How will you bid farewell to a difficult year?

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect upon the ups and downs of the year past.

And there’s no way to deny that 2020 was a year full of crisis and tragedy.

However, there’s also no way to forget that thousands of people, just like you, stood up in the darkest moments and answered the call to serve others and share abundance.

As you look forward to closing one year and beginning another, take a moment to appreciate your blessings and remember there are still people whose greatest blessing would be simply having enough food on the table for everyone to eat. 

 With higher heating bills and less seasonal work available in the cold-weather months, families already struggling to get by must pinch pennies even harder. Putting nutritious food on the table is more difficult than ever in winter. 

Your gift to Central Church tonight will be a blessing to hungry neighbors in the coming weeks. Your gift will go to work right away, sharing healthy food on the dark days when it is needed most.

Central is providing hot, nutritious meals today, and will be distributing them again tomorrow on New Year’s Day and on Saturday, as well as next week and hopefully into the weeks and months to come. (All of our meals are currently being provided on a take-out only basis due to COVID-19 restrictions.)

• Won’t you partner with us to help continue this vital outreach to our community friends and neighbors?

Central Church

A Bulletproof Faith – Accelerating Tempo

Key Bible Verse:  “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.”  – Psalm 39:4

Bonus Reading:  Psalm 39:5-7, 11-12

The death of a parent not only confronts us with the truth about death, but also with the truth about life.  We mutter, “Where did the years go?” “It seems like just yesterday,” and other telling phrases.

The idea of a “long life” touches on a misconception of youth about the length of a year, a decade, or a life.  

For a child, a year seems very long; for an adult, it seems like an instant.  That’s because as a person ages, a year represents an increasingly smaller portion of his life.

If a junior-high history teacher says, “That happened only ten years ago,” the students think, Only ten years?  That’s more than two thirds of my lifetime!  But adults, especially those older than 50, feel as though the events of a decade ago occurred just yesterday.

As a child, you may have thought something like this: Let’s see, in 2010, I’ll be ___ years old, and in 2020, I’ll be ____.  Most young children have trouble imagining themselves older than 25 or 30.  And 40 seems ancient.

Well, you’re there now.  It didn’t take very long did it?

—Dave Veerman & Bruce Barton in When Your Father Dies

 

My Response:  How has grieving the loss of a loved one adjusted my perspective on life?

 

Thought to Apply:  After 60 years, the stern sentence of the burial service seems to have a meaning that one did not notice in former years.  There begins to be something personal about it. —Oliver Wendell Holmes (physician and author)

Adapted from When Your Father Dies (Nelson, 2003).

 

Prayer for the Week:  Give me a heightened awareness of the next life, Lord, so that I may strike a truer balance in this one.

Benevolence and generosity of many made spirits bright this holiday

While none of us are in Christian service for personal acclaim, it is nice once in a while to receive an acknowledgement or pat on the back for hard work done, often anonymously and in a daily or weekly grind that few people see.

Here is a “Letter to the Editor” from today’s Beaver County Times written by someone outside the Central Church family that highlights the free community outreach meal that Central Church provided on Christmas Day in conjunction with our good friends and faith partners at the Christian Assembly Church in downtown Beaver Falls.

In response to heightened need this year due to COVID-19, Central Church has worked closely with our partners and friends to vastly expand our community food ministry outreach program, which has almost doubled this year to more than 20,000 free, hot, and nutritious meals freely given to anyone who comes to our doors.

Our thanks to Rhonda Ficca for taking the time to write this kind Letter to the Editor and to the Beaver County Times for publishing it.  (You can also find the letter on the Beaver County Times website at:  https://www.timesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2020/12/30/letter-benevolence-and-generosity-many-made-spirits-bright-holiday/4063536001/)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at Central Church!

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Letter: Benevolence and generosity of many made spirits bright this holiday

Beaver County Times

Published 5:45 am ET Dec. 30, 2020

I would like to give a wonderful overview on the joint efforts of Central United Methodist Church with Pastor Jan Davis along with Beaver Falls Christian Assembly CARE Outreach Coordinator and Rebecca Ficca Salopek.

These two women joined their heads and hearts together once the decision was made that the 27th annual Free Christmas Dinner was canceled at Beaver Falls High School due to COVID-19. That decision was out of their hands.

Central United Methodist regularly hosts a community soup kitchen that is served by Table of Grace Ministries, Undercover Angels and other sponsors. Due to the benevolence and generosity of volunteers, donors and church members, approximately 157 delicious takeout meals were served along with tote bags filled with hats, gloves, blankets, socks, toiletry items, personal protection items, devotionals, gift certificates, children’s books, etc.

I want to commend everyone who cooked, served, cleaned up and all those who took the tremendous time to prepare those blessing bags, etc. How wonderful that there are people willing to serve others on Christmas Day and on a regular basis. Thank God for His goodness and love.

Let’s keep up the good work for all churches and ministries working together.

Rhonda Ficca, Beaver Falls

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Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

A Bulletproof Faith – Rich Mullin’s Morality Awareness

Key Bible Verse:  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  – 2 Corinthians 4:16

Bonus Reading:  2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Singer/songwriter Rich Mullins spoke and sang so much about death that some of us thought he had a morbid streak.  I once asked, of all the songs he wrote, which was his favorite.  Without hesitation he replied, “Elijah”—a song about his own death.

Rich understood death not as something to be feared but as something to be mindful of as we live.

He said, “Once you come to understand that life is unbelievably brief, and that we really can’t do anything that’s gonna change anything, that we don’t really amount to a hill of beans—then all of a sudden you go, ‘So it doesn’t really matter if I’m not that great.  And if I don’t have to be great, that means I can fail.  And if I can fail, that means I can try.  And if I can try, that means I’m gonna have a good time.'”

Rich believed that death isn’t the end, but the beginning of life.  In one of his songs he wrote, “Live like you’ll die tomorrow; die knowin’ you’ll live forever.”

He demonstrated how to live well by making the most of one’s time—living hard, laughing hard, and departing this world, as predicted in his favorite song (see Thought to Apply below).

—James Bryan Smith in HomeLife

 

My Response:  How does being mindful of death “teach us to make the most of our time” (Psalm 90:12)?

 

Thought to Apply:  But when I leave, I want to go out like Elijah, with a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire.  —Rich Mullins (in “Elijah”)

Adapted from HomeLife (8/00)

 

 

Prayer for the Week:  Give me a heightened awareness of the next life, Lord, so that I may strike a truer balance in this one.

2020: Year-End Charitable Giving

What is your tax year looking like in 2020? 

There are just a few days left to make a charitable gift and reduce your taxes. 

If you make a year-end gift to Central United Methodist Church, did you know:

 

1.  You can take a deduction even if you don’t itemize.

For 2020, you can deduct cash contributions up to $300 if you claim the standard deduction instead of itemizing. This deduction will not apply after 2020 unless Congress extends it.

2.  Last minute donations can be made by credit card or check.

All gifts postdated December 2020 will be receipted for tax year 2020. 

You can give online to Central Church at:  https://www.centralumchurch.org   or mail your check to Central United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 311, Beaver Falls, Pa 15010.

Central Church

A Bulletproof Faith – The Big One

Key Bible Verse:  “I am the First and the Last … and I hold the keys of death and the grave.”  – Revelation 1:17-18

Bonus Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 11:6

For the twentieth anniversary of the Larry King Live television talk show in 2005, the well-known host sat in the guest chair, while Barbara Walters interviewed him.  She hit Larry with her usual barrage of blunt questions. “Are you very rich?” “What living person do you most admire?”

Eventually she arrived at “What is your greatest fear?”

Larry King’s prompt, serious one-word answer: “Death.”

He didn’t say, “That my show might get canceled,” “That my ratings might drop,” or “That my broker might embezzle all my money.”  No, to Larry, the thought of dying was worse than any of these.

Barbara quickly moved to the next question. “Do you believe in God?”

Larry’s forthright answer: “Not sure.  I’m an agnostic.”

As soon as I heard that, I thought, The two answers fit together, don’t they?  To be uncertain about the reality of God leaves a big problem when it comes to death.  It means being cast out into a void, unsure of what or whom to grasp.

But if you know there’s a God, and you’ve come to terms with him by accepting his offer of forgiveness and salvation, you know what eternity holds.  You know God is there already to welcome you as one of his family.

—Jeff Streucker in The Road to Unafraid

 

My Response: How has my God-confidence diminished my death-fear? To what extent?

Adapted from The Road to Unafraid (W Publishing, 2006)

 

 

Prayer for the Week:  Give me a heightened awareness of the next life, Lord, so that I may strike a truer balance in this one.

A Bulletproof Faith – Just in Case

Key Bible Verse:  No man can live forever; all will die.  No one can escape the power of the grave.  – Psalm 89:48

Bonus Reading:  Psalm 90:3-6, 10

I was on an airplane and the flight attendant started going through the pre-flight spiel, instructing us on what to do “in case of a water landing.”

I looked around.  We were on a 747 jet.  This plane isn’t equipped with pontoons.  A 747 doesn’t “land” on the water.  It explodes on impact into pieces the size of my toenail.

The proper way to prepare for an event like this is not to stick your head between your knees (as if there were room to do that anyway) but to scream until your throat bleeds and pray in six languages at once.

I arrived home (without experiencing a water landing, thankfully) and turned on the TV, and a commercial came on for life insurance.  This guy walks onto the set all somber-looking and explains the benefits of their policy.  Then he says I should sign up so my family will be taken care of “in case the unthinkable should happen.”  Of course, by “the unthinkable,” he means “In case you die.”

But the thing is, death isn’t unthinkable; it’s inevitable.

What kind of culture calls things that are inevitable un-thinkable?  What kind of world refuses to think about what is certain but instead spends its time worrying about things that aren’t?

—Steven James in Sailing Between the Stars

 

My Response: Why does our culture consider this inevitable event unthinkable?

Adapted from Sailing Between the Stars (Revell, 2006)

 

 

Prayer for the Week:  Give me a heightened awareness of the next life, Lord, so that I may strike a truer balance in this one.

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Sunday, December 27, 2020

On this cold and snowy Sunday after Christmas Day, when the coronavirus prevents many of us from gathering in Central Church’s Sanctuary to worship in body, let us join together in spirit for with our online worship experience!

• Today’s online worship service includes two HYMNS so you can sing along to familiar Christmas carols!

To begin, simply click on the link below to join with the folks who have already made their way into our digital Sanctuary: 

https://business.facebook.com/watch/?t=0&v=2819159728358038

Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

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Central Church on WBVP Sunday!

Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

Although Central Church has resumed its in-person worship services at 11 am on Sundays, some people may not yet be able to attend due to COVID-19 concerns.

For anyone who does not feel comfortable with attending an in-person worship service, tune in at 10:30 A.M. on Sunday, December 27, to hear a recorded version of this week’s message from Central Church by Pastor Jan!

Here’s where to tune in:

• AM Radio – WBVP at 1230

• AM Radio – WMBA at 1460

• FM Radio – WBVP/WMBA at 99.3; and

• Online –   The Beaver County Radio Live Audio Stream at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cirruscontent/WBVP

Be sure to tune in this Sunday at 10:30!

A Bulletproof Faith – Sober Reflection

Who Said It … Max Lucado

Max’s beer-drinking, girl-chasing lifestyle was as barren as the West Texas land he grew up in.

Then he encountered Jesus through a required Bible course at Abilene Christian University. He abruptly shifted from law studies to missions preparation.

After five years in Brazil with his wife, Denalyn, he returned to pastor in the U.S.  A collection of storytelling columns written for a church newsletter formed his first book in a long string of best-sellers.

Max is pulpit minister of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio.

 

What He Said … Sober Reflection

On a dull, drizzly day I visited the wailing wall of a generation: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. With the Washington Monument to my left and the Lincoln Memorial to my back, it stretched before me. Black marble tablets carved with names that read like the roster of a high school football team more than a list of dead soldiers—Walter Faith, Richard Sala, Michael Andrews, Roy Burris, Emmet Stanton.

Each name a young life.  Behind each name a bereaved widow … an anguished mother … a fatherless child.

It was then that I stopped looking at the names and stared at the monument . I relaxed my focus from the lettering and looked at the tablet.  What I saw was sobering.  I saw myself, my own reflection.  My face looked at me from the shiny marble.

It reminded me that I, too, have been dying as long as I’ve been living.  I, too, will someday have my name carved in a granite stone.  Someday I, too, will face death.

Adapted from Six Hours One Friday (Multnomah, 1989).

 

Prayer for the Week:  Give me a heightened awareness of the next life, Lord, so that I may strike a truer balance in this one.

Advent Devotional – Saturday, December 26, 2020 – The Time Is Right

¹³ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴ But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵ And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:¹⁷ and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  – Matthew 3:13-18  

Christmas only comes once every 365 days.  When I was young, my sister and I could not wait for Christmas.  We got up early each and every Christmas as we could not wait to see what we had received.  My sister and I knew it was time for us to open our Christmas presents when our father had finished reading us the Christmas story.  We knew then that the time was right.

We tore through those packages to discover what awaited us.   We have all heard that timing is everything.  The birth and coming of Jesus, the Son of God was all right on time!

Little is known about the days, weeks, months and even years of Jesus‘ early life.  We have some knowledge of his birth and one brief description of a trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve.  But we know very little of the days, weeks and months that Jesus lived prior to His ministry.  Thirty years have now passed and Jesus goes out into a desert to meet John the Baptist, who has been calling people to repentance and baptizing them in the Jordan River.   John is preparing the way for the Messiah-for Jesus!  The time is right!

The gift from God had been delivered and was now about to become fully opened.  Heaven was about to open as John begins to baptize Jesus.  John baptizes Him not because of sin . . . for Jesus has nothing to repent of, but rather because Jesus models for us obedience to the command of God.  Just as He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger – – – He now wades out into the water to stand with us in our sinfulness.

 The time is right – – – God is pleased!  Jesus is starting His ministry!  The way had been prepared!  Obedience was called for . . . and given!  Now is the time for you to obey God!  It is time to unwrap the Savior of our world!

He has come!

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 12-25-2020

FYI – Two weeks into Gov. Wolf’s new 3-week “Temporary Mitigation Measures”, here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of December 25, 2020.

After 8 straight weeks of increases, this week’s values have finally shown a reduction from last week’s record highs. 

• The Incidence Rate moved down 234.9 points (36%) from last week’s record number, although still deep within the Substantial

• Similarly, the PCR Positivity Rate has moved down to 3.4% from last week’s record number, although it is also still deep within the Substantial category.

• • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.  We once again surpass Allegheny County, which had values of 327.1 and 12.4% this week.

(If either metric is Substantial, the PA Dept. of Health’s recommended school instructional model is Full Remote Learning.

• As the pandemic continues to rage in our county, we are continuing our efforts to ensure our building is disinfected prior to every worship service and feeding ministry event.

Merry Christmas!

Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

Christmas Day

Advent Devotional – Friday, December 25, 2020 – Christmas Day – Peace Be with You!

Scripture:  John 14:27 –

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

When I was a teenager, I asked my dad every year what he wanted for Christmas. His answer was always the same. “Peace, I want peace.” I didn’t understand how to give peace then, so over the years, my dad accumulated an assortment of PEACE ornaments!

He took us to church every Sunday, and we knew that before taking communion, one must be at peace with God and one’s neighbor. Each Sunday we would declare “The peace of our Lord be always with you” to every person we could greet.

My dad continually sought peace in his heart, with his neighbors, and in the world. He sought the peace that only our Lord and Savior gives through the power of the Spirit. I strive to follow my dad’s footsteps to seek and share that peace.

“Jesus said peace be with you, not as the world gives, do I give to you.” Our world doesn’t give peace during these dark times. With a pandemic, systemic racism, hatred, and destruction all around, peace can be hard to find, especially when we look in the wrong places. We must look to Christ and seek the fruit of peace from the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, this Christmas, may we experience the peace that surpasses all understanding by turning away from worldly things and turning our eyes on you. In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

  – Chesley Vohden – Forest, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Christmas Eve, December 24, 2020

On this snowy Christmas Eve, when the coronavirus prevents many of us from gathering in Central Church’s Sanctuary to worship in body, let us join together in spirit for with our online worship experience!

• Our Christmas Eve online worship service includes two HYMNS so you can sing along to familiar Christmas carols!

To begin, simply click on the link below to join with the folks who have already made their way into our digital Sanctuary: 

https://business.facebook.com/watch/?t=0&v=439228824112704

Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

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Enjoy Your Christmas Eve with This Pentatonix Video

  Pentatonix’s a cappella version of “Oh Holy Night“

Christmas Eve

Advent Devotional – Thursday, December 24, 2020 – Christmas Eve – Everything I Know, I Learned from Charlie Brown

Scripture:  Luke 2:10 –

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

For most of my life, we had an annual tradition of watching the television special A Charlie Brown Christmas. It still is one of my favorite things and really gets me in the Christmas spirit.

Now, we are in the age of Netflix and On-Demand TV. I either catch it by chance, or slip in an archaic DVD. Though the tradition of watching it together is only a memory, I still love the simplicity of this program’s message. I feel peace listening to Linus tell the Christmas Story, and listening to Schroeder playing Christmas anthems on his toy piano.

It is a blessing to feel the excitement of planning a pageant, looking for a Christmas tree and singing carols.  All the materialism of the season melts away and the true message of Christmas rings loud and clear.  Of course, even I sometimes find myself too busy to watch my beloved special, so I just say “Alexa, play A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack”—and that works too.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the many blessings you give us each day. Make us mindful of what is important and what we need to care for each other, as well as ourselves. Amen.

  – Kathi Wise – McLean, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

You Are Invited! – Christmas Eve Traditional Candlelight Service

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Especially in this turbulent year of the coronavirus, please join us for a piano and organ Prelude of carols and seasonal music at 6:50 pm, ushering in our Christmas Eve Traditional Candlelight Service at 7:00.

Even with social distancing in our Sanctuary this year, we have “a pew for you”!

Central Church’s Sanctuary decorated for Christmas!

Advent Devotional – Wednesday, December 23, 2020 – Uneasy Peace

Scripture:  Numbers 6:24-26 –

²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

When I was young, I often walked my grandmother’s mail to the post office. One snowy afternoon at the post office, I waited while a woman dropped off her mail. She saw me and said, “Bless you child. Your patience is a gift.”

I didn’t know how to respond. I felt uncomfortable. Why would she bless me? What does that mean? That evening, I was uneasy, but I experienced an awesome peace remembering that moment at the post office.

I think about that little boy sometimes when I think about Aaron’s blessing for Israel. Did Israel feel uneasy receiving his blessing?

I’m in awe of God caring so much for so many people or for a particular person like me. The Lord blessing, keeping, shining, favoring, and gifting you peace—awesome! Then to remember Jesus walked among us teaching, eating, blessing, suffering, and then conquering sin and death with even more teaching, eating, and blessing—awesome!  Wow, God’s Awesome!

Prayer: Lord, you who held Israel, and showed them peace, so they may be your people and keep your ways: provide us with peace, that we may remain in you and the ways of resurrection life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

  – Pete Geoffrion – Winchester, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Advent Devotional – Tuesday, December 22, 2020 – Unfathomable Peace

Scripture:  John 16:32-33 –

³² “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus was and IS always teaching those who follow him to listen carefully and attentively.

The One we hear in John 16, near the end of Christ’s ministry on earth—in those intimate final hours with his closest friends—encapsulates the significance of Jesus’ birth and being in the world: that God came to earth in human form as Emmanuel, “God with us,” so that humanity might have abundant life.

I write this reflection amidst simultaneous pandemics: the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic of  intolerance, racial injustice, and insularity—where nationality, race, sexuality, politics, and religion divide us;
where those not “like us” are marginalized and endangered. No one knows when these pandemics will be resolved, and whether those resolutions will be peaceful.

What we DO know is what Jesus promised to those who listen and hear. He promised we can find answers to life’s conundrums in his life and teachings. He is the Prince of Peace who calmed raging storms, saying “Peace, be still,” and he can calm our hearts, even today.

Prayer: (A Gaelic Blessing) Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the gentle night to you.
Deep peace of Christ, the Light of the World, to you.  Amen.

  – Roger Dowdy – Richmond, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Advent Devotional – Monday, December 21, 2020 – Quiet Expectancy

Scripture:  Colossians 1:15-20 –

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

As I was growing up on my family’s farm, Advent was a simple time where traditions centered on the natural world around us. I remember long walks to the woods where tall firs grew. There among the silent trees, we’d fill paper bags with running cedar. Back home, this fragrant fir lined our mantles. Our wreaths were pine boughs wrapped in red ribbon.

Some years my grandmother and I gathered pine cones, gum balls, and acorns and glued them to a cut-out cardboard star to make an elegant wreath. Our Christmas tree was usually unwieldly pine, so tall it bent at the top.

Looking back, I don’t remember hectic shopping or parties. I remember the natural world: the winter sky streaked with color, the hush of snowflakes as they fell on fields and fences. The Bible says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…” (Col. 1:15) It was into the silent beauty of this world that Christ was born. If we look, we can see him here, still.

Prayer: Father, help us to take the time this Advent to look for you in the quiet places.  Amen.

– Regina K. Carson – Chesterfield, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Sunday, December 20, 2020

On this fourth Sunday of Advent, when the coronavirus prevents many of us from gathering in Central Church’s Sanctuary to worship in body, let us join together in spirit for with our online worship experience!

• THIS WEEK, and continuing for each Sunday in Advent and Christmastide, our online worship services include two HYMNS WITH LYRICS so you can sing along to familiar Christmas carols!

To begin, simply click on the link below to join with the folks who have already made their way into our digital Sanctuary: 

https://business.facebook.com/watch/?v=823803781535669

 

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Advent Devotional – Sunday, December 20, 2020 – The Rushing Wind

Scripture:  Philippians 4:6-7 –

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In my first year as a youth minister, I planned a mission trip to Washington, DC for our senior high youth that was almost disastrous. The host organization had the date wrong and hadn’t planned service opportunities for our group. After a frantic 24 hours, we found opportunities to work with seniors and to feed hungry people, but we’d need to walk there or use the Metro.

On the third night, we walked as a group to a soup kitchen. When we arrived, we realized that we’d arrived at the address for the wrong quadrant of DC’s four sections.

We walked for nearly an hour in humid temperatures, herding our students along, until we came to a dead stop. Across our path loomed a city building that stretched for as far as the eye could see. Hot, tired, and lost, we circled up and prayed.

As we prayed, a breeze blew for the first time all week. And then, a passerby stopped and asked if we needed help. Showing us a way through the building, the woman answered our prayer. God sent an actual person (and a mighty rushing wind) to answer our desperate prayers in a way I’ll never forget.

Prayer: Holy God, show us the way to go, and as we search, give us peace in Jesus’ name. Amen.

– Jacob Sahms – Midlothian VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

New Touchless, Automatic Soap Dispensers for Our Restrooms

As an extra Christmas present, we now have touchless, automatic hand soap dispensers in each of our four restrooms.

These units dispense a scented, foaming hand soap that can wash a lot of hands with very little soap.

These units dispense a scented, foaming hand soap that can wash a lot of hands with very little soap.

They operate the same way as our touchless hand sanitizer stations – you simply put your hand under the unit and it gives your palm a measured amount of foamed soap!

Our thanks to our dedicated Trustees for always finding ways to make our Church more inviting and convenient!

Merry Christmas!

 

An Early Christmas Gift!

We have just received word that our “forgiveness” application for our April 15 PPP loan has been approved by the federal Small Business Administration! 

Having documented to the SBA that we faithfully used every penny of the loan proceeds for eligible purposes (e.g., salaries and utilities), the SBA has now approved our application and transferred the funds to our bank to repay our “loan” in full, with interest accrued from April 15 through December 18.

• Thanks to the PPP funds and the steadfast giving of our members and friends during this difficult year of the coronavirus, we have been able to meet payroll, pay our regular bills, and purchase all of the expensive, required COVID-19 disinfection resources that we needed to resume and continue our in-person Sunday worship services and vastly expanded food ministry community outreach after the Spring shut-down, beginning on June 14 and continuing through 2020.

Merry Christmas!

Advent Devotional – Saturday, December 19, 2020 – A Peace-filled Memory

Scripture:  John 14:27 –

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

I grew up in Falls Church, VA. My mom was the church Music Director, and my dad served as a Trustee. I had two talented older brothers. We had a traditional Christmas Eve service where the youth choir sang. With candles in hand, we left the sanctuary and went to the manger in the front of the church, illuminated for all to see.

One Christmas Eve as we walked to the manger, it began to snow. It was like the end of a Hallmark movie or the photo on the best Christmas card ever!

Each Christmas, I recall the beauty and innocence of that evening. It reflected the peace that only Christ gives. Along with my family, some of my best friends were there that night. Some were at my wedding; one who sang with me that night was killed in Vietnam; and with some others, I have stayed connected.

The roots of who I am were fed by that faith community. My memory of that evening is a church family, at peace, finding places for all to serve, and blessed with a chance to sing together in the snow. The “peace the world gives” is hollow and fake. I long for Christ’s peace for our churches, our nation and our world.

Prayer: Jesus, you are the Son of God, and we long for Love’s pure light this season. Amen.

  – Gil Hanke – Nashville, TN

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Central Church on WBVP Sunday!

Although Central Church has resumed its in-person worship services at 11 am on Sundays, some people may not yet be able to attend due to COVID-19 concerns.

For anyone who does not feel comfortable with attending an in-person worship service, tune in at 10:30 A.M. on Sunday, December 20, to hear a recorded version of this week’s message from Central Church by Pastor Jan!

Here’s where to tune in:

• AM Radio – WBVP at 1230

• AM Radio – WMBA at 1460

• FM Radio – WBVP/WMBA at 99.3; and

• Online –   The Beaver County Radio Live Audio Stream at https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cirruscontent/WBVP

Be sure to tune in this Sunday at 10:30!

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 12-18-2020

FYI – One week into Gov. Wolf’s new 3-week “Temporary Mitigation Measures”, here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of December 18, 2020.

The latest stratospheric levels are again very concerning.  (We needed to adjust the maximum left axis value on the Incidence Rate chart yet again this week just to fit this week’s data.  (It originally maxed out at 150 to include all values, and now tops out at 700.)

• The Incidence Rate is the highest it has been since the readings were published starting in August, moving another 20% higher from last week’s record number higher into the Substantial category.
• Similarly, the PCR Positivity Rate has moved higher into the Substantial category, although it may be starting to show a leveling off since it’s been essentially flat over last week.
  • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.  (We once again surpass Allegheny County, which had values of 396.8 and 13.6% this week.)

(If either metric is Substantial, the PA Dept. of Health’s recommended school instructional model is Full Remove Learning.

• As the pandemic’s severity increases in our area to wildly new highs, we are once again redoubling our efforts to ensure our building is disinfected prior to every worship service and feeding ministry event.

Advent Devotional – Friday, December 18, 2020 – Deep Breath

Scripture:  Colossians 3:15 –

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

It was Christmas, and as usual, I was running late. My life is often hectic, but during the holidays, I find myself running from one activity to the next. Work, family, Kiwanis, church—all compete for my attention.

That evening was rehearsal for the Christmas program at church, and I was exhausted. I glanced toward the sky and stopped. The most beautiful full moon was glowing among the starry sky, and in the crisp December evening, I stared at the sky, drinking in the peaceful sight. I took a breath, and for a minute, committed myself to BEING instead of DOING.

It is easy to fall into… being so full of doing that we forget to just BE. That pause didn’t affect my arrival time by much, but it affected my spirit tremendously. Instead of getting to the church annoyed, I was ready to work with a spirit of cooperation— that deep breath made a difference.

During this time of busy-ness, take a deep breath. Drink in a peaceful view and be thankful. I promise, it will make a difference to you and those around you.

Prayer: Father God, you desire good things for us. Help each of us to take a breath and remember you came as a tiny baby to transform our relationship with you.  Amen.

  – Chris Howell – Lynchburg, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

COVID-19 – Daily New Coronavirus Cases – 12-17-2020

Advent Devotional – Thursday, December 17, 2020 – Peace, Friends!

Scripture:  Luke 2:14 and Ephesians 2:14 –

Luke 2:14

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Ephesians 2:14

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

I offer you a trip to the 1960’s. I am living without peace. Inner and outer turmoils tear away at my seams. My parents, when not shouting at each other, are yelling at me; America and communists are in conflict from Berlin to Vietnam; Blacks struggle with Whites for equality, and revolutionaries clash with the status-quo. This was 1968 though it seems like 2020.

In 1969, at 19 years old, God opened my eyes. I saw each of the polarities: protester versus government, husband versus wife, Black versus White. Each caused division and pandemonium because of our estrangement from God. I realized my problem, each person’s problem, enmity with God. “We were enemies,” says the apostle Paul. Denying it, I finally owned up to it.

God does something to break the impasse. He sues for peace. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” God brings Christmas to give us Easter. God comes in the flesh to bring me into friendship with himself. Dying on a cross: “God and sinners reconciled!”

Abraham Lincoln said, “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” Jesus made a friend of me. I found peace in accepting him by faith. “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!”

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, give me peace, forgive me my enmity and make me your friend through your death on the cross. Amen.

  – H. O. “Tom” Thomas – Forest, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

How to Reduce Infections Without Closing Businesses

Here is an informative article from the December 16, 2020 issue of the New York Times describing how limiting businesses to 20 percent of capacity can significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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While many restaurants, bars and gyms shut down during the pandemic, others have continued operating with limited capacity. New research shows this sacrifice could be effective at curbing transmissions — and density caps may offer one way to keep the economy humming along during the worst of the winter wave.

Data from early in the pandemic reveals there’s a “sweet spot” where infections can be reduced while keeping business steady. That magic number: around 20 percent. If indoor capacity in public spaces like restaurants, gyms, hotels and grocery stores was reduced to just 20 percent, we could prevent 87 percent of new infections. Meanwhile, these businesses would lose just 42 percent of their visits, on average, according to research from scientists at Stanford and Northwestern.

The findings bolster capacity limits as an effective coronavirus strategy, keeping businesses alive while limiting infections. Researchers found they are so effective because they reduce the risks during peak hours, encouraging patrons to stay home or visit at less crowded times.

The finding should influence how cities respond to the pandemic now. Rather than citywide shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, stricter density caps paired with other measures could curb the coronavirus while allowing the economy to limp along.

Capacity limits are not a new idea. They were among the first recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many cities have versions in place — including New York, which limits places like restaurants and retail stores to 25 and 50 percent capacity respectively. However, their severity matters a lot.

No matter how strict, however, occupancy limits won’t prevent all transmissions.

Advent Devotional – Wednesday, December 16, 2020 – Peace that Fills Emptiness

Scripture:  John 14:27 –

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

In November 2005, I sat by the water at Walt Disney World, watching the ferries from the Magic Kingdom. This was where my wife Mary and I had gone for years, but I was alone now. It was a week after she died. The emptiness filled my whole being, and I wept.

That Thanksgiving, I volunteered to preach at an ecumenical service. When I went forward, the pastor had me kneel so that the church could lay on hands, whisper comfort and place God’s love deep inside my emptiness.

Thanksgiving dinner was in Maryland where Mary and I had gone for twenty years. As I got up to leave, our old friends insisted I stay with them overnight. The peace of Christ was in their love and prayer.

Advent began. I was alone, often in grief, but God was with me through God’s people. Christ gave me a peace that began to grow. Advent was truly a season of becoming.

Prayer: God of love, we thank you for Christ’s promise of healing and peace. Let this gift grow in our hearts throughout this Advent and fill our souls. Amen.

  – Bill Olewiler – Fleming Island, FL

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Christmas Eve Or Christmas Day Bible Verses

There are some Bible verses that clearly stand out around Christmas time, but a few are often excluded, so here are some of the most widely used Bible verses for Christmas with our wishes for you and yours to have a Merry Christmas.

Matthew 1:18-25

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

Baby Jesus by Gerard Van Honthorst, 1622.

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Isaiah 9:6

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Micah 5:2

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Luke 2:11-12

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

Isaiah 7:14

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Luke 1:43

“And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? “

Matthew 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

Adoration of the Magi by Giotto Scrovegni 1301.

Galatians 4:4-5

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Matthew 2:2

“Saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Luke 2:8

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”

Isaiah 53:1-2

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground.”

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Isaiah 11:1

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”

Luke 1:46-47

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

John 1:14

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Luke 2:15-16

“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.”

Advent Devotional – Tuesday, December 15, 2020 – Returning and Rest

Scripture:  Isaiah 26:11 & 30:15 –

See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling
    to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed on it;
    the earth will conceal its slain no longer.

¹⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.

Since leaving Memphis after high school graduation, I have tried to return home every Christmas. This meant long trips from school in Charlottesville, Dallas and finally South Bend. Later as pastor serving in Virginia, church activities filled the Advent season until all Christmas Eve services were completed. Then, it was a long road trip to Memphis and back again. After returning, I needed rest.

After long journeys to Bethlehem and from their exile in Egypt, Mary and Joseph needed rest. Do you need rest today? To return “home”?

Normally, we pastors stress the need to find quiet time during this season. Normally, the season is hectic with shopping, parties, cantatas and crèche scenes. Will Advent 2020 be a normal one? Or perhaps we will experience a new normal? Will it be a Zoom Christmas this year? Only God knows, as I write this devotional in June.

Whatever Advent brings our way in 2020, it is in God alone that we will find perfect peace… as did Isaiah, Mary, and Joseph—and all who have followed Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, help us to fix our minds upon you. As we return and find rest in you, keep us in your perfect peace. Save us as we trust in your quiet strength. Amen.

  – William Nash Wade – Strasburg, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

What are your chances of dying from COVID? This calculator gives you a hint

Studies and statistics alike have shown that people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions face the highest risks of dying from COVID-19 compared to the rest of the population.

But what exactly are the odds of mortality for those individuals, as well as for everyone else who doesn’t fit in those categories?

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health developed an online calculator that can answer these questions. The tool, which is updated on a weekly basis, incorporates information on mortality risks and statistics from several data sets on the community and state level.

It’s designed to help an individual who is not currently infected with coronavirus to assess their chances of death based on their own risk factors and on community-level spread in their state.

However, the researchers note their calculator does not account for all risk factors that might increase someone’s chances of dying from COVID-19, such as having an occupation tied to high exposure risks. These jobs include firefighters, grocery store employees or nurses, among others.“An individual’s risk will also heavily depend on personal behavior such as social distancing, hand washing and mask-wearing,” the team wrote on its website. “It is also crucial to remember that individuals who themselves have a low risk of COVID-19 serious illness and/or mortality, they are still able to spread the infection to others who are at high-risk.”

The calculator was created with coronavirus data sets from several studies, including one large one from the U.K., and from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state-level death rates data.

You start by entering your age, zip code, race and/or ethnicity group, sex assigned at birth, height, weight and smoking status. Then, you are asked if you have been diagnosed with conditions such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, hypertension or rheumatoid arthritis.

Your answer is your risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to the average risk for the U.S. population, which is color coded and labeled as “close to or lower than average risk, moderately elevated risk, substantially elevated risk, high risk, [or] very high risk.”

The tool also offers your mortality risk relative to pandemic projections in your state.

• Click here to access the calculator:  https://covid19risktools.com:8443/riskcalculator
• Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article247832075.html#storylink=cpy

Central Church

A ‘Christmas Star’ Will Appear on the Darkest Day of This Year

This Christmas there will be an astronomical phenomenon that has not occurred for the past 800 years. On Dec. 21, Jupiter and Saturn will come into such close alignment that they will appear to be a unit, calling to mind the “Christmas star” the Magi followed to find the newborn Messiah.

“Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so,” Patrick Hartigan, astronomer at Rice University, told Forbes, “but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another. You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”

When celestial bodies pass or appear to meet in the sky, astronomers call the event a “conjunction.” Even though Jupiter and Saturn experience a conjunction once every 19.6 years, they will not come into this close of an alignment again until March 15, 2080.

A Christmas Star on the Darkest Day of the Year

The day the “Christmas star” will appear happens to be the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, which is the day of the year when the North Pole is tilted the furthest away from the sun. This is also the shortest and darkest day of the year for those living in this hemisphere.

The conjunction of the two planets will be visible to the naked eye everywhere on Earth, assuming local weather does not obscure it. People should look for the “Christmas star” in the southwestern part of the sky near the horizon for about an hour after sunset. That is when it will be brightest, although the conjunction might be visible at other times that week. Those viewing the phenomenon through telescopes will be able to see each of the two planets, as well as some of their moons.

What Was the Christmas Star, Actually?

Some have argued that the Christmas star, commonly called “the star of Bethlehem,” was in fact an alignment of Jupiter and Saturn or some other combination of planets. According to Britannica, German astronomer Johannes Kepler believed the Christmas star “may have been a nova occurring in or near some conjunction of bright planets.” Other views include that the Christmas star was a supernova, Jupiter by itself, or a comet.

Biblical scholar Dr. Colin Nicholl thinks there is compelling evidence that the star the Magi saw was either a large comet (like Hale-Bopp) or a supernova. One reason for believing it was a comet is that we know the star appeared suddenly and remained in the sky for one year. Other reasons include the nature of the star’s travel and the fact that it both rose in the sky and “stood over” the place where Jesus was born.

Some might question why it matters whether or not we can scientifically explain what the star of Bethlehem actually was, but Collins believes there is a benefit to doing so as an apologetic for the credibility of the Bible. Showing that the biblical account corresponds with our scientific knowledge demonstrates that the Bible and science are not opposed to each other. “This all constitutes powerful evidence that Matthew was a historically reliable biographer,” said Collins. “It also strongly supports the Gospel writer’s claim that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures.”

But even if the actual Christmas star was a comet rather than a conjunction of planets, this year’s astronomical event is a reminder on the darkest day of the year that, as Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

With the Exception of Weekly Churchgoers, Americans’ Mental Health Is at a 20-Year Low

Central Church

Americans rated their mental health lower this year than they ever have in the past two decades, according to a survey by Gallup.

The percentage of people who rated their mental health as “excellent” or “good” shrunk by nine points this year, compared to last year. But there is one group of people who have actually managed to increase their “excellent” and “good” ratings in a year that has brought stress, anxiety, and worry to many. According to the survey, weekly churchgoers are still faring well.

“The latest weakening in positive ratings, from a Nov. 5-19 poll, are undoubtedly influenced by the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to profoundly disrupt people’s lives, but may also reflect views of the election and the state of race relations, both of which were on Americans’ minds this year,” a report on Gallup’s survey states.

Just over 1,000 adults were surveyed via telephone for this year’s annual November Health and Healthcare survey, which Gallup has conducted every year since 2001.

This year, the percentage of Americans that rated their mental health positively (they responded with either “excellent” or “good” when asked “How would you describe your own mental health or emotional wellbeing at this time?”) was 76 percent. This is down from 85 percent in 2019. The second lowest rating that has been reported occurred in 2002, when 81 percent of Americans rated their mental health positively.

While the numbers indicate that more Americans overall are struggling with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, when the data are broken down by demographics, a couple of groups emerge as seemingly more resilient to the year’s harsh circumstances, at least mentally. Those groups are churchgoers who attend services at least once a week and Democrats.

Central Church’s East 5-lancet stained glass window – “Father”

The big winner was weekly churchgoers, however. For this group, 46 percent reported “excellent” mental health this year compared to 42 percent last year. Comparatively, Democrats didn’t see an increase in their “excellent” numbers, rather the smallest decrease out of any of the other demographic groups surveyed (29 percent of this group reports “excellent” mental health this year compared to 30 percent last year).

The biggest decreases in “excellent” mental health ratings occurred among the following groups:

Republicans (15 percent decrease)
People who attend church seldom/never (13 percent decrease)
People who attend church nearly weekly/monthly (12 percent decrease)
People who make more than $40,000 a year (12 percent decrease)
People who make more than $100,000 a year (12 percent decrease)

Other notable decreases occurred among women (10 percent decrease), singles (10 percent decrease), Independents (11 percent decrease), whites (10 percent decrease), and those aged over 65 (10 percent decrease).

Weekly churchgoers were the only group to actually increase their numbers of “excellent” ratings.  It’s unclear whether those attending services weekly did so in person or online, but a couple conclusions appear to be safe to draw from the survey results: Church services act as a boon to a person’s mental health and church communities are essential for helping people through adverse times. 

• You can read the full article of the Gallup poll results here:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/327311/americans-mental-health-ratings-sink-new-low.aspx

Advent Devotional – Monday, December 14, 2020 – Finding Peace

Scripture:  Joshua 1:5 –

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

During this Advent season, the stress of the world and the preparation for Christmas cause anxiety to build. We look for relief in the wrong places or in the wrong ways. Some look at their social calendar, others begin frenzied shopping— neither activities provide peace.

When our family was young, there was tension in our extended family over who we would visit over the holidays? No matter who we chose, it was not good enough for anyone. So we decided it was time for our own family to reconnect. We decided to go on a trip, just our family. We involved the kids in planning. On our trips, we reconnected with each other, found out what was happening in our lives and shared our wishes for the coming year.

Today the kids have their own families and traditions. I still look forward to traveling, reflecting, and resting. It gives me the opportunity to worship in a different environment to experience the peace of God.

God promised to be with the patriarchs in the Old Testament through their trials and tribulations. He said, “I will be with you…” (Joshua 14:27a) In the New Testament, Jesus told his disciples, “I will always be with you…” (John 14:27a) Those promises still stand today!

Prayer: May we seek the peace that God offers us, especially in these troubled times. Amen.

  – Sam Ramirez – Lakeland, FL

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Sunday, December 13, 2020

On this third Sunday of Advent, when the coronavirus prevents many of us from gathering in Central Church’s Sanctuary to worship in body, let us join together in spirit for with our online worship experience!

• NEW THIS WEEK, and continuing for each Sunday in Advent and Christmastide, our online worship services include two HYMNS WITH LYRICS so you can sing along to familiar Christmas carols!

To begin, simply click on the photo below to join with the folks who have already made their way into our digital Sanctuary: 

https://video.fagc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t42.1790-2/10000000_252729369571885_2700374417049419480_n.mp4?_nc_cat=111&ccb=2&_nc_sid=985c63&efg=eyJybHIiOjM3MiwicmxhIjo0MDk2LCJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6ImxlZ2FjeV9zZCJ9&_nc_ohc=9mKbirDAFqwAX-_8MfR&_nc_ht=video.fagc1-2.fna&oh=520f946ef3522d951e4cbc42ed39a443&oe=5FD6955B

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Advent Devotional – Sunday, December 13, 2020 – Lay Your Head on Jesus’ Breast

Scripture:  John 13:23 –

One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

Earlier this year, I was very sick. I grew weaker for several months when the medical staff finally discovered my problem. I had septic arthritis and sepsis in my blood. I did not know at the time, this was often a fatal disease. I only knew I was weak; I hurt; and I did not get better. I wanted it to end.

Before my cardio-thoracic surgery, my anesthesiologist and his assistant came to my room, and the assistant prayed with me. In the operating room, before they put me under, the assistant whispered in my ear, “Just be like the apostle John and lay your head on Jesus’ breast.” Peace flooded my mind as I closed my eyes and imagined leaning on Jesus. It did not make sense in any way of the world. It was a peace that passed understanding.

I am well on my way to recovery, but I believe regardless of the outcome, Jesus was there all along to give me His peace. Even today, I tear up thinking about it. After all, you and I are the ones whom Jesus loves.

Prayer: Dear God, remind us that at all times, we can lean on Jesus’ breast, and he will give us peace. Amen.

  – Michael Henderson – Florence, SC

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

PA Temporary Mitigation Measures (12-12-2020 – 1-4-2021) – WORSHIP SERVICES at Central Church

Earlier today, the “Temporary Mitigation Measures” for COVID-19 that Gov. Wolf announced on Thursday, December 10, for the period starting today (Saturday, December 12, 2020) through Monday, January 4, 2021 took effect.

Under the Order, although indoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited, there is a specific exception for churches to continue to hold Sunday worship services and our feeding ministry is permitted to continue on a take-out only basis.

Our Trustees have spent the past two days reading the official text of the Order and considering the best path forward for Central Church.

They have balanced our current precautions and procedures against current conditions in our community, especially considering that the 3-week period of the “Temporary Mitigation Measures” includes the heart of our Christmas season.

• On one hand, the latest statistics for Beaver County show a continuing, significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.

• On the other hand, Central Church has in place precautionary measures and procedures that the federal CDC and PA Department of Health have recommended:

• • Preparations Before Worship Services:

• • • Before every worship service, we clean and disinfect our Sanctuary and facilities with equipment and chemicals certified by the EPA to kill COVID-19 in 60 seconds.

• • Precautions During Worship Services:

• • • Everyone is temperature-screened as they arrive.
    • New touchless hand sanitizer stations are in place at all entrances.
    • Everyone is required to wear face masks, and there is also a supply of extra masks and disposable gloves available at each entrance for anyone who wants them.
    • Our pews are marked off so every individual (or household unit) sits more than 6 feet from the next individual or household unit.
    • During every worship service, our new HEPA-13 air filtration unit is operating in the middle of the Sanctuary, continuously filtering the air to help minimize any air-borne particles.
    • Our worship services have been streamlined to reduce the amount of time that we are sitting together in the Sanctuary.
    • While trying to maintain important aspects of our traditional worship service, elements of our worship service have been modified to minimize activity-based risks.  (For example, sanitized communion elements are delivered to each person where they are sitting in separate, sterilized containers, our offering plates are not passed from person to person, our choir is on “vacation”, and our singing has been reduced to just two hymns and only two verses of each hymn.)
    • A list is maintained each week of everyone who attends (with their contact information) in case someone later develops symptoms and contact tracing needs to be performed.

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• In balancing the provisions of the latest Order with all of these precautions and procedures (and since our Sunday worship attendance in recent weeks has been just a few more than the current PA Order’s general ceiling for indoor gatherings), our Trustees have decided to take advantage of the exception in the Order permitting worship services, to maintain our Sunday worship services (and Christmas Eve service) during the new 3-week “Temporary Mitigation” period.
  

Our food ministry take-out outreach may also continue with similar daily disinfecting, precautions, and procedures.

The Trustees continue to monitor conditions every day so we can respond quickly and appropriately to any developments.

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• If you have no COVID-19 symptoms, you are invited to join us for Sunday worship.

• If you have symptoms, are in a personal “quarantine” period, or if you would simply like to be extra cautious in consideration of your own risk profile or current conditions in our county, you are invited to join with us by radio at 10:30 Sunday mornings on WBVP, or through our online weekly worship services on our website or Facebook page.

• If you have a need, please contact the Church by email (centralumchurch@gmail.com) or phone ((724) 846-3474).

Advent Devotional – Saturday, December 12, 2020 – In Stillness, Silence, and Solitude, God’s Peace Awaits

Scripture:  John 16:33 –

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

In John, Jesus tells us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

What a fitting scripture as we face the world today. I would never imagine that my “trouble” would take the form of chaos, economic ruin, a worldwide pandemic, and racial injustice reaching its peak. Yet, in spite of this, Jesus says, “… in me you may have peace”—an amazing promise.

I know this peace. I recall when the peace that Jesus describes filled me. It is felt when I make time for stillness, silence, and solitude. His peace comes, even though the world may be crashing around me. Every day, his peace is made new, and my spirit is refreshed.

Each morning, I greet the God of the Universe with love, joy and thanksgiving. I listen and wait. I hear his voice in the stillness, silence and solitude of the morning and his peace fills me again.

Prayer: Father, no matter if the storm rages and the chaos threatens, we know you are the source of peace. Remind us your peace awaits in stillness, silence and solitude. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

  – Deb Broadwater – Moneta, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 12-11-2020

FYI – In case you were wondering why Gov. Wolf imposed the new 3-week “Temporary Mitigation Measures” yesterday, here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of December 11, 2020.

The latest stratospheric levels are quite concerning.  We had to adjust the maximum left axis value yet again this week just to fit this week’s Incidence Rate on the chart.

• The Incidence Rate is the highest it has been since the readings were published starting in August, moving another 22% higher from last week’s record number higher into the Substantial category.
• Similarly, the PCR Positivity Rate has moved higher into the Substantial category, with a record 14% increase over last week.
  • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.  We once again surpass Allegheny County, which had values of 420.4 and 14.6% this week.

(If either metric is Substantial, the PA Dept. of Health’s recommended school instructional model is Full Remove Learning.)

• As the pandemic’s severity increases in our area to wildly new highs, we are once again redoubling our efforts to ensure our building is disinfected prior to every worship service and feeding ministry event.

Central Church

Advent Devotional – Friday, December 11, 2020 – Whispers of Peace

Scripture:  Luke 2:13-14 –

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When a multitude of the heavenly host proclaims “Glory to God in the Highest,” the message is unmistakable. It surrounds us with an updraft of excitement. We may even join in the chorus of praise and in the spirit of the season. Advent is, after all, the season of joy, anticipation and wonder. Decorations, music, shopping, wrapping, rehearsals, events… and the list goes on. It seems like weeks of constant motion.

When that same multitude of the heavenly host proclaims “On earth, peace,” it is whispered, elusive and quiet. Not meant to be heard above the noise, but instead of it. No matter how hectic the previous weeks have been, the trip home from church on Christmas Eve provides that “instead of” moment as Silent Night is but an echo.

In the stillness of almost Christmas, the peace, available to everyone everywhere, is suddenly very personal. It wraps me in a calm assurance that, in the midst of turmoil, God’s peace is closer than we think.

Prayer: Teach us, Lord, to tune out the noise and listen for “instead of” moments. Thank you for tucking those moments into the busy-ness of our lives.  Amen.

  – Carolyn P. Maness – Lynchburg, VA

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Advent Devotional – Thursday, December 10, 2020 – Beyond Myself

Scripture:  Colossians 3:2 –

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

I stared at my computer screen, critical of every sentence. Despite my efforts to focus on work, I battled recurring distractions—my holiday to-do list, my difficult relationship with a family member, multiple health concerns.

A bluebird startled me out of my mope. He flew at my office window, pecking the glass with his beak. From the wooden rocker on my patio, he jumped back and forth to the windowpane, scraping the hard surface with tiny claws.

At first, I flattered myself that he was watching over me like an attentive encourager. But then I realized he saw his own reflection. Bobbing and twisting his bright blue head, he peered at one thing—himself.

As he clung to the edge of the middle rail on my window, his loud, staccato chirps pierced the quiet afternoon. His preoccupation with his image eclipsed the beautiful sunshine, the mealworms waiting in his feeder, and the clear water trickling down the fountain. It also eclipsed me on the other side of the glass.

I watched the bird take one last look at his visage before he flew into the cloudless sky. And I thanked God for the gentle reminder to turn my eyes away from myself and toward my Savior.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know self-absorption only magnifies my troubles. You alone are my peace, at Christmas time and always.  Amen.

  – Andi Lehman – Hernando, MS

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Cold & Flu Activity – Beaver Falls, PA – December 5, 2020

While the news centers on the coronavirus, it’s important to remember that the flu is also making its annual trip into our area.

Here, courtesy of WebMD, is the level of cold and flu activity in Beaver Falls, PA as of December 5, 2012:

You can find the current level of cold  flu activity in your area here:

https://symptoms.webmd.com/cold-flu-map/default.htm?ecd=wnl_spr_120920&ctr=wnl-spr-120920_nsl-LeadModule_cta&mb=tJiEKnrVx5EaPYq1BWHt%2fAPCAlmlkpgVTz6SBMc6L5U%3d

Advent Devotional – Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – Perseverance

Scripture:  Romans 15:13 –

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Once upon a time, I was treated for cancer. They successfully treated the cancer using radical protocols, but I have dealt with side effects of that treatment ever since. Most days have been a challenge, but I have pushed through.

There were days when I felt I was at the end of my rope. On those days, I would go to church and rail at God. I would pace up and down the empty aisle, yelling at God, crying, telling Him how I felt.

Once I vented my frustrations, I sat and cried. At that point, I felt God wrap me tight and hold me until my tears stopped. That is the Peace of God, which has sustained me over the past fifteen years and sustains me now.

I can persevere through any challenge because I know the peace that comes from knowing God’s love. The joy that comes from believing that the God of Peace permeates all aspects of my life. On the worst days, as I near tears from pain, I can hold on for another day because of that peace.

Prayer: Lord, as we look forward to welcoming your reign here on earth, may each of us know your peace and find ways of sharing it with everyone around us. Amen.

  – Susan Keith – Rutherfordton, NC

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas

Advent Devotional – Tuesday, December 8, 2020 – Joy and Peace from Giving

Scripture:  Colossians 3:17 –

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

As a child, I was blessed with a home where lots of presents were found under our Christmas tree every year. My parents also taught me the valuable lesson, that giving is greater than receiving. I soon appreciated joy and peace delivering gifts to strangers every Christmas season—something our family did for many years.

I’ve tried to continue that tradition into adulthood. I introduced my son to the joy of giving at an early age. He soon appreciated our annual “shopping trip for Jesus”—purchasing food to provide Christmas dinner for a family in need.

We also adopted families through our church. He enjoyed picking out toys and books to give to the children of those families.

In our business, we adopted families in our community or worked with agencies helping homeless people at Christmastime.  Several of our staff members joined in those endeavors. They, too, valued the joy that comes with giving—whether a package of socks, or pooling our resources to buy gifts for each member of a large family.

Something about giving to others, especially during Advent, provides great joy and peace. It’s a tradition I look forward to every year.

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the blessings that come from giving in your name, but especially for the greatest gift of all, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

  – Julie Erickson – Olathe, KS

Central Church’s Sanctuary Decorated for Christmas