Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Holding on to Hope…

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At Curwensville Alliance, on Easter Sunday there were 109 in the first service and 191 in the second. That’s 300, but of course, many were in both services. As I’ve talked to many concerning this great day at Curwensville Alliance, one of them remarked, “I wonder how many of them will be there next week.” The cynic that I used to be would concur, thinking, “Yeah — those Easter and Christmas People….. Tsk, tsk, tsk. They have no commitment to being in church regularly.” I have since repented of such cynicism. Thank you, God, for purging it from my heart.

The Bible tells us to be men and women of faith. We are to never lose heart, but to hope (Romans 12:12). Losing heart is the pathway toward despair. I have never heard anyone indicate it was a good place to be. On the contrary, despair is a great evil that wise people resist with all their hearts.

The concept of holding on to hope is connected with the resurrection of Jesus. Paul concludes what many call The Resurrection Chapter with the words, “58Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58 — NIV) Despairing people do not stand firm in their faith in Christ. Only those who choose to hope continue to give themselves fully to the work of the Lord. Only those who thoroughly resist cynicism know that their labor in the Lord has meaning.

Some weeks ago I was speaking to a gentleman concerning some mutual friends who made the same sinful choices over and over. In our conversation, his cynicism was showing. I wanted to help him turn from that path, so I said to him these simple words: Don’t despair. I say the same to each of you who call Curwensville Alliance your church home.

Easter Sunday was glorious. The evidence of the resurrection of Christ shone in our congregation as we enjoyed the drama, the meal, the visiting, the music, and the message. Rather than asking ourselves, “I wonder how many will be there this week?” let’s take a different path. Let’s take a path of hope — hope that the same God who broke through into our lives would break through into the lives of our friends and loved ones. And let’s put some wheels on that hope by praying for and reconnecting with those who were here on Easter and inviting them to join us again this week.

Let’s leave the cynicism behind and live as people of faith.

Where do those prayers go?

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“Send some prayers my way,” Joey said. “I am applying for that job tomorrow.”

I have heard this kind of thing innumerable times through the years: “I am sending some prayers your way today!” It’s a nice sentiment, but technically, it’s not biblical.

Where are prayers sent? To God. David illustrates this in places like Psalms 142 where he says, 1O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. 2May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Even though he later states in this psalm that his prayer is against his enemies, David affirms from the start that the prayer is addressed to God and it’s going to God.

Likewise, Revelation 5 speaks with beautiful imagery of our prayers when it says this of the Lamb that was slain: 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Where did those prayers go? They became as incense in heaven — in the presence of God.

I feel confident that when people say this kind of thing — I’ll send some prayers your way — they intend it as a blessing. I would guess that they say it with pure hearts. But, without meaning to, they essentially leave God out of the picture. And frankly, when I hear someone say it, it sounds… pagan. It’s like saying that you’re sending some mojo. Christians don’t send mojo. We speak to God himself and ask him to send healing, deliverance, correction, life, and at times, himself — all of which are blessings.

Prayer is a great privilege. It’s essential to understand that by it,we enter the presence of the Most High God. And frankly, I’d rather have someone speak personally to God on my behalf than to “send some prayers my way”!

So send some prayers God’s way for someone in need. Trust God to send the blessing needed in response to the prayer.

Don’t Miss the Miracles…

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I just completed my 2011 Pastor’s Annual Report. It was interesting to think over the events of the past year. It’s all but impossible to miss the miracles — miracles of changed lives, miracles of changed hearts, miracles of many kinds.

If you’re not looking, you will miss these.

C. S. Lewis is reported to have said, Miracles are a retelling in small letters the very same story which is written across the world in letters too large for some of us to see.

Sometimes I miss the miracles written in large letters. Sometimes I miss those written in small. But as you look back on what you’ve observed as you’ve attended Curwensville Alliance over the past year, be sure not to miss the miracles.

And pray that we all will see the miracles God does in this world.

By the way — if you’re using Twitter, you can get these kinds of quotes by following Lewis here: https://twitter.com/#!/CSLewisDaily

You can follow Curwensville Alliance here: https://twitter.com/#!/cvillealliance

~Pastor Steve

Seeing the Power of Grace…

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I finally made it through all 102 minutes of Babette’s Feast. I have always wanted to watch it, but the distinct lack of fast cars and powerful weaponry made it difficult for me. However, working on a short sermon series on grace, and reading Yancey’s What’s so Amazing about Grace (for the second time) I was inspired to watch the DVD.

I won’t detail the film here except to say that it communicated to me a fresh picture of my own inability to appreciate the greatness of the grace God’s given me. I would guess that my failure to grasp the depth of God’s grace is partially due to what Frederick Buechner says about all of us.

People are prepared for everything except for the fact that beyond the darkness of their blindness there is a great light. They are prepared to go on breaking their backs plowing the same old field until the cows come home without seeing, until they stub their toes on it, that there is a treasure buried in that field rich enough to buy Texas. They are prepared for a God who strikes hard bargains but not for a God who gives as much for an hour’s work as for a day’s. They are prepared for a mustard-seed kingdom of God no bigger than the eye of a newt but not for the great banyan it becomes with birds in its branches, singing Mozart. They are prepared for the potluck supper at First Presbyterian, but not for the marriage supper of the lamb…. ~Frederick Buechner as quoted by Philip Yancey in What’s so Amazing about Grace?, pp. 62-63.

Yep. That’s me. God’s grace is so much bigger than anything I could hope to produce or contribute to my own walk with him.

That’s what hits you between the eyes when you watch Babette’s Feast — not the power of a fast car or a super-weapon, but the power of grace. As the feast is prepared, the mentality of those receiving it is such that they simply want to get through this to give honor to Babette. But as they begin to enjoy the luxury of her gift, they become new inside and release old grievances, spreading the grace they are receiving.

May we all invest our lives in celebrating the power of grace.

Avoiding Pain by Avoiding Purpose and People…

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Some time ago, a couple came to the local churches asking for financial help. When Pastor George asked, “Where do you attend church?” the answer was, “We don’t.” They are professing Christians, but they don’t go to church anywhere. This is common.

I was thinking about why folks who call themselves Christians don’t regularly fellowship with other Christians, and while I know there are a variety of reasons, I think one reason is because they have been injured in the past. Sometimes avoidance of church is symptomatic of aversion to social interaction in general.

However, God created us as social people. The phrase, “It is not good for man to be alone” does not only reveal the origin of marriage, but verbalizes our need to interact with others. This interaction is essential if our lives are to have real meaning.

Paul Borthwick stated this well just over two decades ago.

It is possible to evade a multitude of sorrows through the cultivation of an insignificant life. Indeed, if a man’s ambition is to avoid the troubles of life, the recipe is simple: shed your ambitions in every direction, cut the wings of every soaring purpose, and seek a life with the fewest contacts and relations. If you want to get through the world with the smallest trouble, you must reduce yourself to the smallest compass. Tiny souls can dodge through life; bigger souls are blocked on every side. As soon as a man begins to enlarge his life, his resistances are multiplied. Let a man remove his petty selfish purposes and enthrone Christ, and his sufferings will be increased on every side. (Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way, Navpress, 1989, p. 86)

Borthwick says a mouthful in those few words. He speaks of being significant. He encourages sanctified ambitions. He addresses the purpose-driven life.

To me, he’s saying: Brave the pain, risk the injuries, and dream big for the sake of being significant in the eyes of Christ.