Charles Town Presbyterian Church

“Roots”

This past week, something terribly sad happened. Well, it was sad for me.

That beautiful maple tree in the backyard of the manse had to be taken down. The Sunday before Memorial Day, I discovered a huge two-foot crack along the trunk, where the leads of the tree separated. We consulted with some knowledgeable people in the congregation, and the consensus was that it had to come down. In fact, the arborist who took the tree down commented on the fact that there was no rational explanation for why the tree was still standing. He called it a “miracle” that it had not fallen into the house or the sanctuary.

The day before the work, I spent some time with the tree, and I noticed that the roots of this tree had become large, and were extending from the base of the tree, in some case 8-10 feet away! It was a hardy tree, to be sure.

We have roots, too, as Christians. Our faith is to be rooted in Jesus Christ. And just like growing a tree takes food, pruning, and watering, so we also must be fed, pruned and watered, for our roots in Christ to remain strong. We must feed on God’s Word, reading it, hearing it taught, and taking it every chance we can get. It can only benefit us. We must be watered, through prayer, for it is in the presence of God. And we must be pruned, having the old, decaying parts – our sin – removed from us, and letting God grow in us, that which is good and pleasing in his sight.

Like trees, we need strong roots, only ours are roots of faith. May God continue to feed, water and prune each of us as we seek to live for him.

Peace,

Pastor John

Our long-standing Vacation Bible School is coming and we’re welcoming registrations for ages: Kindergarten through 5th Grade and 2-4 Year olds!

When: Sunday, July 16th– Thursday, July 20th from 6-8 p.m. each evening.
Where: Charles Town Presbyterian Church

How to register:

• First, please fill out the form below, THEN RSVP:
  • Call the church office (304.725.5316) or
  • Email your form to Director of Children’s, Youth and Family Ministries (mrogers@ctpres.org)

Dear Church Family,

Rather than dive into some spiritual truth this week, or shed light on an aspect of contemporary culture, I need to acknowledge the work of three people in our congregation.

Thane Van Zomeren, Jason Mullens, and Gary Scott are taking care of the church lawn (the manse lawn is taken care of by my son, Alex). These men stepped up after a budget discussion in the fall and volunteered to take this project on to help the church save money. Prior to this year, lawn maintenance was a $4,000-$5,000 expense annually.

This is no small work, either. One does not realize how large this property is until one begins to take care of it. There is mowable lawn on all four sides of the church. We also own a piece of property on Augustine Avenue, and these men take care of this, as well. In addition, there is a large amount of shrubbery that must be trimmed. Each week (when it doesn’t rain), these men come to the church and give up an evening or part of the weekend to help the church look its best. It is selfless, thankless, hot, hard work.  Sometimes, their spouses even pitch in!

I am extremely grateful for their commitment to Christ and to this church. This is a true act of service. I know these men don’t do this for any applause, but please thank them when you get a chance. And if you are so inclined, consider helping them out. Ask them how you might get involved with this work.

Thane, Jason, and Gary – on behalf of the congregation, thank you. You’re doing a great job and we appreciate all your hard work. May God bless each of you and keep you safe.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  -Philippians 2:3,4

Dear Friends,

Three things I want to bring to your attention…

1. Summer Study
   As we head into the weekend that unofficially marks the beginning of summer, I want to remind you that something new begins next week. “Summer Study” will meet Wednesday mornings at 11am in the church parlor. Each week, we will consider one of the genre in scripture and learn together how best to study it. Though not required, much of the material will be greatly supplemented by the book, How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth, by Gordon Fee and Doug Stuart. You can get a copy of the book here.
   This coming Wednesday, May 31, we will review how to do meaningful study of the scriptures, and then we will look at the unique issues that arise with the New Testament letters.
2. Sunday Morning
   Several things are happening this Sunday morning at the later service. We will be recognizing the recipient of the Frazier scholarship. The confirmation class will reaffirm their baptismal vows and join the church. Parents of younger children should be aware that my series on 1 Thessalonians will deal with the issue of sexual immorality. This is sure to raise some questions from younger children, and I want to encourage parents to not be caught off guard.
3. Memorial Day
   This important holiday will be celebrated all over our great nation on Monday, and during worship this weekend, we will take a moment in the service and acknowledge the sacrifices for which the holiday was created to remember. Please consider, if your schedule allows, at tending one of the many community events marking the holiday on Monday.

May the Lord bless all of you in the week ahead.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Since late January, I have taught our confirmation class, and the curriculum has been supplemented by the Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC), the teaching tool that summarizes the Westminster Confession of Faith. I am always amazed at how well the WSC condenses important Reformed doctrine into bits that are easy to remember. If you are unfamiliar with this wonderful document, click here.

The WSC covers the creation, who God is, the Trinity, the OT Law, sin, grace, who Jesus is, why he died, how he rose, etc. It is very comprehensive. Here is a great example of both the simplicity and clarity of the catechism:

Quest. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
Ans. 86. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

In this one sentence answer, the writers of the Confession connect faith to grace, and how it works to save us through Christ. This very topic takes up thousands and thousands of pages in seminary libraries! And there it is, aptly explained for any who will read this great statement of our faith. Have you ever wondered how to explain what a sacrament is? Here you go:

Quest. 92. What is a sacrament?
Ans. 92. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

All too often we push theological study aside, when it can be very exciting! Click here to let the Westminster Shorter Catechism remind you of what it means to be part of the Reformed tradition!

Blessings,

Pastor John

Baptism.

Charles Town Presbyterian Church has been blessed to administer the sacrament of baptism four times so far in 2017, with more celebrations of the sacrament on the horizon.

We baptize because the Lord instructed us to do so both with his life and with his words. In Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 3 we read of Jesus receiving the baptism of John the Baptist. John’s baptism was a sign of repentance, whereas Christian baptism is a sign of God’s grace. Jesus was baptized to demonstrate humility for us, to set an example for us. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells his disciples to go and make disciples, baptizing the followers of Jesus and teaching them how to live for him.

Presbyterians are part of the Reformed Tradition, and as such, we historically profess our faith through various statements. One of these, the Westminster Confession of Faith, explains baptism in the following manner:

Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein Christ hath ordained the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be a sign and seal of ingrafting into himself, of remission of sins by his blood, and regeneration by his Spirit; of adoption, and resurrection unto everlasting life; and whereby the parties baptized are solemnly admitted into the visible church, and enter into an open and professed engagement to be wholly and only the Lord’s.

Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of promise, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him, but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.

In short, Presbyterian baptize those adults and older children who profess a faith in Christ, and the children of those who are believers in Jesus Christ. Baptism serves as a sign that one belongs to Christ and seals the faith of that person, who now belongs to both Christ and His Church.

As we say whenever we baptize…Let us remember with joy our own baptism…

Sincerely

Pastor John