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“First Steps,” by Rev. Dr. Shane Green, October 21, 2024

October 21, 2024

In the first half of Ephesians 4, Paul focuses on Christian maturity and how it creates unity in the Body of Christ.  In verse 15 Paul mentioned, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ.”  

The association of truth and love in this clause is a significant one.  Any claim of loyalty to truth (which results in lack of love) stands as much condemned as any claim to an all-embracing love (which is indifferent to truth).  They are not competing as if to say there is a balance that is unachieved.  It is a lifestyle that is embodied.  The Church is seen as the witness to this lifestyle.  Both truth and love should flow freely and in lockstep with each other.

How great it would be for Christians to reclaim this understanding of maturity.  We are called to grow, develop, blossom, and mature.  It is this level of faith-living that is the most effective witness in the world.  Truth without love can be brutally legalistic, hyper-critical, and overly harsh.  Love without truth is empty sentimentality.  

We do both. 

This Week’s Readings:

We are reading the Bible in just a little over a year!  We are now finishing the reading of Leviticus and we are starting Numbers. You may join anytime.  Just mark your Bible on the chapter you started and keep up with the weekly readings.

Things to Pray About:

  • Pray for our country and the 2024 Presidential Election
  • Pray for spiritual maturity.
  • Our unwillingly absent members and shut-ins.
  • Pray for comfort for those who are grieving.
  • Wisdom for our church leaders, local leaders, and world leaders. 
  • Family restoration through forgiveness.
  • Continued growth of the faith of the people.
  • Pray for understanding.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

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Chopped! – October 9, 2024

For Wednesday Night Family Supper we enjoyed a fun and energetic presentation of “Chopped” with Jim Rumph and Sally Watkins as our top chefs! With the objective of creating a dessert, our chefs had a limited time to bring their culinary delights to the judges. In the end, Sally’s dessert was chosen and Jim was chopped! However, everyone enjoyed the antics during the cooking process–especially the children!

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First Steps, Rev. Dr. Shane Green – October 14, 2024

October 14, 2024

A few weeks ago, this hymn was sung in worship.  In 28 years of ministry, I can’t recall ever singing this hymn, which is unfortunate because the words are beautiful.  You might be familiar with this hymn but if not, I offer it to you for reflection.  

O God of Every Nation

O God of every nation, of every race and land, redeem your whole creation with your almighty hand; where hate and fear divide us, and bitter threats are hurled, in love and mercy guide us, and heal our strife-torn world.

From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right, from trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night, from pride of race and station and blindness to your way, deliver every nation, eternal God, we pray.  

Lord, strengthen all who labor that all may find release from fear of rattling saber, from dread of war’s increase; when hope and courage falter, Lord, let your voice be heard; with faith that none can alter, your servants undergird.

Keep bright in us the vision of days when war shall cease, when hatred and division give way to love and peace, till dawns the morning glorious when truth and justice reign, and Christ shall rule victorious o’er all the world’s domain.  

In the past few days, I’ve used these words as a prayer.  I invite you to do the same.

This Week’s Readings:

We are reading the Bible in just a little over a year!  We are now reading Leviticus. You may join anytime.  Just mark your Bible on the chapter you started and keep up with the weekly readings.

Things to Pray About:

  • Pray for our country and the 2024 Presidential Election
  • Pray for spiritual maturity.
  • Our unwillingly absent members and shut-ins.
  • Pray for comfort for those who are grieving.
  • Wisdom for our church leaders, local leaders, and world leaders. 
  • Family restoration through forgiveness.
  • Continued growth of the faith of the people.
  • Pray for understanding.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

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“First Steps” by Rev. Dr. Shane Green, October 7, 2024

October 7, 2024

Richard Rohr has written many books on spirituality and maturity.  He wrote one that I deeply appreciate and frustrates me to no end, Adam’s Return: The Five Promises of Male Initiation.  Drawing upon the Bible, Christian tradition, and other cultures, Rohr argues that men in Western society often lack meaningful rites of passage to help them mature.  Without significant rites of passage, one is confused, disconnected, and stuck.  

For Rohr, he believes that each male must own five key promises or insights to grow and mature (I agree but also think it would apply to women as well).  Here are the five key promises that each of us must learn:

  1. Life is hard.  Therefore, one must accept the inherent difficulties of life rather than avoid or deny them.
  2. You are not that important.  Therefore, one must emphasize the need for humility and the recognition that you are part of something larger than yourself.
  3. Your life is not about you.  Therefore, one must find purpose beyond personal success, focusing instead on service and the benefit of all.
  4. You are not in control.  Therefore, one must stress the importance of surrender which aids in the unpredictability and acceptance of what one can’t control.
  5. You are going to die.  Therefore, one must remember their mortality which inspires one to live with meaning, purpose, and urgency.  

We need these insights for our wellbeing.  Each of these precepts are part of the Christian journey.  If you have never considered these, I invite you to do so.  Don’t read them only to discard later today—dig deep with these, contemplate these over the next few months while listening to the voice of God beckoning you to go deeper.  

This Week’s Readings:

We are reading the Bible in just a little over a year!  We are now reading Leviticus. You may join anytime.  Just mark your Bible on the chapter you started and keep up with the weekly readings.

Things to Pray About:

  • Pray for our country and the 2024 Presidential Election.
  • Pray for spiritual maturity.
  • Our unwillingly absent members and shut-ins.
  • Pray for comfort for those who are grieving.
  • Wisdom for our church leaders, local leaders, and world leaders. 
  • Family restoration through forgiveness.
  • Continued growth of the faith of the people.
  • Pray for understanding.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

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“First Steps” by Rev. Dr. Shane Green, September 30, 2024

September 30, 2024

Why is it that we are really proficient in compartmentalization?  For Christians, there is the uncanny ability to separate the secular from the sacred.  Peter Scazzero, a pastor in New York, summed up this problem by quoting a question asked by a church member, “Why is it that so many Christians make such lousy human beings?  In a word, compartmentalization.  We divide our lives into categories:  Over here belongs to God…over there belongs to me.  

For some, there is weekly attendance in worship on Sundays but no evidence of it from Monday to Saturday.  For another, the berating of a family member for their lack of spiritual maturity, all under the banner of defending God.  Finally, one can be lost in the joy of worship of God only to complain, gossip, and blame others.  

How shocking it is to read that there is no noticeable difference between the way evangelical church goers live, and non-church goers live when compared to divorce rates, giving patterns, sexual promiscuity and cohabitation, and racism (See Ron Sider’s The Scandal of Evangelical Conscience for statical data). 

Spiritual maturity is more than what one believes.  It equally involves how one lives.  Orthodoxy and orthopraxis must align.  When there are disconnects, where one compartmentalizes the spiritual and the secular, there will always be problems.  A life with God is one of unity (body, mind, and soul)—all of it is spiritual and sacred.  Everything that we are and everything that we do is connected to God.  The work of God’s Spirit is to bring wholeness.  Therefore, we can segment our lives so that what we do on Sundays and what we do the rest of the week aligns—everyday is Sunday for that matter. 

This Week’s Readings:

We are reading the Bible in just a little over a year!  We are now reading Leviticus. You may join anytime.  Just mark your Bible on the chapter you started and keep up with the weekly readings.

Things to Pray About:

  • Pray for our country and the 2024 Presidential Election.
  • Pray for spiritual maturity.
  • Our unwillingly absent members and shut-ins.
  • Pray for comfort for those who are grieving.
  • Wisdom for our church leaders, local leaders, and world leaders. 
  • Family restoration through forgiveness.
  • Continued growth of the faith of the people.
  • Pray for understanding.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6

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Countdown to St Paul for All

Registration may be closed, but there’s still a chance to serve at St Paul for All! We have openings during our third shift at 11:00 AM.

  • Please arrive 10 minutes early to ensure everything runs smoothly.
  • Where to meet: The Large Room in the Youth Building (enter through the double doors under the banner).
  • Dress Code: Wear your St Paul for All shirt with jeans or khakis and comfortable shoes. If you didn’t get your shirt, you can pick one up before your shift at the church.
  • Family-Friendly: Children 4 and older are welcome to serve alongside you. Consider serving as an individual or bring your family to make it a special day of giving back together!

Let’s make a difference together!

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