Charles Town Presbyterian Church

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

This has been a hard week for our country. America is very obviously a divided nation. Over the days since the violence in our nation’s capital, many people have opined how we move forward. How will we heal from this? How do we move forward? Are we even able to do that?

Charles Town Presbyterian Church is an incredibly unique church. Many members may not realize this, but our membership has as many Republicans as Democrats; as many theologically progressive people as we do traditionally orthodox. What I love about our church family is that despite those personal viewpoints and differences, we make it work. We are…together. Not everyone can do that, and when I talk about our congregation with other pastors, it is a point I am proud to share.

In this moment of chaos and confusion, we need to hang on to that unity and togetherness. I fielded numerous phone calls, messages, and emails on Thursday, and one of them was from one of our elders, who reminded me of this verse:

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
Psalm 133:1

Before we are Democrat or Republican, we are American. And before we are American, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We serve and have been saved by a Savior who is building a kingdom not of this world, a kingdom greater than any country or person on this earth. We are bound together by the grace of Christ and the good news of the gospel. That is what unifies Christians, that is what keeps us together in worship, mission, and fellowship.

It is in that unity, a unity we know well and practice at CTPC, where we will begin to find hope.
Obviously, “together” is difficult during the pandemic. However, there are still great ways we can demonstrate our togetherness in Christ. First, extend grace. None of us agrees on everything. Where we disagree, we must be gracious, kind, and loving toward one another. We may disagree on something, but disagreement does not mean we stop being together. If anything, it means we work harder to lift up that on which we find agreement, which for Christians, begins with Christ. Second, assume the best. This is needed more than ever. Let’s work to assume that people say what they mean and mean what they say, let’s expect the best of one another. And finally, we must pray. Perhaps that should be the first point, but it’s honestly something we ought to be doing anyway and always.

Keep one another in prayer, keep our nation in prayer, and pray that we, as Christ’s ambassadors in a broken world, are able to share his love and shine his light.

It is desperately needed.

Humbly,
Pastor John

Happy New Year!

Like most people, I cannot believe 2020 is over (finally!) and we’re into a new year. Let us hope and pray better days are ahead in 2021. I thought I’d start the new year by highlighting some upcoming events:

Congregational Meeting
Due to the pandemic, our annual meeting will be online. We will hear brief reports from each of the committees, a financial update, and vote on 2021 terms of call for the pastor. Here is the Zoom information for the meeting:

• Time: Jan 10, 2021 11:45 AM Eastern Time (approximately)
• https://zoom.us/j/94251222796?pwd=N1BsNlAzMjZmNEt5ZWNBblFCVkRvUT09
• Meeting ID: 942 5122 2796
• Passcode: CTPC21

Congregational Bible Reading
Because of the pandemic, it is almost impossible to connect and have fellow-ship and ministry in person. As I thought about this toward the end of the year, I looked for a way we could all engage in some activity separately together. It’s not the same as being in the same room, but we need some-thing to do together. I found a resource from a group called Navigators, which is a ministry committed to helping Christians experience deeper discipleship. The tool in the link below explains how five minutes a day, five days a week will allow us to get through the New Testament in 2021. I encourage you to click this link and get started this week. The beginning of a new year is a great time to begin new habits. I look forward to what the Lord will do in our congregation with so many of us engaging in this experience!

Ordination and Installation
Again, the pandemic is changing something we usually do in worship. We normally ordain and install officers on the second Sunday in January. This year, we will do it at their respective meetings. New deacons will be installed at their meeting on January 12, and the new elders at the session meeting on January 19. Please keep these new officers in your prayers.

Wednesday Night Bible Study
We will resume meeting on Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm. The Zoom information for that meeting will be posted in upcoming weeks.

If you have questions about any of these upcoming activities, please contact me via phone or email.

Blessings and Happy New Year,
Pastor John

Christmas is a week away.

For many of us, this will be a vastly different Christmas. We haven’t had the usual celebrations. We may have to skip the usual visit of relatives, or maybe we are scaling down the visit in some way. For some, the pandemic has led to a job loss or a decline in income, and gift giving isn’t what it usually is. Some of us are facing a Christmas for the first time without loved ones.
It’s tempting to think we are without hope.

We are never without hope.

No matter what happens in the world or in our lives, no matter how challenging a time we are facing personally or together, the good news of the gospel does not change, and it is that gospel we celebrate next week. We celebrate because it is our hope.

The coming of Christ is the beginning of the realization of God’s plan of salvation for his people. God has come in the flesh to call his people to himself. He looks at the need we have for a remedy from sin and our need for hope, and he gives his life as an offering for us. And in that offering he defeats the power of death to return to life.

God does all of this for us because he loves us and wants us with him. God comes for us at Christmas!

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul is explaining the hardships he has endured in sharing the gospel with others, and he reminds the Corinthians, that no matter how hard the temporary struggles may be, they do not change the hope we have in Christ.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

The way we celebrate Christmas this year may not be the way any of us imagined. But the momentary struggles of 2020 do not and will not change the love of God and the grace we have in Christ Jesus. And for this reason, we celebrate!

May this Christmas season renew all of us as we place our hope in the unchanging, eternal glory that God brings to us at Christmas!

Merry Christmas,
Pastor John

We are near the mid-point of the advent season. Advent is a season that not all Christians celebrate. Many people think of the “Christmas Season” as lasting from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Day. The truth, though, is that Christmas lasts from Christmas Day through Epiphany, on January 6.

No one knows for sure when advent began, but it is most certainly tied to the history of when Christmas began to be celebrated on December 25. Jesus was likely born in the spring, but with Easter being celebrated in March-April every year, it didn’t make sense to add a Christian celebration day so close Easter.

It took quite awhile for the Church to settle on December 25. There are records of Christmas on that date as early as the fourth century, but wide-spread celebration did not really take hold until the 6th-8th centuries. December 25 was chosen to counter pagan rituals like Saturnalia, a very hedonistic celebration. Additionally, the winter solstice is the darkest day of the year, and it made sense to Christians to celebrate the coming of light in Christ Jesus near that time. Advent came sometime after the date for Christ-mas was well-established.

Advent has a dual meeting. The word “advent” comes from the Latin “adventus,” which is a rendering of the Greek word Parousia, a word which denotes both the coming of Christ in the flesh at Christmas as well as his second coming when he returns to reign forever. In both cases, the coming of Christ is about hope and salvation.

I have to confess something. I have never appreciated advent all that much. Until now. I think it’s because there is still too much kid in me, and I am eager to get to Christmas. After Thanksgiving, I want to sing Christmas songs, and celebrate the coming of Christ.
Advent in 2020 has been different for all of us, including me. We always scale back meetings in December at CTPC to make room for seasonal celebrations, so in that regard, this year does not feel very different. What is different is that there is less gathering and less busyness in other parts of my life. That has led to a more deliberate awareness of preparing for the coming of Christ. The slower pace has allowed the scriptures, the prophecies and the preparation to take on a greater meaning.

In the days that remain this advent season, I encourage you to spend time focusing on the scriptures (the passages listed in calendar on the Kids page are a great resource). Ask God to point you to the hope we have in both the coming of Christ and the return of Christ. Ask God to use the remaining days to get ready – not in the material sense, but in the spiritual.

Happy Advent,
Pastor John