Central Church – Online Worship Service – 2nd Sunday in Lent – 2-28-2021

On this cool, rainy, second Sunday in Lent, 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 a favorite HYMN with lyrics so you can sing along!

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

Note:  This Sunday, while Facebook is under repair, we have moved our online worship service from Facebook to Youtube!

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Lenten Devotional – The Second Sunday in Lent – Closer to God

Scripture:  Matthew 11:29 –

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Humble. Humility. Humiliation. Words from the same root and yet they mean very different things to different people. Interpretation of these words, now and historically, especially from Scripture, has been the subject of many lively discussions!

From the beginning our human tendency equated being humble with being weak. God thought otherwise as the humble were chosen to lead. Cries for powerful kings echoed throughout the ages. Jesus being born in a humble state, in a humble stable continued the journey of paradox. His life was one of humility, yet one of great strength.

At the end of an intense, silent Centering Prayer retreat, I shared my inner turmoil in asking the late Fr. Thomas Keating about humiliations and how to deal with self-disappointment.  He responded, “Be glad for them! They let you know you are not God!”  I realized being on my knees in repentant humiliation wasn’t the worst place to be. In life’s humiliations, we are shown the grace of
daily redeeming, turning us again and again to the light of God.

Jesus said, “Learn from me. I am gentle and humble of heart.” The promise of rest for our souls is the peace and grace of true Love. Jesus as God, gentle and humble, offers us the same assurance that as we are gentle and humble of heart, we offer the same love to each other.

Prayer: Lord, God, continue to bring me closer to you with a humble and grateful heart.  Amen.

  – Nancy Severin – Ft. Morgan, CO

Central Church

Central Church is now on Youtube!

For reasons yet unknown, we lost connectivity to our Facebook page immediately after posting our online worship service last Sunday, February 21, 2021.  We are working with Facebook, but they have not yet been able to restore our connection so we can upload new content.

In the meantime, during this continuing COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for those members and friends of our Central Church family who can’t be physically present for our in-person worship services to be able to worship with us online so………..Central Church is now on Youtube!

• You can find our page by typing in “Central United Methodist Church of Beaver Falls, PA” in the search field.

• Our online worship service for last Sunday, February 21, 2021, is now available. The direct link is:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKIXwsWD_8M

Folks who view our Facebook page do not automatically also view our website, so:

• Please pass the word around to everyone you know so they can find our online worship services now on Youtube!

Once we can get back into our Facebook account, we can reassess whether to continue as well there or to refer everyone to Youtube, but until then, we’ll need you to pass the word so folks can find our online worship services each week!

Central – Facebook – Online Worship Services

Central’s Facebook page has been offline since last Sunday afternoon, February 21, 2021.  You can still access the page, but we are unable to upload any new content.  The last of our scheduled posts was published this morning.

We have confirmed that the issue is with Facebook and its servers.  They have been contacted, and we are awaiting their response.

In hope that the issue will be resolved soon, our worship service will be recorded again tomorrow and an online version will be prepared to be posted as soon as our access to the page is restored.

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 2-25-2021

Here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of February 25, 2021.

After several weeks of substantial declines, we are now seeing some stagnation over the past four weeks.

• The Incidence Rate moved down 9.2 points (6.3%) from last week’s 136.6, still within the Substantial category.

• The PCR Positivity Rate has moved up to 7.9% from last week’s 7.5% in the Moderate category.

• • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.   Again this week, Beaver County’s numbers are worse than Allegheny County’s figures, which came in at 98.7 and 5.9%.

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

• The new variant of COVID-19, which is 30-50% more infectious, is forecasted to become the dominant coronavirus variety in March, which might trigger another upswing, although the timing and magnitude of the impact of the vaccines currently being distributed may mute any New Case increases to some extent by reducing the pool of uninfected people whose risk of contracting one of the coronavirus variants hasn’t been reduced by receiving the vaccine.

• There are now four forms of COVID-19:

  • COVID-19 (original);
  • B117 (the UK variant) –                               70% more contagious; 40% more deadly;
  • B1351 (the South Africa variant) –              50% more contagious; not yet known yet if more deadly; no USA cases yet;
  • P1 (the Brazil variant) –                                 unknown (first case in USA four weeks ago)

• Impact:

  • If someone has had COVID-19 before or if has received the vaccine, there’s a possibility they could still get infected with B1351 or P1.
  • Moderna is developing two booster shots: one to combat B1351 and one to fight against future mutations.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech says it could adjust its vaccine, but it would take weeks.

• Small Group Meetings (Sunday School, AA, other meetings):

The current guidance on when and how gatherings can take place is based upon the threshold of infection rate.

For Indoor meetings/Sunday School to resume, the 7-day average of daily cases for gatherings that include unvaccinated folks should be:

• • 1.5-2.0 – for everyone except those at high risk; and
  • Less than 1.0 for those at high risk.
  • Our current level is 19.5, so resuming small group meetings may not be feasible for the foreseeable future, especially in light of the three new variants now moving into the USA.

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

Lenten Devotional – Day 10 – Center of My Universe

Scripture:  Micah 6:8 –

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

In The Message, I love the way Eugene Peterson states the “walk humbly”
phrase. “Don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.” I am 100 percent guilty of taking myself too seriously. I am indeed the center of my own universe—which is completely human, but Micah would encourage me to rise above my humanity to see with different eyes.

In the movie Princess Diaries, Mia is telling a crowd of people how she was weighing her decision of whether or not to accept the crown when she shares this, “I realized how many stupid times a day I use the word ‘I’… when there’s like seven billion other people on the planet.”

Impressive insight and wisdom in an unexpected place: How many stupid times a day do I focus more on how the world affects me instead of focusing on how I might affect the world? Like grains of sand on a beach, there are far too many to count. We are naturally inclined to be self-focused, but can’t we rise above that to imitate God, to take seriously what God takes seriously?

Prayer: Lord, when we are confronted by a choice of serving self or serving God, the choice should be easy. Because God has  promised to take care of us, we have plenty of time to care for others. Help us show you to the world.  Amen.

  – Chris Howell – Lynchburg, VA

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 9 – The Healing Prayer Shawl

Scripture:  Matthew 5: 43-45 –

Love for Enemies

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^[a] and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

I was being forced out of a job that I loved by false accusations and rumors instigated by a woman who wanted my position. I felt angry and frustrated and knew I would soon be gone.

As a Christian, I know I must forgive and pray for my enemies, but it was so hard. As I was knitting a prayer shawl, I tried praying for her with each stitch but ended up dropping lots of stitches instead. One day when I was particularly unforgiving, I asked God to help free me from these feelings. That’s when my cat jumped into my knitting bag and peed on the prayer shawl. At first, I was angry with my cat; then I burst out laughing as I envisioned giving my nemesis that shawl and watching her wrap herself in its unpleasant smelliness!

Then, I heard God asking me if that was who I was. Embarrassed and humbled, I knew my thoughts were not worthy of a child of God. I threw the whole knitting bag and prayer shawl in the trash, and strangely, my hatred, anger and frustration went with it. I felt free and at peace for the first time in a long time.

Prayer: Father, thanks for helping me do the right thing and freeing me from my unforgiving spirit. By the way, that new job you led me to, is totally awesome, and so are you! I love you!  Amen.

  – Susie Brack – South Hill, VA

Central Church

General Conference postponed until 2022

General Conference organizers announced that the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly — long postponed by pandemic — must wait to meet another year. The global gathering is now scheduled Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis.

At the same time, the Council of Bishops has announced a special one-day General Conference on May 8.

The special global gathering has only 12 pieces of legislation before it — all basically intended to help the church function until the full General Conference meets.

The virtual gathering is to form a quorum to suspend the rules, so there can be paper, mailed-in balloting. The vote on suspending the rules will be done online. But the delegates will, after adjournment of the online meeting, have an extended period in which to vote by paper ballot on the 12 legislative items.

Those ballots will be mailed in, with results to be announced by July 13.

Not on the agenda is any proposal to split the denomination, including the much-endorsed Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation.

In October, the Commission on the General Conference named a technology team to look at virtual options for ensuring full participation. The team’s report outlined several challenges before such a conference.

That includes the 16-hour time difference between delegates who live in the Philippines and on the U.S. West Coast, the inequity of internet availability and the difficulty in safeguarding voting.

With the slow rollout of vaccines, continued travel restrictions and limitations of virtual technology, the commission concluded Feb. 20 that a full, 10-day session was not possible this year either in-person or online.

The coming General Conference has 862 voting delegates — 55.9% come from the U.S., 32% from Africa, 6% from the Philippines, 4.6% from Europe and the remainder from concordat churches that have close ties to The United Methodist Church. At a typical General Conference, bishops from around the globe as well as interpreters and other staff are needed for the proceedings.

That kind of meeting is not possible this year. But in the meantime, denominational ministries have been struggling to find workarounds to function in a situation never anticipated by the Book of Discipline — whose contents General Conference determines.

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the assembly’s postponement from May 2020, the commission rescheduled General Conference for Aug. 29-Sept. 7 this year and kept it in Minneapolis.

The commission maintained the late-summer dates even after young-adult delegates and other United Methodists urged a change because the new schedule conflicted with the start of the academic calendar. However, the commission also committed to look at ways for delegates to vote remotely.

As the pandemic continued to claim lives around the globe and travel restrictions persisted, calls increased for the Commission on the General Conference to consider virtual options for the assembly.

On Feb. 20, the commission met online in closed session to review and make decisions based on its study team’s report. Joining commission members and staff for the meeting was Leonard Young, who served as parliamentarian for the special 2019 General Conference.

The Discipline says that “in the spirit of openness and accountability,” almost all church meetings should be open.

In Paragraph 722, the Discipline does allow closed sessions for “negotiations, when general knowledge could be harmful to the negotiation process” and “negotiations involving confidential third-party information.” The commission cited the negotiation exceptions when it went into closed session.

While the commission did not disclose internal discussions, the group did face requests before its meeting, especially from traditionalists, that whatever shortened agenda it chose include the protocol for separation.

After decades of debate over LGBTQ inclusion, the protocol opens the door for new denominations to break away with property and church funds. A traditionalist coalition and a liberationist group already have plans to depart. The Wesleyan Covenant Association, a traditionalist group, has a global gathering scheduled for May 1 to discuss its plans for its future denomination.

However, the process outlined in the protocol hinges on General Conference approval. For now, the Judicial Council — the denomination’s top court — has the bishops’ request to review the protocol’s constitutionality on its current docket.

The agenda for the coming May 8 special General Conference includes legislation to:

• bring the Discipline in line with a recent Judicial Council decision

• maintain the current denomination’s budget until the full global lawmaking assembly can meet

• to give the Commission on General Conference and other bodies more flexibility in dealing with delays caused by war, political upheaval, natural disaster, disease outbreak, travel restrictions or other developments.

Crucially, the new legislation would allow bishops planning to retire to do so this year — potentially relieving some strain on the denomination’s finances.

Originally, after the delay in General Conference, the Council of Bishops announced that jurisdictional conferences would meet in November, and central conferences began scheduling their meetings. The five jurisdictional conferences elect bishops who serve in the U.S., and central conferences elect the bishops who serve in Africa, Europe and the Philippines.

But the trouble was, the Discipline sets the retirement date for U.S. bishops on Aug. 31 following a regular session of the jurisdictional conference — meaning any U.S. bishop planning to retire before the coming jurisdictional conference would have to wait until August 2022 to step down.

Now, the Council of Bishops is offering legislation to eliminate the Aug. 31 mandate and instead replace it with 60 days after jurisdictional conferences adjourn.

The bishops also have set a new timeline that includes special sessions of the jurisdictional conferences to be held virtually in July 2021.

The Episcopal Fund that supports bishops’ work is already financially strapped. The Council of Bishops has recommended delegates not elect any new U.S. bishops until 2024, although some delegates are discussing at least electing some successors for retiring bishops.

The denomination has 24 bishops who plan to step down as soon as possible, including 16 in the U.S.

Ultimately, the number of bishops is in the hands of delegates.

Lenten Devotional – Day 8 – Called to Prayer

Scripture:  Philippians 4:6 –

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In January 2019, I was a happily married senior in a marriage that had lasted 55 years. That month my serene life was shattered to pieces as my husband was
diagnosed with cancer and the prognosis was not good.

I prayed, but more often I depended on the prayers of others. Despite the many prayers sent to heaven, nine months later my life partner was gone. After the funeral, I was numb and existed in the warm embrace of family and friends while I tied up myriad loose ends. “Stay busy” was my motto. Then reality struck. For the first time, the running of the household, and indeed my life, fell to me without the assistance of my loved one. Grief and desperation engulfed me. It was then that I turned to prayer in earnest.

With social activity limitations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, my consolation came by means of televised daily mass and rosary. Peace settled on me. I discerned that my calling was to pray for people in my life, even more intentionally than before as a Prayer Advocate.

I clearly realized God had not abandoned me! I trust in the Lord because he keeps his promises to be with me always. Now that my purpose is clear, I walk humbly with God. I feel a true sense of fulfillment. I pray that I may serve God for many more years, after all, I’m only 79!

Prayer: Dear Lord, continue to guide me along the path you have laid before me. Help me to remain steadfast in trusting and loving you.  Amen.

  – Eva C. Kalke – Maricopa, AZ

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 7 – Unsearchable Judgments and Inscrutable Ways

Scripture:  Romans 11: 33-36 –

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever!  Amen.

I have written many devotions over the years, but find this season’s to be particularly challenging. Living in a time of a pandemic, social and political upheaval, and global climate change has brought about much self-examination and questions for God.

In many ways, I find myself wrestling with God over these issues much like Jacob in the Old Testament. Why, God? Why are we living through these frightening events?  Like the Psalmist, I cry out for answers in these dark and troubling times.

My searching through scripture has brought me to Paul’s letter to the Romans, 11:33. “O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”  I realize my questions for God have a timeless quality that have preceded my life and will continue forever. In humbleness, I am drawn back closer to God, the sovereign
ruler of the universe.

As I take my daily walks with God, I am again reminded of the beauty of His creation. I know God is in control today, yesterday and for all our tomorrows. I may never understand God’s ways, but I know he loves me. I know he loves each one of his children. He sent his only son, Jesus, to die for us so we might have eternal life beyond this world. He walks with us, now and forever.
Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord, remind us to place our faith and trust in you always.  Amen.

– Bob Brooks – Fredericksburg, VA

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 6 – Never Too Old to Learn

Scripture:  Romans 12:3 –

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:  Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

When I was six weeks old, my mom went to work, and hired a loving woman to care for me and our home. This woman’s name was Leour.  She loved and cared for me as her own.  I spent my childhood with her and spent time in her community.  Leour taught me many things about life. I learned a great deal about respect, love, and about her culture.

Now in my 50s, I believed that I was anti-racist, but I’m still learning things that I didn’t know. I’m learning about redlining, white privilege and systemic racism. When the pandemics of COVID-19 and racial tensions struck last year, they revealed ongoing racial inequities and our/my ignorance of racism.  Reparations?  How do you repair it?  How do you heal the hurt?  Pray, forgive and learn.

As the saying goes, you’re never too old to learn. I’ve learned that I don’t know everything, but I do want to heal the hurt. I’ve learned not to think more highly of myself than I ought.  Let us humbly pray, ask forgiveness for our ignorance, and teach others about the inequities and disparities.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to heal the hurts of the past, the present, and to bring His peace to
our nation.

Prayer: Lord, move us to educate ourselves, acknowledge the hurt, pray and forgive one another, and work together for solutions to all inequities, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought.  Amen.

  – Chesley Vohden – Forest, VA

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 5 – Walk Rightly

Scripture:  Micah 6:8 –

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

“Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn, the sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn; but where is my church, that seeks my sheep, under the church spire fast asleep.”

Is the Church asleep, or are we, as Jesus says to Sardis, “You are dead”?  God’s people must be called out of their stupor and waywardness. The eighth century Old Testament prophet, Micah, was a bullhorn calling wayward Israel back to God.

Like a prosecutor, the Lord God lays charges against his people: you go to bed dreaming up evil; you covet someone else’s field and house; you bully your neighbor to get it; in your business deals you overcharge; you lie and deceive; leaders pervert social justice for pay offs; religious authorities receive money to tell you whatever you want to hear.  Is this you?

Our generation today is like Israel’s and like Germany’s in the late 1600’s.  Like the prophet Micah, Pastor Philip Jacob Spener called all states of society—government, business leaders, everyday folk, pastors and church members alike—from spiritual and moral laxity to faith in Jesus Christ.

Likewise, through Micah, the Lord tells Israel and us to do what is good and what the Lord God expects. Do what is right. Live your daily life spiritually, morally, and ethically before your God.

Prayer: O Savior, with your grace I surrender my whole life to you and determine to live spiritually, morally and ethically before you.  Amen.

  – Tom Thomas – Forest, VA

Central Church

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Transfiguration Sunday – 2-21-2021

On this cold, crisp, first Sunday in Lent, 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 a favorite HYMN with lyrics so you can sing along!

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=275147030677359

Central Church

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Lenten Devotional – The First Sunday in Lent – Biking Humbly

Scripture:  Micah 6:8 –

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Rev. Ferd (not Fred, but Ferd) was my example of one who walked humbly—except he was on a bicycle! Ferd was the founding pastor of a church in an expanding neighborhood, where new homes popped up in what had been fields between older houses and families.

Ferd biked through the area, waving to all he passed, often stopping to meet people on the road, in their yards, or waiting at an intersection. He made sure people learned about the new church. Far more often, he ministered from his two wheels.

Sometimes Ferd saw people working too hard in their yards, and he stopped to walk behind the mower or to pick up an extra rake while he visited. He would see if someone who looked lonely and discouraged needed a few friendly words or even a prayer. Once or twice, he found people arguing over the right of way at an intersection with no lights, and he just stood between them for a while.

The people of Ferd’s church always remembered their founder on two wheels. He always acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with his God.

Prayer: God of mercy, thank you for guiding us into your way, your life, and your ministry. Help us to see you in those we meet. May our daily walk always be with you and be shaped by your love for all.  Amen.

  – Bill Olewiler – Fleming Island, FL

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 4 – Show Me the Way

Scripture:  John 14:6 –

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

After morning readings, I walk a nature area of more than five miles of wonderful trails. I make a concerted effort to keep my prayers going with Jesus as I walk.

One morning, I was deeply in need of the conversation for my heart was heavy with the direction of The United Methodist Church. For some years, we as the church were on a path that seemed foreign to us. Fewer people, especially younger people, were attending, and those who did attend, did so infrequently.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic came and accelerated the process of change for all churches. After a few months, it became clear the meaning of church would have to change. These were the things on my mind during that morning when I struggled with  discerning a direction.

As I walked, I came to a familiar crossroad. I asked myself which way today?  Then I heard in my head “take the path I have given you” meaning be humble and content with the path ahead. Then the verse John 14:6 came to me, and it became clear I should continue to shepherd the church down the path, laid out for us by Jesus, to be the witness to the “way, the truth, and the life in Christ Jesus.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your presence and guidance. Help us to trust your Spirit to take us down the right path. In your precious name, we pray.  Amen.

  – Andy Brock – Winchester, VA

Central Church

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 2-18-2021

Here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of February 18, 2021.

After several weeks of substantial declines, we are now seeing some stagnation over the past three weeks.

• The Incidence Rate moved down 2.4 points (1%) from last week’s 148.2, still within the Substantial category.

• The PCR Positivity Rate has moved down to 7.5% from last week’s 8.7% in the Moderate category.

• • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.   Again this week, Beaver County’s numbers are worse than Allegheny County’s figures, which came in at 85.3 and 5.5%.

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

• The new variant of COVID-19, which is 30-50% more infectious, is forecasted to become the dominant coronavirus variety in March, which might trigger another upswing, although the timing and magnitude of the impact of the vaccines currently being distributed may mute any New Case increases to some extent by reducing the pool of uninfected people whose risk of contracting one of the coronavirus variants hasn’t been reduced by receiving the vaccine.

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

• There are now four forms of COVID-19:

  • COVID-19 (original);
  • B117 (the UK variant) –                                 70% more contagious; 40% more deadly;
  • B1351 (the South Africa variant) –              50% more contagious; not yet known yet if more deadly; no USA cases yet;
  • P1 (the Brazil variant) –                                 unknown (first case in USA this week)

• Impact:

  • If someone has had COVID-19 before or if has received the vaccine, there’s a possibility they could still get infected with B1351 or P1.
  • Moderna is developing two booster shots: one to combat B1351 and one to fight against future mutations.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech says it could adjust its vaccine, but it would take weeks.

• Small Group Meetings (Sunday School, AA, other meetings):

The current guidance on when and how gatherings can take place is based upon the threshold of infection rate.

For Indoor meetings/Sunday School to resume, the 7-day average of daily cases for gatherings that include unvaccinated folks should be:

• • 1.5-2.0 – for everyone except those at high risk; and
  • Less than 1.0 for those at high risk.
  • Our current level is 20.8, so resuming small group meetings may not be feasible for the foreseeable future, especially in light of the three new variants now moving into the USA.

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

Lenten Devotional – Day 3 – Finding Trust in 2020

Scripture:  Matthew 6:26 –

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

At the start of the pandemic last year we thought, “Oh, construction is essential, we’ll be fine!” Reality quickly set in. New construction was no issue, but remodeling and additions—my husband’s bread and butter—THAT was a whole different ball game.

As he called on his clients, we heard over and over again, “We’re just going to hold off a while until this whole virus thing is over.”  We certainly understood; we just weren’t prepared for it. I began to worry. How would we make ends meet? We certainly couldn’t live on one income.

My husband quickly reminded me that God has always taken care of us, and this time would be no different. His reassurance brought Matthew 6:26 to mind, and if he looks out for the birds, surely he will look out for me. Believing this is easier said than done, so one must be reminded…walk humbly.

So I trusted. Each time worry crept in, I would pray and leave it with God.  Then, time after time, God sent along the jobs we needed to make ends meet, just in time. Every. Single. Time.

God amazes me and keeps me coming back for the grace, love and abundance he offers.

Prayer: Loving God, please help me remember not to lean on my own understanding and the ways of the world. Remind me I am a child of God, you have all my days planned out and you care for me. I will trust in you.  Amen.

  – Renèe Scott – Bedford, VA

Central Church

Lenten Devotional – Day 2 – “Be Bright in the Corner Where You Are”

Scripture:  Micah 6:8 –

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

“Be bright in the corner where you are” can be heard ringing through the church doors in melodious chorus before even entering the sanctuary. This is a well-known and loved song in South Africa. It is sung by men, women and children marching and dancing with hands raised in the air.  This song and those images always come to mind when I read the Micah verse and ponder “acting justly, loving mercy, walking humbly with God.”

Justice, mercy and humility are qualities of Christ that we are all called to embody. With this calling comes responsibility. We are called to act with justice, ensuring everyone has access to an abundant life. We are called to love our neighbor with mercy and grace.  We are called to walk humbly with God in all things.

This is a big responsibility. It can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially in these days of a pandemic, but one day at a time… we can be bright in the corner where we are. We can seek justice in today’s decisions that we make. We can love those with whom we come into contact today with grace and mercy, and we can walk humbly alongside our God in all we do today. One day at a time, be bright in the corner where you are!

Prayer: Fill us today with your justice, your mercy and your humility, oh God.  Amen.

  – Dawn Barnes – Indianapolis, IN

Central Church

Ash Wednesday: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore!
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in his arms,
In the arms of my dear Savior –
O, there are ten thousand charms.

 

Let not conscience let you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of him.

Come ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and mangled by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Joseph Hart, 1759

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 1 – Ash Wednesday – Paying Attention

Scripture:  Psalm 51:16–17 –

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is^[a] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

Several years ago during the season of Lent, I was observing a time of contrition with a morning devotion about sacrifice. I do not remember the scripture, but the prayer that I offered to God was “all that I have, I offer to God to do with as God pleases”. I remember praying that prayer with sincerity, thinking about material things that can always be replaced. I could offer all to
God trusting that God would take care of me.

However, as I drove to work that morning I was still thinking about that prayer, and I realized that my family could be a part of that prayer. What had I done by offering everything I had to God? God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. Would God test me in this way? My family was more important to me than any of my possessions.

As I continued to think about that prayer, I remembered the sacrifice God wants is a broken and contrite heart—and that I am willing to give. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for all of humanity. Self-examination taught me to pay attention to what I said in my prayers and to remember to trust our merciful God.

Prayer: God of mercy, I offer you my heart. Guide me with your Holy Spirit as I examine my thoughts and prayers this Lent and always.  Amen.

  – Doris Hedrick – Natural Bridge, VA

Central Church

Ash Wednesday – February 17, 2021 – Joint Worship Service

Central Church will join with the Beaver Falls Ministerium on Ash Wednesday – February 17 – for a joint worship service at First Presbyterian Church (on 8th Avenue and 11th Street, across from the Post Office) at 7 pm.

Other combined Lenten worship services are currently being discussed at the Beaver Falls Ministerium, so stay tuned for further developments.

In the meantime, please mark your calendars to join us at First Presbyterian Church at 7 pm on February 17 as we begin our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday.

Preparation for Lent – A Mardi Gras Prayer

Today is Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) and Carnival (“Farewell to Meat”), which precedes Ash Wednesday and Lent around the world, even where Lent has ceased to have much religious meaning.  It was natural to develop a festival, a “last fling,” before the prayerful fasting and abstinence of Lent.

How can we give this day before Ash Wednesday some religious meaning for us?

It may be that we are going to a Mardi Gras party and there will be much feasting.  Our country may celebrate Carnival with gusto.  Perhaps we can have a special family dinner together, with meat.

What’s important is that we let our feasting anticipate our fasting.  One way to do that is to begin to focus on the meaning of the day, when we first get up. 

It can create a sense of anticipation all day, that something very new is about to begin tomorrow.

We can prepare for whatever we will do, no matter how purely “social” or simply ordinary our day will be.  Knowing why we go to a party, or enjoying the planning or preparation for a special meal, will add much meaning to this day.

Our Prayer

In these or similar words, we can pray in the spirit of this day.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for it is from your goodness that we have this day
to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent.

Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat.
Today we feast.
We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us.
We thank you especially for one another.
As we give you thanks,
we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do.
As we share these wonderful gifts together,
we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those
who need our support.

Prepare us for tomorrow.
Tasting the fullness of what we have today,
let us experience some hunger tomorrow.
May our fasting make us more alert
and may it heighten our consciousness
so that we might be ready to hear your Word
and respond to your call.

As our feasting fills us with gratitude
so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires
and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.
May our self-denial turn our hearts to you
and give us a new freedom for
generous service to others.

We ask you these graces
with our hearts full of delight
and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead.
We ask them with confidence
in the name of Jesus the Lord. 

 

What is Lent?

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, the day of Mardi Gras.  This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the 40 days of Lent (not counting Sundays). 

Did you ever wonder what these terms mean?   Well, here’s the scoop!

Mardi Gras – is a French word pronounced: märd grä, the last day before the fasting season of Lent.  It is the French name for Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Literally translated, the term means “Fat Tuesday” and is so called because it represents the last opportunity for merrymaking and excessive indulgence in food and drink before the solemn season of fasting.

Ash Wednesday – is the first day of Lent.  On this day, ashes are placed onto the foreheads of the faithful to remind them of Christ’s death, of the sorrow one should feel for their sins, and of the necessity of repenting, which is turning from your sins and turning to God.

Ash Wednesday, is so called from the ceremony of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of penitence.  The ashes are obtained from burned palm branches from the Palm Sunday of the previous year.

The ashes are placed onto the foreheads of the officiating clergy, and the congregation, while saying: “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

Many believe the practice of placing ashes onto the forehead began in 1091 A.D. by the Roman Catholic Church.  However, the custom of placing ashes onto the head as a sign of repentance dates back to Old Testament times:

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. – Daniel 9:3-5. 

See also, Esther 4:1-3, Job 2:8; Job 4:2-6, and Isaiah 58:5.

 

Lent– from Old English ‘lencten=spring’, Latin ‘Quadragesima’.

In Christianity, Lent is a time of penance, prayer, preparation for, or recollection of baptism, and preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the 40th weekday before Easter.  Of the Sundays in Lent the fifth is Passion Sunday and the last is Palm Sunday.

The week preceding Easter is Holy Week. Lent ends at midnight, Holy Saturday.

Lent may also have a parallel in the Jewish Omer, the interval between Passover and Shavuot that has become a time of semi-mourning and sadness.  During the weeks of the Omer period, Jews in some communities refrain from wearing new clothes and there are no marriages or other public festivities.

Although we are almost to the beginning of this special season, remember that Jesus wants all of our hearts and lives–everyday–not just during the 40 days of Lent.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14.

Fat Tuesday – Booster or Buster?

Key Bible Verse: You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were pure and honest and faultless toward all of you.  – 1 Thessalonians 2:10

Bonus Reading: Ephesians 4:17-24

All too often, when talking with a guy who’s a believer, I hear statements like, “We had a great service last weekend. Pastor hit the nail on the head. I’d be there this Sunday, but I’m going to Vegas.”

For me, hearing this statement is like scratching a fingernail across a chalkboard. I know that are some decent shows there, but when I hear “Vegas,” my mind goes to gambling, sensuality, and organized crime. “What happens here stays here.” Sin City.

I believe when most unbelievers hear statements like this or “I’m going to Mardi Gras” they have the same reaction. It’s a witness buster. An unbeliever can conclude, “He’s just like me” or “He’s worse than me.” It will at least arouse his suspicion. Christ doesn’t appear to be directing and altering that person’s life. Multiply this statement by thousands like it across our country, and the gospel is severely undermined.

How much better for an unbeliever to hear, “This weekend I’m going on retreat to a Christian camp to recharge my batteries. It’ll be a lot of fun too.” Or “A bunch of us guys from church are going to repair a home for a single mother this weekend. We’re looking forward to helping her out.” Witness boosters.

—James Hilt in Wisconsin

My Response: How do my pursuits validate or cast doubt on my faith claim?

Prayer for the Week: Lord, give me the discernment and determination to make my conduct consistent with my beliefs.

 

Central Church – Online Worship Service – Transfiguration Sunday – 2-14-2021

On this cold day before a forecasted 6-9″ of snow, 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 a favorite HYMN with lyrics so you can sing along!

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=11&v=460433331753944

Central Church

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“Fat Tuesday”

In Louisiana, Mardi Gras is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday.  Mardi Gras began as a festival to enjoy the things a person was “giving up” for Lent.  During the parades, beads are tossed from the floats to the onlookers.

Okay, let’s talk about what happens after Mardi Gras.  The day after Mardi Gras – tomorrow – is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.  Lent is a season of the church that we use to concentrate on the suffering of Christ.  People “give up” something, usually a sweet food, a bad habit, etc. for the 40 days, representing Christ “giving up” his life for us.

What is the difference between a crucifix and an empty cross?  The empty cross represents Christ’s resurrection. The crucifix represents Christ’s choosing to suffer for us.

Christ didn’t have to die on the cross, He could have saved Himself, but He chose to die for our sins.

Prayer:  Dear God, help us to remember during Lent, and always, of Christ’s suffering for us. Amen.

Lent Your Way!

Worship Services, Printed Devotionals, and Online Devotionals

In addition to our weekly and special worship services during Lent, this year, we also have “Walk Humbly”, a 40-day printed guide for family or individual reflection.

If your tastes run to the electronic format, we will also offer special daily Lenten devotionals on our website’s “Food for Thought” page (http://www.centralumchurch.org).

As we step into Lent in 2021, chastened by nearly a year of living with and through the Coronavirus pandemic, the theme of this year’s Lenten devotions may seem a bit strange—Walk Humbly.

It comes from the book of the Old Testament prophet Micah, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

What does “walking humbly with God” mean in these days?  Perhaps it is just treading lightly on the earth, realizing that our time here is short and we are all more fragile than we previously realized.

Each day, beginning with Ash Wednesday on February 17, through Easter Sunday on April 4, as we read these daily devotionals, we will share in the prayers and reflections of a diverse group of writers and thinkers on our “Food for Thought” page, all contemplating Micah 6:8 from within the time of the pandemic.

May our Lord richly bless your Lenten journey.

Central Church

Create a Caring Community – Showing God’s Love Through Your Church

Salvation never occurs in a vacuum.  When someone is saved, they are saved into a community of faith.  This section of Hebrews 10 gives the impetus for the faith community to continue encouraging one another.

Our fellowship with God has been restored through Jesus’ death, so that we can now have renewed fellowship with one another.  This also draws non-Christians into the community as they witness the love of believers for one another.

Key Study Passage:

Hebrews 10:19-25

1. What did Christ’s death accomplish?  (See vv. 19-20.)
2. How does Christ’s death shape our response to God?  (See vv. 21-22.)
3. Why is regular Christian fellowship so important?  (See vv. 24-25.)
4. What are some ways your church could put this passage into practice?
5. In light of this week’s devotions, think of ways you can draw non-Christians into fellowship with your church.

Spend Time in Prayer:  Ask God to open your eyes to daily opportunities to start relationships with people in your community; ask for wisdom to find places where you can begin to connect them with the community of your church.

Hebrews 10:19-25

A Call to Persevere

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 2-11-2021

Here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of February 11, 2021.

At last, we are now seeing sustained declines in both metrics from the record-breaking Thanksgiving/Christmas wave.  In fact, the PCR Percent Positivity metric has now moved out of the Red after being deep in the Red for 9 weeks

• The Incidence Rate moved down 16.5 points (10%) from last week’s 164.7, still within the Substantial category.

• The PCR Positivity Rate has moved up to 8.7% from last week’s 7.8% in the Moderate category.

• • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.   Again this week, Beaver County’s numbers are worse than Allegheny County’s figures, which came in at 104.8 and 6.0%.

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

• The new variant of COVID-19, which is 30-50% more infectious, is forecasted to become the dominant coronavirus variety in March, which might trigger another upswing, although the timing and magnitude of the impact of the vaccines currently being distributed may mute any New Case increases to some extent by reducing the pool of uninfected people whose risk of contracting one of the coronavirus variants hasn’t been reduced by receiving the vaccine.

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

• There are now four forms of COVID-19:

  • COVID-19 (original);
  • B117 (the UK variant) –                                 70% more contagious; 40% more deadly;
  • B1351 (the South Africa variant) –              50% more contagious; not yet known yet if more deadly; no USA cases yet;
  • P1 (the Brazil variant) –                                 unknown (first case in USA this week)

• Impact:

  • If someone has had COVID-19 before or if has received the vaccine, there’s a possibility they could still get infected with B1351 or P1.
  • Moderna is developing two booster shots: one to combat B1351 and one to fight against future mutations.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech says it could adjust its vaccine, but it would take weeks.

• Small Group Meetings (Sunday School, AA, other meetings):

The current guidance on when and how gatherings can take place is based upon the threshold of infection rate.

For Indoor meetings/Sunday School to resume, the 7-day average of daily cases for gatherings that include unvaccinated folks should be:

• • 1.5-2.0 – for everyone except those at high risk; and
  • Less than 1.0 for those at high risk.
  • Our current level is 22.6, so resuming small group meetings may not be feasible for the foreseeable future, especially in light of the three new variants now moving into the USA.

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

Create a Caring Community – Creating Entry Points

Key Bible Verse:  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  –Hebrews 10:24, NIV

Dig Deeper:  Hebrews 10:19-25

Church is a process that moves people “from community to community”—from the culture in which we live to authentic, missional small groups.  Today, everything we do at our church is about moving people from community to community.  The process recycles itself in a circular motion as people engage with the outside community and walk with them relationally through the whole process.  As they do, they begin to experience momentum, as well as a sense that they are now part of a movement, not just a church.

Through our many years of ministry, my wife and I discovered that most people find themselves within various connecting points of community.  Some connect around shared needs, some around shared experiences, and others around shared questions.

Focusing on people rather than programs requires intentionality.  Church leaders must provide natural entry points for relational communication.  We accomplished this by identifying three environments in which relationships can take place: the park, the coffee shop, and the living room.  These three environments provide the organic framework for moving people from community to community.

—Mike Tatlock in Faith in Real Life

My Response:  What are some environments in my community that my church can use as entry points for relationships?

Thought to Apply:  Church isn’t where you meet.  Church isn’t a building.  Church is what you do.  Church is who you are.  Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ.  Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church. — Bridget Willard (writer, worship leader)

Adapted from Faith in Real Life (Zondervan, 2010)

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Create a Caring Community – Making a Connection

Key Bible Verse:   All of us are looking with unveiled faces at the glory of the Lord as if we were looking in a mirror.   We are being transformed into that same image from one degree of glory to the next degree of glory.  This comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  – 2 Corinthians 3:18, CEB

Dig Deeper:  Ephesians 4:11-16

I first met a man named Don in the park as he was walking his canine companion.  Don had been a successful real estate broker for most of his life and was now experiencing a time of transition.

Don was searching for God and asking some sincere questions.  After a couple of hours had quickly passed, I made an offer to Don: “If you ever want to grab some coffee and continue our discussion, just let me know.”  I handed him my business card.  We said our farewells and went off in different directions.

Later that week, I received a call from Don.  He’d decided to take me up on my offer.  Within a couple of days, we were continuing our dialogue as we indulged in a couple of tall mochas.  Over time, what started as a random meeting turned into stimulating, routine encounters.

I wanted to go beyond our usual meetings at our favorite neighborhood coffee shop, and so Bernadette, my wife, and I invited Don to dinner.  There is something more personal about inviting someone into your home for a meal.  It speaks of relational connectedness and transparency.  It wasn’t just about getting Don to attend church; it was about seeing our relationship grow and our lives change with each step of the journey.

—Mike Tatlock in Faith in Real Life

My Response:  What are some places I frequent where I can begin to build relationships with guys who are searching for God?

Thought to Apply:  Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.—Norman B. Rice (former mayor of Seattle)

Adapted from Faith in Real Life (Zondervan, 2010)

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Will the Real St. Valentine Please Stand—or could we at least find some meaning behind his Day?

 The Legends of St. Valentine 

We will stick with the bishop. The more we get into his life, however, the more legendary and embellished the stories become. The bishop martyr was alleged beheaded by the Roman Emperor Claudius II because the saint secretly performed weddings for soldiers who had been forbidden to marry. Claudius, so the story goes, believed that a wife and family hindered the performance of his soldiers.

While in prison, before his execution (February 270 A.D.), Valentine corresponded with Asterius, the jailor’s daughter, whom he had reportedly healed from blindness. In a later legend, his letters would end with the affectionate phrase, “from your Valentine.”[2]

A popular (though not necessarily factual) view is that St. Valentine replaced an early Roman festival. According to this legend, in the 4^th century B.C. the Romans celebrated a festival to the god Lupercus in mid-February. Every year they held a lottery in which willing teenage girls would place their names in a box. The young single men would then draw names from the box randomly. Whichever female a young man picked from the box would be assigned to the young man as a companion for the year.

About 800 years later (496 A. D.) Pope Gelasius replaced this Roman festival by having young Romans randomly select a saint for the year, with Saint Valentine as the patron saint of the event. The young men, however, eventually established February 14 as a day to give handwritten letters to women they admired and desired to court.

The Real Meaning of Valentine’s Day, or at least two possibilities…

As charming as these stories are, I am not about to defend their historicity. I am more interested in knowing what lessons we might learn about St. Valentine’s Day in light of these legends. Here are at least two:

First, courage may involve persecution. Bishop Valentine was apparently not afraid to defy the Emperor’s edict for the sake of love, marriage, and creating new families. And it cost him his life. Are we willing to take a stand for our faith and convictions against ideologies that are contrary our own Christian beliefs and morals?

Second, keeping on the theme of romance, there may be an important lesson to learn here about randomness and communication. If we are single, should we willingly assign romantic relationships to fate and the lucky draw from a box, as the followers of Lupercus did? Or should we select our own special someone by attempting to communicate to and charm them, as the followers of Valentine did? Wisdom definitely leans toward the latter.

If we want to find a lifelong partner, we should make a concentrated effort to do so, take the bold initiative, and not expect that person to simply fall from heaven onto our lap! We should not want to leave it up to blind chance, but to our pleasant and confident words, an engaged mind, a well-groomed appearance, a nice fragrance, and guidance by the Spirit of God. Similar to the first lesson, this one takes courage, too.

Bottom line as St. Valentines approaches—may we step out in faith, take the risk, and pursue that special someone! Who is it that you should send a romantic card to or roses and chocolates? “Oh, but I hate the materialism of this day!” Okay, then, what prevents you from writing a love letter? And if you are already married, what creative thing could you do to woo your spouse afresh? What are you doing to keep romance alive in your marriage?

May we encounter the type of biblical love that is “better than wine” and “strong as death” so that we could affirm that, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.  If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised” (Song of Solomon, 8:7; cf. 1:2; 8:6).[3]

---

[1] Catholic Encyclopedia  https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=11880

[2] Rosemay Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Saints. Infobase Publishing (2001), 341. Some of these points are naturally contested; for an opposing position, see “Refuted Ancient Origins”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

[3] ESV.

Images: Ima

Create a Caring Community – The Big Picture

Key Bible Verse:  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”  – Matthew 16:24

Dig Deeper:  Matthew 16:24-28

The return on Jesus’ investment was the life-changing story of ordinary characters into the chronicles of extraordinary cross bearers.

If this kind of discipleship were unleashed in our lives and communities, we might begin to look like the connected network of God’s people that Jesus created—a network of energized people beautifully portraying the life of Christ.

Leading a movement means having a clear process of transformational discipleship.  It has to do with integrating this process mindset into everything our churches are doing.

A well-designed discipleship process aligns all resources, ministries, and efforts to work in harmony.  The idea is to step back from all the intricacies of church dynamics and see the whole picture.  We need to ask these questions:

• Do all our ministry components work in sync to accomplish the same goal?
• Are we hectically managing a complex system of ministries that compete rather than complement?
• Are we intentionally meeting people where they are?
• Do we have an organic process in place to move people toward the life of Christ?

—Mike Tatlock in Faith in Real Life

My Response: How can I help my church become more of “a network of energized people beautifully portraying the life of Christ”?

Thought to Apply: Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.—Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German pastor, theologian)

Adapted from Faith in Real Life (Zondervan, 2010)

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Create a Caring Community – Forward Motion

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

Key Bible Verse:  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.  – John 10:10, NASB

Dig Deeper: John 4:27-42

Beneath the surface of this conversation is a powerful example of the forward motion that is waiting to be discovered by each of us.  Jesus met the woman where she was geographically, emotionally, and spiritually and led her forward in the process of spiritual development.

The story continues with John’s remarkable observation: “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town” (John 4:28, NIV).  I love the fact that John included the detail of her leaving the water jar.  What an amazing representation of fulfillment and life change.  Immediately after drinking from the fountain of life that Jesus had offered, she returned to her village to invite others to partake of the same life-giving water.  Jesus moved her from social outcast to spiritual includer, modeling precisely what the process of forward motion involves.

This kind of personal journey is just what Jesus had in mind when he talked about making disciples.

Discipleship begins before conversion and carries through to completion in Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ approach to making a disciple included a very natural advancement: first, the preliminary engagement; second, an invitation to enter into community; and third, a holistic experience of the process of life transfer.

—Mike Tatlock in Faith in Real Life

My Response:  What can I learn about discipling from Jesus’ example in John 4?

Thought to Apply:  Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle.  The people you rub shoulders with everyday need that kind of challenge.  Not prudish.  Not preachy.  Just crackerjack clean living.  Just honest to goodness, bone-deep, non-hypocritical integrity .—Chuck Swindoll (pastor, writer)

Adapted from Faith in Real Life (Zondervan, 2010)

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Create a Caring Community – Complete in Christ

Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

Key Bible Verses:  Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” – John 4:13-14

Dig Deeper:  John 4:1-26

The movement initiated by Jesus prevailed over every organized religious system in existence at the time.  While other systems offered people conviction, Jesus offered completeness.

Consider the narrative of the woman at the well (John 4).  Early in their “taboo” conversation, Jesus asked for a drink of water.  This would be like you or me plunking down on a street corner and asking a worn-out prostitute for a piece of gum.

Her response: “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9, NIV et al.).  (Imagine that prostitute on the street corner saying, “Um you know I have AIDS, right?”)

Jesus didn’t blink.  “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10).

Clearly, the woman had no idea she was talking to the very satisfaction of her spiritual longing.  They continued talking, and within moments Jesus had exposed her habit of seeking significance in the arms of men.  Jesus would be the seventh man to leave an impression on her—seven representing the biblical idea of completion.  [continued tomorrow]

—Mike Tatlock in Faith in Real Life

My Response:  Who do I know that needs Christ to make him complete?  How might I help him move closer to a relationship with Jesus?

Adapted from Faith in Real Life (Zondervan, 2010)

Prayer for the Week:  Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Create a Caring Community – Traveling the Spiritual Highway

Who Said It … Mike Tatlock

Mike Tatlock is the lead pastor at Grace Chapel in Portland, Oregon.  He has been one of the youngest teaching professors at Prairie Bible College and Multnomah Bible College.

Mike is a frequent teacher at workshops, seminars, seminaries, and churches around the world. His pastoral experiences include leading urban, inner-city, and suburban churches.  He is the author of Faith in Real Life.

What He Said … Traveling the Spiritual Highway

Church is not an event; it’s a process.  It’s leading a movement.

Leading a movement is not about how big our buildings are, how large our attendance is, how hip our services are, how many programs we offer, or how sizable our budgets are—although movements may have large followings and plenty of money.

Leading a movement is about motion.  Movements capture the essence of life change within the context of relationships.  A small group of fifteen people, a gathering of two hundred, or a church of ten thousand can all be movements.

Discipleship is a personal journey where each person moves along the spiritual highway at different speeds and from various origin points.  Discipleship recognizes that people need access to the highway from wherever they are—but ultimately with the goal that they are intentionally being led to the ultimate destination of knowing Jesus Christ and conforming to his image (Romans 8:29, NIV). In our churches, we can eliminate anything we are doing that does not lead to [that] destination.

 

This Week‘s Key Study Passage: Hebrews 10:19-

¹⁹ Therefore, my friends,^[a] since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

 

Prayer for the Week

 

Dear Jesus, help me to see the church as you see the church, not as a building, but as a community of people growing in your image.

Stick to Shooting Straight – Judgment Against Deceivers

A characteristic of Jeremiah’s messages was the courtroom setting and vocabulary he adopted.  The Lord’s statement early in the book (Jeremiah 2:9) sets the stage: “I will bring my case against you.”

The Lord uses Jeremiah as his advocate to bring charges and evidence of sin (deception in this passage) against the leaders and people of Judah.  Then God pronounces the sentence and carries it out.

Interact with God’s Word

Jeremiah 9:3-9

1. What does the comparison of the people’s lies with bows tell you about premeditation and intent?
2. Is failure to defend truth as culpable as outright lying?
3. Is dishonesty confined to secular society, or does it infect our churches and families as well (v. 4)?
4. To what forms of deception (v. 5) may we become accustomed in our culture?
5. Why are deceivers often duped by the deception of others?
6. What penalty (v. 7) does God impose on his people for their deceit?
7. How should God’s three rhetorical questions (vv. 7 & 9) about the judgment he decreed be answered?

Spend Time in Prayer

Ask God for strength to reflect his nature as you retrain yourself to forsake any falsehood, exaggeration, or attempt to mislead.

Jeremiah 9:3-9

3 “My people bend their tongues like bows
to shoot out lies.
They refuse to stand up for the truth.
They only go from bad to worse.
They do not know me,”
says the Lord.

4 “Beware of your neighbor!
Don’t even trust your brother!
For brother takes advantage of brother,
and friend slanders friend.
5 They all fool and defraud each other;
no one tells the truth.
With practiced tongues they tell lies;
they wear themselves out with all their sinning.
6 They pile lie upon lie
and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,”
says the Lord.

7 Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:
“See, I will melt them down in a crucible
and test them like metal.
What else can I do with my people?
8 For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows.
They speak friendly words to their neighbors
while scheming in their heart to kill them.
9 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.
“Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?”

COVID-19 – Beaver County Metrics – 2-4-2021

Here are the weekly COVID-19 statistics for Beaver County, PA as of February 4, 2021.

At last, we are now starting to show sustained declines in both metrics from the record-breaking Thanksgiving/Christmas wave.  In fact, the PCR Percent Positivity metric has now moved out of the Red after being deep in the Red for 9 weeks

• The Incidence Rate moved up 6.7 points (4%) from last week’s 158.0, still within the Substantial category.

• The PCR Positivity Rate has moved down to 7.8% from last week’s 8.3% in the Moderate category.

• • Beaver County remains classified as SUBSTANTIAL.   Again this week, Beaver County’s numbers are worse than Allegheny County’s figures, which came in at 109.3 and 6.0%.

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

• The new variant of COVID-19, which is 30-50% more infectious, is forecasted to become the dominant coronavirus variety in March, which might trigger another upswing, although the timing and magnitude of the impact of the vaccines currently being distributed may mute any New Case increases to some extent by reducing the pool of uninfected people whose risk of contracting one of the coronavirus variants hasn’t been reduced by receiving the vaccine.

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

• Our Sunday morning worship service is at 11 am. There is still room for YOU in our physically-distanced Sanctuary seating.

 

• If you are unable to join us in-person for Sunday morning worship, our weekly online worship service is available on our website and Facebook page by mid-afternoon each Sunday.

Stick to Shooting Straight – Honest to God

Key Bible Verse:  Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. … There is nothing devious or crooked.  – Proverbs 8:6-8

Bonus Reading:  Proverbs 12:17-22

Not long ago, I was supposed to meet a former student for breakfast.  But that week I paid little attention to my calendar and totally forgot the appointment.  About 90 minutes after we were supposed to meet, it dawned on me what I had done, and I called the student.  He was forgiving, assuming that I must have overslept after a long semester.

I had a split second to decide whether I’d allow his assumption to stand.  By saying nothing, I could let him think I’d just overslept.  I could make up another story.  Or, I could come clean and tell him I’d simply forgotten him.

I sensed an inner tug to lie or, more precisely, to allow him to believe an untruthful account of the event.  Some might call it a “little white lie,” which means a lie that we rationalize as insignificant.  But it would have been deceptive, whatever I called it.

Not that I’ve never lied, but in this case, I resisted the inclination to deceive.  I’ve been consciously working on telling the truth.  I’ve become convinced recently that learning to live a fully honest life is one of the most difficult moral challenges I face.  And yet it’s hardly talked about in the churches I know.

—David Gushee in Christianity Today

My Response: Besides not telling lies, being honest means I need to …

Thought to Apply:  You didn’t tell a lie, you just left a big hole in the truth. —Helen Thomas (journalist)

Adapted from Christianity Today (3/06)

Prayer for the Week

May your truth so live in me, Lord, that every form of deceit is wrung out of my life.

COVID-19 – PA company develops new virus-killing face shield

FYI – Gov. Wolfe issued a press release this afternoon announcing a USA-made face mask that filters and kills COVID-19 as well as other viruses and bacteria.

One news article is reproduced below.

The company’s website and product list can be found at:  https://ramshieldinc.com/products/ols/products/avf-shield-and-cartridge-system-kit

With shipping, the price is $45, and the shipping time is currently 2 weeks.

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Here is the product information:

AVF Shield and Cartridge System Kit. This revolutionary new replaceable cartridge shield is the only mask that has patented electroceutical microcell technology that creates an electrical charge when wet rendering viruses inactive. Offers unprecedented two-way protection against ALL VIRUSES and other microorganisms!

ASTM Tested.100% Made in the USA from locally-sourced materials (meets Barry Amendment).  Cartridges are manufactured in an FDA inspected facility to medical device specifications and as such are marked with an expiration date.   This product meets FDA EUA for use as source control by the general public as well as by HCPs in healthcare settings to help prevent the spread of infection or illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

THE CARTRIDGE:

The cartridge lasts up to 10-12 hours before needing to be recharged by rewetting.

Each cartridge lasts 90 days.

THE KIT:

The kit includes mask, cartridge, filter, filter cover, 2 straps that configure three different strap styles; single, double and ear loop along with a carry/storage case.

THE SHIELD:

 The AVF shields are designed to provide a comfortable seal, and are intended for hours of comfortable use. The soft, foam seal is heat activated and melts to the face providing an air-tight but comfortable seal for hours.  The shield can be used up to one year and easily washed with soap and water or in your dishwasher daily. Please replace electroceutical cartridges every 90 days.

 *Clinical studies demonstrated antimicrobial impact including Covid-19 strains.

The AVF System should not be used in place of a surgical mask or filtering facepiece respirators to provide protections such as: liquid barrier protection, antimicrobial/antiviral protection, respiratory protection, particulate filtration or protection in high-risk aerosol generating procedures.

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At:  https://www.cnhinews.com/pennsylvania/article_354f3624-5c28-11eb-a597-a3e2d491d322.html

PA company develops new virus-killing face shield

This provided photo shows the AVF Shield, a face mask that kills viruses including COVID-19, developed by Ramshield, a Pennsylvania company.

HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania company has invented a face mask embedded with virus-killing technology that could revolutionize the way personal protective equipment is employed by reducing the need for disposable face masks.

The AVF Shield,  produced by Exton-based Ramshield, employs what company officials describe as “electroceutical” technology to kill viruses, including COVID-19 and includes a 90-day supply of replaceable filter cartridges for $39.99.

Secretary of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin said the invention is an example of the kind of “innovation and can-do spirit” that Pennsylvania businesses demonstrated in responding to the pandemic.

Davin used the release of the AVF Shield to illustrate the type of products available through a business-to-business directory established by DCED to help connect businesses that produce PPE with other businesses and organizations that are seeking it.

That directory includes businesses offering face masks, thermometers, hand sanitizer, face shields, medical gowns and cleaning supplies.

Businesses have downloaded the directory listing almost 37,000 times, according to data provided by DCED, with contact information on companies providing different types of masks accounting for 18,549 of those downloads.

“Pennsylvania’s businesses like Ramshield are using their skills, knowledge, and experience to benefit us all, and without their efforts, our road to recovery would be much longer and more difficult,” said Davin.

“We are thankful for the resources like the Business to Business Interchange Directory, which has been an important gateway in allowing Ramshield to provide critical PPE to those businesses in need throughout Pennsylvania during this pandemic,” said Samantha Partovi, President and Managing Director of Ramshield, Inc.

Made from materials sourced in the United States, the AVF Shield and Cartridge System Kit is a replaceable cartridge shield that uses patented technology to create an electrical charge to protect users from COVID-19. While the product is manufactured in the U.S., another component of the AVF cartridge—a sponge that holds moisture allowing for the electroceutical technology to stay activated for 10-12 hours at a time—is sourced directly from Pennsylvania.

“This pandemic has tested businesses in ways many of us never could have imagined,” said PEMA Executive Deputy Director Jeff Thomas. “Pennsylvania businesses that were able to transition to making PPE, or come up with new and innovative ways to protect our essential workers made it easier for the commonwealth to support the needs of our county and local partners over the last year.”

The AVF shields are designed to provide a comfortable seal and are intended for hours of use, and the shield can be used up to one year and easily washed with soap and water or in dishwashers. The manufacturer has obtained FDA Emergency Use Authorization for this product.

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Central Church

Stick to Shooting Straight – The Truth About Deceit

Key Bible Verse:  “All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”  – John 3:20

Bonus Reading:  Jeremiah 9:3-9

Why do we so often not tell the truth?  Many times it’s because we’re unwilling to face the consequences of the truth.  Most lies are pitiful efforts to protect our pride.  We lie because we fear being shamed or embarrassed.  Our fragile reputations and even more fragile egos must be protected at all costs.  And so, pitifully and too cheaply, we sell out the truth.

Sometimes we lie because we’ve already done wrong.  We’ve slipped into the darkness rather than remaining in the light, and we don’t wish our deeds to be exposed.  So our lies are cover-ups for our sins and often only delay and worsen the day of their exposure.

At times we lie because we believe it’s justified to accomplish our urgent goals.  This happens every day in politics and commerce.  We’ve grown accustomed to it.  But sometimes it happens in Christian activism and church life as well.  We want to win “by any means necessary.”

Or perhaps we deceive by holding back the whole truth.  So when your wife asks, “Did you view pornography this afternoon?” you say, “No, I didn’t.”  Your statement is technically true, but you used pornography the night before, and that, as you well know, is what her question was intended to discover.

—David Gushee in Christianity Today

My Response:  A rationalization for deception that I must renounce is …

Thought to Apply:  Some people live their whole lives just around the corner from the world of truth. —Carl Henry

Adapted from Christianity Today (3/06)

Prayer for the Week

May your truth so live in me, Lord, that every form of deceit is wrung out of my life.

Stick to Shooting Straight – Me, Keep Secrets from Him?

Key Bible Verse:  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.  – Colossians 3:10

Bonus Reading:  James 5:16, 19-20

Earlier I was at a store to exchange a duplicate wedding gift we’d received.  But instead of one replacement item, I found two: a cake plate and a cookie tray.  Why not pay the extra and get both? I’d thought.  It would disregard the budget, my conscience replied.  But since I balanced the checkbook, Russell would never know.  Anyway, it was only $6.50—well under our $50 limit.

I took home the cookie tray and hid it in the cabinet but proudly displayed the cake plate.  A few weeks later I pulled out the tray and arranged warm snickerdoodle cookies on it.  Russell entered the room and casually asked, “Is that new?”  I looked him in the eye, smiled, and replied, “No, I’ve had it.”

Now, praying about Russell’s lies and being reminded of my own, I knew what I had to do.  I found Russell and confessed my dishonesty.  My openness made him feel comfortable enough to admit the truth about his golf purchase.  When I’d confronted him, he’d been unsure of my reaction, making it seem easier to lie and hope the situation would go unnoticed.  We grew closer that day as we asked for, and received, forgiveness, vowing to no longer hide even insignificant things from each other.

—Stephanie Davenport in A Marriage Partnership

My Response:  To restore trust, I need to repent of deception by …

Thought to Apply:  If we be honest with ourselves, we shall be honest with each other. —George Macdonald

Adapted from Marriage Partnership (Fall/06)

Prayer for the Week

May your truth so live in me, Lord, that every form of deceit is wrung out of my life.

Stick to Shooting Straight – How Could He Lie to Me?

Key Bible Verse:  Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.  – Colossians 3:9

Bonus Reading:  Zechariah 8:16-17

One Saturday afternoon six months into our marriage, I noticed my husband’s credit card statement lying on the kitchen table.  On it I spied a $55 personal charge to a golf store.  Because of our debt, Russell and I had agreed to maintain a tight budget and to discuss any purchases over $50.  I couldn’t believe he’d kept something from me.

I immediately found him. “What’s this?” I asked him, holding out the statement.  “I thought we agreed to discuss larger purchases.”

“That’s a mistake,” he admitted.  “As soon as I bought the putter I felt guilty.  I’ve already returned it—the credit should show up next month.”

That was that—until his next statement arrived showing no credit for the returned putter.  Though Russell assured me he’d straighten out things, I had a queasy feeling he wasn’t being truthful.  In the garage I spotted the new putter poking out of his golf bag.  What else has he been hiding? I wondered.

In this one instance of betrayal, my perfect husband had vanished.  I was too upset to talk to Russell at first—all I could do was cry.  So I poured out my hurt to God.  “Why would Russell hurt me this way?’ I asked.  God’s answer wasn’t what I expected.  [continued tomorrow]

—Stephanie Davenport in A Marriage Partnership

Thought to Apply:  When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback. —Bill Copeland (writer)

My Response:  A time I lied to avoid embarrassment or shame was …

Adapted from Marriage Partnership (Fall/06)

Prayer for the Week

May your truth so live in me, Lord, that every form of deceit is wrung out of my life.

Stick to Shooting Straight – No Matter What?

Key Bible Verse:  The Holy One has given you his Spirit, and … you know the difference between truth and lies. – 1 John 2:20-21

Bonus Reading:  Psalm 24:3-6

As a new Christian, I had a job that paid by the hour but demanded a set amount of work within the allotted time frame.  So everyone was expected to work “off the clock.”  We were being paid by the task, it was explained to me, no matter how short or long it took.  If we finished early we could go home and have someone else clock out for us.  If we didn’t get done in time, we punched out then finished the job.

After I’d worked there about a year, an investigator from corporate headquarters visited, going around asking each of us if we’d ever worked off the clock.

I didn’t know how I should respond.  Fifty others had already answered no.  If I told the truth, I’d get them all in trouble, possibly lose my job, and hurt our store.  Though I considered honesty the best policy, I wasn’t so sure it applied to such a complex situation.

Since I was the last person to be interviewed, I had time to ask my Bible study group what to do.  They showed me verse after verse that called for honesty no matter what.

All my “Yeah, buts … ” evaporated.  I did the right thing, and from then on knew how to deal with any similar situation.

—Larry Osborne in A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God

My Response: Have I determined to adhere to honesty “no matter what”?

Adapted from A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God (Multnomah, 2007)

Prayer for the Week

May your truth so live in me, Lord, that every form of deceit is wrung out of my life.