Sunday, April 30, 2023
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 30, 2023
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Today in the Mission Yearbook - #CSW67 looks at protecting the rights of migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls
Bible Readings for April 29, 2023
Friday, April 28, 2023
Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service
On Sunday, April 30, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs:
- Alaura Hagan
- Alexa
- Armed Forces
- Arnold Bowser
- Barry Divins
- Betty
- Bob Varner
- Brooke Schmader
- Bruce Bowman
- Bus Clark
- Carol Carr
- Cass' Neice
- Chris Sibert
- Church Leaders
- College Students
- Corbin
- David Glatt
- Debbie Myers
- Doctors & Nurses & all essential workers
- Duane Quinn
- Ella Henry
- Ellen Clark
- Francis Maines
- Government Leaders
- Ian & Dana McCormack
- Jim Mahle
- Jim Mason
- JR Sherry
- Lana Todd
- Larry Jamison
- Lori Myers
- Marty Henry
- Maxine Hartle
- Maxine Simpson
- Mike Hiles
- Mike Miller
- Noah
- Our Youth
- Patty Selle
- Police Officers
- Randy Frampton
- Rick Clark
- Riley
- Ron & Shelly Haines
- Ron Lerch
- Rowan Ramirez
- Rusty Clark
- Rwanda Partner
- Sandy Patterson
- Sandy Patterson's sister-in-law
- Sara Beth Lawrence
- Sean Bayless
- Stephen
- Stephen & Alice Lucas
- Tadd French
- Tamlynn
- The Family of Berry Hill
- The Family of Gerald Slaggard
- The Family of Pam Mackricosta
- Velma Stewart
- Virginia Heidler
- Wes Summerville
- World Vision
The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, April 30, 2023
The First Letter of Peter was written to a church which was confronting certain challenges that it neither chose nor wanted. You see, they were living within a society that didn't share their focus and faith; therefore, they were facing the temptation to compromise what they believed, a situation that seems very similar to what we face as we try to be the church of Jesus Christ within a society that doesn't understand our fundamental values and motivation. And that's the reason we'll look at what Peter had to say about how Christians might be the church in a challenging world.
- The Church Praises (1 Peter 1:3-9) - April 16
- The Church Remembers (1 Peter 1:17-23) - April 23
- The Church Grows (1 Peter 2:2-10) - April 30
- The Church Resists (1 Peter 2:11-17) - May 7
- The Church Follows (1 Peter 2:19-25) - May 14
- The Church Endures (1 Peter 4:12-14: 5:6-11) - May 21
During the third service in this series, we'll use 1 Peter 2:2-10 to consider how, when faced with a challenging world, the church can grow. Below is a copy of the bulletin. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.
Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World
Bible Readings for April 28, 2023
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Today in the Mission Yearbook - PC(USA) pastor and professor describes ways to read the Bible from the Earth’s perspective
Bible Stories for Kids - Peter Healing a Lame Man
On Thursdays, Pastor Rudiger reads a story to the children who attend the Dancer’s Studio Performing Arts Christian Preschool in Clarion, Pennsylvania. On April 27, he shared with the children the story of Peter healing a man born lame. Below is a recording of their time together.
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
SPC Begins to Renovate the Fellowship Hall
The SPC Session approved the renovation of our Fellowship Hall, and the work started this week. Below are some pictures taken before we began painting the walls and ceiling.
In the Beginning: A Journey through Genesis - Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24:1 – 25:18)
The Book of Genesis establishes the foundation on which the Bible rests. It offers us insight into the nature of both God and humanity, and it begins a story of promise and hope that will culminate in the coming of Jesus. Over sixteen weeks, we’ll study the Genesis, focusing on the following:
- Session 1 - The Creation Stories (Genesis 1:1 – 2:25)
- Session 2 - Sin (Genesis 3:1 – 6:4)
- Session 3 - The Flood (Genesis 6:5 – 8:22)
- Session 4 - A New Low (Genesis 9:1 – 11:26)
- Session 5 - The Call (Genesis 11:27 – 14:24)
- Session 6 - The Covenant (Genesis 15:1 – 17:27)
- Session 7 - Abraham Wheels and Deals (Genesis 18:1 – 20:18)
- Session 8 - The Child of the Promise (Genesis 21:1 – 23:20)
- Session 9 - Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 24:1 – 25:18)
- Session 10 - Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19 – 28:9)
- Session 11 - Jacob Is Jacob (Genesis 28:10 – 31:55)
- Session 12 - Jacob Meets Esau and God (Genesis 32:1 – 36:43)
- Session 13 - Joseph and His Brothers (Genesis 37:1 – 38:30)
- Session 14 - Joseph, Interpreter of Dreams (Genesis 39:1 – 41:57)
- Session 15 - Joseph and His Brothers, part 2 (Genesis 42:1 – 45:28)
- Session 16 - Israel in Egypt (Genesis 46:1 – 50:26)
During our ninth discussion in this series, we looked at Genesis 24:1 – 25:18. The passage is below:
Genesis 24:1 – 25:18
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, but will go to my country and to my kindred and get a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they rose in the morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.” Her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey successful; let me go that I may go to my master.” They said, “We will call the girl, and ask her.” And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.” Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. This is the length of Abraham’s life, one hundred seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with his wife Sarah.
After the death of Abraham God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. These are the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave-girl, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. (This is the length of the life of Ishmael, one hundred thirty-seven years; he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria; he settled down alongside of all his people.
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Today in the Mission Yearbook - Unique group from around the world travels to the Philippines and Hong Kong for a PC(USA) Peacemaking study seminar on forced migration
A New Devotion - The Most Powerful Word in the English Language
Here's a new devotion that I wrote. It's based on the passage below. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.
1 John 4:16b-21 [Contemporary English Version]
God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love.
We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”
“Do you know the most powerful word in the English language?” Now, for years, I’ve used that question in presentations. And generally, when I ask it, the folks in the class will say things like “God” or “Jesus” or “love.” Now, that’s what they tend to say, and even though I’ll tell them that their guesses are good, for me, there’s a word far more powerful. And it’s a simple, three-letter word we use all the time: B-U-T. You see, for me, “but” is the most powerful word in the English language for one very simple reason. When used in a sentence, “but” negates everything that comes before. For example, if I say to you, “You certainly look nice today, but...” Of course, now you’re listening for the reason or reasons you’re certainly not looking particularly nice to today. You see, that single word cancels what comes before and draws attention to what follows; therefore, I think it has enormous power.
And it’s interesting, we see a pretty important “but” in the passage I just read. I mean, after focusing on love and establishing that God is love and that our love for others shows God’s presence in our lives and that the love we show is in response to the love God has already shown to us, John wrote, “But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see?” [1 John 4:20, CEV] In other words, everything he said about the importance of God’s love is negated, at least in our own minds, when we make the decision not to treat others in a loving way. As a matter of fact, the love we show demonstrates exactly how much we understand and appreciate the love we’ve been shown. Now that was what John wrote.
And I think that’s something we need to remember as we go about our daily living. You see, it’s easy to talk about what we believe and it’s easy to talk about how close we are to God and it’s easy to talk about why following Jesus is the most important aspect of our lives. I’ll tell you, these things are easy to say. BUT they don’t mean anything, if we’re not willing to live what we believe and to show others exactly what it means to have God in our hearts and to do what Jesus both did and commanded us do, namely to love God and love each other. You see, that little three-letter word forces us to look at ourselves and figure out whether we really are the kind of people we claim to be. And for me, this is just another sign that “but” really is the most powerful word in the English language.
The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, April 23, 2023
The First Letter of Peter was written to a church which was confronting certain challenges that it neither chose nor wanted. You see, they were living within a society that didn't share their focus and faith; therefore, they were facing the temptation to compromise what they believed, a situation that seems very similar to what we face as we try to be the church of Jesus Christ within a society that doesn't understand our fundamental values and motivation. And that's the reason we'll look at what Peter had to say about how Christians might be the church in a challenging world.
- The Church Praises (1 Peter 1:3-9) - April 16
- The Church Remembers (1 Peter 1:17-23) - April 23
- The Church Grows (1 Peter 2:2-10) - April 30
- The Church Resists (1 Peter 2:11-17) - May 7
- The Church Follows (1 Peter 2:19-25) - May 14
- The Church Endures (1 Peter 4:12-14: 5:6-11) - May 21
During the second service in this series, we used 1 Peter 1:17-23 to consider how, when faced with a challenging world, the church remembers what God has done. Below is a video of the service, a recording of the sermon and a copy of the bulletin. Next Sunday morning, you can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday's Message: Being the Church in a Challenging World (The Church Remembers)
- The Church Praises (1 Peter 1:3-9) - April 16
- The Church Remembers (1 Peter 1:17-23) - April 23
- The Church Grows (1 Peter 2:2-10) - April 30
- The Church Resists (1 Peter 2:11-17) - May 7
- The Church Follows (1 Peter 2:19-25) - May 14
- The Church Endures (1 Peter 4:12-14: 5:6-11) - May 21
During the second message in this series, we used 1 Peter 1:17-23 to consider how, when faced with a challenging world, the church remembers what God has done. Below is a copy and recording of the sermon. Next Sunday morning, you can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.
********
But you know, late last year, it hit me that the same thing applied to me. And even though I don’t think that my life is nearly as interesting as his, Maggie and her children just might want to hear about some of the stuff I experienced. And so, I started to record some of the things I’ve lived through in my sixty-five years. And although I recognize there’s certainly a chance that those who follow me may never choose to sit down and listen to them, I also know that, if I don’t record them, I’m not giving them the choice.
And you know, I mention this because today we’re going to talk about remembering, and in particular, how we as the Body of Christ can remember what God has already done for us. Now, as y’all probably know, this is the second message in a new series we started last week dealing with how we can be the church in the face of a challenging world. And during the first message, we talked about how the church can praise, you know, how we can praise God for what God has done and how we can praise God for what the act of praising can do for us. Now that’s what we’ve already done.
And this week, we’re going to look at how, in the face of our world, the church can remember. And just like we did last week and will continue to do through this whole series, we’re going to use a passage from the first letter of Peter as a guide, because, based on how he described them, man, those first-century Christians certainly faced a challenging world to say the least. I mean, just listen to what he wrote to them:
Dear friends, don’t be surprised or shocked that you are going through testing that is like walking through fire. Be glad for the chance to suffer as Christ suffered. It will prepare you for even greater happiness when he makes his glorious return.
Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God’s glorious Spirit is with you. [1 Peter 4:12-14, CEV]
You see, this morning, we’re going to focus on 1 Peter 1:17-23, a passage in which Peter offered them and offers us two things that we can remember, both involving something God has done. And for each of them, we’ll talk about what God did and why it’s important for us to remember. Now that’s the plan.
You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favorites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honor God while you live as strangers here on earth. You were rescued from the useless way of life you learned from your ancestors. But you know you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever. You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb. Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, he did not come until these last days. And when he did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised him from death and honored him in a glorious way. This is why you have put your faith and hope in God. [1 Peter 1:17-21, CEV]
Now that’s what he wrote. And let’s unpack it a little bit.
I mean, just think about what God did. My goodness, there we were, living our lives, shaped by what we were taught by the world and holding fast to all those wonderful values that we learned, you know, like how God must play favorites because that’s what we’d do if we were God and how it’s absolutely crucial to fit into our group, even if what we believe is stupid and how those things that should be valued most are the very things we’re told from birth that we can’t take with us. Now that’s what we learned; therefore, that’s what we were. But in spite of that, God chose to rescue us through Jesus Christ. Now, I don’t know why he did it. Man, it wasn’t because we were so smart or because we were so spiritual or because we were so dashingly good looking. Those weren’t the reasons at all. It’s like what Paul wrote to Titus:
God has shown us undeserved grace by coming to save all people. He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world. We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He gave himself to rescue us from everything evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right. [Titus 2:11-14, CEV]
Or, as Jesus Christ himself said, “The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.” [Mark 10:45, CEV]
You see, we need to remember that we were rescued by God.
You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.
You have never seen Jesus, and you don’t see him now. But still you love him and have faith in him, and no words can tell how glad and happy you are to be saved. This is why you have faith. [1 Peter 1:5-9, CEV]
I’m telling you, when we remember that we’ve been rescued, we can live with faith. But that’s not all, we can also live with hope. Again, as Peter wrote right at the beginning of this letter:
Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. [1 Peter 1:3-4, CEV]
You see, as the song says, “I once was lost, but now I’m found.” And because of that, I can live with faith and hope. Brothers and sisters, believe the Good News, we were rescued by God. And in the face of our challenging world, that’s the first thing we can remember. But that’s not all.
You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart. Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever. [1 Peter 1:22-23, CEV]
Now that’s what Peter wrote, and just think about what God has already done. Man, he’s given us a new birth, a new beginning, a new start. Remember, just a minute ago, we read that “God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on.” [1 Peter 1:3b, CEV] You see, for Peter, we’ve been born again, but let’s be clear, it’s not because of any decisions or promises we’ve made. And certainly not because we’ve given God our lives or hearts or minds or any other internal organ we know he’s not going to collect anytime soon. No, this new birth, this new life, this redemption was given by God: period, close the book, Elvis has left the building. And it was communicated to us right from the beginning through God’s own message, through his own words. It’s like what Peter wrote in this second letter:
All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts. [2 Peter 1:19, CEV]
Now that’s what we’ve already been given by God. And I’ll tell you, if that’s not good enough, this life and this message will live on forever. It’s like what Peter will say in the two verses that follow the passage we’re looking at this morning:
The Scriptures say,
“Humans wither like grass,
and their glory fades
like wild flowers.
Grass dries up,
and flowers fall
to the ground.
But what the Lord has said
will stand forever.” [1 Peter 1:24-25a, CEV]
You see, I think we need to remember that we’ve been redeemed by God.
Love is patient and kind,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish
or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
but not in evil.
Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
and trusting. [1 Corinthians 13:4-5, CEV]
Now that’s what Paul wrote. And when we appreciate what God has already done for us, we’ll be able to show this kind of love earnestly and sincerely. As a matter of fact, we’ll be able to do exactly what Peter told us to do when he wrote, “Most important of all, you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins.” [1 Peter 4:8, CEV] Or as Paul told the Romans: Be sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good.” [Romans 12:9, CEV] You see, God has given us new life, a reality grounded in his message to us. And because of that we can now sincerely love. Brothers and sisters, trust the Good News, we were redeemed by God. And in the face of our challenging world, that’s the second thing we can remember.
Now, at the beginning of the message, I told y’all that I decided to begin getting down some of my memories. Well, since I started on December 19, I’ve recorded fifty-one, with each running about ten to twenty minutes. Of course, I’ve already done what you could call the low hanging memories; therefore, I doubt that I’ll be able to keep up that kind of pace.
But you know, in light of our passage this morning, I think there’s a couple of things even more important for us to remember than how we celebrated Easter in the mid-60s or the different cars we’ve owned and places we’ve lived. You see, we can remember that we’ve been rescued by God; therefore, we can really live. And we can remember that we’ve also been redeemed; therefore, we can sincerely love. This we can do. And so, I think I’m safe in saying that, in the face of a challenging world, the church can remember.
Bible Readings for April 25, 2023
Monday, April 24, 2023
Minute for Mission: Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
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