
John
10:16 –
I
have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also.
They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
Acts
1:8 –
But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my
witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea,
in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
2
Corinthians 10:14-16 –
We
are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as
if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to
Corinth with the Good News of Christ.
Nor
do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we
hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you
will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other
places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no
question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
missed a turn and arrived later than we planned so it is hard to guess if
others would have greeted us. I was greeted by a Marine, which made my day.
The silhouettes
on the side walls of the sanctuary were an interesting feature though I am not
sure what they all represented.
There
were three points to the message about a church in Portugal but I only caught
the first one – serving communities. I think too many churches strive to grow
bigger and forget this step; it’s the best way to grow a church.
There
was a story of a man with a hole in his lung that was not given a positive
prognosis. After prayer and healing his wife and daughter also came to Christ.
Having
just gotten through a scary forecast myself, I bought “forever” stamps
yesterday. I decided I am sure about God’s timing in my life.
Jan’s
thoughts:
I
was thankful for another beautiful day for a drive as we gratefully parked in a
visitor spot.
We
arrived with not much time to spare, so there was no opportunity to wander
around. From what we saw, indoor signage was good (which means I could find the
restroom without asking someone where it was).
A
number of people welcomed us when we entered as well as before and after
worship.
The
music was led by a gentleman with an impressive voice that carried all the way
to the back of the sanctuary along with a woman who provided lovely harmony.
The
Order of Worship indicated the pastor will be installed Tuesday, October 8, and
he confirmed that today was indeed his very first Sunday with this
congregation.
As
one might expect at a Christian Missionary Alliance church, the focus was on
mission. The speaker, Mike Davis, and his wife (who was unable to be there
today), are international mission workers in Portugal through the CMA Church.
He
provided a great deal of detailed information about how their CMA Church is
integrating into the community and bringing Jesus Christ to the people there.
Their three goals are: serving communities, developing people, and multiplying
church networks, and he detailed their efforts and successes in each area.
He
closed with the encouraging reminder that “When you pray, you touch the country
and the nations.”
It
was a pleasure to speak with both Mike Davis and the new pastor following
worship.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray You will encourage the new pastor of Your church. We pray You will
bless the time he and his family are here. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at Crossroads Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 412.494.9999,
www.xr.church, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– 1 Samuel 18 NIV
After
David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David,
and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not
let him return home to his family. And Jonathan made a covenant with David
because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and
gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his
belt.
Whatever
mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high
rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.
When
the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women
came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and
dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they
sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
Saul
was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David
with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can
he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.
The
next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in
his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a
spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the
wall.” But David eluded him twice.
Saul
was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from
Saul. So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men,
and David led the troops in their campaigns. In everything he did he had great
success, because the Lord was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he
was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in
their campaigns.
Saul
said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in
marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul
said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do
that!”
But
David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that
I should become the king’s son-in-law?” So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s
daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
Now
Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it,
he was pleased. “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a
snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So
Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my
son-in-law.”
Then
Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king
likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’ ”
They
repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small
matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
When
Saul’s servants told him what David had said, Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The
king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to
take revenge on his enemies.’ ” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands
of the Philistines.
When
the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s
son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, David took his men with him
and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their
foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might
become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in
marriage.
When
Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved
David, Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest
of his days.
The
Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did,
David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name
became well known.
Bob’s
thoughts:
I was
thinking back to when Christ claimed me, how surprised that some people thought
the lack of air conditioning or soft pew seat pads could be reason enough not
to go to church. Today, not being able to breathe made me rethink this excuse. Years
ago, the only alternative would have been to listen to a service on the radio
with next to no choices.
Today
we didn’t want to visit where we had not been and find out I couldn’t stay, and
having not seen these grands since the hospital sealed the deal. During the
service my grandson edged his way in closer to me, and I was surprised that as
he got in tighter my breathing seemed to ease some. I think to accommodate his
lanky frame I was sitting up straighter and breathing easier. I feel sure when
I go back to the VA I will be given oxygen and be able to handle the
temperature/humidity better. Today it was good to feel the healing touch of
being with family.
One
off-shoot of my doctoring is that God has put a lot of people in my path who
need prayer, so I must say as always, I am truly blessed.
The
third point from today’s message reminded me of an experience at the VA
Hospital. The point was for a friend to be available and attentive, valuable
attributes.
I had
been wheeled to a waiting area outside the OR and was asked if I needed
anything. To the first nurse who asked, I responded that my feet were cold. He
brought two heated blankets and covered my body but not my feet. The next nurse
inquired and I explained my need, she rolled two heated blankets and placed
them under my neck. This felt good, but my feet were really getting cold. The next
nurse brought a blanket for under my neck. While they were happy looking at the
monitors, I pulled one from behind my neck and tossed it over my feet. The
recovery room was calling other staff over to feel how cold my feet were.
I
wonder how much we are like this in church and in life. Are we attentive? Fortunately,
our Savior hears our every word, spoken or not.
I
loved the duet during Communion; the voices blended perfectly.
Jan’s
thoughts:
After
a challenging few days, we felt the need to worship with family today.
The
church is in the process of expanding the parking area, so there were plenty of
dirt piles, blockades, and even some earthmoving equipment. I’m excited to see
it when it’s completed.
Today’s
message, Friending, was the second part of a series called Asking For
a Friend. The pastor began talking about intentional or accidental friending/unfriending
in real life or no social media. He defined contracts (a contingent
relationship) and covenants (a promise not contingent on others’ keeping their
promise). And the more recent phenomenon of ghosting, or refusing to maintain
contact.
But
he stated God’s design for the human race is connection and friendship, and the
foundation of friendship is commitments. His advice for building a friendship
is:
1
– Share experiences with others;
2
– Be generous;
3
– Be available and attentive; and
4
– Celebrate instead of compete.
He
closed by advising us to ask ourselves the question: How can you slow down your
life to be attentive and available to others? This sounds like a worthwhile goal
and a good place to start.
For
me, a highlight of the service was Communion and being escorted forward by our
almost 14-year-old grandson.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your church continues to raise up compassionate friends who celebrate
each other. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at Mount Chestnut Presbyterian Church, 727 West Old Route 422, Butler, PA
16001, 724.287.7601, www.mcpresby.com,
Rev. Ron Schermerhorn, Pastor.
Scripture
– Revelation 3:7-13 NIV
“To
the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These
are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he
opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds.
See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that
you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my
name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews
though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your
feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to
endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to
come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
I
am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never
again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name
of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven
from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let
them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
were warmly welcomed and a gentleman pointed out the restrooms.
The
sanctuary ceiling is a low-rise arch that frames the cross in the stained-glass
panel. I found some of the projection screen offerings useless with white
lettering over a light background, though some of the projections later were
readable.
I was
pleased that there was a Prayer of Illumination before the Scripture and
message and I liked the interpretation that John’s letters to the churches were
dictated by Christ. Also, the reference to losing flavor or saltiness, as I
have been placed on a salt-free diet.
We appreciated
the time the pastor gave us after the service. I was also glad to get a prayer
list.
I sense
Christ has good things planned for His church.
Jan’s
thoughts:
We
took advantage of this beautiful morning for a drive and were welcomed warmly
by many folks throughout our visit.
The
music unexpectedly leaned a bit toward the contemporary. The song Soon and
Very Soon was an uplifting reminder of Malawi, and His Eye is on the
Sparrow refers to a verse I read just this morning and was another welcome
reminder.
The
large sanctuary had great acoustics and ideal volume.
It’s
not unusual for one person to act as liturgist for part of a service, but today
several others took leadership roles. It’s always encouraging to see leaders
stepping up.
The
current sermon series revolves around the churches in the Book of Revelation
and today’s message was entitled Patient Endurance – The Church at
Philadelphia. The pastor began by stating that Christ dictated this document,
which I believe is clear from the text. Christ has nothing against this church
because of their strong love for each other.
The
pastor stated the secret of their strong love was three-fold:
1
– Persistence – they held on to the truth of the Gospel;
2
– Power – they had little strength, but with God they were powerful;
3
– Patience – they had the ability to look beyond the circumstances of
oppression from the regime of the empire of Rome…and stayed teaching and living
out the Gospel message.
And
Jesus would reward them for their faithfulness.
I
appreciated this reminder of the value of patient endurance in Jesus’ eyes.
This trait is severely undervalued in our world.
We
enjoyed delightful conversations with the Music Director and then with the Pastor
and appreciated their time today.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your blessing on Your church. May You continue to guide and grow them
as they know You more and more. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at Crossroads Church, 8533 Peters Road, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066, 412.494.9999,
www.xr.church, Mike Arnold, Campus Pastor.
Scripture
– NIV
Matthew
28:19-20 –
“Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.”
Acts
8:4 –
Those
who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
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.
Bob’s
thoughts:
After
a week of questionable medical status, I was looking to put my health concerns
aside and just worship God and thank Him for being alive. My daughter, who
works on hearts, made the trip from North Carolina to get me past the diagnosis
and prepare me for my new lifestyle. Unfortunately, her twin had to work today,
but we were able to get all the grandchildren together in one place with our
other daughter, son, and son-in-law in worship. This was part of God’s blessing
and I cannot think of a more powerful medicine. To top it off, one of my
beautiful granddaughters was serving as a greeter at the door.
We
were greeted by a number of people I didn’t know, a very positive change. The
pastor talked a little about the history of the church, that with their
satellites they have grown to be the largest Methodist church in Pennsylvania.
They have experienced growth at this location and have demolished a house and
are moving dirt around to increase the parking area. My grands thought it great
when I referred to the construction equipment as toys in the sandbox and
suggested maybe we could play after the service.
I’ll
freely admit I was somewhat distracted by some of the mini members of this
church, but God got His message through to me anyway. As I become less and less
physically capable, God still has important things for me to do. His new vision
for my life does not require the same strengths as in the past. My prayer life
has grown substantially and when I reflect on it, some of the true prayer
warriors I’ve known couldn’t do a lot else. Maybe He is raising me to my new
life.
Jan’s
thoughts:
With
out-of-town family here for a visit, our family took the opportunity for most
of us to worship together. We managed to get photos of all nine grandchildren
together on this Grandparent’s Day.
Something
is different every time we worship here, and today the building that had been
in front of the church is no longer there. Due to increasing attendance, plans
are in place to expand the parking lot, which is great news for everyone.
In
today’s message, Taking it Personally, Pastor Mike outlined in detail the
four eras of Crossroads’ vision and told how these goal-setting visions have
served to grow Crossroads into a church with five campuses and turn it into the
largest Methodist church in Pennsylvania.
Then
he moved to the topic of personal goals. He said the key to avoiding the regret
of wasted time was helping others and stated God has made each of us with
intention to do something important. Each person is uniquely crafted by God to
make a positive impact, and our opportunity is waiting.
I
would only add: in God’s good time, as some of us bloom earlier and some later.
I found great encouragement in this message and I was glad we were here.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray our eyes are open to our new call from You. May our hunger to serve
overcome our fears. Amen.
Today we worshiped
at North Hills Community Baptist Church, 7801 Thompson Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA
15237, 412.366.2662 www.nhcbc.com, Rev. Dr.
Timothy Spring, Pastor.
Scripture
– John 6:41-60 NIV
At
this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread
that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph,
whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from
heaven’?”
“Stop
grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is
written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has
heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father
except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell
you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your
ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread
that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living
bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.
This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then
the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his
flesh to eat?”
Jesus
said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For
my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me
and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because
of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna
and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” He said this
while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
On
hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can
accept it?”
Bob’s
thoughts:
I
noted this church on a recent trip to a garden supply store and was pleased to
visit today.
We
were welcomed by a number of people, given some information on the church, and
offered coffee. We were made to feel welcome as we enjoyed a most pleasantly
decorated social area.
At
the beginning of the sermon the pastor asked what denomination the congregation
came from. I remember attending an Evangelical United Brethren Church which went
on to be Methodist. Since my Mother was Ukrainian Catholic and Dad Presbyterian,
I’m sure we went to them also. We also went to a Baptist church, and I wonder
where else we worshiped. The joke was that my dad would worship at whatever
church was closest.
The
message from The Hard Sayings of Jesus series related to Communion: This
is My Body…This is My Blood. I used to wonder if this was just to see what
interpretation we would come up with, but I believe the metaphoric Protestant
interpretation is as close as we come.
The
pastor told of a woman who was to help serve who presented herself in tears and
how that affected a sacrament that dims to a ritual at most churches. It is
what I miss most about not having a church home; serving Communion was an honor
and I loved making it as personal as possible, celebrating Christ’s Presence in
the meal.
Perhaps
a time of confession before would help bring the meaning back; it always
humbles me. The churches that celebrated Communion every week were blessed.
They also experienced demonic warfare as they became more of a hinderance for
the Devil. The story of the server in tears brought me back to those powerful
times; may it affect all of us as we humbly come to the Cross.
I
loved the cross high on the wall suspended with crossing window chains, a powerful
presentation.
Communion
was served silently, and the pastor was served.
I
enjoyed the voice of the woman leading the music especially during Communion. Her
voice was a good match for the songs.
Jan’s
thoughts:
I
was glad we had arrived with time to spare as many people greeted us warmly and
engaged us in conversation. We were invited to help ourselves to coffee in the
lovely, cozy café and people stopped to introduce themselves.
The
sanctuary was decorated simply with banners on each side bearing Christ’s “I AM”
statements.
There
was one screen in the front on which words were displayed and I had no trouble
reading them although we sat in the very back row.
The
Children’s Story time focused on helping the young ones understand symbols
Examples included a football helmet and engagement/wedding rings, then segued
into a description of the Communion elements. I thought the explanation was
well laid out in a format the children could grasp and generally did an
excellent job of teaching about Communion.
This
week’s message was part six of a series entitled The Hard Sayings of Jesus
and was called This is My Body…This is My Blood. The pastor began with
an informal survey among the congregation about their denominational roots
which he closed by noting the diversity of those present. He lamented the
existence of 9,000+ denominations at this point in spite of Jesus Christ’s
prayer in John 17 for unity among believers.
He
continued by contrasting the Roman Catholic understanding of the Communion
elements called transubstantiation, where the belief is that the elements
become the actual body and blood of Christ, versus the understanding taught by
Martin Luther, that Christ is “in, with, and under the elements.”
He
concluded by recounting a Communion service in which one of the servers
experienced the Presence of Christ, and because of her emotional response, the
Spirit spread among those present. I believe the point of this message was that
whatever our denominational beliefs about the elements and the sacrament, the
real Presence of Christ will change people every single time.
I
was pleased to be present to celebrate Communion.
Our
prayer for this church:
Heavenly
Father, we pray for Your continued guidance for this congregation as they
celebrate Communion that they truly commune with You. Amen.
