Welcome!
I welcome your comments regarding our shared ministry at St. Paul.
If you would rather comment privately please, email me at Prshepherd@westriv.com
"Two are better than one," says Ecclesiastes,
"because if one falls down, his friend can help him up."
I deeply desire to bring Christian comfort and the power of prayer to those who are challenged with sickness or circumstances in life. However, in this time of restricted visitation call me and I will attempt to contact them.
Please, assume that if you don’t tell us, we do not know.
Call me at 301-4956 if surgery or hospital stay is imminent or if a visit could be helpful.
Pastor Dennis
from my perspective…
Breaking News, or Headline News, is updated by the hour and minute. The programs are designed to get our attention and to sell advertising. (Big surprise!) On the other hand, the Good News of Jesus Christ was proclaimed and is proclaimed today for an entirely different purpose.
Mark begins his gospel with “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mk 1:1, ESV) It sounds like Mark is reporting, “Breaking news! Pay attention! Something important has happened!”
Matthew begins his gospel, “The book of genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.” (Mt. 1:1) It sounds like Matthew is introducing a history lesson whereby we might learn something. Don’t get me wrong – I love history because I believe with George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
John begins his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” (Jn. 1:1) This is something totally different. John invites us to lay aside our daily concerns and ponder life’s Big Questions concerning God and “The Word of God.”
Each year, we might take a measure of our life on Tax Day, an anniversary, or any number of other milestones. Regardless of the circumstances, we go through a process of reflection, evaluation, and decision-making. We might reflect on the Big Questions of Life, like “Who are we? And “How do I fit in with family and society?” or “What positive difference am I making?”
I will grant that the most common daily question is, “Am I happy.” But I believe the Bible teaches us that happiness results from how we think of ourselves and our relationship with others. Therefore, John invites us to ponder anew our relationship with the One God of the Holy Scriptures, as opposed to mental or emotional gods of pleasure, wealth or self-importance.
In the church year, Lent is the season that encourages us to ponder our relationship with the one and only eternal God and one another or who we desire to become.
Join us as we explore Jesus’ great encounters with religious rulers, a disrespected woman from a disrespected people and His disciples. In John, Jesus, the Word of God, invites people to question who we are in God’s eyes and who He desires us to become to live a fulfilling life. (e.g. John 10:10)
As John informs us, Jesus, the true Word of God, comes into the world to save us from ourselves and the destructive temptations brought on by the evil lies of the great Satan. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17, ESV)
Please join us in our encounter with the Living Word of God, your pastor, Dennis.
Pray for the Children
by Pastor Dennis on 09/09/14
“Suffering and temptation are sure to happen” Jesus says, but our Heavenly Father
will not leave the sufferers orphaned or abandoned. God acts in the midst of
suffering by taking on the suffering of the afflicted. By His Grace, all who
believe Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient are given relief, everlasting life and
the power to resist sin. When our work in this life is completed Our Lord opens
the gates of Heaven where there will be no more sin or suffering.
In
John’s Gospel, chapter three Jesus teaches, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of
God without being born from above.”… “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of
God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh,
and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:3–6, NRSV)
God
acts in Holy Baptism by instilling faith into the heart of the candidate.
Baptism is not an event but the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit throughout
life. The Holy Spirit works through God’s people to nurture the baptized in
prayer, witness and teaching. God’s people nurture the baptized to be faithful;
to believe, trust and rely on Jesus Christ; to reject the voices of evil that
lead away from God and God’s salvation.
Christ’s
church teaches and nurturing the faith of the children so that when they reach
an age where they can express their faith, we pray they will affirm the work of
the Holy Spirit in their lives once again and commit to living out their faith
by turning to God in Jesus every day; seeking forgiveness so that they may love
their neighbor as Christ loves them. Like baptism, “living in Christ’s love” is
more than a feeling; it is actively loving the neighbor for Jesus’ sake by what
is said and done.
Beloved People of God, pray for the children and
all the baptized that they may grow in faith. Use every opportunity to talk to
them about Jesus and nurture them in the faith by your word and interactions.
