mid-week meet-up: First African Baptist Church, Savannah, GA

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Many of you have been asking about my first Doctor of Ministry residency that I completed at the end of June. I’ve shared with you some of what I’ve been learning about discipleship, evangelism, and revival, especially as it relates to the missionary work of John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. However, I want to share with you another incredible moment of learning I experienced while in Georgia. One day of the residency, we travelled to Savannah to retrace the steps of some of the early Christian pioneers. One place we stopped was the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, the oldest black church in continuous existence in the United States. Their church has an inspirational history and is a vibrant community of faith today, serving the people of Savannah with the ministry of the Gospel. Their Associate Pastor Derrek Curry gave us a very informative lecture about the history of the church, and I’d like to share some parts of their history with you now. 

George Leile was a black slave born in Virginia in 1750. While a slave in Georgia, he was converted to Christianity in 1773. Soon after, he was licensed to preach and eventually ordained as a Baptist minister. Over the next eight years, his preaching to the slaves among the plantations of Georgia resulted in many people coming to faith in Christ. In 1781, as British forces were leaving the Georgia coast, Leile left for Jamaica to be a missionary to the people there. Rev. Andrew Bryan, who had become a Christian under the ministry of Rev. Leile, would assume the responsibility of leading this new community of Christian slaves. On January 20, 1788, the First African Baptist Church was organized with 67 members.  

During the lecture, two events stood out to me as demonstrating the remarkable resiliency of the members of the First African Baptist Church. In the early years after the church was organized, the pastors and members of the church were severely persecuted by white neighbors and yet continued to preach the Gospel to slaves, grew, and even thrived as a church. The church’s first official pastor, Rev. Andrew Bryan, was so severely harmed from persecution that the left side of his face was disfigured. In the church building today, the first six pastors of the church are depicted in stained glass displayed behind the church’s pulpit. Rev. Bryan is the only person whose face is not displayed frontally and is instead displayed in profile, hiding the left side of his face. The church wanted to remember him for his strong and faithful pastoral leadership, instead of the hardship he endured at the hands of his white persecutors. He embodies the words from 1 Peter 4:16, “If any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.” His pastoral leadership inspires me to be likewise committed to Christ and the Gospel ministry with undaunted focus. 

The other event that stood out to me was how the church obtained its current property in 1832 and built the original brick building that still stands today. The church wanted a property of their own, and in April of 1832, the white Baptist Conference agreed to allow them to purchase a property in Savannah. There was a problem, however. The Conference told them they could only purchase the property if they could come up with $1,500 in 6 months! In today’s value, that’s approximately $60,000. How could slaves come up with $60,000 in just 6 months?! The story is truly remarkable. They went to their slave-owners and asked them to liquidate the equity they had earned toward their freedom, and, in effect, re-enslaved themselves all over again. Rev. Curry told us, “Those slaves would rather have a church of their own, even if it meant remaining slaves for the rest of their lives!” That tells you something about how important their faith in Jesus was and how vital they understood the community of faith to be! After purchasing the property, the slaves got to work building a new church building for themselves. After working all day on plantations, they would come to the church and work throughout the night making bricks by hand. They would go down to the Savannah River to collect clay, making, drying, and setting each brick for their building by hand. Structural engineers today say that that brick building is one of the most structurally sound buildings they’ve seen, even after 190 years!  

The Christians who made up the membership of the First African Baptist Church in those early years have so much to teach us today. They refused to let white, so-called Christians discourage and deter them from having a vibrant relationship with Christ, and they demonstrated such courage and strength in loving God and serving one another despite persecution. I pray that I and all of us at First Presbyterian Church would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to have such singleness of purpose, faith, courage, and determination. This Doctor of Ministry program is becoming such a boon to my faith and leadership, and I’m so grateful to be part of it. I hope you are encouraged, too, as I share with you all that I'm learning. 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: The Book of Ezekiel

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! We’re continuing our summer sermon series this Sunday. So far, we’ve addressed your questions about the nature of Christian community, speaking in tongues, and applying the teachings of Jesus to our lives. This Sunday, the question I will be seeking to answer in my sermon will be, “What’s with all the animal sacrificing in the Old Testament?” The Q&A’s after each of these sermons have been stimulating and educational. I hope you’ll worship with us on Sunday and stick around afterward for the discussion of the day’s topic.  

Today is Day 311 of our one-year Bible reading journey, which means we only have 54 days left! That’s hard to believe!  

Our Old Testament readings currently have us in the Book of Ezekiel. There have been a few questions posted by people in the Bible App about Ezekiel, and I’d like to take a moment to answer those questions here so everyone can benefit.  

Throughout the Book of Ezekiel, God regularly refers to the prophet Ezekiel as “son of man.” You’ll also notice that in the Old Testament, the Messiah is occasionally referred to as the Son of Man, and, in fact, this title is applied to Jesus in the New Testament (like in Luke 19:10 where Jesus says about himself, “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”) Is Ezekiel being called “son of man” because he was a Messianic figure, or is there a difference between how the term “son of man” is applied to Ezekiel and the other references to the Messiah? The answer is: there is a difference.  

In the Hebrew language, the phrase “son of ________” is often used to describe a person who is part of a larger group. For example, when you read the word “Israelite” in the Old Testament, it’s actually translating the Hebrew phrase “son of Israel,” which simply means “one who is a descendant of Israel.” Likewise, the phrase “son of man” is simply a phrase which means “one who belongs to the human race,” or, more simply put, “a human” or “a mortal.” That’s why you’ll notice that some English translations of the Book of Ezekiel don’t call him “son of man” but simply “O human” or “O mortal.” It’s a way that the Book of Ezekiel is trying to communicate to us that the prophet Ezekiel is simply a mere mortal relaying the words of God. On the other hand, the title for the Messiah (particularly in the New Testament) is usually referred to using the definite article - the Son of Man. Why is that? It’s because Jesus the Messiah is not simply a mere mortal; rather, he is the chief and archetypal human. He is the representation for what all humans were truly meant to be. He is not simply human; he is the Human. He is what all humans should aspire to become, and that's why we look to Jesus to know how God wants all of us to be.  

Thinking of the prophet Ezekiel as a mere mortal relaying the words of God led some of you to wonder about why prophets were needed. When God spoke to people through prophets, was God “updating” things that God had previously already said? And, how were people to distinguish between true prophets and false prophets? In response to the first question, when God spoke through prophets, God was not giving a new revelation. Rather, God was using the prophet to enforce the words that God had already said previously. Ezekiel wasn’t telling the people of Judah anything new; he was simply telling them, “God really meant what God has already told you!” In fact, this was one of the ways that people can tell the difference between a true and false prophet. Was the prophet telling the people to trust in God alone for wisdom and provision? Then, that person was a true prophet. Was the prophet telling the people that obedience to God alone wasn’t really necessary and that they could trust in other gods, other people, or the power of other nations? Then, that person was a false prophet.  

It is the same for us today, and it’s one of the reasons why reading the Bible is so important. The Bible communicates to us the truth of God revealed to humanity. God really meant all that has been said to us in Scripture; therefore, we should read it and trust in its truth. This is precisely what Jesus taught us to do (“One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God,” Matthew 4:4). If that’s how Jesus thought of the Bible, then as his followers, we should, too. After all, he is the one to whom we look to know how God wants us to be. He is the Son of Man! 

I hope to see you Sunday! 

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: Paul’s First Letter to Timothy

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I’m happy to be back home after finishing my first residency for my Doctor of Ministry degree, which was an incredibly enriching learning experience. I’m particularly happy to be back because we’ve just started our annual summer tradition of a sermon series structured around answering your questions. This year, since we’re spending this entire year reading through the whole Bible, the questions you’ve asked have to do with things you’ve been reading. Pastor Erin gave a great sermon this past Sunday on the nature of Christian community. This Sunday, my sermon will seek to answer the question, “What are we to make about speaking in tongues?” Many of you know that I have a background in the Pentecostal tradition, which emphasizes the practice of speaking in tongues. I’m very much looking forward to addressing this question on Sunday! 

Today is Day 297 of our one-year Bible-reading journey. It’s not too late to begin reading along with us! We’re just finishing up the Book of Jeremiah as well as starting Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. Let me know if you want a copy of the reading plan! 

After finishing reading Paul’s First Letter to Timothy yesterday, I was reminded about how much practical advice is packed into that letter. One thing that Paul said to Timothy that really caught my attention was in 1 Timothy 4:12-16: “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 

I love that Paul tells the young Timothy not to view his youth as a disqualification for leadership. Instead, he tells Timothy to set an example for everyone. Specifically, he instructs Timothy to read, study, and apply the teachings of scripture to his life. He tells Timothy to “pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching” (v. 16). This demonstrates the close connection that ought to exist between what we read and study in scripture and the way we live our lives. We ought to not only read to understand the Bible, but also read to apply the teachings of the Bible to our lives. This is what our summer sermon series is meant to help us do. In fact, it’s what the whole experience of reading through the Bible in a year has been meant to do. As you finish up reading through the whole Bible, I encourage you to ask yourself not only “What does this text mean?” But, more importantly, ask yourself, “What does this text mean for me?” Ask for the Holy Spirit to open up the scriptures so that you can hear God trying to reshape your identity in Christ. Such a practice has the power to, as Paul said, “save yourself.” That’s my prayer for you today! 

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: Servant Song by Richard Gillard

Good Afternoon First Presbyterian Church of Pittsford,  

We are very sorry for the livestream interruptions and challenges we had on Sunday, June 22.  

We know that the livestream is an important link to your church family for so many of you who cannot always worship with us in person. While I cannot recreate the whole worship service for you, I did record a version of my sermon and uploaded it to our YouTube page (link below). Before watching the sermon, I suggest you read the scripture passage from Jeremiah 37:11-38:13 (a PDF of the bulletin from Sunday is attached to this email). 

https://youtu.be/Cjvjb5Qee58 - sermon from Sunday, June 22

 

This coming Sunday I will be addressing the question: What does Christian community look like, and how can this fit in our time/place/culture? 

During our worship service on June 29, we will be singing Servant Song by Richard Gillard as one of our hymn selections, and I will also be referring to it in my sermon. In just these few verses, the lyrics reference fifteen Gospel passages, and another eighteen passages from the Epistles.  

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant too 

We are pilgrims on a journey
We are travelers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load 

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the peace you long to hear 

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through 

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony 

Will you let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant too 

I hope you take some time to reflect on these words as we prepare to consider together what Christian community looks like here, and now. 

In Christ’s Abounding Love,

Pastor Erin 

mid-week meet-up: announcements

Good Afternoon First Presbyterian,  

I have a few announcements for you this afternoon:  

1. On Sunday, June 22, we will begin our summer worship schedule with one service at 9:30 am. We will resume our two-service schedule (8:30 am and 10:00 am on Sunday, September 7). 

2. Also this Sunday, I will be preaching on the book of Jeremiah, chapters 37-38. This is the last Sunday until August 24 that we will focus on the One Year Bible Reading passages, because...  

3. Beginning Sunday, June 29, we will be addressing your questions during our sermons and host question and answer sessions in the sanctuary following the worship service. 

As we begin our season of summer worship, I hope you all have some time to pause, reflect, and rest. Consider joining us on Sundays as we explore your questions: 

June 29 - What does Christian community look like, and how can this fit in our time/place/culture?

July 6 - What about speaking in tongues?

July 13 - How do we apply the teachings of Jesus to our life today?

July 20 - What’s with all the animal sacrificing in the Old Testament?

July 27 - What’s with all the violence in the conquest of Canaan, and why were Jesus’ disciples carrying swords? Plus, how do we reconcile the call to “love your enemies” with commands like, “Do not associate with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14)?

August 3 - How do I cultivate gratitude, if I inherited my sinfulness from my predecessors (original sin)?

August 10 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 1)

August 17 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 2)

I hope to see you on Sunday!
Pastor Erin 

mid-week meet-up: Upcoming Events

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! In case you missed the announcement, there is an End-of-Life Seminar tomorrow, June 12, at 5:00 pm in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Planning for the end of our earthly lives can be an incredibly loving thing we do for our families, friends, and all those we will leave behind. At this seminar, you will have the opportunity to hear from your Pastors, the Memorial Garden Committee, and the Legacy Committee to learn about end-of-life decision making, planning your funeral, updates to our Memorial Garden (including our new columbarium), and considering leaving a legacy gift to the church. The seminar will last approximately 2 hours, and light refreshments will be served.  

This Sunday is Dads and Grads Sunday! We will be giving thanks for fathers and recognizing our graduating students. It will also be the last Sunday of our two worship service schedule, which means June 22 will be our first Sunday for the summer of a single worship service at 9:30 am.  

Today, we began reading the Book of Jeremiah in our one-year Bible-reading journey. Over the next two Sundays (June 15 and 22), our worship will focus on the message of this prophetic book. The Book of Jeremiah helps us to clearly see the challenges that Jeremiah endured to faithfully live out his calling as a prophet. His life and experience have much to teach us about obediently following the leading of God. Come to worship and explore this with us! 

On June 29, our summer sermon series begins, where Pastor Erin and I will attempt to answer your questions about the Bible: 

June 29 - What does Christian community look like, and how can this fit in our time/place/culture?

July 6 - What about speaking in tongues?

July 13 - How do we apply the teachings of Jesus to our life today?

July 20 - What’s with all the animal sacrificing in the Old Testament?

July 27 - What’s with all the violence in the conquest of Canaan, and why were Jesus’ disciples carrying swords? Plus, how do we reconcile the call to “love your enemies” with commands like, “Do not associate with unbelievers” (2 Cor. 6:14)?

August 3 - How do I cultivate gratitude, if I inherited my sinfulness from my predecessors (original sin)?

August 10 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 1)

August 17 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 2) 

I hope to see you this Sunday! 

Peace,
Aaron

mid-week meet-up: How can I love and give myself up for someone else today?

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! We have an exciting weekend ahead of us! First, our spring picnic is this Saturday at 3pm at Hopkins Point Lodge in Mendon Ponds Park. Dinner will be served at 5pm. Hotdogs, burgers, and drinks will be provided. Please let us know if you will be bringing a side dish, appetizer, or dessert by clicking this link! There will also be games, live music, and a marshmallow roast - you won’t want to miss it! 

Second, this Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and, during worship at 10:00 am, two young men will be completing their year-long Confirmation journey by professing their faith in Christ and becoming members of the congregation. It will also be your last opportunity to hear the choir sing before they take a deserved rest for the summer. What a blessed Sunday it will be! 

We’re currently finishing reading Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians in our Bible-in-one-year journey, and Paul begins chapter 5 with these words: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (5:1-2). Each of us has been made in God’s image and called to reflect God’s own nature. However, sin distorts and masks God’s image in us. How are we to “imitate God,” as Paul exhorts us? By looking to Christ who “loved us and gave himself up for us.” I encourage you to reflect on this question today: How can I love and give myself up for someone else today? If you can answer that question and ask for God’s help to follow through with it, then you will be imitating God, as a beloved child. How simple, and yet profound! 

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: Summer sermon series and Galatians

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Thanks to everyone who submitted some very great and thought-provoking questions for our summer sermon series: “Why does the Bible say that?” Our series is all set, and here is what it looks like: 

June 29 - What does Christian community look like, and how can this fit in our time/place/culture?

July 6 - What about speaking in tongues?

July 13 - How do we apply the teachings of Jesus to our life today?

July 20 - What’s with all the animal sacrificing in the Old Testament?

July 27 - What’s with all the violence in the conquest of Canaan, and why were Jesus’ disciples carrying swords?

August 3 - How do I cultivate gratitude, if I inherited my sinfulness from my predecessors (original sin)?

August 10 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 1)

August 17 - What should we believe about human sexuality? (Part 2) 

Erin and I are looking forward to answer these questions this summer! 

We just started reading Paul’s letter to the Galatians in our one-year Bible reading journey. This is one of my absolute favorite books of the New Testament. Here’s the gist of Paul’s message in this letter. 

Paul probably wrote his letter to the Galatians in 51 AD, while he was in Corinth. The church in Galatia was majority Gentile, and the reason he wrote this letter was to address some confusion within the Galatian church. Paul had founded the church in Galatia around 49 AD, when he had visited the area and the first people converted to Christianity. During the time after Paul left, another group of people with strong ties to Judaism (sometimes referred to as the “Judaizers”) had come to Galatia and were refuting Paul’s message. The Judaizers were trying to convince the Galatians that in order to follow Jesus (who himself was Jewish), they also had to follow the Jewish laws and customs. This is why Paul talks so much about circumcision in this letter, because part of what the Judaizers were teaching the Galatians was that their men must become circumcised to follow Jesus (since that was a requirement of Judaism). Paul says that the Judaizers were presenting a “different Gospel” and were “perverting the Gospel of Christ” (1:6-7). The Gospel of Christ is founded on the principle of justification by faith; in other words, we are declared innocent of sin before God by trusting in Jesus for salvation (who died for our sin), not by earning our salvation through good works. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus made it so that we can now freely pursue a life of loving submission to God without fear of punishment or condemnation because of sin (5:1). The evidence or proof that we have truly been set free and are living in loving submission to God is the Holy Spirit working through us. When we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to lead and guide us every moment of every day, the proof of the Holy Spirit working in us is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (5:22-23). We are not saved by these good works; on the contrary, these good works are the proof that we are already saved.  

As you read through Galatians, I encourage you to pay attention to Paul’s exhortations to “live by the Spirit” and “be led by the Spirit.” God doesn’t want to simply change our behavior. God wants to change our hearts and give us a new identity. God wants us to become like Jesus not in a legalistic adherence to certain rules, but in a loving relationship of seeking to know and follow Jesus. My prayer for you today is that you will allow Christ to capture your hearts and fill you with a greater love for God. That is the essence of the Gospel. 

Peace,
Aaron

mid-week meet-up: 2 Corinthians

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I know many of you are still reflecting on the amazing Safari to Kenya event from Saturday. All the leaders and volunteers organized an incredible fundraiser for the In Step Children’s Home in Kenya. Many of you may have already seen the update that that single event raised $56,219 for the children’s home! Incredible! What a blessing!  

Allow me to remind you one more time that if you want to submit a question about the Bible reading we’ve been doing this year, you have until this Friday to send your question to connect@pittsfordpres.org, which will then be used in our summer sermon series. 

Today is Day 255 in our Bible-reading journey, and we are currently reading through Isaiah and 2 Corinthians (plus Psalms and Proverbs). Since we’re focusing on Isaiah during Sunday worship for the next three weeks, I want to spend a moment with you reflecting on our reading from 2 Corinthians. 

One of the most interesting passages in the New Testament appeared in our reading yesterday - 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. In this section of this letter from Paul to the Corinthian church, Paul is addressing some criticisms that have circulated among the Corinthians about Paul’s credibility. Outsiders were telling the Corinthians that Paul is not worth listening to, because he wasn’t Jewish enough, wasn’t clever enough, and wasn’t qualified to teach them about Jesus.  

He spends some time trying to tell them why his preaching doesn’t follow the standards of the world. While these outsiders thought that a person who was truly persuasive must appeal to their qualifications to preach by boasting about themselves, Paul believed that the Gospel must be taught with humility, albeit with the seriousness and sincerity it requires. Nevertheless, Paul says to the Corinthians, “You want to know about my qualifications? Fine, let me tell you.” Then in a sort of tongue-in-cheek manner, he tells them about all the suffering he endured in the name of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:22-29) and about the source of all his knowledge of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). You can tell Paul thinks it’s silly that he has to do this for the Corinthians because he frequently says things like, “I am speaking as a fool” (11:21) and “I am talking like a madman” (11:23). He’s trying to remain humble, while also addressing the criticisms about himself.  

This is when we read the interesting thing he writes in 2 Corinthians 2:1-10. He says, “I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat” (12:2-4).  

Who is this person Paul knew fourteen years ago and what does it mean to be “caught up to the third heaven?” Paul is talking about himself in an indirect way (trying to remain humble), and what he’s saying is that he had a profound spiritual experience (perhaps even an “out of body” experience.) Jews and Christians in the first century thought that everything above the earth was divided into three sections - the “first heaven” is where the birds and clouds are, the “second heaven” is where the sun, moon, and planets are, and the “third heaven” is where God must be. While this isn’t how we would describe the universe today, Paul’s point is that he had a vision of God in heaven. Paul is saying that fourteen years before writing to the Corinthians (which would have been at the time when he had his “road to Damascus” experience, when the risen and ascended Jesus appeared to him), he had a spiritual experience that took him from this world into the realm of God. Though Paul never met Jesus while Jesus lived on this earth, he did meet Jesus in a true, spiritual, and even supernatural experience.  

This demonstrates an important point to us about the Gospel. What the apostles teach us in the New Testament about Jesus came straight from the source - Christ himself. This is why we can trust what the New Testament tells us about Jesus - it came from him by entrusting it to those early leaders of the church. This is why Paul admonishes the Corinthians for believing anything about Jesus that didn’t come from Jesus: “If someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Paul says something similar to the Galatian church: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!” (Galatians 1:6-8).  

We can and should trust what the New Testament tells us about who Jesus is and what he wants to do in and through his church. This is one of the most important reasons for our one-year Bible-reading journey. Do you want to know Christ and his will for your life? Then read the New Testament. That is where you will find your answers.  

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Reconciliation with God

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Some of you have already submitted some really good questions to be included into our summer sermon series. I’m looking forward to trying to answer them! If you would still like to ask a question related to the Bible reading we’ve been doing this year, you have until May 23 to send your questions to connect@pittsfordpres.org.  

We have over 150 people registered for the Safari to Kenya fundraising dinner and auction this Saturday. The proceeds from the fundraiser will go to support In Step Children’s Home in Kitale, Kenya. I look forward to seeing many of you there! For anyone who isn’t coming to the fundraiser, you will have the opportunity during worship on Sunday to hear from Estha Madeira, the Executive Director of Rehema for Kids, the organization that supports the In Step Children’s Home.  

Today is Day 248 of our one-year Bible reading journey. This past Saturday, we read 2 Corinthians 5:11-12, which includes these well-known verses: “[God] has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (v. 18). What is reconciliation? It is the restoration of a broken relationship. Sometimes when people read this verse, they assume Paul means the “ministry of reconciliation” God has given us is about reconciling people to each other - bridging the gap between people of different ethnicities, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages. However, that isn’t what Paul actually means. Let’s read more of the context:  

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, emphasis added). 

You see, the broken relationship that Christ has restored is the one between people and God, and the message that has been entrusted to us is the proclamation that people can have a relationship with God now because of Jesus. Paul is essentially summarizing what Jesus says in the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). Paul is reiterating Christ’s call to evangelism!  

Does all this mean that God doesn’t care about reconciling people to each other? Of course not! It simply means that people will not experience lasting reconciliation with each other, until they experience reconciliation with God. When we see what Christ has done for us to bring us into relationship with God, we should seek to be like him in every way with our relationships with others. Christ was humble, selfless, and sacrificial in order to bring us back to God. So… we ought to follow his example in all our relationships with people.  

Let’s not “accept the grace of God in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1). Accept the grace of God by directing your whole lives in pursuit of knowing and loving God. Proclaim this grace given to us in Jesus Christ to everyone with your words and deeds so that they, too, might direct their whole lives in pursuit of God. The natural result of all this will lead to people to be reconciled not only to God but to each other, because seeing the Lord Jesus transforms us into his very likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).  

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: Turn to Christ

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I want to remind you that this summer, we will be organizing a sermon series around answering your questions about what we’ve been reading this year in the Bible. We have less than 100 days left in the journey, and we’ve already read most of the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, we’re finishing the Book of Job this week, and then we only have Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and the Prophets to read. In the New Testament, we’re finishing Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, then we only have Hebrews, Revelation, and a number of short letters from the apostles to read.

Do you have questions about confusing passages you’ve read? Do you wonder what exactly Christians are to believe and do related to teachings and admonitions in the New Testament? Do you have a theological problem you’re still trying to work out in your mind? Do you want to hear about how to apply the teachings of Jesus to your own everyday life? Then, submit your questions to connect@pittsfordpres.org by May 23 so we can incorporate your question into our summer sermon series! 

Yesterday, we read Psalm 42, in which the psalmist describes experiencing suffering. The psalmist is feeling depressed (v. 5), is experiencing physical pain (v. 10), and is being oppressed by others (v. 9). Maybe you’ve experienced a similar time in your life or are experiencing one such time right now. I encourage you to respond to your situation the way the psalmist does. He or she doesn’t necessarily ask God to fix the problem, but simply says, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Regardless of what we are facing in life, the right response is to reorient our lives to this universal truth: our purpose in life is to glorify God.  

I know a modern hymn called “Hold Me Savior” that includes these powerful lines in it: “May my burden bring me closer to Your side. Every lack that leads to worship is a precious prize.” I encourage you today, regardless of what you may be experiencing, to turn to Christ and offer praise to him for God’s grace, mercy, and love. As we will read soon in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.” 

Blessed Eastertide,
Pastor Aaron