The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights

Today we worshiped at The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights, 50 Stratmore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412.921.6153, www.chup.org, Pastor David B. Carver.

Scripture – NIV

Isaiah 42:1-4

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

Luke 2:25-35

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Bob’s thoughts:

We were redirected a few times today before we returned to CHUP. The odd thing is, it was our first choice but we were looking for an earlier start time.

We were welcomed and engaged in conversation and met folks we didn’t know.

The only cross I noticed was the standard Communion table cross, and I realized that though I appreciate the large crosses, the small one was enough for me.

For me the sermon raised the question, “Do we put Christ away when we store the trappings of Christmas?”

Christ is the gift that keeps on giving. Don’t wait till you think you need Him again. You need Him now.

Jan’s thoughts:

After discovering unannounced schedule changes at two other churches, we found ourselves in the vicinity of a church we knew, and it was a blessing to greet and be greeted by a number of old friends as well as meeting new friends.

Parish Associate George Leitze gave the sermon which was entitled “The Gift Goes On!” He asked what it is we do with Jesus after Christmas…do we pack Him away with the decorations or bring Him with us into the New Year?

Time will answer this question for each of us.

Our prayer for this church:

Father, we pray for Your continued blessings on CHUP. May they continue to reflect Your glory. Amen.

The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights

Today we worshiped at First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights, 50 Stratmore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412.921.6153, www.chup.org, Rev. David B. Carver, Pastor.

Scripture

John 20:1-9

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"

I Corinthians 15:12-20

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

Bob’s thoughts:

We returned to CHUP to be infused with joy on Easter and we were filled.

We were glad to have the opportunity to join a communion service for those who missed the Maundy Thursday worship.

I am always interested in what renovations have occurred since our last visit and the ones I have noticed have been well thought out with obvious harmony between the aesthetics and mechanics and with good attention to the needs of the congregation.

The pastor who led us through the call to worship was intentional that our response of “Hallelujah” should be with emphasis since it was regarding Christ is raised.

We really enjoyed the great music produced by the small choir.

The sermon developed well and became a one-on-one talk. The tape of all our sins has been erased and forgotten in Christ.

I was questioned once on God’s name of “I Am” and fumbled through a poor answer. Now I can explain that there is no separation in time with God, that we are connected to the Cross through time and space.

I have heard people witness as to what they did to come to Christ and can only admit that I did absolutely nothing. Christ claimed and overwhelmed me completely. I will be grateful forever, but can take no credit. I don’t even know if I had the choice to say no, it was that overwhelming. Maybe it was that I stood still and admitted how far I had fallen, but my sins have been nailed to His cross and He raised me up.

Jan’s thoughts:

We last visited this church 2 ½ years ago. The transformation looks to be nearly, if not entirely complete and the sanctuary especially looks truly amazing. The updates have included spatial rearrangement, lighting modernization, and a beautiful paint job that incorporates the entire sanctuary and especially framing the chancel which looks stunning.

We arrived early enough to participate in a brief and moving service of Communion prior to worship, which I really appreciated.

The music was exceptional: the organ was forceful enough to have a spiritual impact but the four male and four female voices comprising the choir were still loud and clear to my ears. There were a couple of new, unfamiliar songs and I loved the words. The offertory was presented by a guest, Rev. Dr. Sheldon W. Sorge, who is blessed with talent on the piano.

The sermon was offered by guest preacher Dr. Tony Campolo, whose name I have heard for years but whom I never before had the pleasure of hearing. He spoke of how, if one could move fast enough, all of time could be compressed into one “now,” and that is how it is with God. He shared how he prays before getting out of bed in the morning, and he asked, “Is the resurrected Christ living in you?” I am afraid if I must ask that question, if I don’t already know the answer, I doubt the answer can be yes.

He drew on personal experience in telling how the Holy Spirit can work through someone.

1 – He advised us to develop the ability to concentrate on people and really connect with them. To look INTO and not just AT them.

2 – He said to become deeply concerned and do what you can do at any given time, regardless of how little it seems.

3 – He instructed to be committed to your faith and then ACT LIKE IT.

He closed with, “Let the Resurrected Christ be in you” to which I can only respond “Yes!”

It has been a long time since I experienced this depth of worship. This message touched me to my core. I was so very blessed by this service and this message and I am grateful to God for leading us here today.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray You continue to enlighten this congregation to Your purpose for them and they continue to experience the joy of serving You. Amen.

The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights

Today we worshiped at The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights, 50 Stratmore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412.921.6153, www.chup.org., Rev. David Carver, Pastor.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were blessed to worship again at Crafton Heights. It was special to celebrate World Communion on the 20^th anniversary of the Malawi Partnership. We were warmly welcomed back and made to feel at home.

Even if our twin grandchildren had not been there, I had plenty of babies to watch.

CHUP has effected a steady progression of updating projects, and it was good to see their progress. It was also a joy to hear Dave’s sermon and have the opportunity to catch up a bit after worship.

Jan’s thoughts:

And when we left, I truly felt as if we had worshiped.

We had gotten word that CHUP would have a Malawian visitor on World Communion Sunday, and there would be a celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the Partnership between Pittsburgh Presbytery and the Synod of Blantyre. “Zikomo” (thank you) was all I had the opportunity to say to him, but it was wonderful to again sing “Amazing Grace” in Chichewa and to hear that beautiful Malawian accent.

Our family has a long-standing relationship with CHUP, and it was a treat to visit with some friends we seldom see. It was a joy to meet some of the babies in the congregation and to be able to introduce our grandtwins to them.

This church is alive in the Spirit, and the recent renovation seems to have brought out a new enthusiasm. The premises look beautiful and are set up to be useful.

The sermon was based on Luke 4:14-21 and entitled “I Wish My Eyes Were Bigger.” Dave explained that this was his first comment upon landing at the airport in Malawi for the first time. He went on to tell of one particular journey that involved much hiking up a mountain for considerably longer than he anticipated. When he arrived at the church to which he was being escorted he learned it had been three years since a pastor had been present, and consequently there were many baptisms, ordinations, installations, and, of course, Communion. It was a full day of worship and the joy of being among and serving God’s people. The story brought back many strong memories of Malawi for me, along with some tears of joy for those memories.

I am pleased to recommend Dave Carver’s blog, where you can read this or a host of his other sermons: www.castyournet.wordpress.com. In my humble opinion, they’re more than worth it.

The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights

Today we worshiped at The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights, 50 Stratmore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412.921.6153, www.chup.org, Rev. David B. Carver, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

We are familiar with CHUP and made a visit to see our friend Dave before he left on sabbatical. We keep in touch via newsletters and email and were looking forward to seeing what was new at CHUP.

I have often used CHUP as an example of a church following Christ’s direction for them. They were called some time ago to minister to the youth in their neighborhood. I have told many times of when I worshiped there and counted 35 youth worshiping without their parents because the parents were not churched. I was introduced to some of those parents when they started attending with their children, so fulfilling the Scripture that “a little child shall lead them.” I have a strong feeling that this is part of God’s purpose for the sabbatical for Dave and this church – a time of reflection on Christ’s work at CHUP going forward. I think this will be an exciting time in close contact with Jesus.

There are a lot of improvements to make the church building work better for the congregation: updated fellowship hall, installation of an elevator, a renovated nursery, establish a welcome/coffee area, and a real improvement in signage.

The worship team met for a moment of prayer before the service. There is a brass cross on the Communion table and a rustic wood cross on the wall. We were blessed to witness two baptisms and enjoyed a talented brass ensemble.

The congregation’s Confession of Faith during the baptism was the Apostle’s Creed broken out into individual statements of faith.

The sermon was woven around our ability/inability to focus on things close and most important to us, relating our faith focus to a new focus for old eyes. We struggle with our expectations we react to what they were. With our eyes, as with our faith, we need to be sure of reality.

I think CHUP is more balanced than most churches, with a good sense of mission, ministry to their members, and maintenance of the meeting space. I sensed a strong presence of Christ, enthusiasm in praising God in song, and a warm welcome extended to visitors.


Jan’s thoughts:

We have worshiped at this church many times but not for about two years. Since we were last here they have completed numerous renovations, so I was able to look through the eyes of a near-stranger…except when looking at the people.

This church is one of the few points of stability in an otherwise rocky neighborhood, and they seem able to balance internal needs with outward-focused mission, much of it aimed toward the immediate area. They are a friendly, loving congregation with a wonderful genuineness about them. There are no pretentious airs of imagined importance, just open honesty.

This particular weekend was an exciting one for this church since one of their own was married here yesterday. Apparently members of the groom’s family are musically gifted, so they offered their talents by participating in the worship service this morning. And we were blessed to be present not only for that but for the baptism of two little ones as well.

Much of the music was contemporary, which I find uplifting, but there were a couple of good older hymns as well (“Eternal Father, Strong To Save” and “God of Our Fathers” – perfect for a brass ensemble like the group visiting today!).

We sat almost half-way back on one side (this Sanctuary has two aisles) and were hopeful that the brass music wouldn’t be too loud for us. They weren’t; however the volume of the piano came close to being a problem. I’ve never heard a piano that loud before.

The bulletin contained two different-colored 8 ½ x 5 ½ sheets inside a single tri-folded 11 x 17 sheet that included the Order of Worship, announcements, calendar, and a guide to daily devotional time for the week.

I enjoyed the imaginative Children’s Sermon. Dave had the children come forward and he escorted them into his study immediately off the Chancel. At that point he and the children were out of the sight of the congregation but Dave’s voice could be heard over the speakers. He pointed out that everything in his study was packed up in boxes and while he was on sabbatical (beginning tomorrow) people would come in and make some repairs and do some painting. Then when Dave returns in October his study will look different. He said the kids would look different too, and that Dave would seem different when he returns as well. I thought it was such a tender way to prepare the young ones for his impending absence and the inevitable changes.

We often think we are worshiping at a particular church for some purpose we have in mind, but, as usual, God had other reasons. We were glad to be able to say bon voyage to Dave Carver, but when I heard the sermon I knew another purpose for which God had brought us here.

The message, entitled “Treating Presbyopia,” was based on Ephesians 1:15-23. Dave’s self-deprecating humor helps the congregation hear the Word, and today I heard it loud and clear: “When we lose the ability to focus on things close to us” and “react to a memory of how a person used to be, some of what we’re sure of isn’t true and much of what we fear will never become reality.” He pointed out that, unlike the medical diagnosis of a physical case of presbyopia, what Dave called “spiritual presbyopia” is entirely curable. The prescription is more of Christ through prayer and His Word.

I am grateful to God for the opportunity to again worship with many friends at this church, to extend good wishes and prayers to a wonderful pastor, and for the chance to hear a sermon message that was aimed straight at my heart.