CTPress November 10, 2017

Here we go again.

For the second time in a week, an act of mass murder has knocked us back on our heels. Last week, it was the attack in New York City, where a man used a truck as a weapon to kill eight innocent people. Last Sunday, in Sutherland Springs, TX, a man opened fire on a congregation in a small church, killing twenty-six people.

Every time our country goes through this, we tend to go through a cycle of blame-shifting and politicizing, and we’re afraid for a little while. We want answers, and we want to be safe, naturally. We can hold the dead gunman to account for his actions, we can press charges against the driver of the truck, but these are at best reactions, and do little, if anything, to prevent the next attack.

What we must come to terms with is that we created this problem. Well, maybe not us, directly, but we have contributed. The top two television shows in our country in 2017 are Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, both of which feature story lines with high body counts. Death and killing are the norm on those shows. The top two video games of the year (so far) are “Wildlands,” and “For Honor,” games that require the player to engage in killing. The latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Ragnarok, while mostly “bloodless,” has a very high body count. Many people die violent deaths in the movie.

Killing and violence are the norms in our culture, and we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, must counter this. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about life and life eternal. Before we ever get to the discussion over whether this kind of killing is a gun control problem or a mental health issue, we need to come to grips with the fact that it is a sin issue.

What can we do?

  • First, we can turn off the violence. Just stop watching and playing. Keep an eye on what your kids are playing and watching. Don’t let death and killing become a normal part of their cultural experience – and it shouldn’t be part of our any of ours, really.
  • Second, we need to share the good news. People need to know that God loves them. This has never been more important.
  • And finally, we need to pray. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:12 that prior to his return, that the love of most (people) would grow cold. These mass killings are clear evidence of such coldness.

My hope and prayer are that his return is soon.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Family Ministry: November 10, 2017

Donations for Children’s and Youth Ministry are always welcome, but must be coordinated with Molly Rogers Blue. Please do not leave donations in the office without first speaking to Molly. Thank you!

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M.U.M. Group – At our last MUM Group meeting we had so many kiddos! It was wonderful to see the kids play together. The moms had a great talk and the children played in the nursery. Why I didn’t think to meet in the nursery before this meeting is a mystery. Thanks to Lazan Rogers for the recommendation. We have our next meeting on Friday, November 17th, at 10 a.m. Please join us if you haven’t! (and bring the kids! No babysitter needed!) Bring a friend or family member with you!

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I am looking for requests and recommendations from the congregation as to what you would like to see in my corner of the CT Press Newsletter. I try to post all of the Discipleship and Family Ministry Info I have as well as Youth Group Information. Please email me at mrogers@ctpres.org to let me know your requests or recommendations!

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Advent Festival: This year, our Advent Festival is on December 1st! The festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with a provided dinner followed by singing Christmas carols! After dinner and singing concludes, the adults attending will join Michelle Hart-Wells upstairs in the sanctuary to beautifully decorate it for Christmas! The children will stay downstairs in the Fellowship Hall with the Discipleship and Family Ministry Team and the youth of the church to make Christmas crafts and play games. The Advent Festival is one of my absolute favorite occasions here at Charles Town Presbyterian. I cannot wait! – If you have any questions of how you could help or if you are interested in attending and have questions, please feel free to call me at the church office (304.725.5316) or shoot me an email (mrogers@ctpres.org)!

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The Youth Group is beginning their first fundraiser of many to help fund their summer trips. Beginning on Sunday, November 19th, a Christmas tree with ornaments crafted by the youth can be found in the Narthex. Next to the tree will be a donation box. The ornaments can be purchased through a donation. Feel free to take an ornament and place your donation in the donation box! If you have any questions please email me (mrogers@ctpres.org) or Kathy Donadio (feebler8@gmail.com).

CTPress November 3, 2017

For the past two months, the Wednesday night Bible study has been studying the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is really a journey, taken by the author Solomon, who sets out to discover the meaning of life. He reviews every way possible – work, religion, hedonism – you name it, Solomon tried to find meaning from it.

This week I was reminded of something Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 9: 12:

“For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.”

What Solomon is pointing out is that none of us knows what the day holds. This past week, our nation witnessed another domestic terror attack, and eight people lost their lives. None of them started their day thinking that October 31, 2017 would
be their last day alive. Most of us go one with our busy lives not realizing how short life can be.

Life is a gift from God, and we need to acknowledge the fact that every day that God gives us is a gift from God. We need to stop rushing to the next thing, the next event, the next moment, and enjoy the moment God has give us. If you are a Sirius/XM subscriber, you know that the holiday music channels were up and running November 1. I know that there really isn’t much in the way of Thanksgiving music, but why the rush? We have a major national holiday between Halloween and Christmas, so why not slow down and enjoy it?

Each day is a gift from God. We don’t know how the day will go. So rather than rush ahead and skip things, let’s make it a point to enjoy everything God gives us!

Blessings,

Pastor John

CTPress October 20, 2017

Dear Friends,

Like many of you, I have been watching with keen interest the events surrounding the scandal involving the Weinstein brothers. Harvey and Bob Weinstein own the Weinstein Company, a Hollywood production company, that has churned out such hits as The Kings’ Speech, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Mist.

The scandal is focused on the pattern of predatory behavior engaged in by Harvey Weinstein (and possibly his brother, too), where he would regularly cross appropriate professional boundaries with actresses and other females working for or seeking to work for films made by the Weinstein Company. Dozens of women have shared their stories of how Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed, touched, and in at least two cases, possibly raped them.

As horrible as this scandal is, there is some good to come of it. This scandal is shedding light on how prevalent a problem this is. Women all over the country are sharing on social media that they also have been victims of this same kind of misconduct simply by posting the message, “me too.” If you’ve seen this post on your social media feed, you know that the problem is larger than anyone imagined (or admitted), and that the number is likely far higher than those brave enough to post about it. There are some real monsters in the world.

What can we do about it?

  1. First, we must recognize that sexual brokenness, like all sin, is a result of the Fall. That means even in something as horrible as this, we must look for God to be our source of strength and life. For those who are victims of sexual abuse, misconduct, and rape, it is important to know that God’s heart breaks for you, and that God is walking with you through this, and God will never, ever leave you or stop loving you for any reason.
  2. Second, we need to treat people better. Men, I’m speaking directly to you. Treat every female you encounter the way you wish to be treated – with respect, dignity, fairness, and kindness. Respect appropriate boundaries, and behave in a way that brings glory to God. And most importantly, we need to listen to the stories of the victims. They need to be heard. It is how the healing begins.

Of course, more than this needs to be done, but we need to get the discussion started.

Sincerely,

Pastor John

CTPress October 13, 2017

In the past several months, I have heard numerous conversations about the seemingly unusual amount of destruction going on in just our part of the world. We’ve had five hurricanes make landfall this year (thankfully, Nate was not all that extreme). There was a significant earthquake in Mexico in late summer. As I write this, the wine country of California is burning up in uncontrolled fires. On top of all this, earlier this month a madman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500.

Of course, people are talking about this. The humanitarian need is enormous. Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico will be cleaning up for years. There is no shortage of opportunity to help, and people have been wonderful about stepping up to do so. But in all the conversations, in all the curious statements of wonder, I have yet to hear anyone encourage us to get on our knees.

Not long ago, when something terrible happened to us, the first thing we would do is go to God in prayer. We had the sense that what was happening was larger than us, and that we needed God’s help to find our way through the difficult moments. And yes, we might even have considered repenting, perhaps even praying the prayer found at the end of Psalm 139:23-24:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

I hope that we are not so proud or shortsighted to think that in the midst of all the tragedy around us, that we do not need to seek God. Neither am I suggesting that God is vindictive and harms people simply to make some kind of point to us. It is plain to me, however, that this world is bigger than us, the disasters are overwhelming, and we cannot hope to help others without the help of God first.

In this hour of great distress, let us be people of prayer first, humbly seeking the will of God, that our lives would be conformed to God’s will and purposes, and that in our lives, He alone would receive the glory.

Blessings,

Pastor John

CTPress October 6, 2017

October is here, and that means one of our most important holidays will be upon us. No, not Halloween, but rather, Reformation Day!

The Reformation was kicked into high gear on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed a list of grievances on to the door of Wittenburg Cathedral in Germany. This list came to be known as the “95 Theses,” a list of complaints Luther had about the church. He named instances of greed, immorality and corruption which compromised the witness and mission of the Church. Thus began the Reformation!

Were it not for those events in 1517, we might not even know what it means to be Presbyterian. Luther’s willingness to stand up to the leadership of the church and demand greater accountability and more fidelity to God’s Word inspired a generation of leaders like John Calvin, Jan Hus, John Wycliffe, and others. Were it not for the Reformation, we would not have seen great
advances in learning. The notion that the Word of God was for all the people of God led to more and more printing, and that made God’s Word accessible to many. The printing press – a major tool of the Reformation – has had a dramatic impact on the world ever since. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Reformation. Thanks be to God!

This month we will give out candy, welcome trick or treaters, and maybe even have a little fun dressing up ourselves. We will also celebrate my favorite fellowship activity of the year – the fall festival (there is more about that in the newsletter). As we go through this month, don’t forget how important October 31 truly is for Christians the world round. A simple act of frustration and rebellion – a nail, a paper and a door – changed the world and brought the good news of Jesus Christ to many.

Have a Blessed Reformation Day!

Pastor John