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Scriptures to Read: Jeremiah 29:11-13 Genesis 18:9-14 St. Matthew 19:26-30 Romans 8:26-28 Exodus 15:11-18 Ephesians 1:15-22 Jeremiah 10:10-12 One of the attributes of God is that He is All-Powerful. The term for this is "omnipotent." It is only one attribute of God but an important one. Because He is all-powerful some questions are raised: If God is all-powerful, this means He can do anything, and if He can do anything, why does He not simply stop bad things instantly? If God is good but He...
Budding flowers and humming birds are some of the first harbingers of spring. So, too, are young Christian children dressed in white as they embark on the next step in their spiritual journeys. The sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by Jesus Christ during his Last Supper. It marks the first time children (or adults) receive the Eucharist during mass. One of the sacraments of initiation, Holy Communion is a momentous occasion in the lives of young or converted Christians. Holy Communion...
Trinity United Methodist Church in Roaring Spring began its free summer lunch program on Thursday, June 4, and it will continue until Friday, Aug. 21. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Everyone is welcome. The summer lunch program is free to all children under the ages of 18. Adults will be charged a cost per meal....
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring will continue with weekly food giveaways from 2 to 5 p.m. every Friday for the time being. This week, the church will give away goulash and mixed vegetables. Meals will be distributed in a drive-thru fashion beside the church on Main Street in front of the church. The meals are for families who reside in the Cove and surrounding areas....
I cut the grass today. Maybe you did too. Perhaps you wish your health still would permit you to do so. Some people love to mow the lawn. When my dad was alive it was one of his favorite things to do – especially with a bush hog. There is something therapeutic about it. Others dread keeping up with the grass. A guy in my neighborhood has a robot cutting his. One thing is certain. Summer is upon us and the grass is growing. Most would agree they would rather cut grass than shovel or blow snow! I...
Scriptures to Read: Proverbs 3:5-6 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:38-39 Isaiah 12:1-5 Psalm 20:5-7 Psalm 37:3-7 Psalm 71:1-5 I write this on May 4. You will likely read it a month later. What will change? I have no idea but likely things will be better or worse. I don’t think anyone had advanced idea of the challenges our world would face so far this year. Certainly the news media has been overwhelmed with the epidemic. We had been hearing lots about world conflict in a host of forms. But when faced with the horror of the epidemic partisan differences w...
I've always enjoyed connect the dots activity pages. Sometimes you can tell quite obviously what the picture is going to be before you even begin. Other times, the picture is more complicated and it's a surprise. One thing that I've learned about walking with God and studying the Bible is that it is also a connect the dots learning experience. The Old Testament always gives clues to the New Testament, which always refers back to the Old Testament. It's up to us to connect the dots. Here's a dot...
Scriptures to Read: I Kings 11:9-13 I Kings 11:14, 23, 25 I Kings 11:28-34 Galatians 6:1-10 Leviticus 26:14-20 Isaiah 13:11 & Jeremiah 21:11-14 Ezra 9:10-15 I wish I was smarter and knew God better. I have heard speculation that the coronavirus is God's punishment against a wicked world. It could be, but I can't say I know for sure. I do know God punishes. I also know He does not punish as harshly as we deserve. In the midst of His punishments He shows mercy. I also know it is pretty unusual...
Late every summer we hear the term "back to school." There are back-to-school sales, band camps and fall sports practices. In some cases, parents are counting the days until the kids can return. Of course, while some children like to go to school, the thought of summer ending and them going back is something most youngsters dread. One fine student who won't be going back to high school is my son, Micah. He is a member of the class of 2020 and with almost 4 million others he experienced the most...
Scriptures to Read: Exodus 20:1-7. Leviticus 24:10-17 Isaiah 6:1-8 St. John 4:19-26 Isaiah 29:13 & St. Mark 7:6-8 Psalm 86:8-12 Revelation 5:9-13 I want to share today about something that distresses me to a degree. It is about how we treat God. I am talking about the God of Scripture, known to the Hebrew people as Jehovah or Yaweh. To them the Name of God was so sacred they did not actually say it, only wrote it and even then did not write it as completely as they could have. Moses asks God...
Various sects that fall under the umbrella of Christianity have their own unique traditions when it comes to the sacraments. Roman Catholics about to receive the sacrament of confirmation often are required to choose a confirmation name before they can be confirmed. Some churches no longer require prospective confirmands to choose confirmation names. But those Catholics who will be asked to do so may want to learn about the tradition and why their parish still adheres to it. What is the...
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring will continue with weekly food giveaways from 2 to 5 p.m. every Friday for the time being. This week, the church will give away spaghetti with meat sauce. The church also will have half gallons of local milk again. Meals will be distributed in a drive-thru fashion beside the church on Main Street in front of the church. The meals are for families who reside in the Cove and surrounding areas....
Thursday, May 7, was National Day of Prayer. People of all denominations were invited to come together in prayer. Locally, the Southern Cove Ministerium organized a drive-in prayer event at the Woodbury Church of the Brethren that evening at 7 p.m. The theme was “Praying God’s Glory Across the Earth.” Area pastors led those who gathered in a time of prayer, covering seven different topics. At the end there was wind and rain, but it felt good to be with others, lifting our hearts in prayer. It reminded me just how important it is to be able...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 28:17-22 Acts 28:22-25 Acts 28:25-29 Acts 28:30-31 I Corinthians 3:21-4:2 St. Matthew 25:14-23 St. John 21:15-23 Luke wrote his Gospel so Christ could be seen and known – from birth to ascension. This second book, called "The Acts of the Apostles," is written so it can be seen and known how the Followers of Christ fulfilled the assignment He gave them. We have reached the end of Luke's writing but most certainly not the end of Christ's assignment. That assignment is s...
Churches in the Cove are being creative in finding ways to meet as believers in Christ while remaining safe by distancing themselves. New Life Alliance Church in East Freedom has been having drive-in services for the last five-plus weeks, according to Shiela Stombaugh, a parishioner for about 17 years. The first service was on Palm Sunday. This service was a drive-thru service where attendees could drive in and request prayers or obtain a blessing. The last four weeks have been working well....
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring will continue with weekly food giveaways from 2 to 5 p.m. every Friday for the time being. This week, the church will give away vegetable soup and ham sandwiches. The church also will have half gallons of local milk again. Meals will be distributed in a drive-thru fashion beside the church on Main Street in front of the church. The meals are for families who reside in the Cove and surrounding areas....
Curryville Church will host a drive-thru event on Thursday, May 7, the National Day of Prayer. The event will run from 7 a..m to 8 p.m. When drivers pull into the parking lot, there will be stations that they will pull up to. Each station will be numbered and will have a topic and a prayer to pray. When attendees are finished praying they will move around the parking lot to each station. This will be completely touch free and will be done in the cars. The topics and prayers will also be posted at curryville.org so that individuals can...
I must admit that I do not feel like writing this column today. I really did not feel like writing it yesterday either. However, you obviously feel like reading it; so I will press ahead. Think of many times since you were a small child that you have not felt like doing something. Children do not have to be taught to disobey. Sometimes they simply do not feel like obeying because they would rather not do the responsibility or task at hand. Clean your room. Share. Don't pull your sister's hair....
Scriptures to Read: Suggested Scriptures: Isaiah 35:1-7 Isaiah 35:8-10 Read these Scriptures over and over from various translations Today, Thursday, May 7, 2020, is scheduled to be the National Day of Prayer. I have no idea if it will involve corporate meetings of Christians for prayer or not. As I write, we are still observing measures of quarantine and social distancing. I have not said much to you about the coronavirus and the stress it has brought to our world. But I do want to focus on...
Martinsburg area churches were asked to ring their bells Sunday evening at 7 o'clock for three minutes as an act of faith and solidarity against the coronavirus. St. John United Church of Christ on East Julian Street in Martinsburg was a participant. The church bell, struck in 1859, had not rung in more than three decades. Parishioners tested the bell the day before, only to have the rope break. Earl Springer (right), St. John's consistory president, rings the bell....
Warning: You may not like what you read here; I am about to exercise my freedom of speech. It is time to come out of the closet and tell you: I'm pro-choice. Normally pro-choice is the term we use regarding abortion, but here I am referring to the ability to make every day, average choices. I am in favor of all of us being able to decide what we want or need to do, and where we want or need to go on a daily basis. I am pro-choice. Many, many people are in such a current state of fear, that they...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 27:42-44 Acts 28:1-4 Acts 28:5-6 Acts 28:7-10 Acts 28:11-16 Acts 14:8-18 St. Mark 16:15-20 The ship has run aground and been destroyed, but the people have all gotten to shore alive. They have traveled over 500 miles, most of it beyond their control. They were welcomed by the islanders. A blazing fire is built to warm these wet bedraggled people because it is raining and cold. Paul, who always seems to be busy, gathers wood for the fire. A viper that has been in the...
Because of the success of its giveaway last week, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Roaring Spring will continue with weekly food giveaways from 2 to 5 p.m. every Friday for the time being. The meals that St. Luke’s received from the state last week were a one-time thing, so these will be meals prepared by the church. This week, the church will give away homemade chili and hot dogs. The church has also secured 50 half-gallons of milk that will be given away as well. Meals will be distributed in a drive-thru fashion beside the church on Girard Str...
Due to the coronavirus, Blair County’s 69th annual National Day of Prayer event this year will be a drive-in event. The event will begin at noon on Thursday, May 7, at the Legion Park, N. Juniata St., Hollidaysburg. The theme is “Pray God’s Glory Across the Earth.” The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Roland Cadle, pastor of the Frankstown Park Missionary Church, Hollidaysburg. This is a nondenominational prayer service with local pastors and leaders from various denominations and government leaders participating. Event officials said they ha...
A few weeks ago it was a beautiful spring day with warm temperatures and blue skies. It is not unusual for my wife and me to go for a walk in our neighborhood, which is at the base of a mountain. But I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk in the woods behind our house instead. She declined because she did not want to pick up a tick. My sons did not want to go, either. Apparently our Wi-Fi does not reach beyond our back yard. So off I went alone with nothing but the clothes on my back. No jac...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 27:21-26 Acts 27:27-32 Acts 27:33-38 Acts 27:39-44 II Corinthians 11:23-33 Acts 9:13-19 Acts 19:23-31 On board this ship there are soldiers, sailors, prisoners, passengers and who know what all. We do know there are 276 people all together. But also on board this ship, there is terror. They had now been in this storm a long time. They were also hopeless. Into this situation, steps Paul, the prisoner but also a calming presence. He addresses them by saying something...
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 changed life as people know it. In the wake of the outbreak, hundreds of millions of people across the globe were forced to change how they work, how they spend their free time and even how they eat their meals as social distancing measures were enacted in an effort to stop the spread of a virus that, by late-March 2020, had already claimed the lives of thousands of people. Seemingly no aspect of life was unaffected by social distancing measures,...
How are we all doing today? Everyone hanging in there? Week three was my dark week. Week three was when we found out there would be no Easter morning worship. Sure, there would still be a recorded service, but no gathering together at church to do it. Nope. Easter would be celebrated over the internet at home. I would rather have been punched in the face than lose our Easter gathering. That affected me more than anything else. All week long I just wanted to cry. In fact, I did. I poured out my...
Acts 27 begins a new phase of activity in Paul's life. We have noted the king and the governor have agreed if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he could have been freed. He was not guilty of any crime against Rome. I do not understand why Paul did not withdraw his appeal and go free. It must have something to do with the Roman appeal process. The decision was made to take ship and depart for Rome. Julius, a centurion was to be in charge. He would not only have Paul but "other" prisoners. The...
This will be an Easter weekend like we have never seen before. There will be no crowded malls with people looking for a new Easter outfit. If a person had an Easter outfit, they would not have a church service to attend to wear it. The busiest Sunday of the year for church buildings will be quiet. While we can be thankful for the ability to watch a service online, it just isn't the same. I heard about a group of churches in Johnstown planning to use a drive-in theater for Good Friday, Easter...
Jesus had celebrated Passover one last time with His disciples: During the meal, He given them a New Covenant: They were to remember it using bread, representing His broken body and grape wine, representing His blood shed as sacrifice for the sin and sins of all mankind. He washed the feet of His disciples, demonstrating His humble servant hood and His great love for them. He led them to a garden where He asked them to pray. He prayed Himself for three agonizing hours. His request was that God m...
Most Cove churches are recording services and then distributing them via Facebook, websites or email because of restrictions placed on gathering due to the coronavirus. Contact the church for more information. St. John's Reformed Church of Loysburg will offer worship online for Good Friday, Easter and each following Sunday, at least through the end of April. Pastor David Meckley will conduct each service. All services can be viewed by clicking on the “live stream” option on the church’s home page. The website is www.sjrcl.org. The Good Frida...
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and as significant religious holidays approach in the coming weeks, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and religious leaders across the commonwealth encouraged alternative forms of faith gatherings. The Pa. Department of Health updated its “stay-at-home” order guidance to provide further guidance for religious gatherings. Updated guidance notes that while nothing in the stay-at-home order should affect the operation of religious institutions, “Religious leaders are encouraged to find alternatives to in-person gathe...
There's something soothing about routine. Our cat, Gladys, is the routine queen. Every week day, we wake up at 4:30 a.m. to start the day. That means Monday through Friday, Gladys gets fed at approximately 4:35 a.m. On Saturdays, between 4:30 and 5 a.m., Gladys will jump up on the bed, walk on my pillow, gnaw at my hair and knock things off the night stand in an effort to rouse me from my slumbers so that I'll get up and feed her. Every Saturday when she begins this routine, I gently push her...
Scripture to Read St. Matthew 21:1-11 & 14-17 St. Mark 11:1-11 St. Luke 19:29-44 St. John 12:12-19 Zechariah 9:9 &16-17 Psalm 118:1-9 & 19-24 Isaiah 62:10-12 I am going to interrupt our study of the Book of Acts for the next two weeks. It is time to remember two special events in the life of Jesus. We look, today, at what is called "Palm Sunday." The Church will observe this on Sunday, April 5. I want to lead your thoughts to what happened nearly two thousand years ago. All four Gospels record...
Paula and Bruce Hamilton of Williamsburg attend the Sunday morning service at Grace Pointe Community Church on March 29. More than 50 members of the congregation attended the morning service from their cars....
Easter Sunday is the most sacred day on the Christian calendar. A celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday, Easter Sunday marks the culmination of the Lenten season, a 40-day period when Christians across the globe reflect on their faith and make sacrifices to honor the ultimate sacrifices made by their God. The final week of Lent is known as Holy Week, and the week begins with Palm Sunday, the final Sunday before Easter. According to Catholic Online,...
I strongly considered writing about something other than dealing with the coronavirus. But it is about all that anyone is talking about and dealing with at the moment. Much has changed even since my last column appeared. Much more will change in the six days between my deadline and the publication. The senior trip that my son looked forward to for years has been canceled. My sister in England found out that a co-worker has the virus. The U.S. economy has been dramatically affected. Friends have...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 26:24-26 Acts 26:27-29 Acts 26:30-32 Isaiah 52:13-53:3 Isaiah 53:4-13 Psalm 16:8-11 Genesis 3:13-15 Isaiah 9:6-7 The passage before us is Acts 26:1-23. We do not know if everything said in this interview was recorded. Paul has now come to a place of invitation. His word is: "...I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – the Messiah would suffer and as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to His own people a...
For many Christians, modern Easter celebrations would not be complete without bonnets, bunnies and colored eggs. As fun as those components can be, Christianity is at the heart of Easter, which is the most important date on the Christian religious calendar. Easter Sunday marks the culmination of events that shaped the beliefs and teachings of an entire faith. Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Christians believe occurred within days of his crucifixion and burial. The New...
"How can we make church different?" Grace Pointe Community Church of God Pastor Jim Spivey asked his wife Ondria and other members of the church that question under the COVID-19 restrictions of "no more than 10 people at social gatherings." Pastor Spivey explained that he asked this question because two Sundays ago, he knew that the congregation wouldn't be able to hold church in the typical way. "We knew that not every member of the church has Facebook, or other forms of social media, so a...
One thing I find difficult every other week is nailing down a specific topic to write about. It's not because there is a shortage of things to discuss, its because there are so many! The Bible is full of great things and its difficult to decide. I'm a Bible nerd and I don't care who knows it. There's always something new to learn, or a tidbit that hadn't popped out before. Then there's God himself and the different ways he's moved and worked in my life. He's done so many things, big and small,...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 9:1-9 Acts 9:10-19 Acts 9:20-30 Acts 22:1-11 Acts 22:12-21 Acts 23:6-11 St. Matthew 9:35-38 & St. John 4:32-38 We closed last week thinking about Paul's hearing the voice of authority. He says he was not disobedient to that voice. Much of Paul's Damascus Road experience is skipped here. We can check it out on our own. It could well be that Paul told more things to Herod and Festus but they are not recorded here. What Paul does emphasize is that he heard the voice of the...
The Christian season of Lent and the Easter holiday are laden with time-honored traditions that are both secular and religious. Many such traditions are universal, but people still find ways to celebrate their Christian faith in their own unique ways. Each Good Friday, residents of Bermuda take to the beach to fly kites. The tradition began from a legend that says a local teacher was attempting to explain to Sunday school students about Jesus' ascension to heaven. The students were not grasping...
Easter is the most important day of the year on the Christian calendar. A celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter commemorates the very core of the Christian faith. So it comes as no surprise that such an important day is steeped in tradition. Easter traditions such as Easter Sunday Mass are widely known. But there are many unique Easter traditions across the globe that, while they may not be as widely known, illustrate the power of this very special day in the Christian community. • India: India may not be the first nation to...
Lately I have been thinking about numbers. I doubt that Numbers is your favorite book of the Bible. It does, however, contain some interesting digits and stories. There were 603,550 Israelite men aged 20 and older who were qualified to fight in battle. So assuming there were men my age and older with flat feet and bad eyes who were exempt, God's people may have numbered over 2,000,000 when you factor in women and children, too. Moses and the large group of people he led definitely needed the...
Scriptures to Read: Acts 25:13-22 Acts 25:23-27 Acts 26:1-8 Acts 26:9-11 Acts 26:12-18 Acts 26:19-23 St. John 9:1-7 & 35-41 Governor Festus has invited King Herod Agrippa and Bernice to examine Paul to see how they might charge him with a crime against Rome. The hearing room scene was likely one for you to imagine. King Herod and Bernice would likely be wearing their royal purple robes, Governor Festus in his scarlet tunic and they would be surrounded by captains, centurions and leading...
The Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church will premiere the musical “Don’t Miss the Grace of God,” written by local musician Ellen M. Stuckey, at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4, at the church, located at 300 S. Mulberry St., Martinsburg. The adult choir and other members of the congregation will portray the original story through drama, solos and original music. A nine-piece orchestra will provide the musical accompaniment. Stuckey, music teacher and member of the church, has written both the script and the music for the music...
Grace Pointe Community Church of God will be holding its 90th Anniversary celebration on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, celebrating its service to the Williamsburg community. On Saturday evening, there will be a concert featuring Southern Gospel recording artist Johnny Minick, who performed with the Happy Goodmans. On Sunday, a celebration service will be held at 10 a.m. The guest speaker will be general overseer of the Church of God, Dr. Tim Hill. There will be a fellowship meal held at the community center immediately after the...
"Now ADONAI said to Avram, "Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing." ~Genesis 12:1-2 (CJB) It's a strange feeling when God asks a person to go do something new. Sometimes that thing involves going far from home to live in a dangerous part of the world, leaving all possessions and family...
