Charles Town Presbyterian Church

Two weeks ago, I received a phone call from an investment firm, and I was surprised to learn that woman named Mildred Bush, who was part of our church in the 1940’s and 1950’s, passed away and left Charles Town Presbyterian Church a gift of over $500,000! Mrs. Bush moved to Martinsburg after graduating high school, got married, and spent her career working for the federal government. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved back to Charles Town.
When I heard the news, I could not believe it! I immediately shared this with the elders and trustees in anticipation of the upcoming session meeting last week. I want to share with you how the church leadership is approaching this exciting news.

It is a blessing and affirmation. God promises to always provide for us, and this gift is evidence of his providence. It is an affirmation that our congregation is moving in the right direction.

It is an opportunity. The overwhelming sense of the leadership is that God is giving us the resources with which to do something significant and exciting! Anyone with thoughts or ideas related to this opportunity is welcome to share them with any of the elders.

It is a call to prayer. The elders are spending the next several weeks before the March session meeting praying about this gift because of the reasons mentioned above. The congregation is most welcome to pray for the church leadership as we consider where the Lord is leading regarding this blessing and opportunity.

It is a reminder. While this gift certainly helps the church, we all must continue to give and serve faithfully. Historically, our congregation tends to pull back our giving after receiving a large gift like this. It’s tempting to think the church has plenty of money. We must remember that stewardship is about our faithfulness to God and our relationship with him, and when God blesses his people with large gifts like this, the appropriate response is to continue in our faithfulness.

Anyone with questions is welcome to contact me or any elder; we are happy to answer your questions. All of us should give thanks and praise to God for this amazing, unexpected blessing! And above all, we must be faithful in prayer for and stewardship of the ministries to which Christ has called us.

Blessings,
Pastor John

Greetings!

Before I get into more important matters, I want to offer a personal update. Most of you are aware that the virus hit our household. One of the kids tested positive and had a very mild case; the rest of the family has tested negative and remained asymptomatic. I appreciate the prayers many of you have offered on our behalf. We have quarantined closely for the last two weeks, and barring no surprises, we will be out and about after this Friday.

It is hard to believe that Lent is already upon us. This is significant – it was the middle of Lent last year when the pandemic forced shut down of large gatherings, and that affected worship. For the most part, we’ve been virtual, using Facebook live for worship services, and Zoom for meetings. I know it’s not ideal, because the whole congregation doesn’t use internet technology, but it’s the best we have. The good news is that Covid-19 cases are dropping, though they are still extremely high, and the virus is still a very real threat.

Lent is always a special season in the life of Christ’s followers. It allows us the chance to look inward and consider how are spiritual journey is going. It provides a time to consider how we are far from Christ and what we can do to draw near to Him. Many people choose to “give up” something during Lent, a practice derived from the ancient Christian practice of fasting and prayer during the forty days that lead up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Lent begins after Ash Wednesday, which is this coming Wednesday. We typically have a worship service that includes the imposition of ashes, and this is a very meaningful moment for those who look forward to this service.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, we are doing Ash Wednesday a little differently this year. First, weather permitting, there will be a Do-it-Yourself ashes station at the walkway near the main sidewalk on Washington Street. It will be “open” 7am-6pm, and I will be responsible for it, checking on it throughout the day. Again, if it’s raining, snowing, or very windy (wipes and paper towels will go everywhere) we won’t have it this way. In the evening, we will have a short worship service focusing on prayers and music at 7pm via Facebook live.

My hope and prayer is that these two accommodations will make this Ash Wednesday as meaningful as possible. Lent is a great season to renew our commitment to Christ and to experience God in some deep, intimate ways. May God bless us as we enter this special season!

Blessings,
Pastor John

One of the most misunderstood verses in all of scripture is Philippians 4:13, which reads,

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Many Christians, including me, love this verse. And many Christians, including me, have misapplied this verse to our lives.

If we were to add whatever difficult thing is before us into this verse, it sounds really affirming and encouraging. For example, “I can take this Algebra test through Christ who strengthens me.” “I can do well on this job interview through Christ who strengthens me.” “I can shovel this snow, through Christ who strengthens me.” There is nothing wrong with asking God for clarity while taking a test, calmness while interviewing for a job, or strength for a hard task. But those are not the kinds of things Paul was refer-ring to.

Let’s look at the greater context of Philippians 4:

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (4:10-13)

Paul is speaking of his ministry, and how, throughout his ministry, he has known ease and hardship, hunger and plenty, peace, and anxiety. He expands on some of those experiences in 2 Corinthians, where he describes beatings, imprisonments, and other hardships as regular experiences in his work for Christ.

We do well to rely on Christ in all things, especially when our confidence is lacking. We should pray for clarity, confidence, strength, etc. We must also be careful to rightly apply scripture to our lives. If we are talking about doing the work God has called us to do in uncertain and/or changing circumstances, then yes, Philippians 4:13 is the verse to go to! And for other occasions when we need encouragement, there are many other scriptures we can turn to, such as Matthew 28:20,

“Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Regular reading and studying of God’s Word is important for every Christian, because it trains us to understand the importance of context to help determine meaning and application. I hope and pray that each of us will know the Lord more deeply through his Word and will depend on Him in every difficult circumstance.

Blessings,
Pastor John

A couple weeks ago, in my sermon, I highlighted verses that I tend to land on frequently in my messages.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you… So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthian 4:7-12, 16-18)

These verses first spoke to me when I was newly active in my faith. I had progressed from being super-excited about my faith in Christ to a place where I seemed to be hitting all kinds of roadblocks. I was wondering if I was the problem, if I had done something to make God mad. I felt like I was moving backward in my faith journey, not forward. It never dawned on me that life is simply hard. Then I came across these verses in 2 Corinthians 4.

Later in 2 Corinthians 11, Paul explains his sufferings in greater depth:

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from rob-bers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. (11:23-27)

Paul writes about this because there was an attack on his ministry with people saying that he really wasn’t an apostle. Paul shows what his apostleship is all about – suffering for Jesus. Few of us have suffered the same as Paul, but all of us understand how hard life can be. It is important that we not lose sight of Christ or give up on our faith when we are feeling hard-pressed to follow him.

Each day that God gives us, not matter what we are facing, is an opportunity to grow in our faith and serve Christ. Whatever we may be facing, we must fix our eyes on the unseen glories of Christ, for it is the grace of Christ that will guide us through this messy life and into the glorious life to come.

In Christ,
Pastor John

Over the past few months, I have intentionally encouraged the congregation to become more grounded in the Scriptures. One of the ways we are doing this is through an attempt to read together the same Bible passages each day. In the newsletter there is a link that has a schedule for us to read a chapter a day five days a week. During my daily online devotional on the church Face-book page on Monday through Thursday mornings, I usually pick one part of the reading for that day to focus on. I have also encouraged the practice of scripture memorization, something that has gone by the wayside for many.

The main reason I encourage these practices is that they ground us to the Word of God. When we go through challenging times, having the Scriptures “near” us through these practices can help to get us weather them. And let’s face it, we are all facing tough times right now. So many people are dealing with unbelievable amounts of stress, pain, and loss.

The very first verse I ever memorized is Proverbs 3:5,6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

These verses always remind me of four things. First, I need to trust that God is God. If God is who God says he is, I can’t half-heartedly follow him. What good is that? Second, I must trust that God is in control, that I am not. I am not always going to understand what God is doing. And even though I would rather God give me a preview of what’s coming next, I still find comfort in the fact that God knows more than me. Third, I can’t compartmentalize my faith. All parts of my life (“in all your ways…”) should bear witness to my relationship with Christ. And finally, I am reminded that God is in charge of the outcome, not me. When we are told that God will give us straight paths, what that means is that God will guide us, God is in control. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy or free of problems. It means that God is with us, protecting us and nurturing us.

Proverbs 3:5,6 has been part of my life since I was sixteen years old. Every time I have faced a hard decision or challenging period, these verses have a way of coming back to me. We do well to learn all we can from the Scriptures. They provide comfort, assurance, and guidance when most needed.

And boy, do we need those right now.

Blessings,
Pastor John

The past week has been interesting, to say the least. In the aftermath of the riot in D.C., much has been made about what was said and by whom. The issue of free speech has come up in a very profound way, particularly regarding social media. Twitter, Google, and Amazon made some drastic moves last week, and it ramped up discussions on issues like free speech, censorship, and liberty.

As I have been thinking of this, I keep coming to these verses, from James 3:3-10:

If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

Friends, I want us to step back from that and think about our own words (and social media posts). What we say and how we say it ought to be consistent with who we are as Christians, the very point James is making. I will be the first to admit that I get this wrong more than I get it right. One of the most important things I took away from seminary (and I share this often), is a quote I found from one of the early church fathers, Arsenius. “I have often repented from having opened my mouth, but never for having kept it shut.”

What we say and post has consequences. At the very least, words shape the opinions others have of us. At worst, our words can lead to actions that besmirch the name of Christ. The following questions are a good tool to help us communicate. Before we speak or write, whether at home, online, in a committee meeting, talking to a neighbor, go through this mental process:

• Is what I am about to say true? (If there is any question, then don’t say it)
• Is it necessary?
• Does it glorify Christ?
• How can I say this in a helpful way?
• Is it helpful and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29)?

These questions are a starting point. As Christians, we have an opportunity to shine light into the darkness, and that begins with how we communicate. May we seek to glorify God with our words.

Blessings,
Pastor John