“Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?” Matthew 21:42
Dear Friends,
I have been thinking about the property and building that God has blessed us with. Some seventy plus years, this congregation had a dream to build a new house for the Lord. The plans were made, donations received, and the building slowly came into fruition. And we, the occupants of this building and property, benefit from their dedication and hard work. When the work was done, the building was commissioned to serve this community for religious purposes.
In the Old Testament we read about how God called the people to build a Tent of Meeting in the wilderness. We read how King David planned to build a house for God, but it was his son, King Solomon who built it according to God’s instructions. Through the Bible we read how that Temple was built and torn down and rebuilt again and again. In the New Testament, our idea of buildings switched to the understanding that Jesus, who had been rejected, became the cornerstone of our faith. So, when we look at our property and buildings, we should not just see brick and mortar, but what it symbolizes: the presence of Jesus Christ and the mission and ministry that we are able to accomplish because of these structures.
In my home church, we had a saying: “It is not the building, it is the people.”
Just like a house is not a home, until people occupy it. So, it is with a church: it is just a building until it is occupied by a faithful group of people who seek to do serve the Lord and to follow God’s will.
So, I have been thinking about the many ways that our grounds and buildings are utilized for God’s glory.
First, it is our gathering place to worship and glorify God. It is a place where we share the Good News of Jesus Christ through prayers, music, songs, and sermons. It is a place where we share with one another the joys and sorrows of life. It is the place that equips us to go out into the world to live according to the Fruit of the Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and gentleness.
Second, it is a place where families and children gather to learn. Children are heard around our building almost every day of the week with the children from the Montessori School to our children on Thursday evenings, and Sunday mornings. Sunday nights our youth gather to play, learn, make new friends and to go on adventures together. It is so rewarding to hear their laughter, and joy fill our hallways.
Third, we are a refuge for our community. Each week people come to our doors seeking assistance that they cannot find in our community. Through our Help Fun and generous people, we assist with utilities, rent, bus passes, and gift cards to the local supermarkets. They leave with the knowledge that we care about their well-being. Sometimes they even come to have someone who will listen to them and receive a word of prayer. Our Family Life Center provides a place for self-help groups to meet, and a place for a community to celebrate the special events in their lives.
Fourth, this building is a place of fellowship, where we can meet people from all walks of life, share our experiences, build relationships, learn from one another, and laugh with one another. Through our Fellowship Team, we will be invited to participate in several events for young and old.
Fifth, it is a place where we can go out and do mission to the wider community. Through our support of Blessings in a Backpack, Feed the Hungry, Salvation Army, Community Garden, and the monthly collections of food, and other items, our impact reaches far beyond the walls of this building.
There are probably many more ways that having our building and property has benefited all those who come through our doors. I thank God for the cloud of witnesses who had the vision of how this property and building would serve as the cornerstone of our faith in Jesus Christ all these years. There is a cost involved for sure. Yet I believe the blessings we receive by having this place far outweigh the cost to maintain it. I hope you agree.
May we continue to be good stewards of all that God has gifted to us this day and into the future. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.
I thank God for you,
Pastor Kathy Nealand
“So, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:1-2
“I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
"Walk by the Spirit . . . led by the Spirit . . . live by the Spirit . . . keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:16, 25
“[Paul Gives Thanks to God] I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.” -1 Corinthians 1:4-5
“Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
As we begin a new season in the church, it is good and right to think about what we mean when we pray “give us this day, our daily bread.” It is all about God’s provision. If we see God as a parent, we know that if we have a need, God will provide exactly what we need. The scripture verse above proves the case. Ask and it will be given to you. Knock and the door will be opened.
All children are precious to God. Psalm 139 speaks to God knowing us before we were born. At our conception we are “children of God.” We belong to God by way of grace. However, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we know that we are children of God (John 1:12). To acknowledge that we are children of God is a sign that our rebirth from above has begun to take place in our lives. It says that we accept the fact that regardless of our age, we need and want to be parented by our heavenly Father.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)
You have found a Bible that you want to read. But where do you start? There are many programs out there that helps a person to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in one year. I would not recommend this approach without understanding how the Bible is laid out. In both the Old and New Testament, the books are broken down by category. In addition, there are various sources that have influenced the content of these books. Even though we believe that the Bible is inspired by God, there are different voices that tell God’s story from their perspective. Scholars believe there are four sources of material that makes up the Old Testament. (Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly). For the beginner, what is most important to keep in mind, is that if you see a story repeat, or you sense a change in the language, the differences may be because you are hearing the different voices. For instance, there are two creation stories. The first one is believed to come from the oral tradition of the Elohist and the second comes from the Yahwist. In Genesis 1, God is seen as a distant figure, while in Genesis 2, God is personally involved in what is happening in the Garden of Eden. Read them for yourself while thinking about the differences and similarities are between them. Listen for the different voices. The first five books are considered the Torah or The Law books. They begin with the creation of this world and continue with the story of the early people including when God gave Moses the laws for the people to live by. They are: Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy The next books are the History books of the Old Testament. Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther The next category are the Wisdom books: Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon The last section are the books of the Major and Minor Prophets. Hint: The minor prophets are not minor in their importance, only in their length. Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahem Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zachariah Malachi This website gives a brief description of each of these books. https://www.biblestudytools.com/books-of-the-bible/ Now that you have an idea of the categories, you might want to start with Genesis, Exodus and the history book. Inspirational readings can be found in the Wisdom books, in particular the Psalms. Whatever direction you choose to go in, you should read the introduction section for each book, so that you have a better idea of content, context, and purpose. Have fun! Next week I will cover the New Testament.
The oldest and most purchased book is the Bible. It is filled with wonderful stories of our ancestors that include family drama, conflict, wars, poetry, songs, prayers, mysteries, and miracles. Interwoven throughout is the story of God’s faithfulness, love, patience, wisdom, grace, judgment, and forgiveness. For anyone wishing to take a deep dive into these sacred stories, the first step is choosing a translation that best helps the reader to understand and interpret the message. Since the invention of the printing press, there have been a plethora of different translations written that are based on the original source documents and put into the language of the people. Each generation and each faith community have their favorite go-to version. The list below shows the most common or popular versions that a reader may want to consider when choosing what version they will use to begin their study. We recommend that a reader use Biblegateway.com to check out each version before purchasing a Bible. BibleGateway gives more options to consider, but this is a good beginning. The Top 10 Best Selling Protestant Bibles 1. New International Version (NIV 2. King James Version (KJV) 3. New Living Translation (NLT) 4. English Standard Version (ESV) 5. New King James Version (NKJV) 6. Christian Standard Bible (CSB) 7. Reina Valera (RV Spanish) 8. New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 9. The Message 10. Nueva Verson International (NVI Spanish) You can find descriptions about these and other Bibles at Bible Versions and Translations Online (biblestudytools.com) . One of our favorites is the Voice Bible (2012). Here is a description: The Voice™ is a faithful dynamic equivalent translation that reads like a story with all the truth and wisdom of God's Word. Through compelling narratives, poetry, and teaching, The Voice invites readers to enter the whole story of God, enabling them to hear God speaking and to experience His presence in their lives. It is written for the new reader and combines historical and study notes. Have fun selecting a version that works best for you. It can also be helpful to have a couple of different versions that can add to your understanding. We at First Presbyterian have the New Revised Standard Version in the pews but often read from other versions during worship and Bible studies. Our next blog will give the reader next steps in reading the Bible.
