Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

November is here and that means one thing.  The Christmas season (just kidding, the stores have been in Christmas mode long before Halloween).  Thanksgiving is coming.  I love Thanksgiving and honestly it has become my favorite holiday over the past few years.  I get up, start breakfast and then start the feast.  My wife and daughter get up, we eat then put on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

During the parade, I get the turkey in the oven and make the stuffing.  Throughout the morning, I am busy in the kitchen, but not so busy that I cannot watch the parade with my family.  Whether it is just the three of us, or we have other family members, I take great care and pleasure in the meal.  Cooking it is a way of giving thanks for all I have.

I probably do not say this enough but I am grateful for my family.

Paul tells us to rejoice always, pray always and be thankful always, no matter what is going on.  Believe me, I know how hard this is, especially after some difficult years.  Yet if we stop for a moment and really consider things, we do have a lot to be thankful for.

As you travel through this month, take time to give thanks, take time to pray, take time to rejoice.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day.

Prayer of Saint Richard

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

Today is Halloween, a day we celebrate with pumpkins, orange lights, fake graveyards, goblins, ghosts and other ghouls.  Children (and adults) will dress up and wander from house to house getting candy.  Parties are held, horror movies are watched and generally a good time is had by all.

But Halloween is really far more than watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and eating too many peanut butter cups.  It is All Hallow’s Eve, the night before All Saints Day. 

The Feast of All Saints is a day set aside to remember all those who have gone before us and are in God’s presence.  In the early church, the saints were remembered on the day of their death (or rebirth into Heaven), but after a while (and a lot of martyrs due to the Roman persecution of the church), it was difficult to celebrate individual saints and the church created one special day. 

Many churches use this day (or the Sunday nearest) as a remembrance of all who died during the previous year.  It can also be a day for us to remember our family members who have passed.

Losing loved ones is always hard but as we remember them we know that ultimately the mourning, crying and pain will be taken away and God will truly wipe our tears from our eyes.

This year, have fun on Halloween, then on Tuesday celebrate the loved ones that have gone before you.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of your love that they may face each new day with hope and the certainty that nothing can destroy the good that has been given.
May their memories become joyful, their days enriched with friendship, and their lives encircled by your love. Amen.

Vienna Cobb Anderson, from Prayers of Our Hearts (1991, Crossroad Publishing Co.)

Today’s verses come from Psalm 145

¹I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.
²Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.
³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.

Did you start your day blessing the Lord today? 

I didn’t.  I got up and went about my morning business.  I had plans to stop and pray, but I got wrapped up in the making of lunches and taking the dog out (which could have been an excellent time to bless the Lord as I walked in the dark morning). 

It’s not like I forgot, or did not care.  But my day started off poorly and perhaps this is why.  Now I have a choice.  I can continue my day as it started, or I can turn again towards God, blessing God and asking God to guide me this day. This is the great part.  While God wanted me to open my day with God, I am not “in trouble” because ⁸The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

Maybe things are not going the way you want them to go, perhaps your day started off as mine.  We still have a great opportunity before us, after all, ¹⁴The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Even if you are already deep into your day, take a moment.  Stop what you are doing and bless the Lord.  Spend a few minutes in prayer and allow God to work within you.

It will be a much better day.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Prayer for the Week:

God of life, there are days when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down, when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening, when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.  Flood the path with light, turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road to life, to your honor and glory. Augustine of Hippo

¹³Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20

I’ve always loved this passage because Jesus starts with the easy question “who do others say…?” After getting some answers, he “turns up the heat” and asks “who do you say…?). 

It is always easy to answer the first question.  Even our youngest Sunday school students can give great answers to this question, for it is a question of orthodoxy.  What does scripture say, what do our churches say about Jesus?  How about our confessions of faith, creeds and other writings?  Orthodoxy is easy, we turn to the “experts”, those who have reflected on our theology and passed it through the generations.

Yet the second question is the hard one for it is directed towards each disciple (including us). Jesus is not expecting the disciples to give the “Sunday school answer” rather he wants to know what they believe.  Peter responds with his belief – “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

Each day Jesus gives us an opportunity to answer this question, and we do it best by our living.  If we hold it fast that Jesus is truly the Son of the Living God, we should live as He calls us to live, loving God, ourselves and each other.

As you travel through this new week, reflect on the question “who do you say I am?”.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Gospel Reading Matthew 15:21-28

²¹Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

A test of faith.  Some read this passage and wonder why Jesus would seem to be so antagonistic towards this woman.  Afterall, her daughter was being tormented and didn’t Jesus deal with these things regularly?  Why would he be against helping her just because she was not from the house of Israel?

On the other hand, we can look deeper at this passage from a faith perspective.  Jesus is not going to heal everyone, including those who do not love God, rather He is testing people.  Why should God provide any miracles for someone who does not believe, or at least believe that God can do something?

Jesus is asking this woman for a little more than just a request.  He is asking her to place her faith in Him.  And that is what He is asking all of us – don’t just pray expecting God to grant your wishes, rather pray in faith, knowing that Jesus wants the best for you. 

As you travel this week, place your trust in Jesus and see what happens.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:27-31

It is hard to love our enemies.  It is difficult to even consider doing nice things for those who hate us or treat us poorly.  Yet, that is precisely what Jesus calls us to do, to love our neighbors (even the ones we do not like).  In this part of Jesus’ great sermon, he gives us the golden rule, do to others as you would have them do to you.

Did you know a form of this rule is in nearly every major world religion?  It is one of those universal “laws” and I believe this is so because God really wants us to follow it.

Imagine how different our world could be if we lived this way.  Imagine our country could be if instead of demonizing our enemies, we instead loved them, prayed for them, and did good things for them.  We might see less violence, less arguing and even less stress in our lives.

The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, or says something bad about you, stop for a moment, utter a prayer of blessing for them and move on.

For a deeper look at the golden rule, see my YouTube video here

Pastor Bill

Acts 11:19-26

¹⁹Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. ²¹The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. ²²News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; ²⁴for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. ²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”

This passage is a great reminder for us today.  The early church was being persecuted and the passages mentions the martyrdom of Stephen (see Acts 7), and how this dispersed the church.  As people left Jerusalem for fear of their lives, they began to spread the gospel wherever they went.

Today we have a great opportunity of our own.  Since March 2020, we have been dealing with the Covid crisis, which has stopped many ministries.  Some have returned, others will, and others should not.  This crisis gives us an excellent opportunity to try something new, to find new missions and ministries in which to share the good news.  The pandemic is our chance to increase the church by seeking out others in new ways.  Technology allowed us to offer worship services and bible studies online, and many churches rightly continue to do this.  Technology can also connect us with those who are seeking God.  We do not have to shout on street corners or knock-on doors, rather we can use social media for God’s good.  And who knows, if we embrace something new, we might also see a growth in the church just like the one in the passage.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Mark 6:1-6a

¹He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offence at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief.

We had a guest preacher in my home church.  Now I knew this man’s family, after all they were a well known name in my home town.  In his sermon, he gave his testimony, about growing up in trouble (and we knew that) and coming to that “Jesus Moment” when he accepted the Lord.  Then he heard the call to ministry.  In his prayer, he said “Lord, I’ll go anywhere but Phoenixville (both his and my home town).  Send me somewhere else.”  Well, you probably guessed what happened.  He was sent home to preach the good news.

I think about this passage of scripture where Jesus comes into his home town and teaches and at first, they are all amazed at both his teaching and healing.  But then someone asks, “Is not this the carpenter…?” 

So often we think we know someone based on their ancestry, or their past and miss what God is doing with them.  The guest preacher was called to run a men’s homeless shelter in his town, something that was greatly needed.  He met some resistance, just as Jesus did, but persevered and honored his call.

Sometimes we are called to difficult places where people will look down on us due to our family, our upbringing, even our own past.  Yet with Jesus, we can live a new life and pass that on to others.

This week, think of someone that might have a reputation, pray for them and let God do something incredible.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  Psalm 19:1-4

It is rumored that Francis of Assisi said “preach the gospel always, if necessary use words.” This probably comes from a legendary story in which he invites a fellow monk to walk the village to preach the gospel.  They walk all around, in silence, and finally the other monk asks when they will preach.  He responded by saying “we have been preaching all this time.”  Just the presence of the monks (men dedicated to praying for the community) walking about the community brought about an image of the gospel.

We do not always need words (although sometimes we do), sometimes our presence is enough.  I have sat quietly in the corner of hospital rooms while families have said goodbye to a loved one.  Words were not needed, “there is no speech, nor are their words”, yet God’s presence was felt.

Sometimes all we need to do is show up.  We do not need to be experts in theology or biblical knowledge, we do not need to convince anyone of anything, we just need to be present for someone to know God is real.

As you traverse this week, look at the heavens, look at the sky, look at nature and feel God’s presence.  Then take that presence with you to all you meet.  Allow God’s presence within you to “speak” the words someone needs to “hear”.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”Mark 4:35-41

I could use a nap.  I know, its Monday morning, I just woke up, but honestly, I need a nap after a long drive through bad weather, with little time to rest.  Add to that so many things happening, and guess what?  I am tired.  And I bet you are too.  We have all been through extreme “stormy weather” the past few years and here Jesus gives us a simple instruction – take a rest in the storm for God has our backs.

We might not have the power to stop bad weather, but we can still say with confidence and faith “Peace, be still” to the storms in our lives.  We have permission to stop and rest, to get away from the problems, even if only for a few moments.  This goes hand in hand with Sabbath rest, not just a day off to catch up on things, but true rest.  The better rested we are, the better we can deal with the problems of the day.

As you travel through this week, take those moments. If things are getting out of hand, rebuke them, say Peace! Be still! Then take a nap. 

Peace,

Pastor Bill