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8/26/2015 0 Comments The Lighthouse - August 24, 2015 A Lifetime of LearningAs the kids head back to school this week for a new year of growing and learning, I am reminded of two dear saints of the church named Winnie and Ann that I had the honor of getting to know in my first church about ten years ago now. They were both in their eighties and had been lifetime members of that little congregation. Each week, we met for a Bible study with a few of the other ladies and then we shared lunch together. During lunch, they would often regale me with stories of their years growing up in the church. It was a great arrangement - I brought the study, and they brought the food and the stories. They were a fun group, and we laughed quite often as we learned together. After about a year of studying together, we were sitting together eating and sharing stories as we so often did. Then Winnie got a serious look on her face. "I really like these times we spend together. I am still learning so much about the Bible. It's still a mystery to me, but I feel like I understand it so much better than I did even just a few years ago." Ann chimed in, "Me too! You know, Jim, we're old, but we're still learning. You have to promise us that you will never stop learning. You're never too old to learn something new." What wise words and genuine witnesses from these saintly women! They have stuck with me over these years. When I get comfortable with what I know and slack off in my study, I remember the promise Winnie and Ann made me make. Our kids are back to school, but for many of us our school years lie far behind us. That does not let us off the hook, though. We're never too old or too far out of school to learn something new. May this season of new beginnings in school inspire us to recommit ourselves to learning and growing! Blessings on the journey, Jim Meeting Jesus We are almost midway through our journey with Jesus as we witness the people who met him along the way. By hearing their stories, we reflect on what happens when we meet Jesus in our own journeys. Sermon Snippet: Pouring Out (Luke 7:36-50) Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to his home for a special dinner, and a woman, a known sinner from the community, came to honor Jesus. So grateful was she for Jesus that she wept at this feet, washing them with her tears and wiping them dry with her hair. Simon was upset that Jesus would accept such a woman that he judged unworthy. Jesus taught Simon that this woman loved him because she had been forgiven much but Simon showed him less hospitality because he (or so he thought) had been forgiven less. Because he did not think he needed grace for his own sin, Simon was less honoring of Jesus and more judging of this woman who poured out her very self for Jesus. We in the church are in danger of forgetting our own need for grace, taking Jesus' forgiveness for granted, and judging those we deem unworthy of Jesus. We hold our weekly party for Jesus as our guest of honor, but we forget to honor him as we should by sharing his grace rather judging one another. When we meet Jesus and pour out ourselves - sin and all - as a gift to Jesus like the woman in this story, Jesus accepts us and pours grace upon us. When we meet one another and pour out ourselves - sin and grace and all - as a gift to one another, we meet Jesus again and he pours our grace upon each of us all the more. This Week's Challenge Who is someone in your life that you judge a lot? What is one way that you can show them grace in the place of judgment this week? Looking Ahead A young girl, the daughter of a prominent leader of the community, lies dying at home. Jesus rushes through the crowd to try to save her life. Suddenly he stops - someone from the crowd has reached out to touch his clothes and been healed. With a young girl's life hanging in the balance, Jesus pauses long enough to discover the woman who has reached out to him so that we might learn from her. Join us this Sunday in "Reaching Out" to Jesus, our help and our deliverer! August 30 - "Reaching Out" - Luke 8:40-54 September 6 - "Convicted" - Luke 18:18-25 September 13 - "Reconciled" - Luke 19:1-10 Amazing Proverbs RaceThis Sunday afternoon promises to be an awesome time as we celebrate our Amazing Proverbs Race! Teams of 3 or 4 youth will race through the village to show off their knowledge of the Book of Proverbs, face challenging contests including Paintball and Poses, and reach the finish before the others. Prizes of movie gift cards or Kline's ice cream await those who are wise enough to win our Amazing Proverbs Race! The race is open to all youth (6th-12th graders) regardless of whether you have read Proverbs or not, so invite friends to join your team. In fact, you just might learn something new and have fun along the way. You can pre-register your team with Dinah this week or register on Sunday at noon. Weekly Prayer Time Beginning September 3, join us on Thursdays at 10:30 am for a time of reflection and prayer. We will gather in Pastor Jim's office to share Scripture, a brief devotional, and prayer for our church, our community and its needs, and any requests you may bring with you. If you cannot join us but have a special request for prayer, please let Pastor Jim know. We hope to see you there! Last Call for Recipes!Recipes for the cookbook must be in by this Sunday August 30th. We will not be accepting any after that date. As of today 600 recipes have been submitted. This is going to be a great cookbook. You do not want to miss being in this cookbook! Give us at least one recipe so your family will be represented. All the proceeds of this book will go toward the restoration of the beautiful windows we have in our church. Submit recipes in the box outside the sanctuary at the church, or give them to Sue, Joyce, Connie, or Liz. Thank you for your help! Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchSunday, August 30 Recipes Due! 9:30 am - Worship: "Meeting Jesus - Reaching Out" 11 am - Sunday School 12 - 3 pm - Amazing Proverbs Race 6 - 7:30 pm - High School Confirmation Bible Study Looking Ahead
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8/17/2015 0 Comments The Lighthouse - August 17, 2015 Learning to SingThis past Saturday, we had the privilege of attending the Mount Bethel Baptist Lawn Party in New Hope. Courtney's choir had been invited to come share as one of the musical performers in singing a few old hymns. As Courtney accompanied and sang with her choir, I sat with our three boys listening and clapping along - Zach and Hunter to one side and Seth in my lap. When the choir began "Marching to Zion," I started to hear a new voice - a softer, closer one. I looked down at Seth and saw him trying to sing along with the choir. While his vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds every day (and much of that hard to understand), the words of the hymn were mostly beyond him, so his singing was a mix of oo's, ah's, and some form of toddler gibberish. But he was having a blast and couldn't help but to sing as best as he knew how. It made me think about how we learn to do things, especially how to follow Jesus. As disciples, we may try our best to follow Jesus, but there are certainly things we still have to learn - how to love everyone, how to be patient, how to stand up against wrong, how to share grace rather than hold onto it, etc. There are so many things we are growing in our abilities to do. In some things, we may have reached a decent level of mastery - enough to get by on at least. Yet, looking at my own life, I have to believe that there are some areas of our lives of faith where our mastery is on par with a toddler just learning to sing - the ways we show love to our enemies and the ways we forgive those who have deeply hurt us, for instance. How grateful I am that we serve a gracious and forgiving God! I wonder if Jesus looks upon us in our attempts at love and grace and admires our attempts in the way that we cherish the beauty of toddler learning to sing. May God give us the grace to learn something new about following Jesus and to sing out the song of faith even when we don't yet know how! Blessings on the journey, Jim Meeting Jesus We are continuing our worship series "Meeting Jesus" - a look at some of the stories that Luke tells of people encountering Jesus along life's journeys. Over the next couple of months, we will explore how we meet Jesus and what difference it makes in our lives. Sermon Snippet: Seeking (Luke 7:1-10) Many of the first people to meet Jesus just happened to be where he showed up or were carried by others. As Jesus' reputation as a teacher and healer grew, however, people began seeking him out. One of the first to actively seek Jesus is a surprising character - a Roman centurion. Roman military officers had a reputation for being cruel and oppressive and were reviled by the Jewish people. Yet this centurion is one who cared deeply for his ill servant, had built a synagogue for the people in Capernaum to worship in, and was well-respected by the local elders who asked Jesus to heal this centurion's servant. As Jesus approached his house, the centurion sent word to Jesus that he did not have to come into his home - something that would make Jesus unclean according to Jewish law. Instead, the centurion trusted that if Jesus merely said the word that his servant would be healed. The centurion trusted that Jesus' authority was greater than his own, so he did not make demands of him or treat him as another servant to be ordered around. This faith, so complete and so humble - especially from an outsider - surprised even Jesus who lifted the centurion up as an example to be followed. This Week's Challenge When you seek Jesus in prayer this week, begin and end your requests with the statement "Your will, not mine, be done." Looking Ahead Jesus is invited to a dinner party at Simon's house. As he reclines at the table, a woman - a sinful woman of the town - enters Simon's home and begins to wash Jesus' feet. So strong was her love and gratitude for being forgiven of her sin that she uses her own tears and hair to wash his feet rather than water and a cloth. Join us this Sunday in "Pouring Out" all that we are at the feet of Jesus! August 23 - "Pouring Out" - Luke 7:36-49 - Back-to-School Blessing/Promotion Sunday August 30 - "Reaching Out" - Luke 8:40-54 September 6 - "Convicted" - Luke 18:18-25 Back to School Blessing This Sunday! This Sunday, we will also celebrate the beginning of a new school year with a special blessing for our teachers, staff, and students. Kids, bring your backpacks for a special blessing! Teachers and staff, come for a blessing to start off the new year right and a surprise to help keep you going strong all year long! Help Wanted
Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchThursday, August 20 10 am - Sunshine Seniors Sunday, August 23 9:30 am - Worship: "Meeting Jesus - Reaching Out" Back to School Blessing/Promotion Sunday 11 am - Sunday School 6 pm - High School Confirmation Bible Study Proverbs Challenge Q&A Due Budget Requests Due Looking Ahead
8/11/2015 0 Comments The Lighthouse - August 10, 2015 The Old, Old Game...Recently our boys have really gotten into the old playground game of Four Square. You may remember from your own school days that it is a simple game: four squares, four players; hit the ball into another square and keep it from bouncing more than once in your own square; hit it out of bounds or on a line, or let it hit twice in your square, and you're out and every one else moves up towards the fourth square. Such a simple game... At least, it was. Kids these days have added so many new rules that the game has become utterly complicated. Catch the ball before it hits your square, call out "Jackpot" before five seconds is up, and the person who hit it is out. Name a kind of pizza before you hit the ball, or you are out. The new rules go on and on. I have to admit that, when Zach and Hunter first asked me to play Four Square with them, I was excited. I loved the game as a kid and was pretty good at it. Then I found out about all these rules. Why did we need all these new rules when the simple game was good enough? I teased the boys a bit about how silly their rules were and how they didn't know how to really play the game - that is, the way I used to play it. One of our neighbors, a few years older than me but still a kid at heart, came over and agreed with me on the purity of the simple rules we grew up with. Together, we showed the boys how to really play. And the boys just watched in disbelief at how boring our game was. Our neighbor left, and the boys jumped back in. I gave in and played by their rules. To my surprise, they played better than they had before having seen the boring yet strategic game being played. Over the last few weeks, we have spent many an evening on the front sidewalk playing, and I have come -in spite of myself - to enjoy playing by some of these new rules. The game is more fun now than it was to me before. I couldn't imagine going back to the old rules I had loved the game for as a kid. It makes me think about how we so often do things in the church. We are creatures of comfort, and we easily become accustomed to doing certain things in specific ways. We want to keep doing things the ways we always have. Trying new things or doing old things in new ways can cause us to grow uncertain and worry about the outcome of such changes. While the changes sometimes fall flat (and hopefully we learn from them), at other times we grow to enjoy them and cannot imagine going back to our old way of doing things. I pray that, as God continues to unfold a vision for us here at Port Republic, we (myself included) will be willing to take the next faithful step to, as the old hymn says, tell the old, old story with a new, new song. Blessings on the journey, Jim Meeting Jesus We are continuing our worship series "Meeting Jesus" - a look at some of the stories that Luke tells of people encountering Jesus along life's journeys. Over the next couple of months, we will explore how we meet Jesus and what difference it makes in our lives. Sermon Snippet: Carried (Luke 5:17-26) The scene is set: Jesus is teaching, a crowd has gathered to hear him, and a paralyzed man is carried forward by his friends to meet him. We know what to expect - a miracle - and Jesus does not disappoint. He first forgives the man of his sin (a miracle in and of itself) and then heals him. While these may not surprise us, what is surprising is that Jesus performs these miracles not because of the paralyzed man's faith but because he sees the faith of the man's friends. From this encounter, we see the importance of carrying each other to Jesus when we cannot get there ourselves. When we meet Jesus, he may heal and forgive others because of the faith that he sees in us. When we see someone struggling with doubts, fears, hurts, or tears, we have a choice - to act as a barrier through judgment like the crowd that questions Jesus' authority or to carry our brother or sister in grace back to Jesus, letting our faith lift them up. This Week's Challenge Who in our lives needs to be carried to meet Jesus for the first time? What is one way you can show them grace rather than judgment this week? Who in our lives is struggling and needs the strength of our faith to carry them through? How can you lift them up? Looking Ahead As we enter the town with Jesus, the elders of the local synagogue approach with a surprisingly odd request - a Roman centurion (of all people) is seeking Jesus to heal his servant. As we follow Jesus to the centurion's house, what this man seeking help does next amazes even Jesus! Join us this Sunday in "Seeking" Jesus together! August 16 - "Seeking" - Luke 7:1-10 August 23 - "Pouring Out" - Luke 7:36-49 - Back-to-School Blessing/Promotion Sunday August 30 - "Reaching Out" - Luke 8:40-54
Contact Information UpdateWe in the church office have been working over the past several months to update and enter our membership records into the church computer (a huge thank-you goes out to Dianna for her work on this project!). In the coming weeks, we are asking for your help to check over what we have entered, correct any mistakes, update any changes, and add any missing information for your family. Dianna will set up a table in the fellowship hall this week and in the church office next week during the coffee time following worship. She will have a print-out of the information we have for you and your family for you to look over, update, and return to her. This is an important step in our work of updating our membership records, so we ask that you plan to see her one of these two weeks to update your information. Living in Community
This Week at Port ChurchTuesday, August 11 6 pm - Wednesday at the Port Meeting 7 pm - Administrative Council Meeting Thursday, August 6 6:30 pm - Trustees Meeting Sunday, August 9 9:30 am - Worship: "Meeting Jesus - Seeking" 11 am - Sunday School Looking Ahead...
 Hidden Away Along the C&O towpath. As I prepare this weekly newsletter, program flyers, and worship graphics, I often find myself scouring the internet for beautiful, inspiring photos of pastoral meadow scenes, shorelines, wilderness trails, and the like to use to illustrate some point. As I swim through the overwhelming sea of pictures, I am simply amazed at some of the wonderful places that people have found to capture. Living in God's country that is the Shenandoah Valley, there are certainly such places around us, but I don't know how often I notice them as I hurriedly go up and down the roads of Rockingham County, much less even know where to look for new ones. Last week, Courtney and I took a couple of days away in the Western Maryland to celebrate our anniversary. As we both enjoy hiking in the woods, we decided to take a morning to walk along the old C&O Canal towpath that has been converted into a recreational path - mind you, a very flat one for those accustomed to the trails of the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies. Unfortunately, we could not find the entrance to the path that we had been told about, and the GPS had no idea what the C&O is. So we stopped to ask around at a nearby gas station, and surprisingly many people were confused by our question. One guy overheard us and told us that the entrance was only a few blocks away, so we finally made it to the path. The path was beautiful, but even better were trails leading down the hillside to the bank of the Potomac. We took each one and marvelled at the views they unveiled. As we came around each bend on the towpath and walked down each trail to the river, we found one picture-worthy scene after another. All of this natural beauty was right there, and a mere few blocks away was a store filled with folks who had no idea it was so close by. It makes me wonder how much beauty - the handiwork of our Creator - is hidden away right here just down the road. How often do we travel the roads without noticing the miracle that surrounds us? How often do we pass each other by - making snap judgments - without noticing the beauty of the soul that lies within? So much of the beauty that the Lord has created lies hidden away. May God grace us with the vision to discover it! Blessings on the journey, Jim Meeting Jesus This past Sunday, we kicked off our new worship series "Meeting Jesus" - a look at stories that Luke tells of people encountering Jesus along life's journeys. Over the next couple of months, we will explore how we meet Jesus and what difference it makes in our lives. Sermon Snippet: Called (Luke 5:1-11) Simon Peter, James, and John were fishermen tending their nets after an unsuccessful night of fishing when Jesus came along as a stranger, climbed in Peter's boat, and had him row him out a bit to be able to speak to the crowd gathering at the shoreline. After teaching the crowd and guiding the fishermen to a miraculous catch, Jesus called them to follow him and catch people for the kingdom of God. They left everything to follow him and become fishers of people. From this encounter, we find that, when we meet Jesus, hear his call, and follow him, he uses all of who we are - our talents, skills, experiences, and even our very identities - to serve God. Jesus does not erase our identity of who we are but redirects us to use it for his work of life, love, and grace. This Week's Challenge What is the most important part of your identity? Is it being a parent, a grandparent, or a friend? Is it your job or a hobby? Find at least one way this week to use this part of who you are to share life, love, and grace with someone else. Looking Ahead We arrive just in time to see a group of friends carrying a paralyzed man up onto a roof and dangling him down to meet Jesus. As the Pharisees and scribes who have come from all over Galilee, Judea, and even Jerusalem to hear this powerful new teacher watch on, Jesus takes notice of him and does something miraculous, even to us! Join us this Sunday as we are "Carried" to meet Jesus yet again! August 9 - "Carried" - Luke 5:21-27 August 16 - "Seeking" - Luke 7:1-10 August 23 - "Pouring Out" - Luke 7:36-49 - Back-to-School Blessing/Promotion Sunday
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