Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
St. John's will donate $500 for Japan to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance through the discretionary fund of our Outreach Committee. We do this because mission means sending. Since it is impractical for us to go there we send money to support those who can and will go there. We know God is present in Japan because there is so much suffering there for the people to work through. God is not the cause of the earthquake but is a solace in the suffering. The missional church goes wherever God is already working and joins God in working there.
God is comforting those who are suffering in Japan and invites us to join God in relieving their suffering. That is a theological explanation - reflecting our understanding of who God is and how God works - of why we are sending money to Japan. This explains why we do things like send money to victims of an earthquake in Japan. Other people send money as well. The difference in us is the reason we are sending the money. We send it because God is at work there and we want to support God in the work. In Missional Renaissance, Reggie McNeal writes, "Our 'thereness' is what the world needs. It needs the church to be there, addressing every brokenness caused by sin, reflecting the heart of God to the world as partners in his redemptive mission." (p 25) Point your web browser here for ways you can help, give, and stay informed about the disaster in Japan: gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/pda/faq-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami/.
God is already at work in Japan but that is not the only place where God is at work. God is also at work among the human slaves in Houston. God calls us to get outside of our comfort zone and discover ways we can help God be there for the suffering in our city and in our world. McNeal says we are to be partnering with God in daily life with the intent of blessing people and sharing the life of God with them. (p. 26) He says, "This means that missional Jesus followers are engaged in all aspects of human experience - political, social, economic, cultural, physical, psychological, and spiritual - to work for those things that enhance life and to oppose those things that steal life." (p 35) That is a broad spectrum of possibilities to which God may be calling us as individuals and as a church. Let us be in discernment about where is God is calling us now.
Such discernment of where God is leading us in mission was the theme of our Session meeting last night. Here are some highlights from last night's Session meeting:
The Session was happy to receive Dan Herron back into the fellowship of St. John's by letter of transfer from First Presbyterian Church of Palestine, Texas.
Session approved the report from the Outreach Committee that St. John's remain a partner with the American Red Cross as a possible Red Cross Shelter for minor local disasters .
Anyone interested in helping with one of the last Ike Recovery Work Week-ends should talk to Phyllis Freeman.
Session approved a request from the Worship Committee for a dedicated memorial gift fund, for the purchase of a set of banners for the sanctuary, in memory of Lois Stowell.
Some of you have asked about how to access my sermons online. The text version is online at jonbsermons.blogspot.com and the audio version is stjohnspresby.org/growing/sermons thanks to Dave Nelson who puts the audio sermons on the web.
I'd also like to thank Dave for making The Beacon available online each month. You can read the latest version of the Beacon at christophergraphics.com/stjohns/beacon.pdf. This file may take a few minutes to download before you double click it to open and read it.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
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March 11, 2011
PDA stands ready to respond to needs from the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan and the ensuing tsunamis across the Pacific rim.
The earthquake struck in the middle of the afternoon just off of Honshu, Japan's most populous island. It is the strongest earthquake to hit Japan and has been identified as the fifth strongest earthquake in the world since records have been kept.
Donna Derr, director of Church World Service's development and humanitarian programs,
said: "Japan is obviously a country of substantive resources and a construction industry that is renowned and the country has been on the cutting edge of building earthquake-resistant housing. As such, this
bodes well for them being able to manage a pretty effective recovery over time themselves."
ACT Alliance reports that the Pacific Islands are highly vulnerable and most of them will be touched by the tidal waves. ACT general secretary John Nduna said today "We are deeply concerned about the most vulnerable countries and their people, and we are monitoring the situation closely so that ACT Alliance can direct its resources to where they are most needed, as quickly as possible".
Japan
PC(USA) has mission partners in Japan. World Mission is contacting mission co-workers and partner organizations and churches and will offer updated information as available. Read about the status of coworkers and updates from partners on the <span>World Mission Japan page at</span> http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/global/japan/
Mission partner Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka sent this message:
"Thank you so very much for your kind words and prayers. Thankfully, our hospital patients and staff and their families are all safe, but our heart aches as the earthquake disasters are spreading in other parts of Japan. We are praying for God's protection and comfort over those people in the earthquake affected areas. He is our refuge and fortress."
United States
PDA staff and National Response Team members are contacting potentially affected presbyteries to offer assistance and prepare for potential impacts.
For Health and welfare checks on American citizens traveling abroad, call the State Department at 888-407-4747.
For those concerned about loved ones living on the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii, the Red Cross maintains a searchable database at www.safeandwell.org. Relatives can log on to leave their names that they are safe and well; other relatives can search by name to check on their loved ones.
The Hawaii Red Cross maintains a Twitter feed at Hawaiiredcross@twittermcom.
How you can help
You can stand in the "GAP" for disaster survivors and help the church in this response.
GIVE. The generous sharing of your financial blessings through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and special designated giving provides the resources needed to assist with immediate emergency needs, clean up provisions, long-term and unmet needs, and spiritual/emotional counseling.
Individuals may give through your local Presbyterian congregation, by calling PresbyTel at 800-872-3283, on the secure PC(USA) Web site, or by sending a check to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Please include the special designated giving account DR000117 – Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Congregations should send donations through their normal mission giving channels.
ACT. Stay informed and share information about the need with others. Sign up to receive PDA Rapid Information Network (PDA-RIN) email notices to alert you of additional needs.
PRAY. Please pray for those seeking emergency shelter and safety, those seeking information about the security of their loved ones, and those who are working to rescue survivors and offer assistance.
Stay informed at www.pcusa.org/pda
Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
Last Sunday Lydia Schneider fell ill during worship and had to be taken to the emergency room at St. Luke's. It seems she had a mini stroke but is doing well and is on her way home today.
There are many forthcoming events at the church that I want to highlight in this Epistle. They will give you a flavor of what is going on around the church during the Lenten season. I imagine you have a lot going on around your own home, family and ministry at work and in the world as well. Spring can be a very busy time. Let's take some time to "smell the roses" and explore what a renewed life in nature portends for our own souls.
The Property Committee invites you to participate in St. John's Clean-Up Day this Saturday, March 19, from 8 am until noon. Wear work clothes.
The deadline for submissions to the March Issue of The Beacon is this Sunday, March 20, at noon.
Plan to stay after services on Sunday, March 27 when together we will visit the Sanctuary and Building 2 for the dedication of the new carpet and flooring. A reception will follow in McPhail Hall. Come and join in the celebration!
Houston Mayor Annise Parker will join us in McPhail Hall on Saturday, April 2 at 8:30 am. She will talk about the the state of the city and answer questions from the audience after her talk. Come and bring a friend.
Congratulations to Gerry and Bob Jump upon the birth of their grandson, Benjamin Echo, on February 23 in Houston.
Allen Barnhill and his trombone students from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University will present a free concert on Tuesday, March 29, at 7 pm in the sanctuary of St. John's Presbyterian Church. The Meyerland and Westbury community and our congregation is invited to attend. Come and bring a friend!
Please join us on April 17 as St. John's celebrates Passion/Palm Sunday. Here is the schedule for the day: Sunday School 9:00 am; Worship Service 10:30 am; Church Pot-luck Picnic 11:45 am; Easter Egg Hunt 12:30 pm; Games and Fellowship 1:00 pm. Please deliver to the church office by April 10 individually wrapped candies (non-chocolate & non-melting), stickers, novelties and miscellaneous small items.
Holly Hall, a Christian retirement community, does not receive any funds from federal, state or United Way assistance. The Hall depends on the generosity of others to help cover the cost of care for those residents who can no longer afford it. March is the month St. John's reaches out a helping hand to Holly Hall. Please make your checks payable to Holly Hall Church Drive.
Be on the look out for St. John's Stations of the Cross which will be available in the sanctuary starting
March 27 from 4:30-6:30 pm. The Stations of the Cross will offer the opportunity for personal reflection upon the Passion of Christ during the Lenten season. Contact Mary Sterner for more information.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
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Allen Barnhill and his trombone students from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University will present a free concert this Tuesday, March 29, at 7 pm in the sanctuary of St. John's Presbyterian Church. The Meyerland and Westbury community and our congregation is invited to attend. Come and bring a friend!
Thanks to Kay for these beautiful Chili Cook-Off photos. If you click on the slide show icon at the top left of the page linked there you can see the photos in sequence at a full screen view.
Last night we had a powerful Ash Wednesday Service during which we burned our sins in the courtyard and had the ashes imposed on our foreheads. This service had a purging effect that is very welcome at this time of year. One leaves the service feeling cleansed of sinfulness and forgiven by God. It was great to have the choir sing this year. Thanks to all who attended and those who assisted in various ways.
With that service, Lent 2011 is officially underway. My goodness, how time flies. Speaking of which, Lent is a good time to settle into a new routine of sorts however that works for you. Take on a new spiritual disciple such as fasting or getting a message every week. Perhaps you will find a new way to drive to work or home from the grocery store. We know one change we may expect is that time will spring forward one hour as daylight savings time begins this Sunday, March 13. So move your clocks ahead one hour this Saturday so you won't be late for church.
Next week is spring break so we applaud all our school children and college students. We also remember their parents and teachers. Especially we remember in prayer the public school administrators who will be making tough decisions about which positions to cut as they deal with a dwindling budget for next year. We live in interesting times to say the least.
The ongoing revolutions and civil wars in the Middle East give us some hope for the people there who want to find a way out of living under dictators who have too often been supported by our own government. I know some of African families in the congregation are hoping and praying that the revolutions in Northern Africa will trickle further down in Africa into Ghana, Uganda, and Cameroon. Sudan has already been divided into two and the Ators are hopeful about that new development. Let's keep our African brothers and sisters in prayer and ask God to continue to move and direct the precious people who live there.
Remember Kathie Hartzog's family in prayer. Her step dad passed away Tuesday and the service is Saturday at Lone Pine Baptist Church in Palestine, Texas.
Congratulations to Pam and John William Herlitz upon the birth of their son, Luke at Women's Hospital in Houston this morning! Mary Herlitz is a proud grandparent. A rose bud in the sanctuary in Luke's honor will be forthcoming on March 20.
Congratulations also to Libby and James Adams upon the birth of their granddaughter, Kylie Marie Rocha, who was born Feb. 22, 2011, in Fort Worth. Kylie's rose bud will be on display this Sunday.
Last weekend some of our Presbytery Youth Council members led a successful Conclaves Youth Retreat at Camp ChoYeh in Livingston, Texas. We appreciate the leadership of Mary Sterner, Jon Yingst, Brittney, Brendan and Wayne in this important work. Our other adults and youth who participated in Conclaves this year include Dave, Christianna, Colette, Jacob and Zarek.
This Sunday is the First Sunday of Lent. We will be talking about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The sermon text is Matthew 4:1-11 and the title is Lead Us Not into Temptation. Jesus once used that phrase in a prayer. I think the key to this text is not what it says about Jesus or the devil but what it says about you and me and that is what we will be seeking to discover during worship this Sunday.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
The newest edition of The Beacon is online here.
Our presbytery provides a weekly email newsletter called "Tuesday Connect." You may sign up to receive it each week by typing your email address in the box on the lower left of this page where it says "Sign Up for Our Email Newsletter" and then click "Go." If you would like to see some back issues before subscribing then click here . "Tuesday Connect" is a great way to stay abreast of people and events in New Covenant Presbytery.
Our Session has a called meeting next Wednesday at 7:30 pm in the Session Room to consider submitting a proposal for a New Life Grant Fund from the presbytery. The grant proposal will be based on Reggie McNeal's book Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church.
Former PC(USA) Moderator, Bruce Reyes-Chow, will speak this Saturday, February 26, from 9-11:30 am at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 4200 Cartwright Road in Missouri City. His topic will be "The Church of the 21st Century" and he will allow some time for questions and response. Bruce was the youngest moderator as well as the first to use social media to its fullest during his time as moderator. He is also the organizing pastor of Mission Bay Community Church in San Francisco. His passion is reaching unchurched young adults with the gospel of Christ. He is technologically savvy and very knowledgeable of both the PCUSA and the emerging church. He can also address issues of immigrant ministries and multicultural church. By all means, attend if you are interested and able.
Remember in prayer our hospitalized members including Georgiana, Lee and Doug. Also remember Rev. Scott Harbison, pastor of nearby St. Luke's Presbyterian, who had triple by-pass surgery yesterday at Methodist Hospital. Kathie Hartzog's father has been put on Hospice Care so keep her family in prayer. Also, remember Mary Sterner and our youth group members and adult advisers who will be at Camp ChoYeh this weekend for Conclaves.
Our sermon text this Sunday is Matthew 6:24-34. Here Jesus says: "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matthew 6:24) This is not exactly true. One slave can serve two masters at the same time but he can't serve two masters WELL at the same time for their orders are likely to be in conflict. One master may want the slave to make his bed at 9 am while the other master wants the slave to clean up his kitchen at 9 am. (All this talk of slaves and masters reminds me of Bob Dylan's song: "Maggie's Farm!) The point is that the marching orders of God and wealth are in entirely different directions.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
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Kay Greer was kind enough to provide us with some fantastic photos from the recent Souper Bowl Sunday event. I just returned from a BIM Board meeting and all the churches responded generously to this opportunity for supporting our common ministry of providing food for the hungry in our midst. We also have several church members who volunteer at BIM each week. Keep up the good work.
We had an interesting discussion of a book - Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church by Reggie McNeal - at our Session meeting last night. The Session will continue to work with this book as we do some strategic planning. The author suggests we change the scorecard of the church to include more than just amount of dollars received and number of people in worship. For instance, what if we kept a scorecard of how many hours were volunteered in service to the community? That would likely drive more people into service. This is an example of what the author means when he says the question the church should be asking is "How can our church be a blessing to the community?"
Of course, the first step in answering that question is to decide how we define our community. Some churches have a narrower definition of the community than we do. We tend to follow the example Jesus presented in the Good Samaritan parable and say that any person in need is our neighbor. That approach has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that we may get overstretched and lose effectiveness. The advantages are that we have more of city-wide and even global perspective on outreach. We work in our own neighborhood through BIM and reach out to the city through the Seafarer's Ministry and Small Steps and bless the world through the Anchor House ministry and our installation of clean water systems in Haiti and Cuba. We help fund and provide teacher training for the Lulwanda Children's Home in Ghana and this summer our youth will go to Guatemala to help build a house for a local pastor there.
We are already a "missional church" as defined by McNeal in that we are more outward focused than inward focused. The second shift he describes, which is "from program development to people development," is the hardest shift according to the author. We are moving in that direction with the new "contemporary issues" class I lead each Sunday. The Session will explore other ways we may make the shift toward developing people within and beyond our congregation for living a spiritual life in this world. That is what we are getting at in our mission statement when we say our mission is "to make disciples and meet human needs." One human need we will need to meet is the need to be growing in a relationship with God, to be helping people find what Paul calls "Christ in you - the hope of glory."
Last Sunday I mentioned a book called Glimpses of Eternity: Sharing a Loved One's Passage from This Life to the Next by Raymond Moody, MD. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel less anxious about their own death or who has questions or concerns about the process of death or a loved one who has died. Once upon a time I may have felt less inclined to appreciate the stories Moody shares but I have seen and heard and experienced things over the years that leads me to find this book fascinating and appropriate for Christians. It restores a sense of spiritual wonder about life that is too often lacking in our lives. It would be interesting to read the gospel stories of Jesus' post resurrection appearances and compare them to the contemporary stories in this book. Whether Christians or not and regardless of color or creed or cultural background the stories of shared death experiences are remarkably similar. One result of the experience is a greater sense of peace and less fear of death. One thing I learned from these stories is that no one leaves this life alone. There always seems to be a previously deceased family member waiting in the wings to show the dying person the way to heaven which to say the way home. With that final question answered we are free to serve God without fear in this world. That is what John Calvin meant when he said, "We are saved to serve." That's one of my favorite Calvin quotes and one of my favorite Presbyterian theological revelations. What a relief!!
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
The author, named Dennis, tells how he once presented some of the ideas from his book to a group of elderly retired Roman Catholic nuns. One sister raised her hand and said: "But what about the story of the sheep and the goats? It says right there that the sheep go to heaven and the goats go to hell."
Dennis then asked how many in the group had done what Jesus talked about in that passage and fed a hungry person, clothed a naked person, or visited a person in prison? All the sister raised their hands. Dennis said: "That's wonderful! You're all sheep." Then he asked, "How many of you, even once in your life, have walked by a hungry person, failed to clothe a naked person, or not visited someone in prison?" Slowly, all the sisters raised their hands. Dennis said, "That's too bad. You're all goats."
The sisters looked worried and perplexed. Then suddenly one very old sister's hand shot up. She blurted out, "I get it! We're all good goats!"
I love Dennis's commentary on page 49 at this point. He says,
"That sister did get it. She understood that language about heaven and hell is symbolic language. Heaven and hell are not specific geographical places. They are symbols of inner realities, of states of being. All of us who have felt alienated, unloved, overwhelmed by shame or helplessly caught in an addiction know what it's like to be in hell. And all of us who have been welcomed home, who have seen our goodness reflected in the affirming eyes of another or who have been loved into recovery know what it's like to be in heaven. We all have wheat and weeds within us, sheep and goats. The kingdom of God is within us, and we're all good goats."
Throughout the book the authors - Dennis and his children - do a remarkable job of addressing serious theological themes in the format of what appears to be a book for older children. I think each of us is a child at heart so this book is for all of us. Too many adult Christians still harbor the childish image of God as the Great White Grandfather in the Sky who sends some people to hell when they die and lets others enter the joys of heaven.
We do well to remember that ALL language about God is symbolic. Human words can never clearly convey all the truth there is to know about God. In the end, a healthy reading of the Bible that takes seriously the symbolic language it employs about God may end up falling back on a song some of us learned in the nursery of our church when we were knee high to a grasshopper. That song conveys the gist of what the Bible wants to say about God and puts it in the form of a catchy tune: "Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." Jesus here represents God.
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
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Reserve on your calendar Vacation Bible School on June 26-30, 2011. The theme of VBS will be "Galactic Blast."
Mark your calendar for a Lenten study called "Journey Through the Stations of the Cross." It will start on 27 Mar with five stations, add five more on 3 Apr, and add the final three on 10 Apr. The time will be 4:30-6:30pm. The stations will also be available during the week on Tue mornings from 8-11:30 and Wed evenings 6-7:30. All thirteen stations will be available on Palm Sunday, 17 Apr, from 1-5pm.
Dear church members and friends of St. John's,
Last Sunday was a good one as we had an Anointing Service for Healing. We will have an Anointing Service for Healing each fifth Sunday of the year so the next one will be on May 29. There were a couple dozen or so people who came forward for anointing last Sunday. They may have come seeking healing for themselves or someone they love and the healing they sought may have been physical, emotional, financial, relational, or another kind of healing. This service of healing is a good addition to our worship services.
We also had our annual congregational meeting during the service last Sunday. I appreciate Brad for his Nominating Committee update, Curtis for his 2010 budget recap and Tad, Lindsey and Evan, who presented this year's budget and the pastor's terms of call. The church staff is grateful to the congregation for the modest cost of living increase for us you approved in this year's budget. We work hard to be servant leaders and appreciate your recognition of our time and effort on your behalf.
On a more personal note, I appreciate the congregation's support of me and my family. We are happy in Houston and I am honored to serve as your pastor at St. John's Presbyterian Church. I think we are a good fit and look forward to growing this church with your help and support. Toward that end, the Session will be studying Reggie McNeal's book Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church. I ask for your prayers for me and the Session as we seek to lead the congregation toward growth this year.
Speaking of the Session, this Sunday we will complete our 2011 roster as Sean Coughlen is ordained and installed as the Youth Elder for 2011 and Mike Alexander is installed as an elder on the Session. They join an energetic and capable group of elders and they will contribute to our success this year. St. John's is blessed with a large number of highly gifted and capable lay leaders. That is why our congregation enjoys such a fine reputation within New Covenant Presbytery.
This Sunday is Souper Bowl Sunday so plan to stay after worship in warm McPhail Hall for some delicious soup. Youth group members will be standing at the sanctuary exits with empty pots into which you may place cash or checks that will be used to purchase food for our local food pantry called Braes Interfaith Ministries (BIM). Each $1 you invest in BIM returns $27 in food purchases for the hungry. This is possible because BIM purchases food at a market reduced price through a government program for this purpose. So plan to give generously to BIM on Souper Bowl Sunday. (I think there may be a football game on Sunday evening in Dallas this Sunday if I am not mistaken. ;-)
In the meantime, stay warm and stay focused and prepare your heart for our First Sunday Communion Service this Sunday. The sermon text is Matthew 5:13-20 and the sermon title is "Salt and Light." Jesus says in the text: "You are the salt of the earth." Bruce Malina translates this as "You are the catalyst to get things cooking." What kind of soup are we cooking this Sunday? Stone soup. Bring what ingredients you have to the kitchen and they will be added to the mix. Or you may do like me and just show up and enjoy the end result. It reminds me of Hank Williams song, "Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? How's about cookin' something up with me?" Let's get cookin' for Christ right about now. There is no better time to be a catalyst get things cooking for Christ. It's now or never. It's always now or never.
Eckhart Tolle writes in his book A New Earth, "Some egos that perhaps don't have much else to identify with easily survive on complaining alone." (p. 61) If that statement applies to someone you know then it may also apply to yourself. It's hard to be be salt and light when our mouths are full of harsh words and our minds are full of empty chatter. I wonder if that's what Jesus was getting at?
Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Jon
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