Charles Town Presbyterian Church

I am writing this on Valentine’s Day.

I am not a big fan of this “holiday.” The idea of Valentine’s Day is to make sure we tell our significant other that we love them. That’s not a bad thing; goodness knows we need more love in this world. The problem, though, is that it seems to all come down to money (like many things). We give cards, gifts, chocolates; we go to dinner, maybe the movies, and maybe even a romantic getaway. There is no doubt that Valentine’s Day has a positive economic effect.

But the emotional effect can be something different.

People are imperfect, and along the way, we have all disappointed someone we love. None of us are exempt from that. This can have the effect of leaving some people questioning the entire concept of loving others. And for those who are single during Valentine’s Day, the emphasis on couplehood leaves some people feeling more alone than ever.

If you are questioning your value or worth, if you are wondering if you are lovable or if anyone cares about you, I want to be absolutely clear about something: The answer is, “YES!” You are loved, and you are cared for. There is one who loves better than all of us, and he loves us without condition, and he does not disappoint. Notice how these scriptures describe God’s love:

• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
• But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
• Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35)
• Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)
• This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

This is just a sample. There are over 600 other occurrences of the word, “love” in scripture, and most them are about how God loves us.

Friends, know that you are completely and perfectly loved by One who will never stop loving you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

-Pastor John Bethard

Everybody has a story.

This is the most valuable lesson I learned in seminary, and time and again in ministry, it has proven to be the case. Everyone has a story, and that story is filled with pain and grief, joy and triumph; high highs and low lows. In the midst of that story, we find that God is at work in exciting and unpredictable ways.

One of the most powerful ways our stories are used by God is when we share them with others. In the not too distant past, we called these, “Testimonies,” and they were meant to point to, or testify, to how God is at work in a person’s life.

Some of us have been thinking and praying about how we can share our stories at Charles Town Presbyterian Church. Everyone of us has a story, and whether you believe this or not, people will be blessed by what you share.

We are calling this endeavor, “FaithStory,” and we are eager for people to share. FaithStories will be shared as part of the worship service. When someone shares their FaithStory, it encourages those who hear it, and it glorifies God. FaithStories can be very powerful and God works through them in ways we can’t even imagine. We want to encourage anyone who is
willing to share their story with the congregation. This will happen in worship on a Sunday morning.

We have developed materials to help people prepare their FaithStory, and if you think you might be interested. please email me. I am happy to talk to you, work with you, and cheer you on as you share your FaithStory with your church family. It’s tempting to think that no one wants to hear your story, or that you aren’t polished enough to share your story.

Let me be the first to tell you that the opposite is true. We want to hear you, and you just need to be yourself when you share. I promise you, people in the congregation will connect with your FaithStory and find comfort and hope.

So, what’s your FaithStory? Will you share yours?

-Pastor John

Last week, I devoted my column to the importance of personal Bible study, and I offered some tools for how to do personal study. Over the next few weeks, I will demonstrate different aspects of how to study the scriptures. This week, I want to focus on two questions, “Who?” and “When?”

The “Who wrote the passage?” question sometimes seems irrelevant, but often it is not. Knowing who the author is sometimes provides a link to other parts of the Bible, and that in turn sheds light on the meaning of the passage. To demonstrate, I’m going to focus on a passage from the New Testament, Galatians 2.

Now, before we go any further, take a moment and read Galatians 2. Galatians is one of the epistles, or letters of the NT. Notice that in the first five verses, a first-person pronoun is used at least six times. This is a clue that the author is well-known to the audience. If you flip over to chapter 1, it starts with these words in verse 1: Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. So, we know Galatians was written by Paul. We also want to know who the letter was written to. That information is in verse 2, “To the churches in Galatia.” This is when you might need to do some search work online or in the introduction section of your Bible for Galatians. Here you will see that the churches in Galatia were in what is now modern-day Turkey. Here is why that matters: The Galatian churches were in a very non-Jewish area of the world. When we get to the “Why?” question next week, you will understand why that’s important.

“When was this written?” This is almost always an important question to answer. In our passage, we are given a fantastic clue in verse 1, “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.” This may sound like irrelevant information, but in fact, the opposite is true. Here we learn that Paul wrote this at least 14 years after his conversion, but probably not much later. Most Christians know that prior to his conversion, Paul was on the fast track to becoming a Pharisee. He was a super-intelligent Jewish scholar. And if Galatians is written some 15- 20 years after his conversion, whatever the reason for writing, we know it must be serious. Additionally, if you check online or in your Bible’s introduction, you may learn that Galatians was likely Paul’s earliest letter in the Bible. So, whatever the reason for writing, it’s important. But more on that next week.

In the weeks ahead, my hope and prayer is that those who read this part of the newsletter will begin to learn and implement a way of approaching the scriptures that serves to deepen understanding of the passage, which in turn will deepen one’s relationship with Christ.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Happy New Year!

As we get into a brand-new year, I thought I’d begin the year with some Bible study helpers. Reading the Bible is something many Christians should spend more time doing, but many people are scared off because the Bible can sometimes seem overwhelming. Let me offer some suggestions for how to get started with personal Bible study.

The Bible is divided into two sections – the Old and the New Testaments. The former focuses on the relationship between God and Israel, and the latter focuses on God’s relationship with the Church (us) through Jesus Christ. Both testaments have several different writing styles – narrative history, prayers and wise sayings, letters, prophetic sayings, etc. I note this because genre does affect the way we understand what was written. If Bible study is new to you, I suggest starting with the gospel of Mark. It is short with loads of action. From there I suggest the book of Acts followed by the New Testament letters.

When reading, there are six questions you want to consider:

1. Who wrote it,
2. why was this written,
3. when and
4. where was it written,
5. what happens in the passage, and
6. how does it apply to your life.

That last question is critical; remember, knowledge without application is a waste of time. Some of these questions are answered in the introductions to the particular book you’re reading written by the publishers. Commentaries also have some of this information. The more you start asking these questions of the Bible, the easier it will be to find the answers.

If you are tech savvy, you may find help with some online resources. Here are some helpful sites:

• Bible Study Tools is a very user-friendly site that will give you limited online access to different translations, commentaries and other resources. You can even access the devotional Our Daily Bread through this site (though a subscription might be necessary).
• Bible Hub has numerous online tools. They are all helpful, but you may find the sheer volume of resources overwhelming.
• Crosswalk is also a good site, but it also contains links to Christian news stories and other non-Bible study information. You may fall down the “rabbit hole.”
• BibleGateway is one of my favorite sites. It’s basic but very useful.

I hope these resources help. I desire that all of us would become students of scripture, that our faith in Christ would grow and flourish.

Peace,

Pastor John

Christmas Joy!

This Sunday evening Charles Town Presbyterian Church will once again host the annual Christmas Joy Service. This annual worship service highlights the contributions of our very talented music ministry. Each year, this special service is a little bit different. Some years it has featured bell choirs, other years the emphasis has been on vocal choirs, and many years there has been a combination of musical offerings.

This year, the Christmas Joy Service will be a wonderful celebration of the Christmas season featuring bell choirs, our vocal choir, the children’s choir, some duets, and a couple of solo pieces. Considering that we are still searching for a music director, this has been nothing short of miraculous. Our congregation owes a great debt to Penny Liston, Mark and Debbie Stafford, and Jessy Allowatt, who have collected planned, directed, and fostered the music ministry of our church during this interim period. What a blessing to have such willing and talented people to lead us in worship!

The Christmas Joy Service is about far more than the music ministry of our congregation. The most important purpose of the service is to share the good news of Christ and his coming. The great story of Christmas is often expressed through music, and so the Joy Service allows us the chance to tell the story of Christmas through the gift of music.

Another purpose of the Joy Service is the collection of the Joy Gift, a special offering of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The long-standing nickname of this worship service, “Joy Gift,” comes from this aspect of the service. The Joy Gift is collected by Presbyterian churches all over the country, and it is disbursed to two areas of need. Half of it goes to fund ethnic scholarships at Presbyterian-related colleges and universities. The other half helps individuals who have retired from service to the church who are facing extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance.

I hope you are able to join us this Sunday at 7pm. I also want to encourage you to invite friends and family to come be part of this great worship experience! There will be a wide variety of musical offerings, readings, and congregational singing all designed to make the Christmas season more meaningful for all who attend. After the service, we will have a reception in the church fellowship hall.

I hope to see you at the Christmas Joy Service!

Blessings,

Pastor John

It is the beginning of December, and Christmas is coming.

When we think of Christmas, we often think of gifts. We give gifts and we receive gifts. Christmas itself is about gifts. God gives his one and only son so that we can have eternal life. And the response to that is to give. This year, there is one gift I would encourage our whole church family to give: An invitation. God invites us to eternal life through faith in the Son. This advent season is a wonderful time to invite people to church activities. Here are some of the events coming up over the next few weeks:

• Friday, November 30 Advent Festival 6pm
  A light dinner, Christmas carols, and then adults and older children decorate the sanctuary while younger children make Christmas crafts
• Saturday, December 1 Charles Town Parade
  The mission and outreach committee is giving away hot dogs, nachos, and hot beverages (donations for the steeple gladly accepted!), and we will be handing out invitations to our holiday services. The fun begins at 12 noon!
• Sunday, December 2 Holiday Dinner
  Following worship, around noon, the fellowship committee is hosting a holiday dinner for the congregation.
• Sunday, December 16 Christmas Joy Service 7pm
  The annual Joy Gift service highlights the outstanding music minis try of CTPC. This worship service is always a highlight of the advent season at CTPC. Vocal choirs, bell choirs, solos, duets and other musical surprises are awaiting us at this year’s Christmas Joy Service.
• Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve Worship 5pm and 10pm
  We will be celebrating the birth of Christ at worship on Christmas Eve. The early service is a family-oriented service with emphasis on the Christmas story. The later service will be solemn, with carols, readings and celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

We have so much to give. Of course, as Christians, it is our honor and privilege to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. This holiday season gives us additional ways to share that love and to welcome people into the life of the church.

Blessings,

Pastor John