Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘Connecting the Dots’ webinar examines living on an island used for decades by the U.S. military for bombing practice

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘Connecting the Do...: Members of Puerto Rico’s Vieques Women’s Alliance make their case for continued Presbyterian partnerships April 30, 2024 Members of the Vieq...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, April 28, 2024

Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and significance of this pivotal event in human history. For that reason, for five Sundays in the months of April and May, we’ll consider this question: Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? During this series, we’ll consider the following topic: 

• April 7 - The Resurrection Provides Validation
• April 21 - The Resurrection Was Physical
• April 28 - The Resurrection Offers Hope
• May 5 - The Resurrection Is Good News
• May 12 - The Resurrection Anticipated the Holy Spirit

We continued this series on Sunday when we considered how the resurrection of Jesus Christ offers us hope. The video of the service, a recording of the sermon and the bulletin are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST)

Sunday's Sermon - Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? (The Resurrection Offers Hope)

Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and significance of this pivotal event in human history. For that reason, for five Sundays in the months of April and May, we’ll consider this question: Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? During this series, we’ll consider the following topic: 

• April 7 - The Resurrection Provides Validation
• April 21 - The Resurrection Was Physical
• April 28 - The Resurrection Offers Hope
• May 5 - The Resurrection Is Good News
• May 12 - The Resurrection Anticipated the Holy Spirit

We continued this series on Sunday when we looked at 1 Corinthians 15 and considered how the resurrection of Jesus Christ offers us hope. A recording and the text of the sermon are below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST)

Well, I’ll tell you, yesterday we just might have turned the corner, and I’m not talking about how much better the Steelers are going to be next year because they drafted Zach Frazier, the WVU center, on Friday. No, instead, I want you to notice how pleasant the temperature was yesterday afternoon and is supposed to be today. Good night nurse, for the last month, it seems as though we’ve been bouncing between the 70s and the 30s. But now, well, maybe we’ve turned the corner, and we can look forward, with all kinds of hope, to warmer weather. Which, of course, means that, Amy, Ron and all the other golfers, soon y’all won’t need a parka to play. And Dan, Jerry, Barb and all the other bikers, soon you’ll be hitting the trails without having to worry about patches of ice. And for me, well, my life isn’t going to change all that much except for having to cut the stupid grass at least once a week for the next five months or so. But be that as it may, given what we experienced yesterday, I think we all have good reason to hope that change is a-coming. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to be talking about this morning. Of course, this is part of a series we started about a month ago. You see, in several of the Sundays since Easter, we’ve been asking the question: Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? And over that time we’ve looked at a couple of different reasons. I mean, we talked about how it provided validation for the life Jesus lived and the work he came to do and the mission he’s given to us. And then last week, we looked at how the resurrection also was physical; demonstrating that the real world must be important. And as we saw, that just makes sense, because it’s in the physical world where we can see God’s nature, both his authority and love, and where we can understand our responsibilities both to the creation itself and the people around us. Now that’s where we’ve been.

And like I said, this morning we’re going to move forward by talking about how, if we choose to understand it, the resurrection offers hope, something that sure seems in short supply now-a-days, what with the Russians still in Ukraine and the Israelis still in Gaza and the coming election in which a majority of Americans don’t particularly like either Biden or Trump. Of course, that’s not going to stop it from being really nasty. But you know, even though reasons for hope seem in short supply now-a-days, I believe we have something powerful and persuasive when we think about how God raised Jesus from death. And that’s going to be our focus this morning. You see, we’re going to read a passage from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in which he talked about why the resurrection of Jesus is so very important. And then we’re going to take what Paul said and consider three points I believe he made that, when taken together, offer a genuine reason for us to feel hope despite what might be happening around us. 

And like I said, we’re going to start by looking at a part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in which he deals almost exclusively with the resurrection. Now this was what he wrote:

If we preach that Christ was raised from death, how can some of you say the dead will not be raised to life? If they won’t be raised to life, Christ himself wasn’t raised to life. And if Christ wasn’t raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. If the dead won’t be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying he raised Christ to life, when he really did not.

So if the dead won’t be raised to life, Christ wasn’t raised to life. Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.

But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. 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. Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father. [1 Corinthians 15:12-20, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. And in these words, I think he makes three points that can move us from distress and even despair to hope.

For example, according to the Apostle Paul, we will die. I believe that’s his first point, and even though I understand that’s a real downer, remember we’re moving toward the reason the resurrection can give us hope. But, you know, whether it’s a downer or not, we all know it’s true. My goodness, let’s get real, we all know that we’re going to die, right? In fact, this is the one thing on which we can count. I mean, there was a time when I agreed with Benjamin Franklin when he said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” But having seen how much some of the richest people in our country actually pay, well, I think Ben may have been only half right. No, as Paul said, “we will die because of Adam” [1 Corinthians 15:21a, CEV] and “Adam brought death to all of us.” [1 Corinthians 15:22a, CEV]. Man, that’s just the way it is, something that the writer of Ecclesiastes also recognized with he wrote this:

The silver cord snaps,

    the golden bowl breaks;

the water pitcher is smashed,

and the pulley at the well

    is shattered.

So our bodies return

    to the earth,

and the life-giving breath 

    returns to God.

Nothing makes sense.

I have seen it all—

    nothing makes sense. [Ecclesiastes 12:6-8, CEV]

You see, for Paul, death is unavoidable. 

But in writing about how we all die, he didn’t stop there, because he also suggested that, if there’s nothing after death, we actually have no reason to feel positive about the future. In other words, we have no reason to move forward with confidence. Man, we have absolutely no reason to hope. And for Paul that was true whether you’re a Christian or not. Remember, he wrote, “If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.” [1 Corinthians 15:19, CEV] Now that’s what he said. And I’ll tell you, it’s really not all that different from what we find, again in Ecclesiastes:

It’s terribly unfair for the same thing to happen to each of us. We are mean and foolish while we live, and then we die. As long as we are alive, we still have hope, just as a live dog is better off than a dead lion. We know we will die, but the dead don’t know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them—they are gone and forgotten. Their loves, their hates, and their jealous feelings have all disappeared with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens on this earth. [Ecclesiastes 9:3-6, CEV]

Wow, it just gets better and better doesn’t it? I’ll tell you, that’s why you don’t find Ecclesiastes quoted on many birthday cards. But you know, that doesn’t mean it’s not true. You see, not only is death unavoidable, if this is all we’ve got, we really don’t have a good reason to hope. Like it or not, we will die. And I think that’s the first point Paul made in this passage to the Corinthians. 

But, of course, that wasn’t all he said, because, second, I think he also wanted them and us to know this as well, that Jesus was raised. In other words, without our permission or help, God raised Jesus from that condition which all of us are going to face and which can absolutely drain us of hope, if that’s all we can see in our future. You see, because God has both authority and love, Paul said that “Christ has been raised to life!” [1 Corinthians 15:20a, CEV] In fact, as he also wrote, resurrection was at the very core of his preaching, something we’ll talk about next week. Of course, this faith in the physical resurrection of Jesus, man, it wasn’t just Paul who believed it. For example, just listen to what Peter wrote in his first 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]

And so, like I said, for those who wrote the New Testament, God causing Jesus to rise from the dead was a big deal.

As a matter of fact, it was probably a bigger deal for them than for most of us. I mean, for a lot of us, the resurrection is actually just this enormous miracle: important, extraordinary, incredible, but still just a miracle. You see, most of us were taught that the body is sort of like a shell; and that when a person dies, the soul is released and goes somewhere else. Good night nurse, how many times have you heard that kind of thing preached at a funeral? And so, the resurrection of Jesus is certainly spectacular, but let’s get real, it really doesn’t make a big difference to us. I mean, our soul is going to leave the shell whether Jesus was raised or not, right? Well, even though that’s what we’ve been taught, based on what they wrote, it’s really not what those Jewish writers of the New Testament believed. You see, they didn’t think that either body or soul could have any kind of real existence without the other. In other words, you couldn’t have animated bodies without souls anymore than you could have living souls without bodies. Therefore, for them, the resurrection of the dead was a huge deal. You see, according to what they believed and wrote, for people to have life after death, they needed to be raised as Jesus was raised, with both a body and a soul, something about which Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians:

With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. Encourage each other with these words. [1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, CEV]

Now, this was how Paul envisioned the resurrection, our resurrection, something that reflected what the Father had already done for his Son. You see, Jesus was raised. And I think that’s the second point Paul made in this passage to the Corinthians. 

And of course, that leads to what I believe is Paul’s third point, that simply put, we will too. In other words, just like Jesus, we also will be raised. And I’ll tell you, when it comes to hope, man, this is where the rubber hits the road. You see, since we know that we’re going to die and since we also believe that Jesus was raised, we have good reason to trust that the time will come when we’re going to be raised too. And I’ll tell you, that’s the good news I think Paul wanted the Corinthians to claim. You see, for Paul, the resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of something new, something huge, in fact, something so big that changed the course of the universe. As he wrote in our passage:

But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. 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 15:20-23, CEV]

Or, as he wrote a little earlier in this same letter:

God will raise us from death by the same power he used when he raised our Lord to life. [1 Corinthians 6:14, CEV]

Now I know you’ve heard me say this before, but brace yourselves, I’m going to say it again. Because the tomb of Jesus Christ was empty, we have good reason to believe that one day, ours will be too. And that, my brothers and sisters, is hope. 

But I’ll tell you, what I’m talking about right now is a heck of a lot more than some kind of wishful thinking or grand illusion. You see, although we can’t be sure of the details because it hasn’t happened yet, I think Paul believed we could get a glimpse of our resurrection right here and right now. Just listen to what he wrote, again to the Corinthians, right after the passage on which we’ve focused: 

Some of you have asked, “How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?” Don’t be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the sprouts that come up.

That’s how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies. [1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-44, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote. And just think about how claiming this vision can change the way we view the future, particularly our life after death. I mean, instead of hanging out with disembodied souls drifting around, we can look forward to seeing those whom we love, beautiful and strong, in a recreated universe. And since they’ll be real, as real as Jesus after he was raised, we’ll be able to recognize them and to talk with them and to hold them in a new heaven and a new earth, a place where “[God] will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain[, because] these things of the past are gone forever.” [Revelation 20:4, CEV] Amen. I’m telling you, according to Paul, this is our destiny, because God has done for Jesus what he’ll do for us. You see, just like Jesus was raised, we will be too. And I think that’s the third point Paul made in this passage to the Corinthians. 

Now, do you remember how I started this little message by talking about the temperature, you know, how we may have turned the corner; therefore, we can expect only warm weather in future, at least until the end of September? Do you remember me saying something like that? Well, after I wrote most of this message, I checked my phone and saw that, according to The Weather Channel, we might be dipping into the 40s in about a week. Ooch. And even though that may not prevent Amy from hitting the links or Dan from cruising the trails or me from cutting the stupid grass, let’s get real; it still ain’t great. But let me tell you what is, you know, what is great. Thanks to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter, even though we’re going to die, because Jesus was raised, we can have hope that we will too. And I’ll tell you, that’s good news, because when you get right down to it, the resurrection offers hope.

The SPC Brunch Bunch Trip to Jesus Christ Superstar

On Sunday, April 28, the Sligo Presbyterian Church Brunch Bunch went to the Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin to see the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. After the show, we eat at Primo Barone's. Below are some pictures from the activity.

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 30, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 30, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 11:1–12:15;  John 1:1-28 ; Psalm 101:1-8; and Proverbs...

Today in the Mission Yearbook - African American Leaders and Congregations Collecting Initiative

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - African American L...: Collecting and sharing history about the Black Presbyterian experience April 29, 2024 The Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS) continues to...

Bible Readings for April 29, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 29, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 9:22–10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalm 100:1-5; and Proverbs...

Today in the Mission Yearbook - What does Lithuania have to teach us about war?

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - What does Lithuani...: PC(USA) travel study seminar to reveal the country’s lessons and history April 28, 2024 The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program’s travel study ...

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 28, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 28, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 8:18–9:21; Luke 23:44–24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; and Proverb...

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,  April 29  and Sunday, May 5, we'll lay before ...

Bible Readings for April 27, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 27, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 7:1–8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalm 97:1–98:9; and Proverbs...

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Trinity Presbytery’s Vital Congregations Coordinator says older Presbyterians have plenty of wisdom to share

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Trinity Presbytery...: Dr. Phyllis W. Sanders discusses her work, ‘Gaining Wisdom Through Vital Conversations: Voices of the Aging’ April 26, 2024 Photo by Clive S...

Presbyterians Today - A Time for Healing

Churches, Denominations and Religions: Presbyterians Today - A Time for Healing: Dear Readers, For the next couple of months while Layton is on parental leave, you will be hearing from me. Hi, I am Melody. I am writing to...

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, April 28, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs:

• Arnold Bowser
• Barb Smith's niece
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Milanovich
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Shook 
• Bob Varner
• Bruce Bowman
• Bus Clark
• Butch
• Carol Carr
• Cass' Neice
• Charles Truitt
• Chris Sibert
• Colin Harzell
• Corbin
• Dan Kemp
• David Glatt
• Debbie Flick
• Donnie Wirt Sr.
• Duane Quinn
• Elaine Lerch
• Elaine Shadiow
• Elizabeth
• Ella Henry
• Francis Maines
• Gabe
• Haylee
• Jeanne & Bill Dicken and Family
• Jerry Shook
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joe Amato
• Lana Todd
• Lisa
• Lori Myers
• Margie Henry
• Mark Dell
• Mason Martin
• Maxine Hartle
• Michael Curran
• Mike Hiles
• Noah
• Patty Divins
• Patty Selle
• Peg Watkins
• Randy Frampton
• Reoerta Fetterman
• Rick Shadiow
• Robb Summerville
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rose
• Ruth Hellams
• Tadd French
• Tamlynn
• Ted Saylors
• Uncle Harvey
• Velma Stewart
• Wes Summerville
• Zach Schieberl

The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, April 28, 2024

Although we all know that Easter is about Jesus Christ being raised from the dead, we may not be quite as clear about the  meaning and significance of this pivotal event in human history. For that reason, for five Sundays in the months of April and May, we’ll consider this question: Why Is the Resurrection of Jesus Important? During this series, we’ll consider the following topic: 

• April 7 - The Resurrection Provided Validation
• April 21 - The Resurrection Was Physical
• April 28 - The Resurrection Offers Hope
• May 5 - The Resurrection Is Good News
• May 12 - The Resurrection Anticipated the Holy Spirit

We'll continue this series on Sunday when we consider how the resurrection of Jesus Christ offers us hope. The bulletin is below. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDST)

On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (A Message to God’s People - Acts 26:1-32)

In this series, we're using the Acts of the Apostles to discuss the growth of the earlier church from its birth in the city of Jerusalem to Paul’s arrival in Rome. During our time together, we’ll look at the following:

• Session 1 - Preparing for the Journey (Acts 1:1-2)
• Session 2 - Transition (Acts 1:3-26)
• Session 3 - Birth (Acts 2:1-47)
• Session 4 - The Work Begins (Acts 3:1-26)
• Session 5 - When Faced with Opposition (Acts 4:1-26)
• Session 6 - But... (Acts 5:1-42)
• Session 7 - Problem Solved (Acts 6:1-15)
• Session 8 - When Something Bad Happens (Acts 7:1-60)
• Session 9 - Step Two (Acts 8:1-40)
• Session 10 - Saul (Acts 9:1-43)
• Session 11 - Clean People (Acts 10:1-48)
• Session 12 - Phase Three Begins (Acts 11:1-30)
• Session 13 - Even Above Kings (Acts 12:1-25)
• Session 14 - The New Kid Takes the Stage (Acts 13:1-52)
• Session 15 - Approaching a New Community (Acts 14:1-28)
• Session 16 - Issue Resolved (Acts 15:1-41)
• Session 17 -  A New World (Acts 16:1-40)
• Session 18 - Know Your Audience (Acts 17:1-34)
• Session 19 - The Big Time (Acts 18:1-28)
• Session 20 - Christ and Culture (Acts 19:1-41)
• Session 21 - Farewell (Acts 20:1-38)
• Session 22 - Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-40)
• Session 23 - A Personal Testimony (Acts 22:1-30)
• Session 24 - The Plot Thickens (Acts 23:1-35)
• Session 25 - The Way Continues (Acts 24:1-27)
• Session 26 - Different Singer, Same Song (Acts 25:1-27)
• Session 27 - A Message to God’s People (Acts 26:1-32)
• Session 28 - Will He Make It (Acts 27:1-44)
• Session 29 - Without Hindrance (Acts 28:1-31)

In our twenty-seventh session, we looked at Acts 26:1-32, Paul appearing before Agrippa and Bernice in Caesarea. The discussion and passage are below:

Acts 26:1-32 [New Revised Standard Version]

Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself: “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently. “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? “Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

”With this in mind, I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ “After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!” But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.” Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them; and as they were leaving, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.”

Bible Readings for April 26, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for April 26, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Judges 6:1-40; Luke 22:54–23:12; Psalm 95:1– 96:13; and Prove...