Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

Pray, Praise and Worship: Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World: We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday,  May 4  and Sunday, May 10, we'll lay before Go...

Bible Readings for May 2, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for May 2, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 15:1–16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; and Proverbs ...

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, May 3, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the needs below.

• Adam & Shaina Hile
• Antonio Jimenez
• Bade Mohn
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Varner
• Brooke
• Butch, Cass's brother
• Cara Maguire Defibaugh
• Carla Hepler
• Cathy Hale
• Corbin
• Dan Wallace
• Denny Myers
• Don Free and Family
• Duane Quinn
• Evelyn Barkafelt
• Fred Summerville
• Gabe
• Gavin Blazosky
• Jane
• Jason
• Jayden Shorts
• Jeb Rapp
• Jeff Raybuck
• Jerry & Tracy Hawks
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joann Klamer
• Joe Amaato
• Joe Rainey
• Karen Defibaugh
• Kaylyn Bashline
• Kirby McCall
• Lana Todd
• Landdon Chalmers
• Len Gaulin
• Levi Jack
• Mary Young
• Mason Martin
• Matt
• Mike Curran
• Nancy Blauser
• Pamela
• Patty Divins
• Rev. Bruce & Fab Gander
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rowan Pinson
• Rudy
• Ryan Cornecki & Family
• Sam & Carol Mason
• Tadd French
• The John Kemmer Family
• TJ
• Tom Mason
• Tyler & Tamlynn
• Valerie Haight and family
• Van Watkins
• Vickie White Templin
• Wes Summerville
• William Ford
• Zach Schieberl

From Easter to Pentecost (Two Endings in Mark - Mark 16:9-19)

The members and friends of Sligo Presbyterian Church are discussing the time after the resurrection. We meet on Thursday evenings, at 6:30 p.m., to consider passages that deal with the time between Easter and Pentecost. During this series, we’ll consider the following topics:

• April 23 - Easter (Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)
• April 30 - Two Endings in Mark (Mark 16:9-19)
• May 7 - The Commission in Matthew (Matthew 28:11-20)
• May 14 - Two Appearances in Luke (Luke 24:13-49)
• May 21 - The Coming of the Spirit in John (John 20:19-31)
• May 28 - The Commission in John (John 21:1-25)
• June 4 - From the Ascension to the Spirit in Luke and Acts (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-26)

In our second session, we looked at the two endings in Mark (Mark 16:9-19). The discussion and passages are below.

Mark 16:9 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

The Intermediate Ending of Mark

[[And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]]

Mark 16:9-20 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

The Long Ending of Mark

[[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table, and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.]]

Newspaper Article - Two Events

Below is a recording and the text of an article that Pastor Rudiger wrote for the Leader-Vindicator.

A couple of weeks ago, two profound events impacted my life. On April 5, we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord. And even though I’ve led worship services on Easter Sunday almost forty times, it’s always special. You see, it comes at the end of a week in which we move from the enthusiasm of Palm Sunday to the pain and sacrifice represented by the cross. And Easter, well, that’s a wonderful way to finish this journey, with the hope made real by an empty tomb. And throughout my pastoral career, I’ve tried to help people focus on this pivotal event. 

But for me, this year was different. My father died on April 3. And although it was unexpected, it really wasn’t a surprise. Dad would have been 92 on April 15, and frankly, the last year was challenging. Still, he was in very good physical shape; therefore, we didn’t expect him to pass. As a matter of fact, my wife and I were planning to go down to Norfolk, Virginia during the week after Easter for a visit. Of course, we still went, but the reason was radically different. 

And as I’ve been working through these two events, I believe I’ve found a genuine sense of hope and peace in the resurrection. You see, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, “But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life.” [1 Corinthians 15:20, CEV] In other words, since those women found the tomb empty, someday ours will be too. 

And I’ll tell you, just believing this has given me enormous hope and peace. You see, my faith is grounded in something real and solid, not vague and obscure. Simply put, I trust that I’ll see my father again, along with my mother, grandparents and all those to whom I’ve said, “Good-bye,” because a process started when God raised Jesus from death. Again, as Paul wrote, “Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns.” [1 Corinthians 15:21-23, CEV] Now this is at the core of my faith. You see, my trust is not based on disembodied spirits floating around on clouds. Instead, it’s grounded in the sound of a trumpet, in the mortal bodies we now have putting on immortality and in the fulfillment of that promise: Death has lost the battle! Where is its victory? Where is its sting? [1 Corinthians 15:54b-55, CEV] And to me, that’s why the resurrection is important.

For me and my family, both events that recently impacted my life are now in the past. We celebrated Easter, and we endured a funeral. But personally, I doubt that I’ll ever be able to unlink the two, because I can now see that the time of separation we’re facing will end in the twinkling of an eye when God does for us what he’s already done for Jesus Christ. You see, as I’ve tried to convey during every Easter service, our hope is grounded in the resurrection.

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