Check-In For March 18, 2023
"God sees in ways that we don't and the only chance we have of getting a glimpse of that heavenly vision is to wake up and pay close attention…." -Jill Duffield
We will be continuing in John's gospel tomorrow in worship, this time the entirety of John 9. It is yet another amazing story. It takes all sorts of twists and turns - John invites the reader to consider what it means to really see, to truly have good vision. As we continue our Lenten journey reflecting on the quality of our vision - how well do we see Jesus? - is an important question. Look forward to digging into this passage with you tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the Yard Sale continues on today (Saturday, March 18 from 8:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m.) and then again next Friday and Saturday. The Presbyterian Women (and friends), have once again put together a great Yard Sale! We've had lots of our extended Hebron family stop in and spend some time with us.
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There will be a congregational meeting tomorrow morning - Sunday, March 19 - after worship for the purpose of electing officers. Mike Streible and Jason Shockley are being presented as candidates for the class of 2025. The meeting will be immediately after morning worship.
Upcoming Lenten/Holy Week Events
Wednesday Potluck and Program - March 22 and 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Worship - April 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Worship - April 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Worship - April 9 at 11:00 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt - April 9, Easter Sunday, following morning worship
Community Holy Week Services: Shepherdsville Christian Church. April 3-7, noon each day with lunch to follow. George is preaching on Good Friday (April 7). Our church is responsible for lunch that day.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For March 11, 2023
"In light I see who you really are
Never doing what is expected
Far beyond the frame of my mind"
-lyric from the song "The Stranger" by Michael Card and Chuck Beckman
Our passage this week for Sunday morning worship is John 4:5-42. It's a fascinating interaction between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well. It's also another example of Jesus "never doing what is expected." Jesus is regularly talking to whoever he wants to talk to and behaving in ways that surprise and upset people in the world around him. As we encounter Jesus in scripture, in prayer, and generally in daily life it's worth remembering this propensity of his to do the unexpected. Maybe Jesus is looking to stretch us a bit, push us in a new direction, or simply consider an idea we'd normally set aside. Look forward to exploring this great passage with you tomorrow.
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The Presbyterian Women's Spring Yard Sale is the next two weekends, March 17-18 and March 24-25. There will be set-up to accomplish this week and help needed with the Yard Sale itself from 8 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. on each of those days. Also your donations, as always, are welcome.
There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, March 19 after worship for the purpose of electing officers. Mike Streible and Jason Shockley are being presented as candidates for the class of 2025. The meeting will be immediately after morning worship.
Upcoming Lenten/Holy Week Events
Wednesday Potluck and Program - March 22 and 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Worship - April 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Worship - April 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Worship - April 9 at 11:00 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt - April 9, Easter Sunday, following morning worship
Community Holy Week Services: Shepherdsville Christian Church. April 3-7, noon each day with lunch to follow. George is preaching on Good Friday (April 7). Our church is responsible for lunch that day.
Remember to spring forward tonight - March 11 in order to arrive at church on time tomorrow!
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For March 4, 2023
"The wisest people among us have always chosen times of aloneness. They have chosen aloneness in order to open themselves to prayer, to letting go, to making choices." -Mikeal Parsons
I'm hopeful after quite the rainy, windy, stormy day yesterday that you are okay this morning and not experiencing too much in the aftermath of all that. I'm also hopeful that if you were in worship last Sunday you were able to find an "away on your mountain moment" to give some thought to the prompts in last weeks bulletin related to the passage on the Jesus being tempted in the Judean wilderness. If you have thoughts about your time of reflection that you would like to share, I'd love to hear them. There will be an "Away On Your Mountain" insert in the bulletin each week through Easter Sunday.
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Our Lenten Potluck and Program begins this coming Wednesday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. The program piece will begin between 6:45 and 7:00 so if you are planning to come only for the program 6:45 is a possible start time depending on when we finish with the meal. The program is a DVD study on John's gospel called, "John: The Gospel of Light and Life." The two other Wednesday evenings will be March 22 and 29. Notice that we will not meet on March 15.
Yard Sale Time! The Presbyterian Women are getting ready for their Spring Yard Sale on the weekends of March 17-18 and 24-25. Your donations are welcomed and appreciated. Donated items can go in the closed off space at the end of the Activities Building as we have a rental next weekend. After that items will be set up in the main area.
Looking Ahead…
Congregational Meeting on March 19 after worship to elect officers.
Maundy Thursday Worship, April 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday Worship, April 7 at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Sunday Worship, April 9 at 11:00 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt following worship on Easter Sunday.
Community Holy Week Services at Shepherdsville Christian Church April 3-7 at noon each day with lunch to follow at 12:30 p.m. George will be preaching on Good Friday. Our Church will be responsible for the lunch to follow that day.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For February 25, 2023
"Follow the outline of Christian salvation history, moving from the despair of leaving Eden behind to the glory of leaving the tomb behind. Every Lent is a miniaturized version of that transformative arc; through the journey of penitence, we leave behind the solemnity of Ash Wednesday and move toward celebrating the joy of Easter Sunday. Psalm 32 offers welcome signposts." -Leigh Campbell-Taylor
Following our Session meeting this past Thursday evening, here are the dates for this years Lenten Dinner and Program. We will gather on three Wednesday evenings - March 8, March 22, and March 29. At this point the plan is for the meals to be potluck. We will eat at 6:00 p.m. with program beginning between 6:45 and 7:00 p.m. Note that in the past we have started the program at 7:00 p.m. This is only a slight departure from that - this is just to indicate that if we are ready we might begin the program piece a bit earlier. Sometimes folks aren't able to make it for the dinner, but come for the program. This is just to be clear that the program could start as early as 6:45 p.m.
The program, again, is an Adam Hamilton DVD study, "John: The Gospel of Light and Life." There are six lessons which means we will cover two each night. We will be finished by 7:45 - 8:00 p.m. For those who will be getting the book this means Chapters 1 and 2 on March 8, Chapters 3 and 4 on March 22, and Chapters 5 and 6 on March 29. The book is not necessary to come and participate fully in the program.
The Session is also interested in your input on returning to a modified version of the more traditional means of serving communion. We have, along with many other churches, been using the individual cups which you pick up on the way into worship for some time now. The question is, how would you feel about a return to having the elements distributed in worship by ushers who pass plates up and down the aisles. We currently have supplies for at least a couple of months with the individual pre-prepared cups, so there is not a rush on this, but your input is appreciated. Talk to George or to any of the Session members.
There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday, March 19 for the purpose of electing officers and fulfilling the book of order requirement to affirm the pastor's compensation package. The names that will be presented for the Session class of 2025 are Jason Shockley and Mike Streible. The recommendation on the compensation package is no change from 2022 to 2023.
Session also continues to work with the manse property. The congregational meeting will be a good place to share where we are in that process with you. We also have a January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022 financial statement which was received and will be available to you in the entry way of the church within the next Sunday or two. It will also have the balance of our checking and money market accounts as of December 31, 2022.
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We began the journey to Easter, with Transfiguration Sunday and then this past Wednesday with Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. On Transfiguration Sunday we talked about the disciples and Jesus going away to a mountain where something very out of the ordinary took place. I shared that each Sunday during Lent there would be a prompt in the bulletin for you to take to your personal "mountain" (a quiet place, set apart for this purpose) for reflection each week. This Sunday sees the first of these "Away On A Mountain Moments." I hope that you will find these helpful in your Lenten journey.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For February 18, 2023
"Spiritual practices like meditation can help us be with God deeply, and in the process we can find ourselves changing, warming up from the divine presence." -Juanita Rasmus
Juanita Rasmus, just prior to this quote, was talking about a time when she was in front of a large fireplace at a lodge in the Rocky Mountains. As she sat before the fire, she reports that she began to feel the warmth of the fire throughout her whole body. It occurred that practicing spiritual disciplines to place oneself in the presence of God was a bit like placing yourself in front of a fireplace to experience warmth.
This Wednesday, February 22 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent (the forty days, not including Sundays that ends on the Saturday before Easter Sunday). Lent is the season of the church year that leads us ultimately to Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and eventually Easter. This is an invitation to give some thought to what you might want to practice as a special spiritual discipline during Lent. Some folks decide to give something up, some choose to add something to their regular practices. I am considering fasting on Fridays each week of Lent from midnight till 1:00 p.m, just as an example. My goal will be to perhaps spend a bit of additional time in prayer during what would have been breakfast.
I hope you will take a few moments to think of how you might place yourself in the front of the the spiritual fireplace and experience the warmth of the divine presence in the weeks to come.
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Ash Wednesday: There will be an Ash Wednesday Service this Wednesday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the church. This service marks the beginning of the season of Lent and includes the imposition of ashes.
The Spring Presbyterian Women's Yard Sale is not far off. The dates are the last two weekends in March - March 17-18 and 24-25. You are invited to begin bringing items that you would like to donate for the Yard Sale to the Activities Building.
Lenten Wednesday Evening Study: The study that garnered the most interest for our Lenten Wednesday evenings was Adam Hamilton's "John: The Gospel of Light and Life." (The Ten Commandments Study was a close second – we'll keep that one ready for the next opportunity.). As with previous studies from Adam Hamilton there is a DVD that will be a part of our program each time we meet. Also, there is a book by Adam Hamilton. The book is NOT essential to participating in our Wednesday evening times together. The book may be an asset if you would like to go a little deeper and dig in more than our time will allow on Wednesdays. The cost of the book is $13.00 at Cokesbury. If you would like for us to order you a copy and have it to you ASAP, please let George know (tell me in person, or email at hebronpcusa@gmail.com). Will be ready with dates to share with you next Sunday.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For February 11, 2023
"A true life of obedience begins on the inside and flows outwards." -Cameron Barr
This Sunday morning we'll have our third week in a row of sermon's drawn from Matthew 5, the first of three chapters in Matthew's gospel that make up Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This week's passage will focus us on the law and the intent of the law. God's law, Jesus teaches, is about shaping the human heart. The Sermon on the Mount is a remarkable gold mine of the teachings of Jesus. I hope you will be able to be present as we explore it together.
The following week, February 19, we will be reading about the Transfiguration story found in Matthew 17:1-9 and then on February 22 it will be Ash Wednesday and time to begin the forty day journey of Lent. Every Sunday matters. Every Sunday offers the possibility of an encounter with our God in the company of our siblings in Christ. It is a prayer of mine that you bring great expectations for what we will experience when we enter into God's presence together.
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This Sunday will be about the last opportunity to express a preference among the various possibilities for a Lenten study. Here's a reminder of the candidates, all DVD studies hosted by pastor Adam Hamilton.
Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today
Simon Peter: Flawed But Faithful Disciple
John: The Gospel of Light and Life
Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts, and Outlaws
If you've not already checked in, email me at hebronpcusa@gmail.com or speak to me tomorrow at church.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For February 4, 2023
"Every 'yes' to God gives rise to a new story." -Pope Francis
We focus a lot on age in our culture. We associate vitality and energy with youth and perhaps wisdom with age. There is some truth in these things. There were clearly things I could do when I was twenty that would be hard or impossible for me now. Beyond that there are hopefully some lessons I've learned over the years that fall into the category of mistakes I've made that I hopefully won't repeat (hard earned wisdom).
However, as Pope Francis suggests, sometimes it is not about age. Sometimes it is simply about a willingness to say yes. Whatever our age, when we say yes to God we begin a new adventure. As you spend time in prayer, listen for God's voice. Consider what God may be asking you to begin. Pray some more and trust that God is inviting you to a new adventure, to a new story and receive God's invitation with yes!
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Ash Wednesday is coming February 22, so less than three weeks from now. Very excited that we can return to our Wednesday Evening Lenten Dinners and program! Dates aren't selected yet, but that will be happening. To get ready I offer you several Adam Hamilton studies to consider. Very often folks respond with "whatever you pick out" will be fine and I appreciate that, but would love your input if one of these topics speaks to you more than another. The four that are on the table are a study of the 10 Commandments, a study of the life of Simon Peter (the disciple with the big personality), a study of the gospel of John, and a study of the gospel of Luke.
The titles:
Words of Life: Jesus and the Promise of the Ten Commandments Today
Simon Peter: Flawed But Faithful Disciple
John: The Gospel of Light and Life
Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts, and Outlaws
Let me know if one of these topics especially speaks to you. I'll be aiming to get a decision made within a week to ten days to provide ample time to get books for anyone who would like to read Hamilton's book that will go along with the DVD study.
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For January 28, 2023
"Prayer is difficult. It is not the techniques that are hard - most of the techniques are amusingly easy. Rather the difficulty lies in the following through on the commitment to pray in the face of distractions that bear down on us or pick at us like annoying bugs, driving us away from the presence of God." -Daniel Wolpert
Last year saw 53 Saturdays and 53 weekly check-ins. I was really happy to have gotten a check-in posted each week. This week it was only the third week before I missed a week as a result of being away and losing track of time. It's not an essential thing, but it's a valuable place to share information and I'm glad it's become a regular discipline. So it's good to be back communicating in this forum this week.
The quote above is from a book we are using in our Sunday evening Zoom conversation. The book is on prayer practices and this is an idea that is central to the whole book - deciding to pray is not hard - praying is hard. Praying regularly. Finding a place in our day to tune our hearts, minds, ears - all of our being - to God.
I have some maintenance medications that I take daily. It was time for a refill so I phone it in to the pharmacy. The refills were done, but they came with a message: I needed to see the doctor before there would be another round of refills. I wasn't ridiculously far behind in scheduling my annual physical, but the message is clear - the medicine was prescribed a year ago - I'm not that person anymore. It's important for the doctor to meet with me and decide if the medications are still correct or if there are modifications that might be needed.
I think prayer works a bit in that way. There is a danger that it can become too much about dropping off prescriptions for God to fill. God loves to hear from us, but I think God also loves to spend time with us and loves for us to listen for what God is saying. God doesn't want to fill our orders, God wants to meet with us and have conversation with us so we can share what's really going on with us and listen for what God really desires to share with us.
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We've shared this several times in several places, but want to be sure we don't miss anyone with this information.
The visitation for Jane Cowan will be at Schoppenhorst on Sunday (tomorrow) from 4-8 p.m. The Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be Monday at noon at Hebron. Following the graveside service there will be a meal in the Activities Building.
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One final note from this past week. On Tuesday Julie and I got to be present to hear Eliza preach as a third year Divinity Student in the Duke Divinity School Chapel. It was a mountain top experience for certain and appropriately she was preaching on a mountain top experience - the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. We will be diving into the Beatitudes tomorrow in worship and will be staying with the Sermon On The Mount found in Matthew 5-7 through the next two Sundays. For anyone who would like to read ahead for tomorrow, the scriptures are…
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For January 14, 2023
"We are connected to Someone much bigger than us, and our lives take on meaning as we engage in God's mission." -Mark Abbot
That Someone to whom we are connected is, of course, God. I'd also say we are connected through Someone bigger than us. We are connected to God and we are connected through God to one another as siblings in Christ. One of the blessings of being a pastor is seeing the ways that you support and encourage one another, living out your faith in your relationships.
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A few things to share as we keep - in the words of the old hymn - marching to Zion together.
First, this Sunday after morning worship it would be great if you could stay and help take down the Christmas decorations in the Sanctuary. It's a task made easier with more hands so please consider hanging around a few minutes after church and helping out.
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Second, there is a small group that has continued to meet by way of Zoom on Sunday evenings. Usually we read a book and then talk about what we've read that week on Sunday. All you need to do to participate is follow a Zoom invitation link. We are preparing to begin a new book called Creating A Life With God: The Call of Ancient Prayer Practices by Daniel Wolpert. We will begin this Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. by discussing the introduction to the book. If you would like to participate you are invited to order a copy of the book and join us. It is unlikely you can get a copy by Sunday evening, but you could easily participate in the introductory conversation on Sunday and have the book for our second meeting which will be two weeks from Sunday on January 29 when we will discuss the first chapter. The study will continue through the end of April/beginning of May, meeting most Sunday evenings, again usually, but not always at 7:00 p.m. Here is the link to this Sunday's Zoom meeting.
George Love is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: George Love's Zoom Meeting
Time: Jan 15, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89943039218?pwd=Z1RQaU1hL2VXNXcxZXZaV3BheW9kQT09
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Third, I will be out of town next week and we will have guest worship leaders on Sunday, January 22. To be clear, I will be here tomorrow, but will not be in worship on January 22. Beverly and Gary Maguffee are friends of ours who are both pastors in the United Methodist Church. They both retired last Spring and are living in Mount Washington. Beverly served for several years prior to retirement as pastor of Davidson Memorial in Shepherdsville. Beverly also worked for some years at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Beverly will be preaching, but Gary also plans to be in worship and will lead a portion of the service. I look forward to your having the opportunity to meet the Maguffees and worship with them and for them to experience a warm Hebron welcome.
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Hope to see you in worship tomorrow!
Celebrate Life!
George
Check-In For January 7, 2023
“Nowhere does Jesus say we will be known by our fear, yet that is precisely what many Christians are known by today. Instead, Jesus says we will be known by our love.” -Amy Oden
It’s important to read and spend time with scripture. I am convinced of this virtually every time I engage with scripture. As a new year has begun, I’ve begun reading through the Bible again. The reading plan I’m following has me in both Genesis and Matthew as the year begins. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is that however many times I read these stories there is always something new that presents itself. Fifteen chapters into Genesis and I am, again, seeing things I’ve never seen before.
Just as significantly I’m seeing things I’ve seen many times. It’s valuable to return to the stories to remind, to reinforce, and to ever more firmly engrain them as I continue on my journey through life with God. I hope that regular scripture reading is part of your devotional practice. It is through engagement with scripture we learn of faith basics like the great love of God for each one of us. It is here we find the repeated instruction to not be afraid. The very real promises of God for each one of us are found in its pages.
Celebrate Life!
George