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First Presbyterian Church of Mount Clemens
First Presbyterian Church of Mount Clemens
When the answers to the Big Questions eludes the scientist, they are befuddled.
‘The heavens declare the glory of God.
The skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:1,14b)
There is a phrase that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. So far, though it appears that March is going to come in like a lamb with some warm weather. I can only hope that the reverse will not be true because Easter comes on the last Sunday of March. We will just have to wait and see.
There are plenty of scientists out there who can try to predict the weather but, in the end, we just have to say “things happen” when they run out of scientific explanations. The Psalmist, though, is clear that everything that we see and everything unseen was created by our Almighty God. When something happens that cannot be easily explained by science, the scientist is befuddled. Many scientists have moved from being an atheist to believers in Creator God after all other possibilities fail. Those who cannot bring themselves to believe in a higher power, simply say, “Well it must have always been here.”
In a book entitled, Magic Soup, Typing Monkeys, and Horny Aliens Rom Outer Space: The Patently Absurd Wholly Unsubstantiated and Extravagantly Failed Atheist Origin Myth by Evan Sayet (a strange title to be sure), the author states, “If you are of the belief that science has answered all of the Big Questions of creation and design, and, in having done so, has left the God of the Bible in the pile of discarded superstitions, folklore, legends, and myths of the past, you could not possibly be more mistaken.”
When a scientist cannot come up with a valid answer, they simply say “things happen”, but the author says that this is an admission that there is simply no reasonable scientific explanation can be given.
When we can look beyond science, we realize that the universe and everything in it-matter, energy, space, and time-had a beginning somewhere and somehow. This reminds me of the question, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Steven Meyer, says that “Clearly matter and energy could not have caused themselves to come into existence before they existed.” I wonder if he would agree then that we could not have an egg if there was not a chicken first. If you think back to the creation story, God created the animals. They were not embryos or amoeba that formed over time, The only conclusion that can be reached is that there had to be a Creator, someone who could make something out of nothing. Amazing yet paradoxical for those who cannot see beyond the material.
Throughout the year and especially during Lent, we may struggle with the Big Questions. We try to figure out why things happen the way they do, whether it is through the understanding of nature or humanity, and most times we must admit that there are answers beyond our ability to grasp. It is then that we begin to open our hearts and minds to the reality that there is something bigger and greater than mere humans. It is then when we fall to our knees and lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving to a Creator and Redeemer who loves us more than we could ever imagine.
May we help those who do not believe to see God in the miracles o this world, especially in the miracle of resurrection this Easter.
I thank God for you,
Pastor Kathy Nealand
“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
"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.
The Apostle Paul followed the Law of Connection.
Office Hours
- Tuesday - 9 to 2 pm
- Wednesday - 10 to 3 pm
- Thursday - 10 to 3 pm
- Friday - 9 to 2 pm
Sunday Worship: 10 am
Summer Worship - June through First Sunday in September - 9:30 am
Office Phone: 1-586-465-0461
Office e-mail: office@fpcmtclemens.com
