Notes and News – 05/07/22

More Reflections on The Lord’s Prayer

In preparing for this Sunday’s sermon, I was reminded of this old joke as well as a time in the first year of my ministry as a pastor on my own, that has shaped and continues to shape my understanding and praying of the Lord's prayer.

First, the old joke. A republican candidate and a democratic candidate are waiting in the green room to be called to go out on stage and in front of the TV cameras for their debate. (You know it’s an old joke because they’re in the same room and talking to each other!). The Republican pulls out a bill and says to the Democrat, “I'll bet you $20 you don’t even know the words to the Lord’s Prayer.” The Democrat says, “You’re on” and begins to say, “Now I lay me down to sleep and pray the Lord my soul to keep.” In exasperation, the Republican says, “Stop! Stop! I’ve heard enough! Here’s your $20.

The simple truth is many people know the words to The Lord’s Prayer. It is, perhaps, the most widely known and recited prayer in churches today. I would contend it is also the most misunderstood and least prayed prayer in churches across all denominations. We often say the words but how often do we pray the words. And how often do we take the time to really understand what Jesus was teaching his disciples?

Second, a nearly 45-year-old memory, that is as vivid to me as if it just happened. I was concluding a visit to a shut in, having just served her Communion. I thought an easy way to bring this visit to a close was with The Lord's Prayer. I started to say the words that were so familiar to me, however, I could only get as far as the opening phrase, “Our Father who art in heaven” before I drew a blank and could not remember any words that followed. Embarrassed I faked a cough saying, “I must have choked a little bit, let me start again”. The same result! Only this time I heard a very distinct message (to this day I'm not sure if I actually heard the message spoken, but I do know with certainty, the message was clearly received. The message was this, “Lena does not need to hear you recite the Lord's prayer she needs you to pray with her”. I stopped trying to say the Lord's prayer and instead took the time to really pray with her.

I learned two very important lessons that day, long ago. First, never use the saying of the words of the Lord's prayer as a substitute for actually praying with someone. The second, never simply say The Lord's Prayer - always pray The Lord’s Prayer.

At the very least, to pray The Lord’s Prayer means to ponder the words of each of the petitions. There is so much packed into this brief prayer. In and through The Lord’s Prayer we can discover the very heart of what it means to pray. 

I look forward to examining the petition, Give us this day our daily bread” tomorrow. It is also intentional that we will be sharing in the Lord’s Supper the same day we examine this petition.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 04/30/22

Why Do We Pray

The following is the recent article I wrote for the North River News. 

The two verses that immediately precede The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel are: “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Emphasis mine) Matthew 6:7,8 NRSV.

One might ask if God already knows my need, why do I need to pray? This is a legitimate question deserving an answer. The shortest answer is we don’t pray to inform God but for God to form us. The fact The Lord’s Prayer immediately follows these two verses certainly points in this direction.

We pray because we trust God is listening. Over the years I’ve had many opportunities to pray with people: in hospital rooms, funeral homes, homes, restaurants, churches and elsewhere. I’ve prayed in person, over the phone, via letters, notes, cards, email and more. Never once did I think I was giving God a heads up about the situation or person(s) I was praying for. But in every moment of prayer, I, and the people I was praying with or for, at some level, trusted God was listening. This act of trusting helps form us and develops our capacity for faith.

We also pray because God answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is “yes”, sometimes “no”, and sometimes “not yet”. I have come to understand there is also a fourth way God answers our prayers – and that is: “not in the way you’re expecting.” Prayer helps form us as we learn to listen for God’s answer to our prayer. In this process of learning to listen, we often begin to see things from a different perspective or have our eyes (and hearts and minds) opened to new possibilities.

We also pray because it is essential in discovering, integrating, and implementing in our daily lives what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Many people can recite The Lord’s Prayer. There is, however, a big difference between reciting or saying it and praying it. An early church document used to teach would be converts, instructs them to pray this prayer three times a day. Of course, this has to do with developing the discipline of prayer, but it also helps us understand what following Jesus Christ means. In fact, the two cannot really be separated – they must be together – prayer and following.

For example, the pronouns are our and us, not my and me. They are inclusive not possessive. They lift us beyond ourselves. Also, the end of the first petition, “hallowed by Thy name” is not so much a request for God to do something for God, but a challenge for us, as those praying, to live our lives – our actions, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and priorities in ways that glorify and honor God. We quickly realize we cannot meet this challenge on our own, must have God’s help.

Why do we pray – to ultimately become who God intends us to be.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 04/23/22

The Lord’s Prayer

My final sermon series as your pastor will be on the Lord’s Prayer.  Both Matthew (6:9-13) and Luke (11:2-4) include this prayer in their gospels. I will be using Matthew 6:7-13 for this sermon series. The Didache, (“The Teaching”) which was used in the early church to help teach people about following Jesus Christ, includes the doxology, “for thine is the power and the glory forever.” In addition, it offers these words of wisdom (also in bold in the early text): Pray thus three times a day.

Working on this sermon series over the past several weeks I have come to realize The Lord’s Prayer teaches us not only how to pray but also how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is a great deal for all of us to learn on both counts.

Does Matthew 6:7-8 help us better understand the Lord’s Prayer or lead us to ask the question, why pray if God knows before we ask? The word Father is for some a painful word. Would it be better to just substitute another word like Parent? Or one might ask, is it sins, trespasses, or debts Jesus is referring to Matthew 6:12? Could it be it’s all 3? And what about the doxology that we protestants include in the Lord’s Prayer. Should we or shouldn’t we pray this? The list could go on.

Anyone who has been part of a church or raised in a Sunday school class can no doubt recite the Lord’s Prayer. But there is a big difference between saying or reciting the Lord’s Prayer and praying it. And hearing it as a prayer that calls us to a deeper understanding of who we are as disciples and what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ, opens new horizons. I look forward to exploring these with you.

April 24      Our Father…Hallowed Be Thy Name”                  Mathew 6:9

May 1         Your Will Be Done                                             Matthew 6:10

May 8         Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread                       Matthew 6:11

May 15       Forgive Us Our Debts                                         Matthew 6:12

May 22       And Lead Us Not Into Temptation                        Matthew 6:13

May 29       For Thine Is The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory Forever

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 04/16/22

Easter Sunday 2022

Do you remember your first Easter? Quite honestly, I do not. However, I vividly remember the first time the reality and power of Easter burst into my heart and life. Cinda and I were living in Downingtown Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. We were actively involved in the church where I had experienced my call into the ministry.

After a powerful Tenebrae service of darkness and shadows where we all left in solemn silence, we went home to reflect on the crucifixion in preparation for Easter. That Saturday was cold and dreary. I found myself longing for the sunrise and the joy of Easter. And it came, bursting into my heart like never before.

I have many other wonderful Easter memories since that Easter in 1975. I will always remember sitting with Cinda on the front porch of our seminary apartment waiting for the sunrise before our boys were up and the need to get off to the church where I was serving as a seminary intern.  There are many, many Easter memories I have enjoyed over years.

This year will also be a special memory. I look forward to the great Easter Hymns and music, the flowering of the Cross and more.

My friends and colleagues, Jerry Voye and Arthur Harvey would greet me every Easter Sunday with the traditional Easter greeting:

He Is Risen!

And I would respond with the traditional Easter response:  

He Is Risen Indeed!

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 04/09/22

Palm Sunday and Holy Week 2022

I am looking forward to our Palm Sunday worship celebration as we enter Holy Week. In addition to the great music of the morning, we will welcome our General Presbyter, Melana Scruggs during the worship service tomorrow. She will be sharing about the transition process and what is involved in finding a new pastor during the announcement time. Melana will also lead us in the morning prayer and Lord’s Prayer during the service. She will also join us for the fellowship meal and be available to answer questions. I look forward to welcoming Melana to our church.

As we enter Holy Week 2022, I invite you to prepare for Easter by reading each of the 4 gospel accounts of Jesus’ Passion. Allow yourself about 45 minutes to read and reflect. As you begin each day’s reading ask this question as a prayer, “Lord, what would you have me hear today?” This is not an assignment to get done but rather an opportunity to open your heart and spirit to God in an intentional way. Here is the way I would suggest:

         Monday        Read the Passion Story in Matthew 26 & 27.

         Tuesday         Read the Passion Story in Mark 14 & 15

         Wednesday  Read the Passion Story in Luke 22 & 23

         Thursday       Read the Passion Story in John 18 & 19

         Friday            Pick one of the above and re-read it asking the same question.

         Saturday        Find a time and place to sit quietly and prayerfully reflect.

Many find writing in a journal a very meaningful part of this Holy Week experience.

My prayer is you will find this experience makes your Easter 2022 deeply meaningful and joyful.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 04/02/22

General Presbyter, Melana Scruggs Joins US April 10th

Our General Presbyter, Melana Scruggs will be with us during the worship service on Sunday April 10th. She will be sharing about the transition process and what is involved in finding a new pastor. I look forward to welcoming Melana to our church. She has spoken with our Session on 2 prior occasions and both Melana and our Session thought coming to speak to the congregation would be helpful.

The details at this time of my retirement are as follows:

         Sunday May 29th will be my final Sunday preaching and leading worship

         I will be on vacation from that point until the end of June

         I will be officially retired and receiving a pension as of July 1st.

After we finish the Lenten sermon series on the characteristics of a vital congregation on Easter Sunday, I will begin my final sermon series as your pastor exploring The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). I have already begun my study and preparation for these sermons and am very much looking forward to sharing them with you.

Some people have asked me why I am retiring. The best answer is it is time – the right time. I do not say this lightly or casually. I have prayed and reflected on this for quite some time.

It has never been an easy thing for me to leave a church – it is difficult and painful to say goodbye to people you know and have come to love in so many ways. Having said that, I also have learned that is important to do so. I have shared my gifts with you, and it will be time for a new person to share his or her gifts with you.

Before that can happen there is typically a time of grieving and reflection. In spite of our typical normal desire to avoid this, it is worthwhile, helpful and necessary. It is one of the two things I know to free you from the harmful process of comparing someone else to me. Simply put what will be best for the church is not another John but a new pastor – the right new pastor.

The other things that will be of tremendous value for finding the right pastor to lead you into the next chapter of the life of the church is the study and reflection the Vital Congregations Initiative will bring. This process can help you discover, affirm, and build upon your gifts as a congregation. God has brought together an extraordinary group of people here. I am excited about your future – in fact I feel some real sadness about not being a part of it. That is part of my grieving process.

In the meantime, I look forward to being your pastor between now and my last Sunday, May 29th. I will be working with our Session to help prepare us, as best I can for the future. Even more importantly, I trust God is already at work creating that future.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 03/26/22

Dealing With the Heartache of Ukraine

The following is a copy of the article I wrote for the March 24th edition of the North River News entitled, Dealing With the Heartache of Ukraine.

Perhaps you have also found yourself limiting the amount of the news you watch. The coverage of the war in Ukraine and the human suffering and senseless destruction is so overwhelming. Folks have shared with me their intense feelings of outrage, pain and helplessness. I easily identify with them.  Although we see with our eyes and hear with our ears, the news is so awful it seems unreal and unbelievable. At the same time, the saying that “War is hell” has become all too real. Must we be trapped in this quagmire of painful feelings and contradictions? The answer is no! There are things we can do!

Denying this evil war and the suffering and destruction it is causing is not even a remotely realistic option. Anyway, denial, inevitably only hides the pain and other feelings for a while. And when they come back, as they always do, they return with a vengeance.

There are three important things we can do. The first is to acknowledge this war is traumatizing us as well, even though we are seemingly safe, thousands of miles from the heart of the conflict and human suffering. If you have found yourself saying something like, “I can’t imagine what it would be like to… (be bombed, say goodbye to your husband, wife, children, not have heat or water etc.) then you know something of the trauma of this evil war. Granted it is not at the same level of the people of Ukraine, but it is traumatizing none the less. Admitting this to ourselves is empowering and healing.

The second thing we can do is to make sure we take care of ourselves. Remember flight attendants always tell parents to put their masks on first before helping their children. If we do not take care of ourselves, we are not going to be able to help others. No exceptions. For me this involves four things: regular exercise, eating healthy foods, prayer, and meditation. I make sure there is time in every day for these. I have found my daily walk renews both body and mind. The same can be said for eating healthy foods. My prayer time gives me the opportunity to share my outrage, helplessness, anger and more with God. It also gives me the chance to listen for God’s wisdom and guidance. Lastly, meditation helps me quiet my spirit and allows stress to be released instead of doing its damage within.

The third thing is to give money to help alleviate the tragic and immense suffering. Personally, I have found the church to be the best channel but there are other ways like the Red Cross and UNICEF. There are likely good ways that are available on social media, but I would avoid them since this is also the arena for the scammers and con artists. To receive the biggest “heart and spirit” benefit, make your gift significant, maybe even sacrificial. You’ll be glad you did.

Acknowledging our trauma, Self-Care, and Giving are important ways we can make a difference.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 03/19/22

What Does a Vital Congregation Look Like?

Throughout this Lenten Season I am preaching on 7 marks or characteristics of vital congregations. Each week we will look at a different mark or characteristic. The first Sunday of Lent we looked at discipleship – the intentional, life-long process of becoming who God intends us to be. Another way to say this is to become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Last Sunday we looked at what authentic evangelism is and is not. It is NOT a program or campaign to grow the church by trying to convince someone what a great church we have. It is NOT trying to get someone to believe what we believe or scare someone into a relationship with God. There are plenty of other common misconceptions of evangelism that are anything but authentic.

Authentic evangelism is meeting people where they are, listening to them and when the opportunity presents itself (if we truly are committed to listening, it will happen).

My favorite “definition” of authentic evangelism is: one hungry person telling another hungry person where there is a banquet where all the food is free, and everyone is always welcome to eat and enjoy the meal anytime.

Tomorrow we will be examining how and where we find Jesus. The title of tomorrow’s sermon is – Outreach: Finding Jesus in the Forgotten.

I am also looking forward to the third of our fellowship meals. In addition to a great meal and time of fellowship there will be an opportunity to discuss some of the ideas in the sermon.

I also want to remind you we will be taking pictures tomorrow and next Sunday from 9:30-10:15am in the Annex. These will be for our new, updated directory. Just wear whatever you typically wear to church on any other Sunday – informal and relaxed is fine.

Lastly, but very importantly, I invite you to mark your calendar for Sunday April 10th. Melana Scruggs, our General Presbyter will be sharing the process of finding a new pastor after I retire. You will especially want to be in church or on Zoom on that Sunday.

Grace and Peace, John

P.S. – Our church is NOT going to close or fall apart.

Notes and News – 03/12/22

Tomorrow is a Special Day

Throughout this Lenten Season I will be preaching on one of the 7 marks or characteristics of vital congregations. This week I will be preaching on the mark of Authentic Evangelism. My sermon is, Evangelism: It’s Not What You May Think” I will be sharing what true, authentic evangelism is and perhaps as importantly, what it is not. You may well be surprised.  I am very much looking forward to sharing with you.

I am also looking forward to the second of our fellowship meals. In addition to a great meal and time of fellowship there will be an opportunity to discuss some of the ideas in the sermon. And if I can pull it off, I hope to have a technological surprise I think you will find both humorous and thought-provoking

I also want to remind you we will be taking pictures tomorrow and next Sunday from 9:30-10:15am in the Annex. These will be for our new, updated directory. Just wear whatever you typically wear to church on any other Sunday – informal and relaxed is fine.

Grace and Peace, John

Notes and News – 03/05/22

Vital Congregations Initiative

As I learned more about the Vital Congregations Initiative, I became more and more enthused and convinced this would be of great benefit for our church. One of the things that got my attention is this is not another program for a church to embrace.  This is not a program at all. It is an opportunity for a congregation to take stock of where it is and seek to discover the future it believes God might be calling it to live into. With the upcoming transition for our church as my retirement approaches it seemed like a good fit for us. I shared how I saw this benefitting our church with our Session, and they agreed.

We begin this journey with a Lenten sermon series I have entitled, Signs of a Vital, Loving and Life-giving Congregation. Each Sunday I will be preaching on one of the 7 “marks” or characteristics of a Vital Congregation. We will follow the worship service with a congregational meal and a chance to talk at tables about what each Sunday’s topic and what it could mean for our church. I think you will find this an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.  Here are the topics for this Lenten Sermon series:

March 6, 2022      Discipleship: Growing in the Soil of Grace            Acts 2:42-47

March 13, 2022    Evangelism: Its Not What You Think                  John 4:1-26

March 20, 2022    Outreach: Finding Jesus in the Forgotten             Matthew 25:31-46

March 27, 2022    Servanthood: Love in Action                                John 13:1-20

April 3, 2022         Worship: The Transforming Power of the Spirit    Romans 12:1-2

April 10, 2022      Caring: Bearing the Burdens of Love                    Galatian 6:1-10

April 17, 2022      Easter: The Rest of the Story                                  Luke 24:13-35  

Grace and Peace, John