Charles Town Presbyterian Church

Scripture is one of the greatest gifts God has given the Church. It may be the greatest, next to the gift of the Son, of course. The scriptures allow us to read, learn, grow, and be challenged in our faith. We are not called to be static – to stay still or in one place, but rather, we are to keep moving closer to God in Christ. To do so we can use a variety of spiritual disciplines like worship, prayer, fasting, service, and so on.

What’s great about the scriptures is that we can keep returning to them over and over again. A worship service or prayer meeting are one-time events. It’s hard to replicate a powerfully moving worship service. But the scriptures are different. They can provide ongoing comfort and encouragement, and even when we think we’ve learned all we can about a particular passage, the Holy Spirit speaks to us and opens our eyes and our hearts!

We’ve been living with stress and anxiety for over eight months now, and the events of this election week are adding to that anxiety. All of it is over-whelming at times, and with the holidays approaching, the thought of how we gather and celebrate just seems exhausting.
When we feel this way, I think it is important to go back to those scripture passages that provide comfort and hope. As this strange week in this strange period of history draws to a close, I find great comfort in these verses:

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 Corinthians 4:16-18)

These verses remind me of important truths: This world is temporary. Today will pass. God is preparing us for something better than what’s in front of us. And that, my friends, provides great hope and comfort.

I encourage all of us to turn to the Word of God, and not only when things are hard. But yes, particularly when things are hard, we need the comfort only the scriptures can bring. Hang in there, keep the faith, and keep turning to the Word of God for hope and encouragement.

Blessings,
Pastor John

I rarely talk politics from the pulpit or in my newsletter column. I do touch on it from time to time on my personal Facebook page. This week, in my column, I’m going to address politics.
We face an historic election. Regardless of political leanings, most people view this election as exceptionally significant. No matter who people are voting for, there is a sense that the soul of America and our very Democracy lie in the balance of the outcome.

It is interesting to me that the same sentiments are shared regardless of which candidate people support. I’m not entirely sure what that means, though I suspect it reveals something incredibly important: that we are a people desperate for hope.

If we look to government for that hope, we will be disappointed, no matter who is in office. Human beings are flawed, and that frailty often leads to mistakes, missteps, and misfortune.
Hope must come from somewhere else, and it most definitely lies beyond the American political process. True hope – real hope, comes from God. Consider these words from scripture:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20:7

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed to us…
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:18, 38-39

Many years ago, a member of our congregation reminded me that there is much about politics that is beyond individual control, so getting upset about it all the time is a waste of energy and resources. I am inclined to agree with that sentiment, especially in deference to the scriptures above.

Go and vote. Pray for our nation. But above all, do not trust in politicians or programs. If the candidate you support loses, don’t give in to despair. Remember that our God is bigger, and he will continue to guide us.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Count your blessings, name them one by one…

That is the beginning of the chorus of “Count Your Blessings,” the famous hymn written by Johnson Oatman, Jr., in 1897 [lyrics below]. For years I had thought that this was one of those simple songs we used in Sunday School to teach children something basic about the faith – that it was similar to songs like, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” I was surprised the learn that Oatman was a minister who wrote hundreds of songs, many of which are still sung today.

Counting our blessings is important. Though there is no direct command in scripture to count our blessings, there are several verses that encourage us to remember, or count, those gifts that come from God. Consider, for example, James 1:17,

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

In my work area at home, I have a “Joy Jar,” which is part of an idea I saw two years ago on social media. The idea is simple – throughout the year, every time something good happens, write it down on a little piece of paper, and stick it in the jar. On December 31, empty the jar and spend time remembering all the of the good things that happened throughout the year.

In addition to prayer and study of the scriptures, I cannot think of a more important practice during the pandemic. It is so easy to get discouraged, right now. As I have mentioned a few times from both the pulpit and in this newsletter, the pandemic has made everything harder. Every. Single. Thing. It would be so easy to sit back and catalog every terrible aspect of 2020, but what good is that? How will that help is to grow? How will our faith be stronger because of such negativity?

Friends, make it a point to keep track of the good. Not only will it bless us at the end of the year, but it orients us to look for the good. It will shape our attitude and perspective in a positive way. And we can certainly use more positive.

Blessings,
Pastor John

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
Johnson Oatman, Jr.

[November 30 Update: Thank you all for the support! Congratulations “CW” on winning! We’ll contact you!]

Your heart will also be warmed knowing that this quilt was given to members of our mission team by a family who they helped during CTPC’s mission trip to Webster Springs WV. We’ll be raffling off this quilt to one lucky winner.

Raffle chances can be purchased below for $20 each (or via check to CTPC sent to our office).

Proceeds to fund Mission & Outreach programs.  Winner to be announced soon!

As many of us look back on 2020, perhaps we’ve been anticipating the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as a means to give us hope for new beginnings in the coming year. Or perhaps you’re just looking to help our Missions & Outreach programs.

Either way, these beautiful 2020 ornaments can help symbolize how we cherish Christmas at Charles Town Presbyterian Church.  While supplies last, members, friends and family can purchase an ornament for $25 until October 31, 2020 – This way, you’ll have time to mail them to your loved ones outside the area before the holidays get too busy!

Purchase here on our website or check made payable to CTPC. Then simply pickup from our office. 

Proceeds help Mission & Outreach Programs.

We’re back!

It’s been a couple of weeks now, but we are meeting in person for worship [see this post to make a reservation]. We are also continuing to stream the worship service every Sunday at 10:30am for those who prefer to worship that way.

Worship is the most important activity for every Christian. Worship has a way of centering the soul, of “righting the ship,” if you will. This is because worship is the one place every person in the room is on equal footing with one another. It is in worship we are reminded that God is God. We are not God, and we remember and celebrate God’s goodness to us through Christ.
The pandemic has had a devastating effect on worship. Attendance is down everywhere. And more importantly, the absence of worship has created a real struggle for some. For others, worship has become something they “used to do.” There is a weird aspect to worship attendance that I have observed over the years. When people skip something they love or need, they are quick to get right back into the groove, like going to the gym or going out to the same restaurant every Saturday night. But worship – that’s different. All it takes is missing one worship service, and before we know it, we’ve missed worship for months or years, even! It’s extremely easy to re-place worship with something else.

I know not everyone will come back to in-person worship right away. I also know that some people are going to have a hard time re-establishing this important habit. For those in the latter category, I have two words. Do it! Worship is important to faith development. Consider these words we read in Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

I know the pandemic has made it harder to worship. It’s weird to sign up for something we used to just do. But we need to know we have enough room to social distance, and we must keep track of who attends so we can notify people if the virus finds its way to us. For those who feel more comfortable staying at home, remember you can always go to our church Facebook page [you don’t have to have a Facebook account] and watch the service each week. Click here and scroll down to the live video [or just scroll down below and select “Connect on Facebook” – again Facebook membership is NOT required].

Keep worshiping,
Pastor John