Today we worshiped at East Main Presbyterian Church, 120 East Main Street, Grove City, PA 16127, 724.458.8270, www.eastmainpc.org, Rev. Dr. Bill Hoffman, Senior Pastor.
Scripture – NIV
Luke 10:25-37 –
On one occasion an expert in the law
stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal
life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Romans 3:20 –
Therefore
no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
1 John 4:19 –
We
love because he first loved us.
Bob’s thoughts:
Today was cool but bright, so we opted for a church that was a little farther away. It was a pleasant drive and we arrived early enough to talk with a few people before the service started.
We had explained to one man how the death of our son led to visiting a different church each week and blogging about our visits. It was a good conversation and brought a question we seldom hear: “How do we as a church respond to a member’s catastrophic loss?” I don’t know if other churches come to the same question, but it was the first time it was presented to us. With the break forced by our state government of worship services, I was questioning if God was still using what we do to His purpose. For now at least, we are not off the hook yet.
We were warmly greeted, and I heard someone talking about Marines when we came in the door but couldn’t determine who it was and did not seem to be in regard to me.
A young woman did escort us to the sanctuary and pointed out the lift if I needed it. We were introduced along the way and I was thanked for my service, including by the pastor who has twin boys actively serving in the military.
The sanctuary has an impressive cross and every other row is designated by colored signs for late or early service. It seemed a most efficient means of separation.
The message was on Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan stopping to render aid to the injured traveler. The pastor made it relevant to the situation now with the Covid scare.
I was thankful for those we were able to talk to and for our time with the pastor after the service.
Jan’s thoughts:
Although a bit chilly, it was still a beautiful day for a drive, so we headed north.
We last visited East Main in February 2015, long ago enough that I remembered nothing about it. As it was, we entered by the wrong door (the children’s area), but everyone was very kind about it. One of the pastors took the time to escort us to the sanctuary and answer our questions. A couple of the pastors took the time for conversation prior to worship as well, for which we extend our gratitude.
I was curious to see how this church handled all their precautions with two services, and I’ve not seen this system anywhere else. On the end of each row of pews were alternating green or yellow signs. The green rows were to be occupied for the 9:15 service and the yellow rows for the 10:45 service. By the time the service got underway, most rows assigned to that service were occupied, with some additional seating in the balcony. Some friends who usually attend here said they watched online. All in all, it seemed to work smoothly. A big plus, I felt, was that masks were not required once we took seats in the pew. I recognize that some people may not be comfortable with it, but for me, it made all the difference.
The contemporary music was led by a small group. Since we were at the very back in the opposite corner, I was unable to see them, but they sounded delightful.
One long-time member, prior to making announcements, spoke fondly of his time as part of this church. He stated that in the past people greeted each other with hugs or handshakes, but now they’ll use a fist bump “if they’re feeling rebellious.” I appreciated that small touch of humor.
The sermon, Engaging Our Local Community as Good Neighbors, was the last in the series Christians at Our Best. The pastor followed up on the idea of the Good Samaritan showing kindness to someone in need, pointing out that there is not a lot any of us can do about the stress of life currently, but we can be Good Samaritans. He noted that the pandemic has led to an epidemic of loneliness and mental health issues which opens the door for ambassadors of Christ to help intentionally in any number of ways.
He made it clear that we can only accomplish anything good in the power of the Holy Spirit. On our own, we can do nothing, but with God’s power, we can accomplish all the good He has planned for us to carry out.
Our prayer for this church:
Lord,
we pray Your church does go forward in Your name as the Good Samaritan, helping
those in need. Amen.
