October 3, 2021

October 3, 2021

…for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow….- Luke 19:21

As we enter into the month of October, we will be focusing on prayer. Specifically, I hope you will all begin to pray about the projects and campaign that will begin today with our Town Hall Meeting, and an emphasis to “Revitalize for New Growth.”

We will begin our prayer focus with an unfamiliar version of a common story in the Bible. We may very well be accustomed to the story in Matthew, the Parable of the 10 talents.  In Luke’s gospel (Luke 19:11-27) We here a similar yet vastly different idea on the story. In this particular telling, Jesus is about to enter into Jerusalem, the be coordinated, as King, though not in a worldly sense. Before entering Jesus tells those who are following him, the story of 10 servants each receiving a Mina, or sum of the master’s wealth. The master is on his way to become king, but some already do not like this man who is to become king. Still, this wealthy man becomes king, then returns and calls in the servants to show what they had done with this gift, this blessing given to them by the master.

One servant has brought back 10 fold (10 times) from his master’s gift. One has brought back 5 fold, and then there is the servant who did nothing more but keep this gift of the mina safe.

The emphasis of this parable with Jesus about to enter Jerusalem is that if we are to believe and accept that Jesus is King, we are expected to take risks with the blessings we have received. We are expected to believe in the Master’s authority that if we work with what we have, and work to enhance and grow it, we will be blessed even more.

There is a fine line we must walk between taking risk and being good stewards, we want to see the blessings of God increase, and we desire to do what pleases the Lord, but we must weigh the cost with our faithful prayers. We learn from the parable that the servants are held accountable, yet all investments made in faithful service to God should be seen as pleasing to God. It is a call to believe in God’s faithfulness in the trying. In believing with faith that if we invest in God’s work, God will lead us to success for the building of his kingdom, now and always.

Let us begin our prayers for the future of St. Mark, prepared to have faith, and prepared to invest for a great tomorrow for the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to understand that because I am a steward of all your resources that are entrusted to me, I am also accountable for how I share them. Amen.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

FALL FESTIVAL AND CHILI COOK OFF - OCTOBER 30

September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021

Written by David Petty

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. — Hebrews 13:7

Neuroscientists have discovered in recent decades that humans have a great capacity for imitation.  Neurologist and historian William Bernstein gives the following illustration.  Native people in the arctic are very skilled  at building (and using) kayaks.  Natives of the Amazon do not have this ability, but can construct and use blowguns well, which arctic people cannot.  It is not that one group has a bigger “kayak-building part” or “blowgun-building part” of the brain.  Instead, both have a well-developed “imitating part” of the brain.  Once these inventions were developed, probably through a long process of trial and error, it became relatively easy for succeeding generations to imitate the skills.

It’s an important ability for native peoples, and it turns out to be important for us as well, given the almost constant introduction of new technologies for us to learn.  Certainly there are people and behaviors we ought not imitate.  You can come up with plenty of examples of these yourself — I am reminded especially of a couple of investment fraudsters (both now deceased) who destroyed the fortunes of thousands of people a few decades ago.

And there are, on the other hand, people that we do want to imitate.  So it seems to me that a useful trick to improving our behavior would be to identify those people in our lives whom we admire and then work diligently to be like them.  “What would Jesus do?” and “What would Paul do?” can be useful questions, but it might be more practical sometimes to ask, “What would Nancy do?” or “What would Jim do?”

Who knows?  If we work at it perhaps some day people will want to imitate us.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

September 26, 2021

September 26, 2021

Join us live for worship at 10 am in person or on YouTube.
Service will be uploaded at smarkknox.org/sermons later on Sunday.

And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.”
– Genesis 25:23

Today we hear of an interesting story in the formation of the people known as Israel; the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is often believed that in the patriarchal system that the eldest son has the most right to inherit the Father’s blessing. However, scripture often turns our inclinations upon themselves when we read who and how God chooses to lead his people. One such instances is the birth of Isaac’s sons Jacob and Esau. Esau is the first born, he is strong, a skillful hunter, a man of the field. His younger twin brother Jacob is a quiet man, living in nature, but often seen as cunning in mind.

As the boys grew in their own right, there is a point, in which Esau, out from a hunt is famished, and smells a stew his brother, Jacob is cooking.  Esau desires to eat of the stew, but Jacob bamboozles Esau to sell his birthright to the Father’s blessing in order to receive something to eat.

The story might make us wonder if God’s plan was always to see Jacob blessed, or if it his own cunning that allows this to happen? We know from the verse above that God has spoken to their mother, Rachel, that younger would be master over the elder, and that one shall be stronger. Then notion of strength, again would be presumed to be the one who was physically strong, but that may not be the case, for God looks upon all people differently than we do. So perhaps it is Jacob who is stronger because he ultimately receives the blessing form Isaac and the blessing to be the line for the people of God.

Many modern societies are slowly waking up to the fact that various benefits once thought of as deserved have in fact been the products of unearned privilege all along. In light of these realities, election in the Bible may be read not as a prescription for the way things ought to be, but as a description for the way things so often are. Schemers like Jacob really do get ahead sometimes.

Even though Jacob receives the blessing of his father, and becomes the patriarch of the people of God, Esau is not left without blessing. God blesses Esau with wealth, children, and a long life. Even though we may not receive the blessing we desire, or think we deserve, God is still blessing us today. Blessing us as we continue to do our part to live in community, to work as a people seeking after Christ, and a people building the kingdom of God. Because of this, we can give thanks to God, for his continued blessings on us.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 22, 2021

September 22, 2021

13 No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.  – James 1:13

Last Wednesday we began our Bible Study group working through the book of James. In our discussion an interesting thought comes up – does God test us? We started this discussion based on the verse above about God not tempting anyone.  Which leads us to ask of ourselves, what is the difference between a test and a temptation?

Often these words have been used interchangeably in our modern context, however there are so notable differences.  Just sticking to definition, a test would be defined as a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, reliability, of something.  Whereas a temptation is leading to the desire to do something (presumably wrong or unwise, but not necessarily so).

Then we have the evidence in the Scriptures that when someone is tested, as in Abraham being tested for his faith, or Job being tested for his faithfulness it is God who either does or allows the testing.  Yet when temptation is involved, it is either the evil within one’s heart (think Job’s wife telling him to curse God and die) or the Evil One (think Jesus temptation in the desert).

Temptation is something, biblically speaking that want to draw our attention, our focus away from God or the community of believers; whereas a test may be to draw us deeper into our faith.  Either way, our calling is to trust and rely on the grace and goodness we have from God, that we perhaps receive from the community of faith, to draw us ever closer to God’s unending love for us and all humanity in Christ Jesus our Lord.

No matter what test we may be facing today, or what temptations strive to draw us away from our faith in God, we can be assured that God is present with us, drawing us always unto Him, and offering us comfort, consolation, and counsel as we seek to live abundantly and eternally in His grace and love.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 19, 2021

September 19, 2021

Live stream will be on YouTube at 10 am, or service can be viewed later on stmarkknox.org/sermons

And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in ever good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8

What is the abundance of God?

So often we think about provision and abundance as monetary wealth in modern context. And there may be reason behind that. Even Paul, in writing these words was asking a church for an offering to continue the mission work of the saints.

However, when we talk about the abundance of God, there is so much more than the limited view of what can be purchased. Life, health, fresh air, family, friends, those relationships that matter most. These are things that, when genuine, aren’t purchased. They come from dedication, love of self and others. They come from sharing ourselves, and they are a gift from God.

So often we neglect the small gifts from God, seeking a different kind of abundance, but the truth is no other abundance is more lifegiving than these simple gifts. I hope that as we pause today, for rest and worship, that we give thanks to God, knowing we have already received in abundance, the divine blessings.  May God increase in us, that we might overflow in good works, in love, to all people.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021

Written by David Petty

You shall live in booths for seven days; all that are citizens in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. —Leviticus 23:42-43

I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. —Ecclesiastes 3:14

In Judaism the “five scrolls” are a group of five small books of the Bible.  They are not considered a single book, but are a subgroup of the section known as the Writings, and are grouped together because of their liturgical use.  Traditionally, each of the books is read at one of five principal religious holidays.  For example, Ecclesiastes is read at Sukkot, the “Festival of Booths,” which this year is September 20-27.

In some cases the connection between a particular scroll and its holiday seems rather vague.  These pairings were established well over a thousand years ago, and we will never know the reasons for them with certainty.  For Ecclesiastes/Sukkot, though, one reasonable explanation involves  the idea of “transience“ or “impermanence.”  

Sukkot seems to have began as a harvest festival, to which an additional commemoration was attached.  The “booths” were huts made of plant materials such as branches, leaves and stems.  The idea was that, during  the Israelites’ time in the wilderness, whenever they moved the shelters could easily be dismantled, carried to the next location, and reassembled.  In reality, most of them lived in tents, which were made primarily of cloth or animal skins, but a symbol does not have to be an exact replica.  What’s important is the symbolism itself.  In this case the symbolic significance was that, in the absence of permanent homes, they were acutely aware of their dependence on God for food, water, and other basic necessities.  Once they settled in the promised land, it was easy to forget that transient life without a yearly reminder.

Ecclesiastes is often considered the most depressing book in the Bible.  It speaks of the “futility” (that’s probably a better translation than “vanity”) of life.  Neither wisdom nor wealth nor virtue nor pleasure changes the fact that everyone dies and returns to dust.

But there is another interpretation of Ecclesiastes, one given by rabbis since ancient times and supported by verses both within and outside the book.  The impermanence of our existence on earth can be seen against the background of God’s permanence.  God is everlasting (Psalm 90:2, Habakkuk 1:12) and God’s kingdom is also (Psalm 145:13, Daniel 4:3.)  And there’s more: God’s righteousness is everlasting (Psalm 119:142, Daniel 9:24); God’s promises are everlasting (Psalm 105:8, Isaiah 55:3); most of all God’s love is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3, Lamentations 3:22, many psalms.)  Our New Testament, of course, assures everlasting life to the faithful.

In our day where, no less than in ancient times, nothing seems to endure, it’s good to have lasting things onto which we can hold.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

TOWN HALL MEETING - OCT 3

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. – 2 Corinthians 8:7

St. Mark Family,

The last couple of years have been quite a journey. We have survived lockdowns, and worked through new ways of doing ministry, we have adapted to changes, and all while continuing to strive towards our calling to be disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God. It is this calling to continue to be rooted in our relationship with Christ, while reaching out into our community and world to help build God’s kingdom in love.

In the background, the vision committee has been working on ways to move us forward, and enhance our current buildings to meet needs now, and provide opportunities to build forward toward and enduring future as we continue to live into our purpose of being a rooted and reaching church. The new steps of this journey will challenge us for the next few years, but I can primes that these challenges will be met with faith and preparation.

I’m excited for what the future holds for St. Mark. Today, I’m inviting you to mark your  calendar for our first “Town Hall Meeting” to help us all better understand the opportunity that stands before us related to some needed restorations and renovations in our sanctuary. We will meet after worship and Sunday School on October 3, 2021. Lunch will be provided, and we will hear from vision members who will show us the areas of renovation. Then we will be challenged by our consultant, Tim Guthrie, who will help us during this most important time in preparing for our church’s future.

Please plant to attend this important meeting. I look forward to sharing this time with you as we consider these plans, and work to excel in this new journey.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

September 8, 2021

September 8, 2021

Written by David Petty

But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
—James 1:22

Almost every summer for about 65 years, my wife’s family has had a reunion, usually around the Fourth of July; this year it was on Memorial Day.  As might be expected with a large group, many of whom are Methodists, there is always a lot of food.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, my brother-in-law had to cancel coming this time.  When he called to tell us, I asked if there was anything special that he wanted me to eat on his behalf.  Without hesitation he replied, “If Aunt Mary brings her chocolate pie, have a piece of that.”

Aunt Mary Is the oldest surviving member of the original family, and there was some question as to whether she would come, but she did and she brought several of the pies (her daughters may have helped with the cooking.)

I had a piece, and it was so good that I had another piece for myself.  I seriously considered canvassing the group to see whether anyone else needed me to eat a piece for them.

When I spoke to my brother-in-law later, he seemed to enjoy the report, but not as much as he would have enjoyed the pie.  You need to do some things yourself.  If you’re thirsty, it won’t help to watch someone drink a long cold glass of lemonade.  If you’re sleepy, you won’t benefit much from someone else’s nap.

This seems to be a simple idea, so simple that it isn’t worth the trouble for me to write it, or for you to read it.  But it appears that we forget the idea when it comes to church.  Church, as I have indicated before in this virtual place, is a participatory sport.  To really experience it, you have to be involved.

A few weeks ago we celebrated Vacation Bible School at St. Mark.  I believe the kids had a good time and perhaps learned something.  (Possibly, they began to learn exactly what I’m trying to say here.)  But the kids were not the ones who benefited the most.

No one can tell you how you should be involved — that’s another of the things you have to do yourself.  But I’m convinced that there is a role for everyone.

And by the way, if anyone would like me to eat a piece of pie for them next summer, please let me know. 

Gracefully submitted, 
David Petty

September 5, 2021

September 5, 2021

Today’s service will not be live streamed as we are at Lakeshore Park. If you are unable to join us you can find a pre-recorded message at stmarkknox.org/sermons

“… 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:11-13

Three times in the book of Revelation do we hear the term, “The Alpha and the Omega.” Once at the beginning of the book, with the beginning of the revelation, and then twice at the end, with the giving of the water as a gift of the spring of life, and with the pronouncement that Jesus is coming soon.

The idea that help is soon to come, gives a great hope for those who are in the midst of suffering. Though we might all confess that any suffering seems too long, but to know that it is only temporary helps us to keep holding on, to keep going. we want to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we want to know that there is hope on the other side.  In this final call of Jesus to say that he is coming soon, it is interesting how it is set up. “let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy,” he says, “let the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” The interesting thing is the call to let people be who they are going to be.

In the midst of everything that is has been before us, that we are going through now, and even what we may go through in the future, there is a truth that some will not change, some will not repent, some will continue to do what is evil. As heartbreaking as that is, for we like Christ should desire for all to know the love and grace of Christ; we must recognize that there will be times that we must walk away, or allow someone to walk away.

I do not give up hope if this happens though, I continue to pray and believe that God is still working in that person’s life even if I don’t get the opportunity to see it. For all of us, having hope in God’s working in the life of another is sometimes the best hope we can have. None of us truly know what another is going through, or why they act or react a particular way, but God does, and we have to trust that the one who is coming soon, is working in ways we cannot see or know, and perhaps this is the call of faith to be even greater as we place our hope that God’s goodness, mercy, and love goes beyond what we have the opportunity to see.

We continue our labor for righteousness, our acts of kindness, and show compassion to all whom we meet, and then trust that God will do the rest. This, I believe is the work of a disciple, to show the love of God for those who are ready to receive, and those who are not yet ready. For one day, we will rest from our labors, and rejoice in heaven, and I have hope we will, then, know the impact of the love we have shown for the glory of God.

Grace and Peace,
Sam

FALL BIBLE STUDY - BEGINS SEPTEMBER 15

Our Fall Bible study will return on Wednesday mornings beginning September 15
Join us Wednesday mornings in the Fellowship Hall at 10AM

September 1, 2021

September 1, 2021

O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. – Psalm 43:3

The often used phrase “light at the end of the tunnel” indicates that as we move through times of darkness, if we can see the flickers of light, we know that the darkness will soon be over, and we will again feel secure.

The notion of this phrase perhaps predates the phrase itself. For the ancient Israelites, especially for those who endured exile in Babylon, they longed for a time when they would return to Jerusalem, the shining city on a hill.  Those who saw Jerusalem fall, and the temple destroyed mourned how God could let such a tragedy occur. They were God’s people after all. Though if we were to read Jeremiah’s Lamentations we would soon realize that God warned the people that their lack of faithfulness would cause this dark time.

Yet, we are reminded again and again that though we often are not faithful to God, God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to us remains. We may have to deal the consequences of our actions and choices, but when we choose to turn back and seek God, God is ready and willing to answer. It is in this turn we find the substance of Psalm 43.

The Psalm reminds us that in the midst of the experience of exile and divine absence, sometimes it is reminding ourselves through the liturgical movements of worship that make it possible to move from exile to dialogue with God. God is in the midst of worship, and even when we simply move through those motions of worship we may find hope in the experience.

So often in times of crises our culture suggest that we need to depend upon ourselves rather than upon God. Yet, the result of such action is isolation and fear. Instead we need to be reminded again, and again that the true hope is found as we engage in community worshipping God. It is in such communal worship that we can see the light that leads to God’s truth.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 29, 2021

To join us live in worship at 10 am, YouTube, or you may view later at stmarkknox.org/sermons

August 29, 2021

When I thought, “my foot is slipping,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. – Psalm 94:18-19

In the 1999 film, The Green Mile, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name we hear character John Coffey, who had been wrongly accused of a terrible crime, is reveled to have a special power of healing. John Edgecomb, a guard on the green mile row, realized Coffey is innocent, and even offers to let him go free. Though innocent, Coffey tells John he’s ready to go with the following quote.

I’m tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?

Coffey, a larger than life black man, with an incredible story, and incredible healing power is tired of what he is hearing in the world every day, he knows that he simply wants to go on. He knows he has done nothing wrong, even if the world believed differently, and he’s tired of it all.  It’s a hard story, but one that may seem familiar to followers of Christ. Of a man wrongly accused, and chooses to face his imminent death. The difference is when Jesus took on death he did it so others might have life.

The life we have given to us through Christ is one of hope, one of joy, and one which calls us to love one another. Yet, there are times when we feel tired, worn out, or even overcome. Like Coffey we’re tired of people being ugly to each other. And we might even ‘let our foot slip’ so to speak, and fall towards being angry or even ugly to someone in response to what we hear. But the steadfast love of the Lord will lift us up as the Psalmist writes. Then we can give our cares to the Lord, again, who will give us consolation in our grief, in our pain. God will lift us from the anger of our slipping and remind us once again that we are loved, and that His steadfast love remains. When we come again to know this steadfast love, we might even find that though we walk this sometimes lonely road, God’s consolation helps us know His freedom even as we keep walking on.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 25, 2021

August 25, 2021

Written by David Petty

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. - First Corinthians 1:10

“Any law enforcement officer,” says Methodist Bishop William Willimon, “will tell you that he or she would rather try to stop a bank robbery than intervene in a domestic argument.”  He goes on to point out the familiar finding that more people are murdered by relatives than by strangers.

My interest here is not disputes in your biological family, or in mine or in the one in the trailer down the road.  I’m concerned here about disagreements in the church family.  Christians have disagreed from New Testament times to the present, and as we are currently aware our situation is no exception. 

And yet many times Christians have managed their disagreements without a lasting division.  At what point is our support of what we believe to be the truth overruled by our recognition that God treasures everyone, even those with whom we disagree?  

Surely the first difficult step, as Paul suggested (Ephesians 4:31), is to let go of anger.  Trying to have a conversation with another Christian without cooling our anger is a bit like trying to drive uphill without turning on the engine.  Much the same thing can be said about fear and other negative emotions.

But if we do rid ourselves of the anger, fear, cynicism, etc., what do we replace it with?  Here’s my suggestion: the willingness to be surprised.  If we enter arguments willing to be surprised by what the other person really believes, and by how our own beliefs might change, I think we can reach general agreement quite often (surprisingly often.)

We should seek counsel from those around us who are notable more for the wisdom of their words than for the volume of their voices.  (This is not to deny that, whichever view we take, there will be people on our side with loud voices.).  Often the best answer to a difficult choice is to look for a third alternative —or a fourth or a fifth.

Nor should we underestimate the power of prayer or of the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps these are really the same thing; perhaps good prayer is just hearing what the Spirit says.

Gracefully submitted,
David Petty

August 22, 2021

August 22, 2021

To join us live at 10 am, YouTube, or you may view later at stmarkknox.org/sermons

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— - Ephesians 2:4-5

The apostle, Paul is writing to the Ephesian church reminding them, that without Christ, without their faith in the resurrection of Jesus they were dead through the trespasses and sins in which they once lived. In this section of Paul’s letter we hear about how it is that any of us can receive salvation, and is said multiple times that it is only through the grace of God and through faith.

To put is plainly, there is nothing we can do to earn God’s salvation. There is nothing we can do to assure that we have made the right decisions in every interaction in our life to show love. there is no way that we can save ourselves. It is only by God’s gift of grace. Sometimes, we need to back up, take a deep breath and become re-aware of this great truth – we are saved by grace through faith.

This is not just the truth for ourselves, but the truth for each and every person who chooses to rely on the love of God. None of us truly know the heart of another person. None of us can say with certainty that God cannot or does not forgive someone. If we believe in the grace of God for our salvation, then it should be how we choose to treat others in this life. It’s been said many times, that there is not one face we see, which isn’t loved by God. Every person we encounter is loved by God. Some may not know it yet, some may have not come to understand that love yet, but God’s love is still upon that person. It might even be our job to share it with them. After all, Paul reminds us that we were “made alive together with Christ.” I like to think this “together” is not just me with Christ, but all of the faithful, in community, enjoying knowing the presence of God because of this great gift of grace we have received through faith.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 18, 2021

August 18, 2021

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
– Proverbs 16:24

We should never underestimate the power of kind and pleasant words. In our world that seems so focused on keeping our minds attuned to negativity, we need to keep the positive voices alive in our hearts and minds. In my opinion keeping positive starts with gratitude, and gratitude is how we should strive to start each day.

Each morning when we wake up and take that first breath we have the option, to begrudge that we yet alive and need to get up and do the tasks of the day. Or, we can take that breath and be grateful that we are yet alive, and have a new opportunity to accomplish our work for the day.

It all comes down to that internal attitude in which we choose to start. This same attitude filters into the rest of our day. When we continue with notion of gratitude, we are more likely to be pleasant in our interactions with others, we more likely to share joy, we are more likely to feel the presence of God leading us in love.

The writer of Proverbs reminds us that pleasant words are like the sweetness of honeycomb. These words are not just the kind words that we may say in our daily interactions, but the more intimate words we share within our families, and even more the positive words we speak to ourselves within our minds and souls.

I’ll confess, that often the voice which is harshest on myself is my own. If I allow any words that come from the external can compound on those I speak to myself, and become detrimental to soul and mental health. However, if I choose to start the day speaking gratitude to myself, looking for the goodness of God that has given me a new day, then like the Proverbist states, sweetness can come to my soul and to the health of my body.

The kind and pleasant words we speak in gratitude make a difference to ourselves and to others, and our calling as those who profess Christ are to love one another as Christ has first loved us. I believe this starts with loving ourselves, speaking those kind and pleasant words of gratitude, and perhaps they will spill over to all whom we meet each day, spreading the sweetness that brings healing to body, mind and soul, for the glory of God.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

St. Mark in the Park - SEPT 5

ST MARK IN THE PARK!

Sunday, September 5

10:00AM at Lakeshore Park

TVA Pavilion behind large playground

*This will be our only in-person service on this day.

St. Mark at the Park is this Sunday, which is also Labor Day weekend, and for many the kickoff weekend of college football. As you prepare to join us at Lakeshore Park to worship this Sunday, I want to invite everyone to feel free to dress for the picnic and show some school pride! You are invited to wear the colors of your alma mater, or whatever school you choose to cheer on nowadays. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Park for some fun outdoor worship on Sunday.

-Pastor Sam

August 15, 2021

August 15, 2021

Join us live online at 10 am on YouTube or watch later at stmarkknox.org/sermons

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
– Romans 10:17

Every week in worship, we follow a tradition that has been passed down to us through the ages, and that tradition is the reciting of a creed of faith. We typically say it is the affirmation of our faith, and our custom is to recite the Apostle’s Creed. There are other creeds and affirmation such as the Nicaean Creed, which are in our hymnal, but I wonder if we know why we have these affirmations?

From the time in which the church was established through resurrection of Jesus, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, humanity has struggled with how to live their faith; questioned what are faith’s requirements? And asked how can I be assured of my salvation? As the message of the gospel spread from the Jews to the Gentiles, and from there into many different nations and cultures, the way people practiced their faith adapted and changed as well. It’s why so many of the letters of Paul and even the ones from Peter and John focus on the basics of how one should interact with another through grace and reconciliation. Everywhere they went different peoples disagreed with how to worship God. Churches developed different traditions and different expressions of their faith.

Under the leadership of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, who was the first to advocate for Christianity a council was called bringing together Christian leaders of that time from all over the known world. The purpose was to create a consensus of the basics of Christendom, from here we get the Nicaean Creed, which at the time represented the very foundations of what one should believe to truly be Christian. As we might imagine there was great debate, and even though a creed was formed, some still disagreed. The church continued to spread and grow, and more cultures were converted to Christianity which created more expressions of faith. By 1054 these divisions became so great especially between the growing western culture in Rome and moving towards Britain, and the eastern cultures that remained in the Holy Lands and expanded to Africa and Asia that the church had a great schism. Even though it is argued that the schism was more greatly caused by political disagreement than faith disagreements, it still makes the first great division in the church based on culture. Other divisions would follow, and as we look even at our American Christianity we see the plethora of denominations that all profess to following Christ, and belief in God through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Pauls’ letter to the Romans in some ways speaks to our cultural divisions. Even though he was a once a Jewish pharisee, someone who believed in keeping every letter of the law, his faith in Christ transformed his understanding. Paul recognized that Christianity was meant for the salvation of people of every culture, it was a salvation for all people, and all of creation. As he confesses faith comes from hearing the words of Christ, the recognition is that we all hear Christ’s words and as we open ourselves to believe through faith. God works in us to create a change in heart. God hears our cries and brings us to salvation. We do change because of the love of God, but the greatest part of that change is to learn to love like Christ, and understand that we are now a part of great multitude of believes from all nations, ages, races. We won’t all express our faith in the same way, but we are called together through one love.

If anything can mend the things that often divide us, it is learning to love those whom God loves, and showing compassion that all might hear the words of Christ and believe through faith.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 15, 2021

August 15, 2021

Join us live online at 10 am on YouTube or watch later at stmarkknox.org/sermons

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
– Romans 10:17

Every week in worship, we follow a tradition that has been passed down to us through the ages, and that tradition is the reciting of a creed of faith. We typically say it is the affirmation of our faith, and our custom is to recite the Apostle’s Creed. There are other creeds and affirmation such as the Nicaean Creed, which are in our hymnal, but I wonder if we know why we have these affirmations?

From the time in which the church was established through resurrection of Jesus, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, humanity has struggled with how to live their faith; questioned what are faith’s requirements? And asked how can I be assured of my salvation? As the message of the gospel spread from the Jews to the Gentiles, and from there into many different nations and cultures, the way people practiced their faith adapted and changed as well. It’s why so many of the letters of Paul and even the ones from Peter and John focus on the basics of how one should interact with another through grace and reconciliation. Everywhere they went different peoples disagreed with how to worship God. Churches developed different traditions and different expressions of their faith.

Under the leadership of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 AD, who was the first to advocate for Christianity a council was called bringing together Christian leaders of that time from all over the known world. The purpose was to create a consensus of the basics of Christendom, from here we get the Nicaean Creed, which at the time represented the very foundations of what one should believe to truly be Christian. As we might imagine there was great debate, and even though a creed was formed, some still disagreed. The church continued to spread and grow, and more cultures were converted to Christianity which created more expressions of faith. By 1054 these divisions became so great especially between the growing western culture in Rome and moving towards Britain, and the eastern cultures that remained in the Holy Lands and expanded to Africa and Asia that the church had a great schism. Even though it is argued that the schism was more greatly caused by political disagreement than faith disagreements, it still makes the first great division in the church based on culture. Other divisions would follow, and as we look even at our American Christianity we see the plethora of denominations that all profess to following Christ, and belief in God through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Pauls’ letter to the Romans in some ways speaks to our cultural divisions. Even though he was a once a Jewish pharisee, someone who believed in keeping every letter of the law, his faith in Christ transformed his understanding. Paul recognized that Christianity was meant for the salvation of people of every culture, it was a salvation for all people, and all of creation. As he confesses faith comes from hearing the words of Christ, the recognition is that we all hear Christ’s words and as we open ourselves to believe through faith. God works in us to create a change in heart. God hears our cries and brings us to salvation. We do change because of the love of God, but the greatest part of that change is to learn to love like Christ, and understand that we are now a part of great multitude of believes from all nations, ages, races. We won’t all express our faith in the same way, but we are called together through one love.

If anything can mend the things that often divide us, it is learning to love those whom God loves, and showing compassion that all might hear the words of Christ and believe through faith.

Grace & Peace,
Sam

August 11, 2021

August 11, 2021

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. – Psalm 25:8-10

Walking in the woods one day, a hiker found that they were not where they were supposed to be. It wasn’t that the hiker meant to be in the situation in which they now found themselves, but at some point had read the trail incorrectly and taken a wrong turn. Now, the hiker needed to find a way back to where they once were, or at least figure out how to get to where they were going.

We’ve all probably felt lost at some point, not knowing what direction to go, or if it would be better to turn back, or perhaps keep going. I’ve read many stories, such as the one above, and some cases, the best course of action was to turn back, and find the trail head. In other cases, the hiker felt confident they knew where they were, and made it to where they were supposed to be. However, there are also the stories that don’t end well. Living new the smokey mountains we perhaps have been made aware at times with the national forest service is actively looking for that person or group that has lost their way, and other times the tragedy of the loss of life is the end of those stories.

The writer of psalm 25, attributed to David speaks from a lost position. They aren’t lost in the woods like the hiker, but the writer speaks as though they are at a loss of what direction to take in faith and in life. They know they are hated by some, they know their own shortcomings, and sins, they know that God has been a past help, and believe God will be a present and future help as well.  So they pray this prayer, lifting themselves to God. We probably recognize the prayer from verse 4-5 which state “make me to know your ways, O Lord, teach me you paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation…

Yet, what strikes me from the verse shared above, is that while we are looking for the Lord’s path for us, God may be on another path. “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness.” So which path do we find?

I believe sometimes the best course of action is to stop, wait, and listen. If we are lost, if we don’t know what direction to take, perhaps that is the moment when we need to wait upon the Lord. To pray, believe in God’s goodness, trust in his mercy and grace, and perhaps even look for where His compassion and love is evident. When the Lord meets us in those places we feel lost, or in those places where we have the most doubt, we can then know the assurance of his love that lifts us, and hos presence which will sustain us, and then, we can follow our Lord from there.

Grace & Peace,
Sam