Hello First Presbyterian Church, This is my last Reverend Reflection before my family and I depart for Ohio, and I want to use this space to simply say, “Thank you.” I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve you and to know you these past...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, This is one of my last Reverend Reflections to write before my family and I relocate to Ohio. Last month I wrote about the enduring and strong denominational connection that First Presbyterian Church will continue to enjoy after my departure. The EPC...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, One of the cherished characteristics of Presbyterianism is something called “connectionalism.” Attend a meeting of Presbytery or General Assembly and you are almost guaranteed to hear someone mention their love for the fact that we are a “connectional” church. It is one...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, Since I informed you one month ago of my coming resignation at the end of May, this is my first formal opportunity to write to you. Typically my Reverend Reflections are a reflection upon Scripture, but this month I have been reflecting...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, Recently I was re-reading the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 and it struck me that in Cain’s famous rhetorical question he reveals the loss of obligation and responsibility for others that comes with humanity’s fall from a state of...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, In the gospel story John the Baptist plays the role of the “forerunner” for Jesus. In ancient times a forerunner was a person who accompanied a royal figure on a journey and ran ahead of them whenever they were approaching a city...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, After the confession of sin, assurance of pardon and passing of the peace every Sunday we sing what is called the Gloria Patri, which simply means “Glory to the Father” in Latin. It is called that because that is the first line...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, In our vision statement we have specified that over the next five years we will cultivate an awareness of God’s presence in our lives through a renewed engagement in the spiritual discipline of prayer. I have been thinking about this recently and...
Hello First Presbyterian Church, I recently was invited to preach at one of Sager Classical Academy’s first chapel services in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church. Christine Norvell, the Dean of the Upper School, asked me to weave some of the historical background of the church...
Hello First Presbyterian Church,On Sunday, August 14, we will be holding a congregational meeting to discuss a variety of topics. I do hope that you will plan to stay. Childcare will be provided in the nursery, for the littlest ones, and in the gym, for...