Charles Town Presbyterian Church

An Invitation
Holy Week is upon us.
WARNING: SPOILERS!

Sunday is Palm Sunday, and it begins a journey. Jesus is appropriately welcomed into Jerusalem as a king. The Passover feast is upon the people of Israel, so the whole nation is gathered in and around the city that is home to the temple. The popularity of Jesus has been building steadily and has culminated in the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The people are excited about Jesus,
and when he comes into the city, they enthusiastically worship him.

As the week progresses Jesus teaches, performs miracles and frustrates the Jewish leaders. The opponents of Jesus plot and scheme and find a willing accomplice in Judas, who betrays Jesus after he shares the Passover meal with the disciples. Jesus is then tried, abused, tortured, and then on Friday morning, handed over to Pontius Pilate. Pilate is not immediately sure what to do with Jesus, mostly because he cannot find anything with which to charge Jesus. Pilate turns to the crowd, a crowd that is now convinced that Jesus must die, and so they ask for his execution. Jesus is crucified and buried.

Holy Week is a journey. There is a movement to the many activities and services we plan and participate in. I think there is something to be missed if one worships Palm Sunday and then on Easter, with nothing in between. We can mark this journey by being present in the events planned for the week. Worship on Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday worship. The Community Cross
Walk, and ecumenical event with singing and teaching that emulates Jesus’ walk to the cross. The Cross Walk is held on Good Friday and begins at Asbury UMC and concludes at Edge Hill Cemetery.

I encourage you to participate in these events as much as you are able. Let the week that begins on Palm Sunday unfold in such a way that you experience a deepening of your faith and a connection to all that Jesus endured so that we could have eternal life.

In addition to the services named above, it may prove helpful to meditate on specific scriptures each day:

• Sunday – Matthew 21:1-11
• Monday – Mark 14:1-9
• Tuesday – Luke 20:19-26
• Wednesday – John 13:1-20
• Thursday – Matthew26:32-56
• Friday and Saturday – Matthew 27

I hope and pray this Holy Week brings you closer to Jesus.

Pastor John

One of my favorite things about Easter is that it usually coincides with the beginning of spring. This is in stark contrast to the other big Christian day of celebration, Christmas. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ, and his coming; his life. Meanwhile, all around us the fall has given way to winter. Flowers are dead or dormant, there are random piles of decaying
leaves, and there is less silent. In spite of the life Christmas brings, it feels very much like creation itself experiences the exact opposite.

Not so at Easter. Easter is always the Sunday after the first full moon after the start of spring. And though the first day of spring in March often feels cold and dreary, it is not long before we feel, see and experience creation bursting with life. Just as the empty tomb brings the promise of life, flowers, green grass (and I may even mow my lawn before Easter because parts have grown so!), springtime shows off the handiwork of God.

I am reminded of the words of David in Psalm 19:1-2:

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.

As we prepare this weekend to celebrate the good news that our savior is alive, all around us we are reminded of burgeoning life – lilies in the sanctuary, the noise of birdsong in the morning, trees in bloom and the greening of our lawns. Creation itself is reminding us of the miracle of resurrection life we find only in our risen savior, Jesus Christ.

May the grace of Christ surround you as you celebrate His resurrection in the days ahead!

Blessings,

Pastor John

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Psalm 46:1-3

We need the truth and hope of this psalm right now. There is so much uncertainty and chaos in the world. Our teachers having to use a prolonged work stoppage just to be compensated fairly. Absolutely crazy weather. When faced with moments like these –and there have been many of late, we tend to get sucked into what makes us anxious. We take our eyes off what truly matters.

The writer of Psalm 46 is using hyperbole. To be sure, there are occasions when earthquakes and flooding serve as frightening
events that have great cost, but when David wrote these words, there were not great skyscrapers threatening to fall during an
earthquake. There were towns, villages and cities along bodies of waters and serving as ports, but not to the extent that we have today. There were not people in the millions or risk to tens of millions of dollars’ worth of property in risk of damage.

The function of the hyperbole in Psalm 46 is to remind us that the greatest threat to our lives cannot undo the protection and love of God. God will not leave us or forsake us; a promise God states numerous times in the scriptures.

So, do not despair. God is still in control, God is still watching over us. Whatever we are going through, we will find God faithful
throughout. Always.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Oh yeah, Bible Study…

On recent Wednesday nights, a growing group of about eight to ten people have been meeting in the church parlor to study the book of John. Two Wednesdays ago, there was inclement weather. The kids were out of school, and our policy for Bible study is that when school is cancelled for weather, Bible study is cancelled. Then this past Wednesday, we marked the beginning of Lent with our annual Ash Wednesday worship service. So once again, no Bible study.

I am not complaining. We live in a busy world, and very often and very easily, when our spiritual habits get compromised in some way, it becomes very easy to continue skipping. Try developing the habit of daily prayer, if you have not done so already. You’ll be doing fine for a few days, then there will be a temptation to skip. The next day, it will be even easier to skip. We do this with worship, too. We miss a Sunday and sometimes it can take a month or two to get back into the habit.

This is not a new habit. The writer of Hebrews addressed this in the first century:

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 10:25-26).

We need regular fellowship. It is there we find encouragement, and the mutual building up of one another in the faith. When we get out of the habit of going to worship, Bible study or other meetings that build us up, we are certainly not better for it. We need each other for encouragement, and we need to the resources and equipping we find in the ministries of the church.

So, if you’re out of the habit, put it on your calendar and don’t let anything else squeeze it out. More errands, being busy, entertainment – nothing else will bless you like being built up in your faith in Christ.

See you soon!

Blessings,

Pastor John

To God be the glory, great things he has done…
Glory to God, whose goodness shines on me…
All glory, laud and honor…

These are but a few of the opening lines of songs in our hymnal. They speak of the Christian’s chief duty – to glorify God. Glorifying God is an important part of who we are as God’s children. It is so central to our worship, that even our hymnal hints at this practice in its title, Glory to God.

Our most celebrated confession, the Westminster Confession, begins with this doctrine, succinctly asked in answered in the shorter catechism:

What is the chief end of all people?
To glorify God and enjoy God forever.

To glorify someone or something, according to Merriam-Webster, is to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise or admiration; to elevate to celestial glory. In other words, the work of Christian is, to give honor and worship to Jesus Christ in such a way, that he is above everyone and everything else in our lives. It is appropriate, it is our work, and it is the perfect response to all
that God has done for us.

This Sunday, I am looking forward to wrapping up my five-week study of the five solae of the Reformation. This Sunday we will consider Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory. I am looking forward to sharing how this “sola” is the most important of the five doctrines, for it gives context and explanation to the other four.

If you’ve ever wondered why the word “glory” appears so frequently in our “Christianese,” if you wonder why there are endless calls to raise God up, then you will certainly want to be present to worship (and glorify God) on Sunday morning.

To God be the glory,

Pastor John