Charles Town Presbyterian Church

Alas, we continue in our corona-driven isolation and social distancing. I cannot ever remember a time in my life when I did not engage in Holy Week activities at church. My whole life, the time between Palm Sunday and Easter was a time for more prayer, more self-reflection, and more church. My family always attended worship on Maundy Thursday and whatever service we had on Good Friday (it was never the same year to year).

This year, the threat of the coronavirus (and executive action of our governor) prohibits us from meeting for any of the usual ways we like to celebrate Holy Week. And while this may seem like a real downer, all is not lost. We have had great response to our virtual worship broadcasts. Please be patient with us, we know there are some technical issues, and we are addressing those. This coming week, we plan to worship on Palm Sunday and then on Easter Sunday at 10:30am both mornings. On Maunday Thursday, we will post a video at 7pm. We are recording it earlier in the week and later at night so that it captures a more dramatic experience for Maundy Thursday.

Since the corona isolation began, I have been posting daily devotionals and prayer. A simple message with scripture and prayer. This week, because it is Holy Week, I want us all to be able to read and ponder the verses together. So here are my readings this week:

Our Facebook page is accessible through this link. I hope you are able to join us in the days ahead. I know this is not the kind of Holy Week and Easter we want, but it is the one we have. The gospel is still real, relevant, it is still good news. Let us, therefore, not let our current moment steer us away from that which is eternal.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Virtual Worship

Because of the coronavirus, most churches have been forced to either shut down or attempt a digital presence on the internet, usually through Facebook, YouTube, or some of live streaming option. Let me say this: I really don’t like virtual worship. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful to have social media and other digital tools at my disposal. Can you imagine going through this with no way to connect with others?

But therein lies my issue. The Church, the people of Christ, are connected to one another. In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul refers to the Church as the “Body of Christ.” By that, he means that the Church is a living, active, growing organism.

My hope is that when life returns to “normal,” we never again forsake the opportunity to worship. We miss each other. We are family, and our weekly worship was the time we had to connect with one another and Christ. Virtual worship, while a welcome tool at the moment, just isn’t the same. It’s nice to share prayer concerns through email and other messaging tools, but it’s not quite the same as being present together and hearing the emotional content of that prayer concern. We can sing songs and hymns of praise during our self-quarantine (as well we should!), but it is not the same as singing in worship.

I think you get my point.

For now, we will continue to worship virtually, we will continue to connect the best way we can, but when it is safe to worship en masse again, we will worship with the greatest energy and joy we can muster. Yes, it looks as if we are not going to be able to gather for Holy Week worship, and this disappoints me. So, when we next gather, even it if is Mother’s Day , we will celebrate the passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus!

Let us use this moment to remember what it means to be the Body of Christ, the “called out ones,” the Gathered before God!

Blessings,

Pastor John

What if it’s longer that two weeks?

That seems to be the big question around Covid-19. Things seem to be changing every day, don’t they? Last Thursday, when I finished writing my newsletter article, there were only a quarter of the cases and fatalities than we have now. This virus moves quickly and somewhat “silently” – those infected carry it with them some time before symptoms emerge, and that means every person they are around during that time will be at risk of the virus. This is why schools have closed, restaurants are take-out only, and we worship virtually. I expect that we will be closed longer than two Sundays, and I say that so that we are prepared. None of us is pleased that we may be celebrating Palm Sunday and Easter far differently than we imagined. That decision has not been made yet, but I do want you to be mentally prepared if we have to make that announcement.

My highest priority, as pastor, is the spiritual welfare of the congregation. To that end, I want to make sure you know of two virtual opportunities. Every day (except Sunday), around 11:00am, I am attempting to stream a short three to five-minute Bible reading and prayer. I started that this past week, and the response has been unbelievable. I am doing that through the church Facebook page. On Sundays we worship at 10:30, and we will do so virtually (same link).

I also want to encourage you to sign up for our virtual prayer meeting. While we are facing this pandemic, we must turn to Christ. Why not sign up for times to pray throughout the weeks ahead? Please visit this page for sign up information.

And as we have noted so many times, we rely on the generosity of this congregation, and we are hopeful that we will see little, if any interruption in our giving. It’s impossible to collect the offering while maintaining social distance, but people can still give online or through the mail.

This is an historic moment for the world. We will get through this, and I am certain that as we do so, we will find Christ faithful!

Peace,

Pastor John

UPDATE: March 16, 2020 – with the recent recommendations surrounding coronavirus COVID-19, for the health of those who participate in the various community groups, Charles Town Presbyterian Church is closing the building to all groups and ministries. The ONLY exceptions to this are the essential ministries Meals on Wheels and the Homeless Dinner coalition. We prayerfully ask that all other groups also consider practicing social distancing where possible.

The governing body of Charles Town Presbyterian Church will continue to assess the situation in order to determine when we’ll reopen. Please direct any questions to our church office.

UPDATE – Pastor John is keeping us connected in this March 16th video:

On March 15, 2020, CTPC did a live broadcast of Worship services! As we navigate this difficult situation, we all will be praying for relief for those directly or indirectly affected.

Friends, I am interrupting my planned newsletter topics to address the coronavirus. By now, you’ve heard that this novel disease is a global pandemic, with the number of cases growing daily. As of this past Thursday when I wrote this, Jefferson County had no known cases. I expect that change any minute.

There have been so many cancellations at this point that it’s honestly hard to keep up with all the different organizations who are self-sequestering. I know it may seem like an overreaction, but there is actually some sense to this. Covid-19 is a social virus. To catch it, a person has to be in contact with or in the vicinity of someone who has it. Since the virus can live outside the body for days, in some cases, limiting exposure is key to avoiding it and slowing its progress. When we are able to slow the progress and limit the number of people who get sick, that has the effect of NOT overwhelming hospitals and other medical providers. But if we continue with business as usual, we risk overwhelming the system, which will, in turn, cause even more people to be sick (see the image below). This is called “flattening the curve.”

To that end, every social organization has some responsibility to act in the best interest of others. So far, we are not considering cancelling any event or worship service. I consider that a kind of “last option.” For now, we encourage the following:

Use Your Discretion. If you’re nervous about going out, don’t feel obligated to come to worship or any other church activity. If you’re worshiping under compulsion and all you can focus on is everything BUT worship, it would be better to stay at home. If you don’t want to miss the message but feel more comfortable staying home, you can listen here.

Wash Your Hands. We’re clear on this by now, right?

We are suspending communion. In recent days, you may have heard me say that I’ve never heard of anyone getting sick from the Lord’s Supper. I still believe that. However, there are people who are really anxious about this pandemic. And though I had hoped to celebrate communion every service during Lent, and while I still believe that no one would get sick from the sacrament, I do not wish for any worshiper to have the physical intimacy of the Lord’s Table be a hindrance to their worship. When the threat of Coronavirus has diminished, we will resume a regular observance.

Observe Social Distancing. Social distancing is exactly like it sounds. If you are not staying home, avoid physical contact with others. People who know more than I on this matter recommend a six-foot distance between people. That’s hard to maintain, especially when we are “family,” like church. At a minimum, don’t hug or shake hands.

If you are sick, stay home. Any of us who has compromised immunity for any reason has a significantly higher risk of contracting coronavirus, the flu, and other illnesses.

Continue to Trust the Lord. God is bigger than this pandemic. And while the immediate threat is very real and very frightening, we must continue to trust in the God who has saved us. I offer these comforting words from Psalm 46:1-5

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

Of course, if it seems prudent to cancel services, or if government leaders mandate such an action, we will abide by such wisdom. But until such a time, as long as I am able, I will be present to lead worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30. If anything should change, we will notify the congregation as quickly as possible.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Last week in my newsletter, I began a Lenten series on the different elements in a typical worship service. I am hoping that by elaborating on these in this format that I will be able to help each reader appreciate more deeply why we do the different parts of worship the way we do.

This week, I want to focus on the confessional part of our worship service. Typically, early into the worship service, we have the prayer of confession. This is both corporate and personal. We read a printed prayer together, and this prayer usually connects to the pastor’s message in some way. This is followed by a silent prayer of confession, which allows each worshiper to confess their sins before God in a more personal way.

Confession is a very important part of worship. It reminds us many things – that we need God’s forgiveness, most of all. In 1 John 1:8,9 we read, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The prayer, the actual act of confessing, is the first part, the one that brings us to a place of humility seeking forgiveness. The second part is the assurance of pardon. The assurance reminds us that God has forgiven us. After speaking words of assurance (typically from scripture), there is this response – Leader: Friends, believe the good news of the gospel; Congregation: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Then comes the response. This has two parts. Usually we sing some rousing, affirming chorus. Then we pass the peace. The passing of the peace is important. God’s reconciliation with people is best seen among God’s people. So, we pass the peace, and this is meant to be a little symbolic. We are celebrating what God has done for us in Christ. Of course, this can get a little out of hand, so it is important to remember that when we pass the peace, it should be done with our nearest neighbors. It is not a time to catch up with friends on the other side of the sanctuary. One of the reasons we have a time for connecting with others between Sunday school and worship is precisely so we can catch up. Passing the peace is meant to be a worshipful celebration with those worshiping nearest to us. Be sure to notice the flow – corporate confession, individual prayer, corporate assurance, corporate celebration.

This is actually one of the most important aspects of our worship service. It is meant to prepare us to receive God’s Word and the working of the Spirit. And so, I encourage all of us to remember to take the confession and the responses seriously, and to remember to keep the passing of the peace, “local,” as it were.

Next week I will cover offering and its significance.

Have a Blessed Lent,

Pastor John