Posted on Feb 9, 2016 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
Romans 10:17 (NRSV): So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
Every weekend at Epiphany Lutheran Church we gather for worship to hear the Word of God. This word comes to us through the reading of scripture, the hymns, the liturgy and the living out of the word in our mission and ministries. The psalmist writes: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 NRSV). This word is given to us so that we might learn more about God, God’s great love for us, and direction for our lives as respond to this word.
The readings that we use in worship each week are based on the Revised Common Lectionary. The lectionary is a three-year cycle that focuses on one Gospel each year: Cycle A is the Gospel of Matthew, Cycle B the Gospel of Mark, and Cycle C the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is scattered through each of the years. Read more…
Posted on Jan 26, 2016 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
It was a busy week. Holy Week – the days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. There was plenty that needed to be done, including worship preparation, sermon writing, hospital visits and taking communion to our shut-ins. So I was in the church basement at my previous church in the sacristy, where we kept the wine and wafers for communion. As I was pouring the wine from a bottle into the little container for the home communion kit, my phone rang. I took the old flip-phone out of my pocket, and saw on the small window that the phone call was coming from the Federal Courthouse.
Did I panic? No – I got calls from the Federal Courthouse all the time – that is where my wife worked in downtown Columbus. How nice to get a call from my wife. So I put down the wine, flipped open the phone, and said, “Hi Hon!”
Dead silence. No response…for several seconds. Read more…
Posted on Jan 12, 2016 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
Mid-November is when I start hearing my wife suggest we should consider when we will have time to put up the Christmas decorations. Because of family gatherings and activities at work and church, she often suggests some time between Halloween and Thanksgiving (usually closer to Halloween) would be a good time to start the process. I look forward to it, even though it takes time to get all the boxes out of the attic and find where everything is stored and figure out where all the things displaced are going to go for the holidays. This year we had two Christmas trees – an artificial one that graces our living room, and a live tree (that is an false statement – we killed it to bring it home) in the family room. Lights outside around the entryway, on the deck and bushes in the back yard, and a couple new lighted trees for out front. The nativity sets were set out, and all the Christmas “stuff” we have collected over the past 30 years was proudly displayed. It was beautiful.
Posted on Dec 22, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
Merry Christmas! What a great month of preparation it has been here at Epiphany Lutheran Church as we anxiously await the coming of the Christ Child once again into our lives, our homes, our community. I am amazed at the time and talents that have been given to this season by so many members and friends of the church. We have had concerts, incredible worship services, dramas, decorations and more. Our calendar at the church has been packed the past four weeks with more activities than I could ever imagine. All of these things, I hope and pray, have been helpful in your preparation for Christmas.
We will gather on Christmas Eve for five worship services, and will sing the songs, hear the story and give thanks to God for this incredible gift of God’s only Son, the savior of the world!
Posted on Dec 15, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
Christmas is just a few short days away. What a great celebration it will be, but this means nothing without the hope and joy of Easter. For the one born to us comes to save us from our sins, and that is accomplished in the good news of the empty tomb. Remember, there would be no Christmas if there were no Easter. A baby born in a stable, with some shepherds talking about some angels, a few astronomers from far away, and a young girl, her husband to be, and the animals. It is a beautiful scene, but it means absolutely nothing to us some two thousand years later, if there is no Easter.
He grew to be a man, and preached a message of love, of forgiveness, of hope. But the message means nothing to us some two thousand years later, if there is no Easter.
Posted on Dec 7, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
This past weekend at the Far Hills Campus of Epiphany Lutheran Church, the Christmas message was presented by the children in the musical production, “Good King Wenceslas.” Every year, I am amazed at the offering the children give us. Every year, I thank them for using their gifts, given to them by God, to share the good news of Jesus, born for you and me!
The story of King Wenceslas is a fascinating story of feuding in the family, centered mainly around religion (not that this ever happens in our homes around the holidays!). If you want to hear more of the fascinating story, I encourage you to do some research on the good king and his loving family!
The Christmas song that speaks of the good king tells the story of him caring for the less fortunate. As the prayer of St Francis states, “It i is in giving that we receive.” That is the focus of this legend of King Wenceslas.
Here are the lyrics to the carol:
Posted on Nov 23, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I hope you are surrounded with people you and love and who love you, and that your blessings exceed the food you consume this day! May we remember those who go without and seek ways that we can serve others as God calls and directs us to do.
Today I give thanks for the gift of music. I love music. I was brought up in a house that always had the classical music station tuned in, and every Saturday afternoon, the Metropolitan Opera was playing in the living room radio. That love of music has continued with me for many years. I usually have songs playing on the computer or radio (or Spotify), and now that Thanksgiving is here, the Christmas playlist comes out of storage and fills my days.
This past Sunday, we were blessed with incredible music at all our worship services. In the evening, the group “Lost and Found” were at Read more…
Posted on Nov 17, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
For this week’s blog, I thought I would share a part of my sermon from this past weekend. Sometimes the sermon you write on Thursday needs to be changed before you get to the pulpit on Sunday. Because of what took place in Paris last Friday, I knew the sermon needed some major edits. Here is what I shared:
Early in the week, the news was filled with stuff about these cups. But then Friday came, and when we look at the future, we are worried, even scared, especially after the events on Friday in Paris, France.
Remember this – God is the author of all that is good. God is a God of love and compassion, and hope. God weeps with us. He sent his Son so that the sorrow we feel, is the sorrow he felt. God is with us.
But we are angry. People have been hurt and killed. Human nature is to hurt back, retaliate, get even. But who do we strike? Read more…
Posted on Nov 2, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
On Sunday, November 1, we took time to remember the saints in our lives, who from their labors rest. We lifted up the saints of Epiphany who have passed away in the past year in our prayers, and then we invited everyone to light a candle in memory of the saint remembered on this special day.
We remember the saints – those in our lives who have touched us with the love of God and shared with us what it means to be a child of God. Frederick Buechner puts this remembrance this way: “When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind, even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my words and speak to me in your heart.” (Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark, p. 100)
Posted on Oct 28, 2015 in From PC's PC - Pastor Charlie's BLOG |
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted 95 statements for debate (theses) on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This is the date attributed as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was a prominent force in reformation, and he was also a prolific writer, gifted preacher and teacher, and writer of many hymns. And though Luther balked at the idea of having the church be named after him, he did have some wonderful words to share. Here are some quotes I gathered from numerous sources of quotes attributed to Martin Luther – I have shared these before but they are worth repeating:
- “Hier stehe ich; Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen!”
- “Music is the art of the prophets and the gift of God.”
- “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” Read more…
