Young Lives is a ministry that supports teenage parents, and it meets right here in our building. From Mother's Day through Father's Day, we're collecting loose change to support this important ministry. You can pick up a baby bottle on Sunday and work to fill the bottle with change.
This is a small and fun way to give to a valuable ministry that seeks to aid young parents and prove that every life deserves a home and a chance. If you would like to give online, please click here.
The 1st Pres Sports Club held the 4th Annual Harry W. Plichta Memorial Mini Golf Outing on Saturday, May 3. The weather was gorgeous as over 60 people gathered for fun, fellowship, mini golf, and ice cream. First Pres thanks Bill Plichta for his leadership in making this event happen!
To the First Presbyterian Church family,
We are embarking on the great season of Easter, and as you’ve heard me say before (probably many times) it begins with Easter Sunday, but it is more than that . . . seven weeks in fact. More information on our church seasons can be found at these links (click here for more on the church seasons and here for the Lectionary and its suggested Scriptures). Once again, the overall point is following the journey of God’s people and their redeemer, Jesus Christ. We began this back in November with Advent, continued through Christmas and Epiphany, have wrapped up Lent with its purple paraments, and now we can admire the white paraments and enjoy Easter truth. It is the truth that though Jesus’ road took Him to death on the cross, it did not stop there. He came through it with new life at the empty tomb and holds out the hope that all who follow Him will take the same journey – to new and eternal life.
In my Lent column six weeks ago, I offered “some thoughts for pondering and reflection, not necessarily for full-stop answers.” If anything, this approach seems more appropriate to Easter, because Jesus’ resurrection IS the “full stop answer” and it’s up to us to see how it answers the many questions that life throws at us. I talked about “asking the right question,” last Sunday and it has struck me that way more needs to be said on that. So here goes:
“Where do I go when I die?” The better question is, “When am I coming back?” Jesus was resurrected and came right back to comfort His followers. In the same, I believe the future resurrection will be of immense comfort for all of us who follow Jesus in that path. Lost in the scary imagery in the book of Revelation is a strong emphasis on the comfort of heaven coming to earth and those who were once dead now alive again. It, and the entire Bible, ends with a scene of glorious reunion that can best be described as Heavenly AND Earthly.
“If Jesus healed some, why isn’t everyone healed?” I will venture an answer to this and say, He will heal ALL of us! Jesus did not avoid the cross nor death upon it, but His resurrection was the ultimate healing. He showed His scars to Thomas, but all saw His glorious resurrected body. Death is the ultimate sickness, and as Jesus was “healed” of it, so will those who believe in Him.
“Do we believe in the resurrection?” It grieves my heart immensely to know that there are many who call themselves followers of Christ and yet don’t believe in His literal resurrection. Yet, I also often see it affirmed as truth but then barely mentioned in terms of questions like the above ones I just addressed. Years before my time here, I once remember a Christian grieving her husband’s passing and talking about the hope in an immortal soul that survives the body. I want to emphasize 2 things here. First, she may very well be correct in that immortal soul. Second, I am NOT criticizing the statements of a hurting widow. Rather, I want to point to an even greater hope for her and all of us. Jesus got His body back! And so will her husband and all of our loved ones who have passed, regardless of the location of their souls now.
I realize these questions are big, provocative, and all encompassing. But any discussion of life and death is. Jesus helps us ask the right questions and He personifies the answers. And He is a far better answer than words I can write here. So, at the very least I hope I have at least directed you to our resurrected Savior. Over the next 6 weeks, let’s keep reflecting on the victory of Jesus, and how it’s our victory too.
Luke 24:5-7
~Pastor Peter Martin