Do We Understand?

Elder Barbara Messier from the Oceanside Presbyterian Church gave this morning's message.

She spoke about idol worship.

She suggested that some of our new ways of worshiping remotely are a blessing.  It can bring people together who might not otherwise be able to join the church family.

She reminded us that in the Old Testament, many stories were written about plagues as a way for God to show his displeasure for idol worship.  They returned to worshipping idols over and over and each time God showed his anger.

Today we are experiencing a pandemic.  Is it a way to show us that God is displeased with us?

Do we worship idols?

Ms. Messier outlined ways that she believes we continue to worship idols.

1.  We want to keep things the way they always were.  We worship rituals and forget that God is the God of Growth and Change.

2.  We are self centered.  We think everything should be the way we want it to be, not the way that God is trying to guide us.

3.  We want to be in control and tend to forget who us really in charge.

4.  We have a tendency to judge others.  It is hard for us to see our own failings.  We set up expectations for how people should behave.

What is God telling us?  She believes that God wants us to change our hearts and love and trust in him.  We need to change ourselves and spread the news of great love.

Amen!

Thy Kingdom Come

Volunteers help with delivery of lunches to the Maureen’s Haven Lunch Program.

Pastor Lloyd Johnson spoke about our understanding of the kingdom of heaven.  He told us that we think of heaven as a place where we are going after we die.  If we listen carefully to Jesus, we will learn that the Kingdom is life.  It is right now.  We enter the Kingdom of God when we surrender to his power and allow him to rule over our lives.  Let us listen to Jesus and witness the Kingdom of God right now.

Insight

     Sunday without the Bigwood family seemed scary for the four of us who were taking on the worship service without Pastor Sarah's leadership and technical knowledge.  None of us had a good night's sleep in anticipation of a Sunday without our pastor.

By the time Reverend Gregory Bentley began his sermon on Exodus 14: 10-18, we had begun to relax and enjoy the beautiful morning, gathered under the tents to listen to an especially moving message, "Go Forward."

    Reverend Bentley told us that fear is a major barrier to becoming "all that God would have us be."  He asked what has to happen for us to move forward.  He told us that we need "inspiration" and to stand up and never leave the Lord in the midst of difficult times.  We need to remember that we are not alone.  God asks us to lift up what is in our hands and use what we are already blessed with.  "Use what is in your hands and lift up what is in your hands.  If we use what we have got, we might get more than we already have."

     To get beyond fear, we have to move outside our comfort zone, we need "elongation," we need to stretch!  In order to go where God wants us to go, "we have to be comfortable with what is uncomfortable."  If we are to live in this new way of life, we have to stretch out and allow God to take us where only God can take us.  When we become comfortable with being uncomfortable we can "Keep on moving."  God will find a way for us to make our way. 

     Pastor Sarah was with us today (online) as we worshiped with Reverend Bentley and listened to his encouraging message.  The beauty of technology is that we can be together, even when we are miles apart.  All fear of running online service disappeared once we came together and became comfortable with the uncomfortable. God led the way and we followed.

       We send prayers for the Bigwood family to have a wonderful vacation and that they relax and enjoy their family.  We truly miss them and ask God to watch over them. 

  Peace & love,

     Terry, Kristin, Shelley & Kim

Insight VBS

Jesus said, "I am with you always, even unto the end of days."

    Our children spent three Saturdays on the lawn learning about God's creation and the blessing of water in our lives.  There is no doubt that Jesus was among us as we came together to sing, create, explore, rejoice, and listen to stories about the gift of water.

    Thanks to our church family and friends, we were able to offer a time for our children to enjoy being together and to learn how fortunate we are to be "Living by the Water."

    Pastor Sarah reminded us that water used in baptism is the "visible sign"  of the promise to nurture and teach the child.

    Vacation Bible School (V.B.S) is a time when children come to be nurtured and learn that Christ remains in the world, They are able to meet new people, make new friends, sing and laugh and share in the love for Jesus.  V.B.S. is a gift given to our children by the members of our church.

    This year,  adults, teens, college students and community members came together to teach and tell stories about water that God gave us to protect and enjoy. Water sustains our lives.  It gives us food.  Water is a place we go to for relaxation and fun.  We have a responsibility to care for water and to use "self control" when swimming or boating.  We learned that God created the waters and he is pleased when we care for his gift to us.

    Many churches abandoned V.B.S. this year, when presented with the challenges in front of them.  Without hesitation, F.P.C. embraced the idea that our children needed to spend time with one another thinking about God and the gifts he gave.  We opened our hearts and minds and embraced the idea that we could bring our children into a safe and nurturing environment.  Mask wearing, hand washing, rotating from station to station and following carefully planned activities on the church lawn were only part of how we reached out with our new format.  Virtual interviews and singing were placed on the church website for children to view on Thursday afternoons.  Our culmination of events was a trip to Cooper's Beach for an evening of social distancing and play in the sand or in the water.

    Our church family and friends, continue to nurture the children, in a time when it might seem impossible. You have blessed the children with V.B.S. and memories that will remain with them forever.  We should be proud of our faithful community of believers.  We will never give up when it seems impossible to worship together and as Pastor Sarah said, "We are called to share new perspectives."  Jesus will help us find our way.

Let us not forget that Jesus is with us and with him all things are possible.

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15: 21-28

Our sermon today was a story about a Canaanite woman living in the area of Tyre and Sidon. In order to appreciate the meaning of Jesus’ conversation with the woman, it is important to understand the history of the people and the area where this story takes place, The following paragraphs include some background information about the Canaanites.

The location of Tyre & Sidon:

              Tyre was an island that was rich in water, food, and wood.  It is located directly opposite  the coastal city of Sidon, known worldwide for trade and skilled shipbuilding.  Purple dye developed from mollusk shells was made in Sidon and desired throughout the world.  Both cities were important seaports considered to be Canaanite and located in what is now Lebanon.

             Because of the many resources in Tyre and Sidon, Alexander the Great desired to conquer the area and did so by building a causeway out into the Mediterranean, connecting Tyre and the mainland.  He enslaved or killed the people and the island ultimately became a province of the Roman Empire.

Who were the Canaanites?

              Descendants of the son of Ham were considered to be Canaanites.  They primarily lived in Tyre and Sidon and were  “traders” or “merchants.”  The name is also sometimes used to designate the non-Israelite inhabitants of the land.

               In the Book of Joshua found in the Old Testament the Israelites entering the Promise Land were directed by God to destroy the Canaanites, who had corrupted themselves with false pagan religions. They were aware of the one true God, but rejected him choosing to live in a sinful society. God did not want the Nation of Israel to live among heathens who would corrupt and influence them as they entered the Promise Land.

Why did Jesus go to Tyre and Sidon?

               Jesus withdrew from Galilee to the area of Tyre and Sidon, an area where paganism and opposition to Jews was known to be unfriendly territory to Jesus. Some people believe that Jesus was weary from teaching the masses.  Some people believe that he was known in Galilee and he had not finished his work before his persecution by the Romans so he went to a place that no one would find him.

The Story:

             Jesus left Galilee and walked several miles to the area of Tyre and Sidon.  He entered a house and asked that no one know he was there when a Canaanite women entered, greeted him as the “Son of David,” fell on her knees and begged him to heal her daughter from a demon.

               The disciples knew that this woman was a Gentile, a pagan, a woman, and considered unclean according to the standards of the day.  The disciples urged Jesus to send her away.

Jesus spoke to her saying, “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

               The woman responded, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Jesus was pleased with her response and told her to go home to her daughter.  “The demon is gone.”

The Meaning of the story:

The woman in our story recognized Jesus as the “Son of David.”  She called him Lord.  She begged for mercy and a miracle.  This woman, who was considered unclean, was not the pagan that the disciples thought her to be.

Jesus did not respond immediately to her begging, but called her a “dog.”  His harsh words seem unkind and uncaring to those who don’t understand, but the woman kneeled to him as to a king and responded, “even dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  This was a woman who humbly begged Jesus to help save her child.  His words to her could only be understood by someone who believed that Jesus had great love for the "children” (people of Israel), and enough love to spare (crumbs) for “dogs under the table,” (all who were considered unclean and unworthy).

Pastor Sarah told us that Jesus and the woman worked together to spark our imagination. 

She wondered what it would mean for us to listen to cries by those who need help and to listen to the unclean and unworthy. 

“What if we make it a tradition that everyone is welcome at the table?”

“Great is your Faith.
Let it be done for you,
As you wish.”

Loaves & Fishes

     Pastor Sarah said, “A revolution of the heart starts with us.  When we love one another with burning passion, food provides nourishment for our bodies, but when we connect with one another, that is nourishment for our souls.”

    Our story today is one that we all recognize.  Loaves and fishes.  Jesus provided a miracle, an act of compassion when he fed 5,000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He taught us that God will provide nourishment when we need it most.  Jesus asks that we are compassionate and sympathetic to the multitudes and the real miracle is, “Jesus will not turn us away, but will provide what we need, with some to spare.”

    The lawn is our place for gathering this summer.  Curious onlookers smile and say, “Good morning.” Cars passing watch and listen to our words and music.  It is uplifting to see how many people see and hear what is happening at FPC.

For 3 Saturdays, children are coming in brightly colored t-shirts to sing, paint, explore and listen to stories as they learn more about Jesus. Everyone is enjoying the time spent together and are looking forward to the next week.

    With help from every member, we are able to gather, quietly and carefully outside in a beautiful spot on the lawn.  It is not easy to set up for church or Vacation Bible School,  There are many things that have to be carried outside, set up and brought back inside after every event.

    It takes great effort to prepare for worship, but with the loving congregation, we are doing great things.  We have a church community that never gave up working toward time spent worshiping together. We are nourished by God’s love to continue to find ways to stay connected with one another.

    Jesus’ miracle of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, is an example of how love grows with faith.  We have come to a time when we need God’s nourishment for our soul and we can find it on the church lawn every week as we come together to give support and kind words to one another.

    Take time this week to pray for our church and the people in our community.  Say a special prayer for Pastor Sarah and her family. Give thanks for our beautiful church and the time we spend worshiping together.  God will be listening.

Parable of the Mustard Seed

“The Parable of the Mustard Seed”      Matthew 13: 31-33

Our sermon today begins with another of the Parables that Jesus told while sitting on a boat in the Sea of Galilee.  It is written that he went out of the house and sat on the shore until a large crowd came to hear his words. 

               Jesus used the mustard seed as an example of how something very small can grow until it reaches great heights and takes over an entire garden.  We learn from his Parable that the early Christians were considered the tiny seeds growing in gardens as weeds and would one day reach the height of a tree, overshadowing those who considered them to be worthless members of society.  His message is an inspiration to those who followed and believed his teachings that they were not weeds to be rooted out.  Their faith would one day overshadow the evil in the world and provide hope and shelter in the Kingdom of God.

               Our message today comes at a time when the children have just begun Vacation Bible School.  The theme this year is called,  “Living By The Water.”  This simple topic has sparked many conversations, ideas, and friendships.  It all started from a small idea that grew and grew over the past few months.

               On the first video (found on our website), friends from the Shinnecock Reservation introduced the water called, “Cuffee Beach,” to the children They told how over many, many generations, their families have respected the water as a place of “sustenance” and a place for prayer to thank the Creator for the gift of life that the water brings.

               Children came together on Saturday to sing, paint, experiment, make prayer boxes and to listen to stories.  Pastor Sarah’s message shared God’s love for them as they came together to hear all about the gift of water. It was a beautiful morning and left everyone smiling and looking forward to returning next Saturday.         

               Our tiny seeds are our children. They will grow and spread out like the branches of a tree.  They will continue to love the stories told by Jesus as they grow up and go out into the world.  They will inherit the Kingdom of God with grace and humility because they have a loving church family.

               Our talents are many and we would like to thank Mollie for her leadership in singing, Kathie Mades and Kim Makowski for leading the children in painting a canvas of the beach, Teal and Aaron for teaching what an oil spill does to the ocean, Faith and Sandy for helping the children paint prayer rocks and boxes,  Katy for reading stories, Tom and Robbie for helping us set up and take down everything, the parents who came and helped out, for Shelley’s help in organizing, designing flyers, t-shirts and support, and for Pastor Sarah’s leadership and spiritual guidance.  She also created and produced the video on our website (check it out if you haven’t seen it). We are truly blessed.

               Think about this:  FPC is the tallest building on Main Street.  It has grown from tiny seeds into a huge tree sheltering and overlooking our community and that is “Good News.”

Parable of the Weeds

---

“Parable of the Weeds,” from Matthew 13: 24-30 & 36-43,  is a story Jesus told as he sat in a boat looking out to a crowd of people on the shore.  People came to hear him tell his stories from great distances because they heard that Jesus would teach them the word of God.

               Jesus knew that storytelling was a way that he could help people understand the meaning of his message.  He told stories that would be retold over and over to people yearning to hear about God and his love for us. 

               It was by the water that Jesus told his parables of “The Sower,’ “The Weeds,” and “The Mustard Seed.”  He spoke about farming to people who fished for food and to people who knew the difficulty of harvesting a good crop.  “The Parable of the Weeds,” is a simple story that carries a deeper message and difficult for his Disciples to understand.

               Jesus explained, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.”

               Pastor Sarah reminded us that God will separate the sin (weeds) from the good(grain).  We need to have faith that in the end, God will remove sin and leave us with justice, peace & love.  It is not our job to point fingers at those who we think are sinful, but to look inside and recognize the weeds that we have in our own lives and wait for our own redemption. In the end, God will separate the weeds from the grain and leave us to “Shine in the Sun.”

               In kindergarten we teach children that books and stories that they love are called, “Old Favorites.”  Those stories are the ones that they want to have read to them over and over.  Those stories are the ones that children remember when they grow up and tell them to their own children.

               Jesus parables are stories that we can read over and over until they become “Old Favorites.” He taught us that simple messages can have great meaning. 

Have a great week. Pray for peace and love in our world and tell an “Old Favorite” story to someone.

The Parable of the Sower

"The Parable of the Sower," from the Book of Matthew 13:1-9. 18-23

Jesus told stories to his followers and disciples in ways that only the believers would understand.  He knew that some people were not ready to hear the truth of the kingdom from God and he said, "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, (Matthew 13:13)

Each time we hear one of Jesus parables, it seems that Jesus is speaking directly to us.

Pastor Sarah mentioned that we live in a farming community.   We live in a place where seeds are planted in fertile soil and grown into bountiful crops. 

 She asked us to think about whether we see ourselves as the soil, seed or sower.  Reflecting on who we think we are in this story we tend to jump to thinking that if we are good Christians or that we go to church, we are good sowers, planting seeds on good soil.  The parable is straightforward in its message, but are we ready to look in the mirror and reflect on who we really are?

Jesus reminded us that if we hear and understand the message of good soil, then we will produce a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. We are asked to imagine how many people we could help if we are generous with our seeds.  Partnering with other churches, not only with agencies and organizations in our own community can help people from around the world who are thirsty, hungry, persecuted and suffering.

History

In 1837 the General Assembly established a global relationship and partnership called The Presbyterian World Mission.  The earliest missionaries were sent to Liberia, Monrovia, Pakistan and to work with Native Americans.  One hundred and eighty-three years later, PC(USA) continues the work of planting seeds and serving people all over the world.  It is through the partnership and generosity of many churches that we come to understand "The Parable of the Sower."

 The following message is posted on the PCUSA website:

"Presbyterians do mission in partnership.  That means that mission is not something that we do "to them" but an adventure of collaboration and walking alongside our partner churches.  When you support international mission through PC(USA) and World Mission, you not only help people in need, but you empower - and grow - our partner churches as well."

If you have time this week, you might like to look up the PC(USA) website and read about all of the programs that are supported by Presbyterian Church donations.  Seeds are being planted on fertile soil.  Sowers are reaping crops 30, 60 and 100 times more than what was planted.  Villages are being fed, and entire regions are healing, all because of the generosity of those seeking salvation.  

Acceptance

The Whaler's Church of Sag Harbor welcomed us to join them in worship this week while Pastor Sarah is away on study leave.

The children's message was a lesson presented by Mrs. Mitchell on the Book of Matthew .  She spoke about how Jesus shared God's peace and love among people that were not accepted as worthy.   She compared different kinds of pizza with the many types of people in the world.  Some of us might think one pizza is better than another.  Jesus loved people who were considered to be unlikeable.  He taught us to love everyone and to share God's peace and love, just as we learned in the book of Matthew.

She asked that we go out and share God's peace and love with everyone no matter how different they seem to be.

Pastor Linda Maconochie spoke about John the Baptist, a strange looking man, who wore strange clothing, lived in the wilderness and spoke about judgement and repentance.  He was considered to be a radical.

Jesus did not follow the rules of acceptance.  He associated with all of the wrong people and did not fit the standards of righteousness.  Neither John nor Jesus seemed holy enough for some people and were rejected because they did not fit in to the kind of messenger from God that many people were expecting. 

God sent Jesus and John to spread the Good News of his everlasting love.  He sent them to let us know that no matter what burdens we may have, peace and love will "yolk" us together. Jesus and John were God's chosen messengers, unlike anyone expected.  They were different and they loved everyone.  It seemed odd that God would have chosen them to spread the Good News of his love.  It was a time of uncertainty, just as we live in today. 

Jesus came to spread the news that God loves us and will bring us peace if we believe in him. 

 The Book of Matthew tells us that God will carry us through all of our burdens if we believe in the Good News. 

Moses

June 28, 2020

Exodus 1 & 2

Our lesson today was about Moses, child of an Israelite woman living in Egypt during the reign of a Pharaoh who feared that the Hebrews were growing in numbers and in strength.

Moses mother knew that her son would be drowned by the Egyptian army if they found him.  With the help of two midwives and her daughter, Miriam, she was able to hide Moses for three months. 

Using reeds and tar, mother and sister prepared a basket that they floated down the Nile, only to be discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter. 

The story tells us that Moses was nursed by his mother and returned to the palace when he was older.  The name he was given was “Moses,” which means “drawn out,” because he was taken from the water.

  Although raised with the Egyptians, Moses was called to lead his people out slavery.  We know many stories about Moses, but we learn very little about the courageous women in his life.

The midwives, Siphrah and Puah, acted in ways that saved many lives. Stories they told Pharaoh about the birth of Hebrew baby boys went undetected as lies.  Their courage helped Moses mother spare her son.

Jochebed, Moses mother, entrusted him to God’s care by placing him in the Nile.  She loved him with all of her heart, and believed that he would be safe, allowing him to be raised in a place that persecuted her own people.

Miriam, Moses older sister, wisely followed the basket down the river and when discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, offered that he be nursed by a woman that she knew.  Miriam was allowed to return Moses to his mother until he was old enough to live in the palace.  With the help of Miriam, Moses later led his people from slavery in Egypt.

Pharaoh’s daughter, grew to love him as her own child, although she knew that he belonged to a Hebrew woman.  Her compassion and love gave him strength and courage to begin his journey as a chosen leader by God.

When we tell the story of Moses, we do not hear much about the women in his life.  There is little written about their lives and yet, they were responsible for carrying out God’s plan for Moses.  Without their actions, Moses would not have lived to lead his people from Egypt. 

They were not considered to be a threat to Pharaoh in his effort to kill the Hebrew baby boys because they were women. 

As Pastor Sarah reminded us, “God works in unexpected places through unexpected people.”

Jesus’ ministered to unexpected people, including the poor, and oppressed.  His resurrection was not expected. 

The women in Moses life knew that God was guiding their actions to save Moses. 

 Let us remember the story of the unexpected places and people in the story of Moses and allow God to be our guide.

Peace be with you.

What Dads Can't Do

Dear Families,
What Dads Can’t Do, by Douglas Wood, was our children’s message today, read by Pastor Sarah. The picture book cleverly described things that Daddy Dinosaur couldn’t do without the help of his son. The story of things that our own dads do with us is a reminder that Jesus referred to God as “Abba,” an informal term for father in the Aramaic language. “Abba,” in English translates to “Daddy.”

Jesus special relationship with God is not unlike the relationship we have with our won father, who never stops loving us with the same kindness and compassion that Jesus felt for God. Today we celebrate all fathers in the world and remember that God, our father, never ever stops loving us.

Our scripture today comes from Acts 9:1 -19.
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Our Sermon today was about the story of Saul of Tarsus, raised by his parents who were Jewish citizens of the Roman Empire. When his family moved to Jerusalem, Saul was educated by Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi and Pharisee in Jerusalem. He learned to follow the Law with the belief that righteousness was the way to eternal life. Saul was a strong believer in the rules of the Old Testament and as the number of “Followers of the Way,” began to grow, he united with religious and political leaders to destroy and punish them for their defiance to the laws of the Sanhedrin. Saul sought out Christians, (men and women) to be imprisoned and killed. He did this because he believed it was God’s will.

Saul defended the institution of his religion with all of his power. He was committed to protecting the Law and persecuting those who failed to follow his same beliefs. Early Christians, “The Way,” threatened the accepted beliefs of oral and written traditions. “The Way,” was a part of a movement that was creating an upheaval in the institution of religion. The possibility that Jesus was truly the Messiah, was inconceivable to Saul, until God blinded him on the way to Damascus. God’s plan for Saul was to become one of the greatest Christian teachers in all of history. With a new name, Paul, he began to minister to people far and wide, as an apostle of Jesus.

Pastor Sarah said, “Acts 9 helps us understand that The Way is a movement and movements are messy. They are filled with misunderstandings and conflict, but also are moments of trust, courage and grace for those willing to follow. We are in a time of social unrest and if we truly want to be a part of Jesus’ movement, we need a healthy dose of descaling.”

The story of Saul is a story we are living today. God is asking us to listen, to be understanding and to lead with trust, courage and grace. Let us be leaders in opening the door to the poor and oppressed. Let us be “The Way” for Christians struggling to understand the unrest happening in our country. Movements are never easy. They upset our values and make us take a look at our belief systems. The Book of Acts was written to help us understand that God will guide us and give us what we need to have the strength to stand up with our fellow Christians and help bring about necessary changes the world.

Peace be with you.