Thursday, May 28, 2020

For Online Sermon May 24


By Phil Wood


Considering the sermon by Bruce Spear on May 24, 2020
Scripture Readings: 1 Peter 5:7-11

In Peter's day, Christians were dealing with persecution, and it was deadly serious. No Christian, anywhere in the Roman world was safe. Christians were "safer at home" than they were venturing out into the world.

In his sermon, Pastor Bruce noted that our situation today is similar. We're facing adversity that poses a threat to our lives. To protect ourselves, we're sticking pretty close to home, isolating ourselves from community, friends, loved ones. This is impacting us on many levels.

Bruce spoke of epidemiologists who have been researching these things for some 50 years, trying to find ways to help us deal with the impact of such a pandemic on our lives. Their research shows that people, when faced with such adversity, fall into three basic groups:

1.  Those whose first response is anger
2.  Those who turn inward and worry about all the bad things that could happen
3.  Those who acknowledge the difficulties, resist the two approaches above, and work to overcome the adversity.

If you ask me, the epidemiologists could have saved themselves a lot of trouble simply by turning to 1 Peter Chapter 5. But let's humor them for the moment.

In which of these three groups do you think the epidemiologists would place you?

Which of these three groups do you think is most likely to emerge from these troubles in one piece?

Okay, that question was too easy. Let's look at what Peter had to say.

"Be alert and sober of mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Take some time to meditate on that verse. Think about what weapons the devil might be turning against you during this coronavirus pandemic. How, exactly, does the devil go about devouring someone? What sort of things do we need to be watching out for with alertness and soberness of mind?

Resist the devil, Peter said. And he gave us some clues on how to do that by turning to God. I think the epidemiologists would agree these were some pretty good tips.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Try meditating on that verse and turning it into a prayer. Be completely honest. Tell Jesus everything you're anxious about during this COVID-19 era; the people whose health and lives you fear for, the financial impact on your family and the world, the rising tide of divisiveness around how we're going to emerge to the new normal. All of it, whatever it is, put it on the altar. Surrender it into his hands.

And then prayerfully reflect on the second half of that sentence, "...because he cares for you."

It's okay to let it go. You can trust him because he cares for you. And your enemy the devil sure as hell does not!

In his message yesterday morning, Bruce was strongly calling us all to trust in the God who loves us and cares for us because, as Peter promised, "...the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

And all the epidemiologists said...Amen!

God be with you.

Monday, May 18, 2020

For Online Sermon May 17, 2020


By Phil Wood

 
Considering the sermon by Bruce Spear on May 17, 2020
Scripture Readings: 1 Peter 3:8-9, 18-20, 4:6

Pastor Bruce's sermon this week was about good news. Bruce said that Peter's message in chapters three and four was good news not only for the early church scattered throughout Asia Minor but for us believers today who make up Elizabeth Presbyterian Church.

Just as Peter commended his congregations and all believers, so Bruce commended us, the people of EPC for our:

   unity of spirit
   sympathy (empathy for one another – sharing of mutual joy, mutual woes)
   love for one another
   compassion (tender hearts)
   humble minds
   like-mindedness (not necessarily agreeing on everything but linked by common purpose, with hearts set on unity)

As Bob Johnson suggested when Bruce was interviewing him, take some time to slow down this morning and walk at Jesus' pace – two mph! Think about specific times when you have seen the above characteristics in action at EPC. Try to jot down a name and a brief recollection of how someone demonstrated at least one of these characteristics (preferably more than one).

Bruce said this was good news because Peter was not commanding that we should be unified, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, etc., but he was commending us because, to a great extent, these characteristics were already in place. Review the notes you've just written, and reflect on how these demonstrations show the work of the Holy Spirit building us into a spiritual house.

Smile. Praise God. Worship him in the Spirit and in truth.

The other piece of good news Bruce pointed out from these passages in 1 Peter was this: Christ the righteous died for the unrighteous. Even the people who had incurred God's wrath, and who had failed to observe warnings given by Noah, even those got a second chance when Jesus descended into hell.

"...the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that...they might live in the spirit as God does."

In the context of your own life, at this time in your life, how is this good news? Write down your thoughts and spend some time in prayer.

And later, if anybody asks you why you're so happy today, tell them you've heard some good news.

God be with you.

Monday, May 11, 2020

For Online Sermon May 10, 2020


By Pat Russell

Considering the sermon by Phil Wood on May 10, 2020

Proverbs 8:1-11

Does Wisdom not call meanwhile?
Does Discernment not lift up her voice?
On the hilltop, on the road,
at the crossways, she takes her stand;
beside the gates of the city,
at the approaches to the gates she cries aloud,
O Men! I am calling to you;
my cry goes out to the sons of men.
You ignorant ones? Study discretion;
and you fools, come to your senses!
Listen, I have serious things to tell you,
from my lips come honest words.
My mouth proclaims the truth,
wickedness is hateful to my lips.
All the words I say are right,
nothing twisted in them, nothing false,
all straightforward to him who understands,
honest to those who know what knowledge means.
Accept my discipline rather than silver,
knowledge in preference to pure gold.
For wisdom is more precious than pearls,
and nothing else is worthy of desire.

Ephesians 4:11-16

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

As a follow-up to Pastor Bruce's sermon last Sunday, Phil presented us with several images/metaphors of the unifying work of the Holy Spirit in our church. Which of these images/metaphors most appeals to you? Why?

- A weaving
- A jigsaw puzzle
- A pot of stew
- The placard with "JESUS" on it
- The body of Christ

How are you experiencing this image being played out in your life? What part do you play in these COVID-19 days? For instance, I chose the pot of stew because I like that we are all in a place where we can simmer on the warm burner of God's love – Ha! (I know, a little "out there," but have some fun with this.) I think I am an onion in that stew, not the meat, but the vegetable that can give the stew some extra flavor. When I write "Going Deeper" or a devotional, I have a sense that God is taking the "onion rings" of my life and cutting them up into bite-size pieces for the stew. (Okay, okay, enough said. Give it a try!)

Since it was Mother's Day, Phil pointed out that women play an "intricate" and "important" part in our church. He also pointed out that "wisdom is personified as a woman." If you are a woman reading this, take the sections of Scripture I have bolded above and rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 3, as follows.

1. "I am often like this."
2. "I know I should be like this."
3. "I guess I'd better start thinking about this."

Now do it again according to what others might think about you. (Don't worry, no one is going to ask you for your answers.) When you are finished, spend some time talking to Wisdom himself (Jesus) about your assessment and your desire.

Ladies (and men, if you are reading this, too), the more we are honest with ourselves, the more "we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Let's become vital "living stones" in our church community.

Blessing THIS day, P@

If you would like to connect with me about "Going Deeper" or about living in these days, feel free to email me at patannruss@gmail.com

Monday, May 4, 2020

For Online Sermon May 3, 2020


By Pat Russell

Considering the sermon by Bruce Spear on May 3, 2020

Going Deeper is based upon the sermon from the day before. It is a spiritual tool for you to do more study or meditation using the sermon and scripture from our service. It helps to have seen the sermon because, in Going Deeper, I refer to what Pastor Bruce has given us as a jumping-off point for extra contemplation. So with that explanation, let's begin.

Scripture for the day: 1 Peter 2:4-10

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

     "See, I lay a stone in Zion,
         a chosen and precious cornerstone,
     and the one who trusts in him
         will never be put to shame."

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

     "The stone the builders rejected
         has become the cornerstone,"

and,

     "A stone that causes people to stumble
         and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.

Pastor Bruce recalled that we have a "living hope" from the previous 1 Peter passage. This Sunday we have explored "living Stone" and "living stones." Our living identity, as was true of the new Jewish identity, is not based on the land (where we live) or the Torah (doing everything correctly) or Temple (place of meeting God) but in Jesus, the "living Stone."

Take a few moments to imagine what it must have been like for Peter, who wrote this book, to take Jesus' identity into his own being, versus his identity being that he lived in the Promised Land, how he obeyed the Torah, or meeting God only in the Temple. It must have been quite a paradigm shift for him. It happened over time; it happened as he spent time with Jesus; it happened through his failure. He came to him, the Living Stone. How might you be like Peter?

"The Church has left the building." Pastor Bruce pointed out that we are a "spiritual house." It is a house that is created and sustained by the Holy Spirit. This is no more evident than it is today as we cannot meet in our church. He used the words "in," "from," and "by" the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Use your knowledge of these three prepositions to meditate upon how you "are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood."

Example: "I am IN the Holy Spirit. I dwell within his presence like I dwell in my home. Holy Spirit is IN me. He is not just something I believe in." You take it from here with your own thoughts on these three words. It might be a good exercise to write down your thoughts.

Lastly, we are part of a "living structure" with Jesus Christ as our "chosen and precious cornerstone." Take a piece of paper and draw a large cornerstone with Jesus' name on it. Then, add other stones to your drawing as you construct a "living structure." Make each stone big enough so you can write the names of people in our church on those stones, one person – one stone. As you write their names, pray for each one. Don't forget your name! Your prayer might contain the two challenges that Paul gives us as living stones: to declare praises for Jesus and to be "priests" who live for Jesus.

Blessing THIS day,
P@
If you would like to connect with me about "Going Deeper" or about living in these days, feel free to email me at patannruss@gmail.com.