Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach our your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to Him. “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” ~John 20:27-29

Good old Thomas, one of the disciples we easily get frustrated with. How can you spend this much time with Jesus, and still have so much trouble with belief? He saw blind men receive vision. He saw thousands of hungry people being fed to satisfaction, with leftovers, from five loaves and two fish. He saw lame walk, leprosy cleansed, demons cast out, water turned into wine, and the dead raised back to life, all at the hands of Jesus!

But Thomas was not the only one. Mary Magdalene, one who had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus, had quite a lengthy conversation with Him after coming out of the tomb before realizing it was Him. She thought He was the gardener who had possibly taken Jesus away. On the road to Emmaus, two of His close followers conversed with Him for quite some time and over some distance, and still didn’t recognize Him until He broke bread with them. After that, He appeared to the eleven remaining disciples, and Luke 24:37 says that they were frightened, and thinking they had seen a ghost. And even after many of them started to believe, it took Thomas the gruesome act of touching the wounds of Christ before He would let go of his doubt.

Three years, unspeakable miracles, an intimate relationship that no one else would ever have with Jesus, how did they not recognize Him? Was it that, combined with their lack of faith and belief in all that Jesus had told them prior to His crucifixion, there were so many long-haired, bearded lookalikes? Possibly – yet that never seemed to be a problem when He was still alive. Did He really look all that different from what He did before, or did they recognize that He at least looked like Jesus, but didn’t truly believe He had come back to life?

We don’t know, and in our lack of knowledge, we can get pretty hard on those clueless followers. Yet…are we any better? God has given us life. He has saved our souls. He has given us the beauty of His mysterious creation. And, while perhaps we don’t always get what we pray for, or He doesn’t always operate the way we might prefer, He has
answered enough prayers and gotten us through enough challenging moments that we should have no problem recognizing His presence among us, yet don’t we still struggle? Don’t we still question Him? Don’t we still lack faith?

We are a people who demand evidence, though no world view (science included) contains complete evidence of all it claims. Somehow we have no problem putting our trust in any and all of “those other things” (social media, political promises, and other man-made “truths,”), but how quick are we to write God off and slow to believe, even though He’s proved His presence and work in our lives over and over?

May this Easter not be only about the resurrection of Jesus, but about the resurrection of our faith in Him who gave Himself for us, and then came back and showed Himself to hundreds of people just to give us the evidence we seek – something no other world view can do. Happy Easter!~Pastor Eric

If you have been to any of the last few worship services, the above scripture may sound familiar. More than familiar, I hope it strikes a chord with you. It speaks of a God who is interested in you. He’s not merely a God who decided to mass produce a bunch of two-legged creatures with some intelligence in a helter-skelter way. He created you with a distinct purpose, as you can clearly see with some study of the 139th Psalm, and has amazing things planned for you.

There are a lot of colorful “four-letter words” that we learned at a young age we are to avoid – what we call “cuss” words. I wonder whether God may see the four-letter “L” word we often think of this time of year in the same light – as a cuss word - when we understand the intentionality with which He works. Could you really be cussing when you use the word luck?

I have never really thought of it that way myself, but something struck me this past week as I was running through my brain the last couple of things we have left to do at our old place before we can finally list it for sale. The undertaking of packing, moving, loading and unloading truckloads of stuff, making repairs inside and out, painting, cleaning, and just the acts of having people find the house for us, using their expertise as our realtor, and having a church full of folks, as well as some other friends outside the church, who were willing to go above and beyond to help us out - it’s hard not to feel bad about these acts of kindness. The fact is, there is no sufficient way to thank everyone properly for all you did for us.

It would be very easy to say how lucky we are to have been brought to this church that we absolutely love, to have the opportunity to serve here, and to have such kind and generous folks. Aren’t we so lucky? Aren’t all of us lucky from time to time when things seem to go our way, when we find special people in our lives, either through spouses, family, or friends, or when we find that perfect job, nice house, or any of the other good fortunes that come our way? When we think of where we could be instead, didn’t luck just find its way to us?

We are so used to saying that, that many of us may not understand why luck can be such a slap in the face to God. But the fact is, God loves us, He knows the plans He has for us, His desire is to always bring us to a place where we are blessed by Him. Nothing good like that just happens accidentally. Luck implies that some people always have great things, and some people always have bad things. Luck implies that God only likes a few people – those who seem to have good things happen, and that He ignores those who find themselves in very difficult places in life.

But the fact is, we all have unfortunate things happen to us. Some of the most influential people in our world were once in places where life hit rock-bottom. They might have said how unlucky they were – but then they wouldn’t have the story they have to tell now. Regardless of how awful or amazing life seems, how unlucky or lucky we think we are, God has a plan for each one of us who are willing to trust Him with our lives. And when we allow faith to win the day, we will find that the appropriate statement to make is to declare how blessed we all are. Thanks for being an awesome church and an amazing blessing!
~Pastor Eric

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. ~Romans 8:9-11

As I am writing this, I am preparing to get into my car for the first time in three days since the latest snow fell. There are always mixed feelings about a good snowstorm. Being from the Laurel Highlands of Western PA, I rarely mind a good snow, though the process of clean up can always be a pain. It was, at least, an opportunity for me to give my snowblower some good use after a few years of just sitting in the shed.

This chore brought about some interesting insight, however. Since my snowblower is rather small, and forecasters were originally calling for more snow than we got, I decided to do a quick clearing of the main areas mid-day Sunday, halfway through the storm, to get the initial dump out of the way. I did not do everything – I didn’t move our cars or do the entire alley coming into our place, just the main driveway and sidewalks. On Monday, I went out to do everything, including the deeper areas I didn’t touch on Sunday.

Can you guess which part was easier to clean Monday – the part I had snowblowed the day before or the part I didn’t do at all? If your answer was, the part that I had already done, as I might expect your answer to be (as I would answer, as well), I would have to tell you that you are absolutely…incorrect.

While it would certainly make sense that it should be easier to clear out the part I had already started, and it would be correct in most circumstances, what I didn’t anticipate was the precipitation turning to straight sleet almost immediately after my first clearing. So the part that I had cleared the day before was inches of pure ice right on top of asphalt/cement, while the part I hadn’t touched still had some of the softer snow mixed in, with the ice on top, which was much easier for the snowblower to chew through.

I’ve told you before that your pastor has an interesting brain, and as I relaxed Monday night and was thinking about that snowblowing adventure, it sunk in how our hearts are very similar to this phenomenon. The Bible speaks often about “hard hearts,” and that usually refers to those who are stubborn and refuse to follow God. But we also know that we all have those stubborn, hard-hearted moments; we all reject God’s standards and disobey him. These sinful moments are the reason Jesus had to come to Earth to begin with, and an earlier chapter of Romans reminds us that no one is the exception to this, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (3:23).

Unfortunately, allowing Christ into our hearts does not mean we never make mistakes again, nor does it make sin any more excusable (as many people think). If anything, the standards are higher because a follower of Christ should be striving to live like Him. But having the Spirit of Christ in our hearts makes it easier to remove the hardened chunks of sin from our lives. This happens in a couple of ways.

First, we have the influence and model of Christ to know how to live, and as a pure follower, we want to live like Him, and are therefore convicted and feel guilty and sad when we sin, and we want that removed from us. We find ourselves wanting to be as far from sin as possible.

The good news is in the second way sin is much more easily removed – as Paul says in Romans 8, we are no longer automatically under the power of death because of the forgiving power of Christ. If we confess and repent, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

So sin, like ice, is so much easier dealt with and removed when the soft and loving influence of Christ is our primary guide. It doesn’t excuse sin, but we are enticed to get rid of it when it does creep in, and Jesus is ready and willing to do that! Valentine’s Day is not everyone’s favorite holiday for understandable reasons, but Jesus is a true Valentine we can always celebrate and appreciate because of this!   Blessings!     ~Pastor Eric

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness .     ~Lamentations 3:22-23

The holidays are time of pondering old traditions and making new ones. In the last article, I shared about my night light tradition, a very fond memory indeed. In thinking about all of my old holiday traditions this year, I also began pondering what New Year’s celebrations looked like for our family.

New Year’s was always a bittersweet time for me. I had so much enjoyment of Christmas, that when December 26 came, even though I was enjoying the gifts I had received, there was a sense of sadness. It was like the faucet of Christmas cheer turned off on that day. Except, New Year’s Eve was also a fun time for our family, so I would often consider it Christmas’ second wind. We would always go to my cousins’ house, have dinner, and then play a lot of games and just have a grand time until it was time for dessert and counting down for the New Year. Another hour or so of fun, and then we would go home.

After a night of sleep and waking up later in the day on January 1, sadness really set in knowing that the holidays were truly over for another year – no third wind or anything else to celebrate. I would unplug my special Christmas night light for another season, and work through the heavy feelings that many people feel through January, February, and March. The celebrations were over, and even the “newness” the New Year was supposed to bring seemed short-lived.

I am glad the blessings of God and the newness He offers isn’t like that. Lamentations reminds us of that feeling of being consumed. Indeed, we know that sin can certainly do that to us, and without the grace of God through Christ Jesus, we certainly would be consumed by eternal judgment. But not only does the believer no longer need to worry about that, that person can also find ongoing benefits from that same love of our awesome God. We do not need to wait until January 1, or the anniversary of our baptism, or Christmas, or our birthday, or any other single, solitary day on the calendar to receive a blessing from God. Lamenations reminds us that his compassions, mercies, and blessings are new every morning.

Just like His love, God’s blessings, presence and all the other good things from Him are always available to us. Every morning when we hear our annoying alarm, we can thank God for another day he gave us to live. Every time we get behind a driver that seems like his primary goal is to make us late, we can thank God that we have the ability to drive and a car in which to do it. Every time the boss fills our schedule with one more daunting task, we can thank God for the money that task is giving us so we can feed our families, have a place to live, and pay for everything else we must.

As we work through what many consider the three longest and toughest months of the year, we may not be able to easily fight those sad feelings, but we can be thankful that God is there, not letting us go through those winter months alone, and that every day we have something to be thankful for.

Here is something you can try this year. Every morning or evening, whenever it fits best on your schedule, starting on January 1 and going through March 31 (though it doesn’t need to end there), write down one thing you can thank God for. For an extra challenge, see if you can go the entire three months without repeating something you already wrote down. Do you think you can come up with 90 different things to be thankful for over the next three months until the green and the warmth returns? Give it a try. Happy New Year!
~Pastor Eric

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered (treasured) them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.     ~Luke 2:18-20

I remember it and see it vividly in my mind as though it still graced the top of my dresser, even though it was decades ago. It was a ceramic nightlight in the shape of an open Bible standing upright, with a child standing in front of it. I received it as a Christmas present from my Sunday School teacher in my late Elementary School years. I immediately took it home and placed it on my dresser and turned it on – and the glow it put in my room was beautiful.

As is typical for children at that age, the newness wore off fairly quickly, and not long after Christmas I quit turning it on. But it just so happened that the following year, the necessary uncluttering of my dresser uncovered that precious night light just as Christmas once again approached, and once again I turned it on to enjoy its glow.
 
While the night light was not particularly a Christmas night light, this started a tradition that went on for many, many years. I would only turn on that night light at Christmas time, and that familiar soft glow would trigger all the amazing thoughts I would have of my favorite holiday. When that light turned on in November, it meant that Christmas decorations would soon go up, traditions with family were about to commence, church Christmas programs that I always loved would soon begin, and another round of presents would soon appear on my lap. It was with sadness that I would turn off that night light shortly into January for another year. But I knew that I was just 10 months away from turning it back on when the next Christmas would arrive, and as I would drift off to sleep on the first night of it’s glow as Christmas once again approached, I would reflect, ponder, and treasure all of the fun Christmas experiences that were just around the corner.

That light went with me everywhere I moved – from the first time I moved out on my own, and even all the way down here to York when I came to Codorus the first time in 2007. At some point through the years, the little boy broke off, but I would still light that night light for nearly two decades as the Christmas Holiday would approach. Old traditions and new traditions alike, I would cherish every Christmas memory I could think of when the light would come on for another Christmas season.

Every year we hear the familiar Christmas story from Luke 2. It is beautifully told, and it depicts the stressful night that Mary and Joseph went through, the scary night the Shepherds endured, and the sacred night when our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was born. When He arrived, Mary and Joseph’s stress subsided and the shepherds’ fear melted, and all anyone knew was that this baby was the one prophesized to save the world. What we rarely think about from that passage, however, are those last verses – how Jesus’ birth caused a great choir of celebration from the angels, and the joy that night turned into was enough to bring a peace and happiness to Mary’s heart that she would treasure, even long after Jesus was gone.

There were no Christmas trees, colorful lights, Christmas pageants, or beautifully wrapped packages to open (other than the gold, frankincense and myrrh the Kings would eventually bring). Still, that first Christmas brought more joy than any one of us has experienced on any of our Christmas celebrations, because it reminded people of their way to salvation and eternal paradise, the best gift anyone could ever receive.

How I miss that night light. I don’t even know what happened to it anymore, and it has been quite some time since I lit it up. But if I were to find it, I would turn it on once again, but this time, as I have grown and become closer to Jesus, it would give new meaning: the joy of Christmas with my wife, the joy of Christmas with my son, and the joy of Christmas with the One who gave me eternal life. Whatever beacons you use to celebrate Christmas, may you remember the true reason for the season, and treasure it always in your heart.
~Pastor Eric

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.”    ~Isaiah 12:4-5

Once in a while, topics like Giving Thanks are so broadly covered in scripture that it helps to do an extremely sophisticated search (Google) to see all of the possible passages gathered in one place, then I can more easily skim down through them to determine what direction I feel God may want me to go. Of the several I read, these two verses from Isaiah 12 stood out to me the most. It was only after I selected these verses for use that I decided to read the entire chapter, and discovered God’s sense of humor.

If you happened to be in church on October 12 when I began speaking about the Living Water segment of our Mission and Vision, you may remember I quoted a prophetic text that went along quite well with our primary passage about the Samaritan woman at the well. The passage read: With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. It just so
happens that that is but one verse before the above passage (Isaiah 12:3).

Since we have established God’s mysterious way of drawing our attention to His gems in scripture, let’s now unpack what these verses are saying. In the simplest of terms, this passage is an action text that strongly discourages us from keeping the goodness, the awesomeness, the love, the amazing deeds and acts, and the salvation of God to ourselves. We should want to be as excited about sharing the good news of who God is and what He does as readily as we are to tell others about all of the other good things that happen in our lives.

My thought is this: Since November is the month we will gather with family and friends for Thanksgiving, and my original goal was to share a passage of scripture about that holiday, and God led me right back to a passage I had used as a key verse in our Vision and Mission series, could it be that Thanksgiving would be an excellent time to begin putting our Mission and Vision into action?

I realize it may not be everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition to go around the table and say one thing you are thankful for, but it seems to inevitably happen at some point every year in our gatherings. Maybe that’s the perfect time to put this passage into action. Use your time of sharing to describe to your family and friends the answers to the following questions.

· What is it about God’s name that makes you want to proclaim it?
· What is something that God has done for you that you are incredibly thankful for?
· What is one way you have grown in your faith because of what God has taught you this year?

Make your Thanksgiving proclamations this Thanksgiving be about giving praise and credit to the source of those amazing blessings. What better place to start the action steps of our Vision and Mission Statements than in the warm and cozy company of family and friends? Happy Thanksgiving!        

~Pastor Eric

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”                                                                                                                          ~Matthew 9:37-38

It’s unbelievable how quickly the days pass by. Every year, as we get into the Spring months, and we drive by the corn fields and see the green sprouts begin to peek above
the soil, Rhonda has to put up with her husband going through the mixed feelings of
excitement and  impatience. She hears me get stoked about the imminent arrival of sweet corn, while grumbling that it isn’t growing faster.

Some wise person once said, Don’t wish your life away. Indeed, it seems that if you blink more than a few times, the corn is tall, full, and the roadside stands are loaded with ears ready to eat. The time in between did, in fact, go quickly with all the activity going on in our lives. Spring closed with Rhonda completing a school year and us taking a vacation to Billy Graham’s Home Place, and summer arriving with normal seasonal activities and our trip to Annual Conference. Upon the completion of Conference in early July, we returned home to our first batch of sweet corn.

But even those months went by so quickly. Driving down the country roads today takes you past very few corn stalks that haven’t turned brown and completed their life cycle for another year. It won’t be much longer until the other vegetables are finished, too, and the harvest for one more year will be complete. Next year will be another year, and the cycle will start all over again.

It was in the prime of Jesus’ ministry He expressed a similar trend with the people He saw as He went from town to town, but with one distinct difference. Matthew says in chapter 9: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Out of Jesus’ deep love and compassion, He was even more eager for this harvest of people than we are for the harvest of vegetables, and Jesus calls us into that same enthusiasm, but with more urgency. The distinct difference I mentioned was simply this: The harvest of people has a time limit. We don’t always have the same luxury of “waiting until next year” when we encounter those people without a shepherd. You might have that one chance alone to give the message of Christ to the downtrodden person you see in the grocery store parking lot, or the single mother or father trying to find encouragement in a world that is quickly crashing down around them. You may be the hope they are waiting for. Returning to the same fruit stand of people “next year,” while it may give you another chance to help somebody, will not give you the chance to help that one who needed it most in that moment.

Jesus was correct when he said the workers are few for the abundant harvest of souls. Our Mission and Vision Statements are meant to reverse that trend, but it’s up to you whether or not that works. May God show you the next one to be picked, loved, prayed for, and given the message of Christ.

Go Get ‘Em!          
~Pastor Eric

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those he loves.   ~Psalm 127:1-2

I can imagine that your feelings when reading this passage are just as mixed as mine were when I first read it. If you have read any emails from me, you know that the first part of this passage is what I use to “sign off” in the signature line of those emails. The second part of the passage describes many of our schedules every day – getting up early, staying up late, sometimes working multiple jobs to make ends meet, which simply means that we are trying to earn enough money to eat, pay bills, and take care of all of our other responsibilities. And knowing how important those financial obligations are, many people would take issue with the word “vain” to describe that lifestyle of early rising and late settling.

Yet we must understand what is being said in these words, and that they are actually quite wise. The key to that understanding is reflecting on the word “unless” that appears in the first verse. Simply stated, the sometimes grueling parts of our daily routine (rising early, going to our jobs, working hard, earning money, staying up late, and taking care of our families in between) is only vain (futile, useless, purposeless) when God is not in the picture. According to Solomon, the work of the laborers building a house, guarding a city, or any other job known to man – and the hours worked to complete those jobs – are only vain if God is not the one behind those efforts.

In the Sunday Morning message on August 24, I referred to a quote from Charles Spurgeon who mentioned the effectiveness of the division of labor (that is, everyone has a different job according to their gifts and skillsets), but often the only one finding satisfaction in their jobs are those who feel their work is creative and accomplishing something – which is not as easily felt among those who feel like their work is always the same, day after day, and never seems to change. The jabbing quote from Spurgeon’s illustration was the one that said, No man does a thing well who does it sorrowfully.

If that is you, I want to encourage you. I understand that we don’t always have the luxury of changing jobs in the quest to find that happiness and joy in our work. But I want to assure you that if your work is done for the Lord, no matter how secular your job seems, it is not in vain, regardless of how much it may feel like it. Your work means something to someone. People would certainly notice if you didn’t show up to do your part, and there isn’t a job that is the exception. And each day at work is an opportunity to spend time with God if you work alone, or share God with others if you work in a group.

If you give God each day, He will ensure that your labor, regardless of what you do, will never be in vain. Keep that in mind as your celebrate Labor Day this month. And when you go back to work, commit the remainder of your days to the Lord, and let Him bring meaning to your efforts. Happy Labor Day, and keep up the great work, whatever you do!           ~Pastor Eric

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.                                                                                               ~Philippians 4:6-7

In taking a trip to Walmart recently, we passed by the many shelves loaded with notebooks, paper, folders, and the abundance of school supplies I used to dump into the cart on my back-to-school shopping adventures so many years ago. It’s been well over 20 years since the last time I went on one of those adventures, but I remember them quite vividly. It would be about this time of year, and feelings were very mixed. I loved summer, and a lot of me did not want to go back to school. Perhaps small parts of me were excited about the new possibilities the upcoming year could bring, but it was not an overwhelming feeling of joy. But something about buying new clothes, backpacks, and other school supplies rekindled my excitement for school, and once I was fully stocked, I couldn’t wait to go back and use my new things.

I know, however, that not everyone felt that way. And not everyone feels that way today. Whether you are a student, teacher, school administrator, or you hold any other position in the school system, you are about to gear up for another school year. Some are excited, some are anxious, and some may be flat out dreading their inevitable return. In most cases, how one feels about going back to school is heavily dependent on their experiences in previous years.

Yet, regardless of how folks feel, within a few weeks’ time, the school buildings and classrooms will be full again, and the education of our students will commence for
another year of learning, experience, and hopefully fond memories. Everyone who
graces the door of a school deserves to be celebrated. Our students are receiving an education that many may not be blessed with in other parts of the country or world, and school staffs will be making a difference in the lives of the students God sets before them.

My hope for this school year is that you feel appreciated, supported, and empowered by the Lord your God. It’s not easy to heed the words of Paul when we feel anxious about all the challenges that could come our way. You may even get to the end of this school year wondering if you accomplished anything of significance, and not understanding how you could have reached any of your students in influential ways. But we are told that as long as we remain connected and prayerful to God, He will work in ways beyond our understanding in the lives of these students, to the extent that had you not been there, the lives of the
students would be much different, and not for the better.

For students, you have the opportunity to make and solidify friendships, gain an education that will prepare you for a successful career, and maybe even be graced with an opportunity to share the love of Christ with someone who needs it. Even though school is not the easiest place for such an interaction, I believe God graces those who pray for those opportunities with a way to change lives.

One thing that remains on our bulletin prayer list each week are our students and staff. Now is the perfect time to begin praying for the year ahead – for students, staff, and for our God to be working in the lives of each one. May God bless you and the new school year to come!
~Pastor Eric

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to captives and freedom to prisoners.          ~Isaiah 61:1

Isn’t freedom wonderful? Sometimes we take it for granted, especially since it is something that we have experienced our entire lives. But there are smaller moments of freedom we experience along the way. In the past month, we have celebrated a young man who graduated high school. If Harry Markey is like me, that feeling of no longer having to go to high school and starting a new chapter in college was a sense of remarkable freedom. That became even more true after college graduation. But with that freedom came a sense of responsibility, and that is what so many of us (all of us at times) struggle with the most.

Freedom. It’s a concept we celebrate heavily in this country, with a plethora (if not a majority) of people having no concept of what true freedom is. Isn’t it significant that we were able to break free from British rule? Of course it is. Wasn’t it a major accomplishment when slavery ended and the many who had been poorly treated were set free? Without a doubt! Can’t we appreciate the freedoms we have in this country that so many others around the world don’t? I appreciate it as much as the next person.

But so did Israel. Incredible rejoicing occurred when they were cut loose from Egyptian bondage and slavery, and when they crossed the Red Sea miraculously, and when they were set free from 40 years of wilderness wandering, and when they became victorious in their conquest of the Promised Land…freedom after freedom after freedom. Yet Isaiah 61 had to be written to encourage a nation who had once again found themselves in bondage and exile – and it wasn’t for no reason they were there. They had no concept of what true freedom was, and didn’t use the freedom they had wisely – in a way that would bring honor to the God who had constantly provided that freedom.

It wasn’t until Christ came along that anyone could understand freedom at its greatest. Isaiah’s words to a captive Israel were but a prophecy of this, still centuries away from fulfillment. But even today, many people don’t know Christ, and therefore don’t know true freedom. The Apostle Paul helps us to understand why that is true in his letter to the  Galatians. He opens the fifth chapter by saying, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. But what does that mean? Because we know Christ, can we literally do anything we want (even things we are called by scripture not to do)? Isn’t that what got Israel in trouble?

Paul later explains in verse 13: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh, rather serve one another humbly in love. No greater paradox exists than when we assume that freedom means anything goes (including selfish, sinful acts), when the bonds of sin and its consequences are what we have been set free from.

True freedom in Christ means we no longer have to worry about the everlasting consequence and punishment of sin (that we all deserve). Jesus put Himself into the bondage of those consequences when he went to the cross. But on the third day, when He was set free from the tomb, all who believe in Him were also set free from the captivity of death, and new, glorious, and eternal life of true freedom awaits every believer. July 4 will always be a special day in America, but the day you gave your life to Christ will be the most precious Independence Day you will ever celebrate. Make sure such a day exists on your calendar, and if it does, give God thanks for that glorious day, and live the other 364 days of the year showing Him how grateful you are!
~Pastor Eric

“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God – even as I try to please everyone in
every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."          ~1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

I am not sure how I missed this over the last three decades of my life, but in 1994, Philips, Craig, and Dean came out with a powerful song that I heard just yesterday (as I am writing this) for the very first time (at least that I can remember). Perhaps it was time for me to hear it, but it’s too powerful not to share with you in hopes that you all can get something out of this, too. Maybe and hopefully, it will change the way you look at, lead, and treat others – be it your own children, or anyone else you encounter in this life.

The song begins with an image that becomes routine for many fathers (and mothers), and perhaps at the end of a long day, it is taken for granted and seen as a celebratory moment as the day ends and a couple of hours of private quiet time begins. It’s the moment when we lay our precious children down, give them the kiss that means everything to them, a hug, hopefully a prayer, and the final goodnight wishes as they prepare to drift off to sleep. As parents tell me, only as kids get older and they no longer require that, do we tend to wish we would have cherished those moments more when we could have. In the song, as this special moment takes place, the father hears his child say the words every parent longs to hear: I want to be like you. These simple, precious words cause a moment of self-reflection in this dad, as it should for every one of us, and it leads him to the following chorus:

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

You can’t listen to this song as a father without tears coming to your eyes as you make this your wish as a parent. We must make the moments we have as fathers and mothers count, endeavoring to achieve the ultimate goal of raising children that will be just like us, with the understanding that we are to be just like our Father in Heaven, following the example that was set through His Son, Jesus.

It is admittedly challenging to write articles for special days of the year that are not all-inclusive. What single person wants to read a Valentine’s Day message, or what man or woman who is not a parent wants to read a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day message? But this one is important for all, for if we heed the words of Paul above, you do not need to be a parent to have someone look up to you because you take the time to care. You have the power to be a positive influence in someone’s life, someone who wants to be just like you,
especially if they see Christ living in you. May we all find that one special person, even if we don’t have that already as a parent. To the fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day!
~Pastor Eric

She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness. 
Her children arise and call her blessed; 
her husband also, and he praises her: 
Many women do noble things, 
but you surpass them all.
~Proverbs 31:27-29

Whether you are the son or daughter of a mother, or you are a mother yourself, it is my hope that you can find value and truth in these words. Even if you are among those whose relationship with Mom has been rocky or tarnished, and somehow you have not been able to identify a woman who has filled that gap in another way, at the very least you are in existence today because of Mom, and that is a reason to rejoice.

But as I think through the wonderful people of this congregation, I know that at least the vast majority can look at these words from Proverbs 31 and shout a big Amen! Recently we started a moment of celebration on the first Sunday of the month where we recognize all those celebrating birthdays that month. When talking about this, I have often made the comment that you are worth celebrating. As I continue to embrace Psalm 139 as one of my favorite scriptures, we are reminded that there are no mistakes when it comes to those whom God has created. If you are reading this article, you are one who needs to be reminded that you were created intentionally, in your mother’s womb, with a purpose.

You are here because God wants you to be here – He’s got big plans for you – and you will accomplish great things. It was your mother God ordained to make this possible. She’s the one who carried you in her womb through God’s divine plan. Hopefully you had a mother or mother figure who worked hard to create a comfortable and safe home for you to live in, one who woke with you overnight when you were sad, afraid, or sick. If this was the case, you can count your blessings, as unfortunately there are some who were not so fortunate, and our hearts grieve with those who grieve.

Those of you who are mothers or mother figures today, you are now creating an example and model for those under your care, and it is important for you to hear us all say, thank you! Many women (and men) do great things, as this Proverb suggests; we all work to fulfill our God-given purposes. But mothers rise above all of them because of their loving sacrifices, and the mere fact that without them, we would not be here to fulfill that purpose. Whether you are a mother (in any form) or have a mother (or mother figure), even if she is no longer with you, take time to recognize the impact that special lady has had in your life. God Bless You Moms!                                                            -Pastor Eric

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.   ~Luke 24:1-3

There aren’t many times in life where one may consider emptiness a good thing. I still  remember returning home from vacation a few years back, and we were in a somewhat desolate part of Virginia where there were several exits in a row showing no gas stations on the blue signs that tell you what is off each exit, just as our tank was getting low. The mileage indicator was quickly dropping from 40 to 30, and before long it was the 4 dashes that meant, get gas now, but still no gas stations in sight. We finally found one, got off the exit, and just before getting to the turn for the gas station, the engine shut off. Boy how glad we were that we weren’t stuck on the interstate, but still, it couldn’t hold out another 300 feet???

As summer approaches, the water jugs will be coming out as we get more active and require more water to stay hydrated, but have you ever been incredibly thirsty and reached for your water jug, only to find that it was empty? What about when your bank accounts, refrigerator, or even your very life all seem to be teetering on the empty side?

I can think of one thing that should bring us great joy knowing that it is empty, and that’s the tomb of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are reminded that Easter is the season of emptiness, but it is not at all a bad thing, although the events that transpired to make Easter so  victorious were very traumatic at the time. For just over 30 years, Heaven was empty of Jesus’ presence, as He came to earth to show us the way to salvation and then seal the deal with His death on the cross. His body was emptied of joy and happiness, not to mention His blood and water as He breathed His last on the cross.

But then, on Sunday morning, what would become the very first Easter Sunday, one more thing was found empty, and that began the refilling process of everything else that had  been left empty. Jesus was risen, came back to life, walking out of that tomb and left it  empty. His joy returned, as did all who would believe in Him. Eventually He returned to Heaven, refilling that void. And now all of us who feel empty in this life have the promise of being filled by Christ Jesus – to be made full of joy, full of hope, full of life, and full of His Spirit. And one day, Heaven will no longer be empty of our presence either, as we eagerly await the day in which we can walk through the gates to join Jesus around His table, also full of the components of the best feast we will ever have. Because of Jesus Christ, nothing will ever be empty again – in fact, quite the opposite, as we are reminded in Psalm 23 that our cup will eternally run over! I hope you have a blessed Easter as you find joy in this beautiful promise!   ~Pastor Eric              

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~James 1:16-17

As the green returns in just over a month, I am reminded of the warm spring days sitting in my school yard during recess or track and field, or in my own lawn at home, and running my fingers through the grass and clover in search of that rare gem – the “magical” four-leafed clover. The excitement would ebb and flow as clover was often situated in such a way that a leaf from a three-leaf clover settled itself between two leaves of a neighboring clover, giving it the likeness of a four-leaf clover, and just as I was about to pick it, the clover moved, and I saw it only had three leaves after all. It would be disappointing, but the search would continue. But once in a while, just a few times per year, that long-awaited four-leaf clover would show itself in the sunlight, and I would think that I had it made – I was “lucky” because that’s what everyone said about anyone who found such a rare piece of greenery.

Now I can’t say that I can recall any significant connection between a four-leaf clover that I found and a related spell of excellent luck, and deep inside I knew it was merely a legend, but it was fun to go through the motions. And other similar superstitions fall in the same category – wishing upon a star if it is the first one out and the only one you see in the sky on any given evening, wishing on a shooting star, crossing your fingers, or finding a lucky penny. All of these things promise good luck, but of course as Christians, we know better.

It's still fun to find these things, but the concern is found in the very first words of the above scripture passage in James 1:16, Do not be deceived. Some people make these superstitions a matter of jest, but there are some people who truly believe them, and this is where we are called to be careful. James goes on to remind us that every good and perfect
gift – the times when we think luck just happens to be on our side – all of that comes from above. Specifically, the source of all good gifts is none other than our loving Father who wishes to bestow nothing but His very best upon us. The best of those gifts, of course, is His Son, who gave His life so that the most amazing thing of all could become ours – an eternity in perfect paradise in His Kingdom for all who believe in Him. No clover, star, or penny could ever provide something like that.

When we do something nice for someone else, while we probably don’t do it for glory and praise, it would undoubtedly strike a sensitive chord with us if the recipient of our kindness thanked and gave the credit to someone else. Don’t do that to God by counting on anything other than Him for all the amazing blessings we have. ~Pastor Eric

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. ~Psalm 34:7-8


It’s intriguing how quickly stores transition from one holiday to the next. When going through Giant a few days before Christmas to get a last-minute round of Christmas
candy, I noticed that the Valentine’s Day aisle had already been set up. Such is life in the marketing world, I suppose. But seeing all the candy and boxes of the little Valentine cards took me on a trip down memory lane.
I remember Februarys in Elementary School were almost busier for the kids than
Christmas! We may have had a Christmas Card for the teacher or a gift exchange, but we didn’t do anything like we did for Valentine’s Day. The teacher would send us home with a class list of names, and we would have to prepare a Valentine for every kid in the class!
When it came time to sit at our desks and open our Valentines, I remember what really excited me. It wasn’t the number of Valentines I was given to open – they all kind of sounded the same after the first 10. It wasn’t the Valentines I got from the girls; I was a bit too young to appreciate that (5th grade was possibly the exception). But instead, my favorite Valentines were the ones accompanied by candy! Whether it was a lollipop, a piece of chocolate, or those boxes of Valentine Hearts – that’s what really made me excited about Valentines cards. The words were nice – but when it came to candy, I could use my sense of taste to truly appreciate those Valentines!
It is interesting how Scripture, in a matter of speaking, encourages the same as we reflect on the love God has for us. Think about it – how many times in a year, week – and in some cases, even a day – are you told that God loves you? Now don’t get me wrong, that’s one of the most important messages anyone could ever give you. But be honest – what do those words do for you? How many times have you shrugged it off? How many times have you struggled believing it, or appreciated it fully? How many atheists have laughed when told that God loves them?
But if only God could give us that message in a tangible way, we might think, it would be a different story. If only we could use our senses to detect that love – to smell the
undoubtedly aromatic presence of God, to see Him smiling at us, to feel Him hugging us, for our ears to hear Him say how much He loves us. If only we could literally taste His goodness, as Psalm 34 suggests, we might be able to appreciate those words of love more.
The day is coming when all believers will be able to experience this to their fullest satisfaction. But in the meantime, look around you. Smell the flowers that will be blooming in the next few months. See the wonders of His creation. Taste the sweetness of the fruit that pops out of the ground or onto the trees on schedule every year – and even what you can get from supermarkets in the dead of winter because of the abundance. Enjoy time with your family and friends who reflect the image of God, just as you do, especially as you find comfort in the warmth of their love – a love that is only made possible by the author of love, God Himself. Behold the words of scripture that remind us countless times of the love of God and reflect on the disciples’ experience of God’s love in the most tangible way possible, as His Son hung on the cross for you and me. There is no greater expression of love, as we are reminded in John 15:13. Indeed the best Valentines Day card we could receive this year is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s my February challenge for you. Happy Valentine’s Day!
~Pastor Eric

Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. ~Isaiah 43:18-19

As we left Christmas Magic at Rocky Ridge Park and made our way home this past week, we opted to take some back roads to enjoy the Christmas Lights on many of the houses around the area. Our tour brought us out of Ore Valley along Chestnut Hill Road where the retired police officer always decorates so beautifully and goes all out! We passed Susquehanna Memorial Gardens and took the right on Oak Road where we passed the Anderson farm fields and wagon where they sell produce in the summer. How one’s mind can go from enjoying Christmas lights to being ready for the fields to be green and diving into the sweet corn again, within two minutes, is beyond me, but such is the mind of your pastor.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I love winter so much. On one extreme you have the cold and the snow as we had that night. Trees are bare, fields are empty, dead, and snow covered, and everything is frozen solid when winter is at its extreme. And then the air warms, the earth thaws, green things grow, and within six months of singing Christmas carols, farmers are pulling the first of the year’s produce. Temperatures can fluctuate over 100 degrees between the coldest and hottest days of the year. At its coldest, we wonder how green things can ever grow again, and at its hottest we wonder how it’s possible that pond we are fishing in could be a solid block of ice.
Yet every year the cycle continues, with God making things new every time. And it’s not only on Earth that He works this process, but He does it in the lives of Christians as well. We recently talked about how certain things just don’t go together (like oil and water), and the holiness of God and the sinfulness of humans are but one important example. But through Christ Jesus, even people can be made new. Jesus defeated sin, and we can look forward to a new life because of Him. May we embrace that as we march into 2025. And may our appreciation of our newness be demonstrated by a new passion and hunger for God’s Word, and a greater communion with God in prayer. May 2025 be a year when our faith in God grows and we feel closer to Him than ever before, all thanks to the newness Christ has to offer.
Happy New Year!
^{~Pastor Eric}