Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. Psalm 113:1-3

It was a stunningly beautiful October Saturday with unusual temperatures in the mid-80s.  We decided to take a family day in Cape May, NJ, one of our favorite places for a day trip.

As the day began to wind down, we went to the “Point” near the light house to watch the sunset.  This is a popular thing to do in Cape May, as the area is filled with onlookers.  Some bring chairs, most take pictures, all are here for one thing.  This day was no different and we found a spot among the crowd.

Looking out towards the ocean, you see the sun drop just below the horizon.  On this day, it was a magnificent orange – red, and the clouds in the sky took on the same hue.  It was spectacular and when the sun set, the crowd cheered.  They clapped.

Things are busy right now.  We are entering a season that has increased pressures among the fun of the various holidays.  School work gets harder as the first term ends, extracurricular activities are in their full swing, job pressures build and, honestly, most people I speak with are a bit frazzled.

Now more than ever you need to take time to witness something as simple (and extraordinary) as a sunset.  Now more than ever you need to take time to look around and find something God has done that you can cheer about.  Now more than ever we all need to take a step back and witness the glory of the Lord all around us.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Sometimes we make it so hard.  We create all kinds of rules or things people must do to be “saved” or to be a part of the community of faith. 

For some, its about holiness (or perceived holiness), for others it is about intense theological viewpoints.  Some churches have intricate rituals, others have simplicity, but hidden tribal rules. 

Yet here is Jesus.  He says “come to me.”  No magic words, no special processes, no hidden agenda, just turn back to God, seek God, love God and love one another. 

As you journey through this week, remember the savior calls you to take his yoke, one of love and forgiveness.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

¹If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. ¹¹When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

It is read at a multitude of weddings (even secular weddings).  It is read often.  It is truth for all of us.  And it is hard.  Sometimes we mess up, sometimes we say things we should not say, sometimes we think things we should not think.  Our thoughts, words and actions can hurt others, as well as ourselves, and we need to be conscious of ourselves. 

Fortunately, even when we mess up, even when we make mistakes, there is love.  God’s love is always there.

As you journey through this week, love one another and love yourselves, for the greatest of these is love.

Pastor Bill

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” Matthew 8:23-27

It happened so fast I barely had time to respond.  During a storm, my daughter looked out the window and pointed saying “are they birds?”  Actually, they were leaves being sucked up into a tornado that hit our town and dissipated about three houses from ours.  There was no time to run down in the basement, all there was time to do was grab my daughter, turn my back to the sliding glass door and pray.

All kinds of storms arise in our lives and no amount of preparation will take away their impact on us.  We face health issues, family and relationship troubles, work problems and more.  Yet we can rely on God to carry us through.  God may not rebuke your specific storm today, but God will be there. 

As you journey through this week know that God goes with you and will carry you through any storm you may face.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

³⁴“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”Matthew 6:25-34

Yesterday we held a blessing of the animals service.  It was nice to talk about the incredible gift animals are to us.  Whether it’s the beast of burden helping cultivate the land, the dairy animals providing milk or the dog sitting at your feet, animals are a very special part of creation.

As wonderful a blessing that animals are, look at the scriptures; “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”  You are more valuable than the birds of the air.  You.  Think about that concept, the God of the Universe, the Creator of Everything values you.

As you travel through this new week know that God has blessed you with all of creation and values you.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:5-7

Testing God.  It’s something we often do in little and huge ways.  During the height of the pandemic, many tested God by saying “God will protect me, I don’t need to…” 

Yet there is another way we “test” God.  We attempt to do things our way, only to (finally) turn to God for help.  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1).  God is waiting for us now, before the trouble hits, or before we make it worse and then go to God to bail us out. 

As you begin this new week, spend some time in prayer before the stuff starts then notice how God will be present.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

¹Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ²He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. ³The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” ⁴But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1-4

Have you ever been in the position to use your power, authority or resources in a way that might not be completely ethical or moral?  Satan tempted Jesus in the same way Satan tempts us; seeing a need and trying to get us to fulfill it in a not so honorable way. Yet Jesus’ reply is to turn to God’s word, showing us that physical food is not the only thing we need, and if we fill up on the spiritual food, we can better deal with the needs, weaknesses and issues that come before us.

As you journey through this week, spend some time in the word, spend some time in a place where you feel God’s presence and nourish your spirit.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

It has been 22 years and like many of you, I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing.  I remember the empty skies as all flights were cancelled.  I remember the graphic images on the television and most important, I remember seeing all the emergency responders selflessly go into the fray to save as many people as they could.

Recent events have reminded me of this.  At first it was on the news, as I followed the story of the escaped prisoner, and saw so many police and emergency personnel in southern Chester County.  Sunday, however, was a direct witness as there was a credible sighting within two miles of the church I pastor.  While I drove to the church, I passed over 20 marked police cars (local, county and state), and probably as many unmarked cars.  During the drive I prayed over each of those officers.

Today, as we remember the events of 9-11, take time to pray for all our emergency responders, thanking God for their service and sacrifice, and asking God to keep them safe.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

It is good to give thanks to the Lord
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night,
With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.  Psalm 92:1-3

Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals.      1 Chronicles 25:1

I was searching for some new music to add to my Wednesday Morning Prayer service (found on my YouTube page) when I rediscovered “The Irish Blessing”, put together by members of over 300 churches across Ireland during the pandemic. 

There were so many incredible and creative songs put out during that time and now, as we strive to find our new way in the “post-pandemic” world, I wonder about creativity.

As a pastor, I had to quickly find different ways to provide worship and teaching to my congregation. This was a blessing from the curse of Covid, and it is time to expand upon it.  We have wonderful means of communication that can be used to spread God’s love, so why not use them?

The creative period of Covid needs to continue.  We need to reach beyond our comfort levels to find ways to shower the world with God’s blessings through art, music and teaching. 

This week, consider your gifts and how you can share them.  Consider your creativity and what it would mean to witness God’s love through that creativity. 

May your week be blessed,

Pastor Bill

Christ be with you, Christ within you Christ behind you, Christ before you, Christ beside you, Christ to win you, Christ to comfort and restore you, Christ beneath you, Christ above you, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love you, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. Psalm 57:1

Think about some of the worst storms you have been in.  Many in this area remember Hurricane Agnes, which caused massive flooding.  Or Hurricane Katrina which caused so much devastation on the Gulph Coast.  A few years ago, a hurricane hit my town, bouncing up the main street, skipping across fields and ending in my development, just a few houses away.  My daughter pointed and said “are those birds?”  I realized it was leaves in the whirlwind, grabbed her and began to pray as it was the only thing to do in the moment.

Yet weather storms are not the only storms we face.  Some are going through medical issues, others financial storms.  Some are facing storms within their families.  There are many storms we go through in our lifetimes and, unfortunately, we cannot avoid them.

However, just as the psalmist, we can cry out to God.  We can seek God’s refuge and mercy.  God will not make the storm go away, but God will carry us through.

If you are going through a storm this week, take refuge in the “shadow of God’s wings”.  Take time to pray and listen for God’s answer.

Peace,

Pastor Bill