Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
March 2016- Food Donations
"Messages."- from Church Organist Phil Pearson
MESSAGES
I don’t
know about you, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed by messages. Sometimes they are on my answering machine,
sometimes in my email. I can only be
thankful that I don’t do texting, because my frustration would only
increase.
We seem
to be bombarded by messages everywhere.
People want us to pay attention to what they have to say. Sometimes messages are embedded or outright
stated in sermons, conversations with friends, on billboards, on TV
advertisements, and so on. People are
constantly vying for our time. Some of
those messages are ones we need to hear; sometimes they are pure dribble.
One of
the biggest messages we all send is how we live our lives. We have all been influenced from our early
lives by those around us. My father
always grew far too many vegetables in his garden than our family could
possibly eat. The lesson here was that
we frequently went with him as he delivered the excess to those in the
community who could benefit. I know he
purposely grew too many so that he would have that excess to share. My mother always taught us not to hate or
even use the word and not to see skin color as an excuse for derision.
My junior choir director at church
and her husband, the organist, were constantly making big pictures for little
eyes to see. My choir director would get
up early every morning to bake bread and take it to others. She would go sing to residents at the nursing
homes every week. She would constantly
ask me to sing solos in church (Can you imagine my high soprano voice singing
to 800 people in a church filled with musicians and professors?) She was
encouraging me to use my talents. I
think she saw far more in me than I did.
She and her husband were constantly taking me to concerts and would
always take me backstage to meet the performers. Her husband later became my organ professor
at Otterbein. I could not have asked to
have a better role model of a Christian who constantly made me aware that when
I played for church, I was not a performer or a bystander during the times in
the service when the music was not being used.
He said, “You should always be an active Christian participant in all
parts of the service.” He gave
generously of his time and his considerable talent, but he was always a Christian
man in all that he did.
You and
I have had many role models in our lives.
We have had great teachers, preachers, family members, friends, and
mentors. What messages did they send? I hope your lives have been as richly blessed
as mine has been, and that people will see Jesus when they see us and the way
we live your lives. Not all messages
contribute to the overload. Jesus is the
best role model of them all.
Phil
Blanket Sunday
An Evening of Gospel Music- Shelby High School
The Choir of the First United Church of Christ had the opportunity to participate in an Evening of Gospel Music at Shelby Senior High School. Here are a few photos from that evening.
Friday, February 19, 2016
Reflections from the Rev.
“A lesson from Aiden.”
March 2016
As we enter the of Lent season it is easy to look at the calendar
and see just how busy it is here at First Church…. Sundays are busy with Sunday
school, morning worship, and evening classes for new members that will join the
church in April. Looking at the calendar again… busy… busy…busy...
work-school-kids music practice- kids athletic practice- PTA meetings- doctor’s
appointments etc. etc. We are constantly investing our time, energy, and
commitment into “things” and “activities. It’s not a bad thing! However, when “things”
begin to become our focus, rather than the people around us… that can become
problematic.
Just a few weeks ago our oldest son Aiden helped teach
me a valuable lesson. I took my laptop home from the office to work on
something. While I was sitting at the dining room table, typing away, Aiden
came up to me and said, “Look what I got daddy, a T-Rex,” as he proudly held it
up for me to see. My response of course was, “Oh, that’s nice buddy,” without
even looking at him. A few minutes later he came back, “Daddy… please come play
with me.” My heart melted… I had to put the work away and go play with my boy….
In sharing this story, I cannot help but reflect on
our reading from a few Sunday’s ago. Jesus tells us in the gospel of Matthew
6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What do you
treasure?? What is precious for you?? For some people it may be money… but let’s
look at it another way… What is the most valuable and limited asset that you
possess? How about your time? Our time highly is highly valuable because it is
a limited asset. It seems to me that our schedules can sometimes hinder us…
they make us invest our time in things… when what we should really be doing is
investing our time in people…
The most valuable thing you can give to the Lord- to
your spouse- to your children- to your friends- to your loved ones IS NOT money
(yes money is nice) but it is a piece of your limited time on this earth. Take
time to be with the ones you love- slow down- be willing to compromise that schedule
whenever possible to spend just one more minute of playtime with your child… to
call your grandma once a week… or to volunteer at the local food pantry. In
this Lenten season… a season of prayer-meditation-giving- and self-reflection I
would like to invite you to prayerfully consider the following; “What do I
treasure?” “Is there any time I am wasting that I could be spending with those
I love or for service to others?” Jesus help us to prioritize. Help us to
utilize our time wisely. Help us, to show your love- and to experience the love
of self and others, through the investment of our time… In your name we pray…
Amen
Sunday, August 23, 2015
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