Saint John the Baptist Church

Today we worshiped at Saint John the Baptist Church, 377 Linmore Street, Baden, PA 15005, 724.869.2280 http://diopitt.org/parishes/saint-john-baptist-baden, Rev. Joseph A. Carr, MDiv, Pastor.

Scripture – NIV

Jeremiah 23:1-6

“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.”

Ephesians 2:13-18

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Mark 6:30-34

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Bob’s thoughts:

As we were driving up Route 65 Saturday and talking about where we could go to church today, we stopped at a light and the driver behind us came up to talk. He had noticed our bumper sticker: “Jesus lives so our son lives! Praise God!.” This was the first time in almost nine years anyone commented on it. With our brief exchange as the light changed we learned he was the priest at St. John the Baptist Church in Baden.

I knew if we worshiped there the crosses would be in evidence, which always helps my focus. The sanctuary has a high arched ceiling and great stained glass. The center of each window has a Christian scene depicted and around them the random color blocks of modern windows, a good marriage. The sanctuary quickly filled to a hundred or more worshipers, with a few cute children to entertain me.

There was an opportunity to silently greet those nearby.

The message developed around the understandable examples given by Christ, especially the shepherd. He relayed the likelihood that it would not be a sought-after job, as it is hard enough to pastor a congregation, shepherding would be demanding.

We each shepherd in our own way. People watch and learn from what we do and less from what we say.

An anecdote about a reminder from a child about saying grace brought my grandchildren to mind. They argue about who gets to say grace, and even when it is just my wife and me eating, they are happy to say grace for us. I am always impressed with their prayer and the insight they include on some current need.

The pastor concluded his message by relating the message from our bumper sticker and explaining the Gold Star Flag.

Jan’s thoughts:

We arrived a little early and wandered briefly before heading for the sanctuary. As we reached the top of the stairs we encountered a lovely corner area decorated as a space to kneel and pray facing what was designed to look like Jesus’ tomb. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.

The sanctuary boasts colorful stained glass with stories illustrated on each window along with descriptive plaques on the walls nearby.

The music seemed to come from the balcony, so it felt like it was floating down over the worshipers.

It took a little time, but I discerned that the booklet in the pew contained the order of worship. This is a different system than we’ve seen anywhere else, but it seemed to work well.

The message was a strong reminder that we all are shepherds, no matter our age or place in the world. People draw conclusions about Jesus by watching His followers, so those who claim to obey Him must set a good example and this must be done out of love. He ended with a question: “We all lead every day, the question is, where are we leading?” Definite food for thought.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray the church shepherds intentionally, keeping their hearts open always to Your message that Christ lives so they can live forever. Amen.

Mars Alliance Church

Today we worshiped at Mars Alliance Church, 997 Route 228, Mars, PA 16046, 724.776.9400, www.marsalliance.org, Rev. Joseph Toomey, Lead Pastor.

Scripture – Matthew 7:7-23 NIV

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Bob’s thoughts:

Although we arrived just as the service was starting, we were greeted during the welcome time and I got to greet a Marine who serves as an associate pastor…that always makes me feel welcome.

I meant to get a closer look at the screens but the support system made them look like they belonged there, and the placement was excellent. I could only find small crosses like the ceiling fixtures but there is a striking stained glass cross window at the rear of the chancel behind some drapes. I thought it would be great to uncover it for parts of the service. A scenic vista was projected lightly on the side walls during the message.

We “gray hairs” seemed to outnumber the youth…a bit unusual for contemporary worship. The lead singer was hard to understand when she spoke, I don’t know if the problem was fixed later or it was just that the words were on the screen.

A courageous witness came from a young woman we assumed to be a member till we spoke with her later. She had suffered with sexual identity issues till surrendering her problem to Christ. What He did is not a surprise but the strength He gave to her to relate her story was overwhelming / impressive / inspiring. I understand she suffered rejection and abuse from those who should have been supportive.

I heard Christ speaking through the message to come to the Lord with asking, seeking, and knocking. We are all guilty in our walk. I find I am always reluctant when it involves me. To come to Christ asking for healing for others is natural every day, but I seem to need to be hit upside the head with a few bricks before I ask for myself, even with a history of not being forsaken in those prayers.

The pastor did an excellent job of making the Scriptures relevant to the congregation, and used modern imagery to help explain the analogy of the HOV lane for the narrow way. I thought he could have included that you can’t get in on your own…you need someone with you – Jesus Christ.

Jan’s thoughts:

It has been 3 years and a new pastor since we last visited this church. The modern, sprawling facility is clean and well kept with pleasing aesthetics. Since we arrived about 5 minutes late to this contemporary service, we missed some of the music.

I was pleased to witness the commissioning of a group of young people for a mission trip to Charleston, South Carolina. The leader who spoke stated they are trusting God for their safety and the good He will bring from their efforts.

The praise band lead singer had a strong, lovely voice and I enjoyed hearing her lead her original composition.

Prior to introducing a speaker, the pastor asked that all children under the age of 10 step outside in the hallway with the pastor’s wife to play a few games for 10 minutes. The visiting speaker, Amy, proceeded to give her brave personal testimony that centered on her struggle with same-sex attraction. This message was exceedingly well presented with no hint of excuses or self-pity, just her personal story of her efforts to “work harder” to remove this from her mind and life. Her story concluded with her ultimate success which came only as a result of finally surrendering to Jesus Christ. Her concluding reminders were that “strongholds grow in the dark” and we each need to know who we are and who God made us to be.

Amy’s testimony was followed by a call for those desiring prayer.

The message was untitled as far as I could tell, but covered a lot of ground with some great points and terrific graphics that were on point.

For the familiar ask, seek, knock passage, he said the first step was to just ask; the second step is to seek, which is asking + action; and the third step is to knock, which is asking + action + attitude.

I appreciated this encouraging message and the passion with which it was delivered.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, we pray that those who needed to hear the witness take it to heart and that we all strive for the straight and narrow way. Amen.

Home

We were unable to attend church Sunday due to an early morning trip to the emergency room. All is well now though, and we look forward to next Sunday's visit.

West Ridge Christian Community Church

Today we worshiped at West Ridge Christian Community Church, 100 Gorwood Drive, Coraopolis, PA 15108, 724.695.7500, www.westridge.cc, Pastor John Goebbel.

Scripture –

James 5:7-12 – NKJV

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

Matthew 9:11-13 NKJV

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 MSG

Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.

Bob’s thoughts:

Sometimes the more convoluted our trip to church becomes, the more it confirms that is where God wants to meet with us.

We were welcomed by a number of people and enjoyed an interesting décor and lighting. My only disappointment was the lack of a cross.

The sermon dealt with the Supreme Court legislation on gay marriage rights and the Biblical church’s response. It was stressed that any response should be Christian. We must show Jesus’ love to all as we are all hopeless sinners without His sacrifice.

He brought up a point later in the message that often what we feel so important comes to mean nothing. Before coming to Christ, tools were my god. I had to have the new, shiny, far-beyond-my-needs tools. The tool man smiled as he backed into my drive. But when Christ claimed me, the luster faded. The devil still dangles that lust before me sometimes, but he’s no match for Christ, Who continues to rescue me.

Jan’s thoughts:

After an emotional week, I prayed God would lead us to a place where I could truly worship Him, and after a bit of wandering, He answered my prayer.

Unfortunately we arrived late and the music was well underway. The usher kindly led us to seats toward the front, but we had to decline and asked to sit farther back. A gentleman sitting nearby overheard the situation and thoughtfully gave us his seat in the back so we could sit together.

This contemporary service is set in a lovely worship space boasting numerous design elements I’ve seen nowhere else. I’m hoping to return to see it again. The ceiling is open with joists showing and beige material covering (presumably) ductwork all the way across then draped to the floor on both sides. The same material was beautifully arranged on the back wall of the stage but with an opening showing the drummer and the acrylic barrier in front of him. It was the most attractive arrangement I’ve seen. On the side walls at intervals a few feet apart were strips of colored lights that added just enough light to see. The lobby area was attractive and led directly into a café and fellowship space. The children’s rooms were each a different bright color with a large white animal silhouetted on one wall.

A member of the church shared his amazing testimony of God’s provision and grace in his life. His story spoke to me and I was grateful to have heard him speak.

The message was part of a series called “Basic Elements” and spoke to the issues of character and integrity.

The pastor began by addressing this week’s Supreme Court ruling, reiterating to the membership this church’s stance and beliefs. He urged everyone to use this opportunity to point to Christ, and stressed care in what is said, done, and posted on social media. He reminded that Jesus is the only judge and the best example and no Christian should be hurting or condemning anyone. Instead, grace and truth should be the watchwords in dealing with people.

I cannot help but think that every word he spoke was just as applicable before last Friday as it is now.

After the service the pastor was kind enough to take time for conversation and prayer with us, which I greatly appreciated.

Our prayer for this church:

Lord, may You continue to bless this pastor and church and may Your Word remain fresh in their minds. Amen.