WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Thursday, October 12
7:00pm
New Creation Rehearsal

Saturday, October 14 11:00am
5S Monthly Get Together

Sunday, October 15 8:30am
Morning Sunday School Class
10:00am
Worship Service
11:00am
Congregational Meeting
Journey Sunday School Class
Sunday School
Coffee Hour

4:00pm
Middle School Youth
6:00pm
High School Youth

Monday,October16
12:00pm Men’s Bible Study
Thursday,October19
7:00pm New Creation Rehearsal
Sunday, October22
8:30am Morning Sunday School Class
10:00am Worship Service
11:00am Journey Sunday School Class
Sunday School
Coffee Hour
4:00pm Middle School Youth
6:00pm High School Youth

August 31, 2023

End of Summer


I was in Nashville, Tennessee last July. It was the Fourth, and the family and I were downtown, waiting to watch a display of fireworks.
Before the fireworks there was a free concert, featuring Brad Paisley. I am not familiar with most country music, but I have heard of Brad Paisley.

The lyrics of one song caught my attention. The songs were blasting out of several speakers, so it was easy to notice a catchy phrase, and the following held my attention:

I saw a man in the park, 80 years on his face.
He was watching my kids and his grandkids play.
Said you’ll wake up tomorrow, and that car will be packed, they’ll roll off to college, and never look back.

You only get so many summers, you only get so many summers, you only get so many summers.

The tune was catchy, and the words true. We only get so many summers. Therefore, let us make the most of them, with the love of our Lord in our hearts, and upon our lips.


Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

August 24, 2023

Theologians

All of us are theologians.

I think a theologian is a person who thinks about God and comes to conclusions about the identity and activity of God. So—you’re in!

At Vanderbilt Divinity School, they had a saying: Minister as theologian. The idea was to encourage future clergy to remain engaged in thinking about God and God’s identity and activity in the world and through the Church after graduation.

I think it is important to continue to grow in our understanding of God and God’s activity.

To live within Time and Space is to be subject to Change, whether you like it or not. I think of Life as an experience of the inevitability of change. Change offers us the opportunity to grow in our understanding of God, Church, and being Christian. Change can be good.

It is good to keep thinking about God, Church, and our place in God’s world and God’s Church. Change is inevitable, but if we remain willing to continue to think about God and Church as we go through changes, we can partner with God as God does something new and wonderful in our lives.

The above has come to be a theological belief of mine.


Blessings,
Pastor Jerry
 

August 17, 2023

“Why can’t you just do that here?”

The youth mission campers and I are currently preparing our Sunday morning worship. It is impossible to convey everything about our summer trip in that service, but we always enjoy trying. Inevitably, there are those among you who walk away with some version of the above question: “Why can’t you just stay home and help people locally?”

It makes sense to ask that question. If we were staying home, we would have far fewer funds to raise. The congregation would be able to see the benefits of our efforts in person. And our own community would be improved.

There is an article available from Group Mission Trips (the organization in charge of our annual trips) that addresses this issue very well. While local service work is a great thing to do during the rest of the year, it’s no substitute for what these young people experience when they hit the road for 10 days. I’ll actually be publishing the entire article in this Sunday’s bulletin. But here’s the short version:

Mission trips aren’t just about what you’re doing. They’re about the whole complex process of pushing teens out of their comfort zone for the sake of building relationships and creating space for them to experience God. On a trip, you are getting away from a familiar environment where no one can escape. Let’s face it, when you try to do a project locally you have to exist among the daily distractions of work, sports, activities, family obligations, and more. Maybe you get the work done but you miss the real impact of going on a mission trip. When you go away from home you cut the connection. Being three hundred miles away eliminates all the excuses. You get work done but you get so much more including a stronger bond among your young people and the adults who go with them.

Do service work locally and your young people might see it as just helping out. Go to a community unlike yours, spend 24/7 with members of your group and get busy doing things you don’t normally do (like swing a hammer) and WHAM! You’ve been challenged and stretched in a way that just doesn’t happen at home. You’ve seen your friends in their extremes when pretend doesn’t hold up, and masks fall off. Now you’re getting down to what’s real.

Moving away from what you know, and spending time in a place that you might never otherwise experience, is inspirational. It touches your spirit. A mission trip isn’t a vacation. On a mission trip, you go where tourists are never allowed…into the lives of real people. You drive the side streets and back roads. You spend time in the homes and touch the hearts of people you might not otherwise ever meet. When those connections happen you can feel the Holy Spirit at work in your life and see him at work in the lives of others.

The power of a mission trip isn’t found in any one element. It’s not the work or the travel or the time or the distance. A mission trip becomes much more than the sum of its parts when all the parts are put together.

We look forward to sharing about our experiences with you this Sunday morning!

Tim

August 10, 2023

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Semisonic

After months of enjoying summer vacations (and photos of other people’s summer vacations on social media), we are approaching the start of a new school year! I’m currently putting things away from our fantastic Vacation Bible School (August 4-6), finishing up a sermon for our school’s Open House Sunday worship service (August 13), and getting our teenagers ready to share at Mission Trip Sunday (August 20). It is a busy but exciting close to a full season of experiences. It is hard to say goodbye to the summer, but we look ahead with eagerness as to what the next chapter will bring.

Our school welcomes several new teachers this year as well as a new principal, Amanda Macias! Staff members, parents, and students are excited to receive them all into our Evangelical family. They, and we, look ahead with eagerness as to what the next chapter will bring.

As a church, we find ourselves in the final three months of Pastor Jerry’s ministry at Evangelical. The transition process is underway and I’m sure he can see the well-earned reward of retirement on the horizon (where Maria Baalman is there waving at him!). We are a better church because of Jerry’s leadership and service. We are a better school because of Maria’s.

Change can be tough. But change can also stir us out of any potential complacency. When we work alongside new leaders, we are naturally evaluating our procedures and practices to determine any necessary adjustments. Let us look ahead with eagerness as to what each of these new chapters will bring.


Tim Sandifer, Director of Youth and Christian Education

August 3, 2023


Something New!


“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19)

Theologians have drawn upon the above verse from Isaiah to insist that God is always at work within creation.

“God Is Still Speaking” is a UCC slogan. It is meant to remind people that God is always doing something new through God’s Church, ministries, and the lives of the faithful.

God continues to call women and men to various forms of ministry. Ms. Amanda Marcias is our new principal, prepared to lead the ministry of Evangelical Schools into a new year of Christian service in our community. I’m excited about what our common future holds.

The Lord is doing something new at Evangelical, too. It’s easy to feel pressure and anxiety during times of change. Never forget that God is always doing something new in churches, ministries, and through the lives of the faithful—and that includes us!


Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

July 27, 2023

Drilling a New Well

It was this time of year, and I was about nine years old. My family lived outside of Springfield, Illinois. Ours was a rural life, and we depended upon well water.

Our problem, that hot, hot July, had to do with our well, having run dry. We drank water that was not only off when it came to color, but had sand settling at the bottom of our drinking glasses.

Various measures were taken to clear out the existing well. People who were good at the job were employed, but in the end it did not work,

The only solution was to dig a new well. Once this was accomplished, our drinking water was clean, and you could take a shower without ending up with sand in your hair.

There are times, spiritually speaking, when the well runs dry. We can do our best to revisit measures that once upon a time worked well. Often, such attempts fail.

There are times when the best thing to do is to dig a new well. Seek spiritual sustenance from a news source. Give yourself into a way of going about living your spiritual life unafraid of seeking life-giving waters from a new source.

Yes, this is a bit risky and even unnerving. Still, it is one way to know spiritual refreshment.

Blessings,



Pastor Jerry

July 20, 2023

Signal Strength

Radios interest me. I own several. I’m not taken with the intricacies of how different technologies support the functionality of radios. I’m interested in how well an individual radio picks up a station, and then produces a pleasing, resonant sound of a particular broadcast.

I prefer analog, perhaps due to my age. Twisting the dial, listening through the squeals and static, overlapping voices and music for a clear signal from a station broadcasting a baseball game or topic of interest takes patience. Digital tuning may be precise, but it reduces my participation in the process of sifting through squeals and static for something unforeseen and rewarding.

The more personal search has its frustrations—and pleasures.

God’s presence in the world interests me. How God accomplishes being present while remaining beyond our attempts to pin God down is beyond me. Anyway, I’m interested in searching out and experiencing God’s presence, which is possible.

This is not a search I’m willing to hand off to someone else. The search for God’s presence means sifting through a lot of static, plus strident voices competing for my time and money. Still, the search is worthwhile. It is always a pleasure, discerning God’s presence in the world, through the lives of others in a new way, likely unforeseen.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

June 29, 2023

Perfect

Domingo Germain pitched the twenty-fourth perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball last night. I watched the last third of the game with my daughter Kathryn, and her husband Josh.

Germain gets credit for allowing no batter on the other team to get a hit or walk. His teammates get credit for playing defense without making an error.

Perfect games are incredibly rare.

I started thinking about how rare perfection is when it comes to national life.

Washington and Lincoln come to my mind, not because they were perfect, but because they accomplished something incredibly rare in human history.

Washington declined power, securing the existence of the United States of America. He had help, but Washington, who in his personal imperfection owned slaves, is celebrated for his decision to decline personal power for the birth of our Republic. Such accomplishments are incredibly rare in human history.

Lincoln, who loathed slavery, wielded power during an hour of national dissension in such a way as to hold the Union together. At no other point in the history of our country has the will of one man, opposed to that of innumerable people favoring slavery and so-called states rights (which they dissolved when they formed the Confederacy) been essential to our national survival. Lincoln’s decision and personal will to see his decision enacted is incredibly rare in human history.

As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy, remembering those who made decisions so rare in human history that when they followed through on those decisions they approached what we call perfection, let’s also remember those leaders had help.

Really, we are in this great experiment of democracy together.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

June 22, 2023

Greetings!

This week, my Messenger article is a pleasure! Below are responses from church members who wrote about their love for their fathers. I read all of them, and it was a pleasure. I pray that you enjoy reading this selection of responses.

What is your favorite thing about your dad?

His sense of humor. My father loved cartoons, saying funny things about life’s ironies. This was born of his refusal to quit on anything.

He was a “bottomless pit of knowledge. You could go to him with a problem, and he would have a solution.

I loved the outings over the years: picnics, the beach, or an amusement park. He played ball with us at the picnics; waded in the water with us at the beach and gathered shells in a little red bucket; and loved riding the rides as much as we did at amusement parks.

Dad always gave 100% of his time to me. My mother, stepmother, and me were very important to him.

If there was something that needed to be fixed he always seemed to be able to jerry-rig it to make it work.

The way he lived his life and his amazing ingenuity!

He could do anything.

He always had a smile and enjoyed people. He never said a negative word about anyone.

My father has been in heaven since 1981. He was a wonderful father and dearly loved his family.

His strength and resilience. He grew up during the Great Depression and faced many hardships, but in subsequent years he took every opportunity to educate and improve himself, get through hard times without complaint, and worked hard to support his family to ensure their well-being. His family was his top priority, and still is.

What is the sweetest/funniest thing about your dad?

He made an effort to be able to see the humor in most situations.

His devotion to the family, especially my mother.

Every time Mother’s birthday came along, or their anniversary, dad bought mother a box of Russell Stover candy as one of her gifts.
Dad always liked to be well dressed. He was always dressed wearing a tie even at home.

He loved my piano playing and watched my lessons so he could learn to play a couple of songs.
The way he took care of his mother (grandma). Amazing sense of humor.

My father’s love and pride that he had for my mother.

He was always there for me.

If he didn’t want me or my sister to know what he was saying or talking about to my mother, he spoke in German.

His love of music and enjoyment of singing. He loves listening to all types of music. Sometimes he breaks out in a song in his rich bass voice, and I know that he is happy in that moment.

Why do you love your dad?

He loved me first. He always wanted me to get an education – to go beyond him in this regard. He was a man gifted with insight into life’s ironies.

He was caring and strong. I could depend on him.

He was a family man, and always put his family first. There was nothing he couldn’t do, and I thought he would live forever. Those last moments in the hospital before he passed away, all that needed to be said was “I LOVE YOU.”

My dad always acted like a gentleman. I have always lived my life according to his principles.

There was no doubt that my dad loved me.

Impossible not to live this man!

I love my father because he was always there for me.

He was kind, thoughtful, patient, cheerful and loving.

Because he was my dad.

He has been a steady source of support and encouragement all my life.

What have you enjoyed doing with your dad?

Fishing! Watching Westerns. Going to movies at the drive-in.

I enjoyed taking nature walks and going to yard sales with my father.

We enjoyed spending 2 weeks as a family on Grandpa and Grandma’s farm in Nebraska. Many years later, dad showed us where all the relatives’ farms were, along with where he went to college, and even where he bought his new Chevrolet upon graduation and headed here to work.

I enjoyed doing carpenter work with dad. He was always willing to help me with my projects.

He took me fishing.

Just working side by side with him on our old tractors.

I enjoyed talking with my father and asking his opinion.

Everything, he was fun to be with.

Going for rides in different areas, going on picnics, or just being together.

Listening to music and attending musical concerts and events. Listening to him play his player piano and singing. Attending church with him.

How has your dad shaped your spiritual life?

He taught me to respect other people’s humanity. He didn’t speak of God, but of treating people with respect.

He led a moral life, respected others, served his church and those around him, making a good spiritual role model.

Mother and Dad took us to church and Sunday School every Sunday. Dad was an Usher, a Deacon, an Elder, and a Sunday School teacher. He also studied ahead of time in the Bible to be ready for the Saturday morning Bible Study each week.

Dad always went to church with me unless he was working. When he retired , he seldom missed going to church with me.

Showed me how great life can be when you are reborn in Christ!!!

My father shaped my spiritual life by watching him show his faith in bother his speaking and his actions.

He led by example, always at the front door of church greeting people, was Sunday School superintendent for many years. At his funeral, Pastor said “we have just lost the worlds best cheerer upper.” That was my dad!!!

He and mother saw that we went to Sunday School and church when we were children.

My dad attended several small country churches. His faith was formed and nourished there. I think some of my most meaningful worship experiences were when, as both a child and adult. I attended church in his small country town. I am fortunate to have the hymnals from those churches. Some of his favorite “old time” hymns are now my favorites, also.

June 15, 2023

DAD!

I want to remember Father’s Day in the same way we remembered our mothers in May. I would like for you to join me in doing this, and bring your responses to church this Sunday. I’m going to collect them in a basket during worship, and we will offer them up in prayer.

This opportunity to be thoughtful about our fathers, with us or in heaven, is one I wish to share. You can write out your responses on a piece of paper and bring that to church if you’re getting this in your email.



What is your favorite thing about your dad?





What is the sweetest/funniest thing about your dad?





Why do you love your dad?






What have you enjoyed doing with your dad?






How has your dad shaped your spiritual life?






See you Sunday!

Pastor Jerry

June 8, 2023

-19-



Mrs. Maria Baalman will be recognized during worship this Sunday. Maria taught at Evangelical Elementary School (EES) for ten years, and then led the ministry of EES nine years as principal.

Now, Mrs. Baalman is entering into a well-deserved retirement. There are many successes to celebrate. Saying goodbye will be our opportunity to express our appreciation for her service.

We will honor Maria during worship, and a reception will follow in Heggemeier Hall. School teachers and school families are being invited to join us, so I’m thinking this is going to be a great day!

I look forward to celebrating with you this Sunday!



Pastor Jerry

June 1, 2023

20!

Libby Brame has been serving at Evangelical for twenty years! Libby’s first day was April 14, 2003. Can it be summer of 2023 already? Yes!

We were talking about her first week the other day. It included a funeral service, Holy Week, multiple bulletins, and much more! So Libby knew right away how busy things can be in the office.

One of Libby’s finest traits is her willingness to help however she can. Throughout the years, her standard response to my request for help has always been: “No problem!”

As the first person people visiting the church meet, Libby’s welcoming personality makes us look good. She is also upbeat and helpful over the phone.

Personally, I find Libby to be humble and trustworthy. I am blessed to have become good friends with Libby over the years.

We will recognize Libby during worship this Sunday. We will continue our celebration of her years of service in the Community Room after worship. I hope you will be there.

If you want to write a note or bring a card this Sunday, we will gather them and give them to Libby. It is going to be a great day.

See you Sunday!



Pastor Jerry

May 25, 2023

Pentecost



I read about an author who said that our experience of the Holy Spirit is like wearing eyeglasses. The only time we really look at them is when we’re looking for them. Glasses are not to be seen, they are to be seen through.



They are functioning best when we do not notice them. We examine them to remove the specks and smears that draw attention to the glasses themselves. But when they’re sitting comfortably on our nose, we aren’t even aware of them!



Their best work is done when, through them, we can see the film we are watching, or the book we are reading. We don’t see our glasses when we wear them, but when we wear them, we see!



We may not always notice the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit is present, helping us see how we are to live fully Christian lives.



Happy Pentecost!



Pastor Jerry
ry

May 18, 2023

Greetings!

This week, my Messenger article is a pleasure! Below are responses from church members who wrote about their love for their mothers. I read all of them, and it was a life-affirming experience. I pray that you enjoy reading this selection of responses.

What is your favorite thing about your mom?

Her sense of right and wrong. My stepmother is a devout Baptist. Though her judgments have softened over time, her commitment to doing what is right remains.

She always encourages me to seek some type of employment where I would have the advantage of 2 vacation periods each year. She felt that every family needed time to explore new places.

She was always there as my mother and my children’s grandmother.

She is always smiling, laughing, and genuinely caring for others.

She was never critical. Always supportive. Encouraged us to do what we wanted – make mistakes and figure out how to repair them.

She always volunteered for all our school and church activities, and everyone loved her.

Always there for me and not judgmental.

What is the sweetest/funniest thing about your mom?

She was the 1 millionth fan through the gates at the old Bush Stadium and recognized that day by the Cardinals. A few years later, she was one of five mothers chosen randomly at the gate to be honored by the Cardinals at the Mother’s Day game. She was a lifelong, diehard Cardinals fan!

She collected some amusing items like plastic trolls and California Raisin Bran figurines.

She always spends time cuddling with me.

Mother made wonderful homemade cakes, not from a box. She baked one every year for the Grade School carnival, and I always won it in the cakewalk.

She was honest, faithful, wonderful work ethic even when ill.

Why do you love your mom?

She was my role model and inspiration and biggest supporter.

What have you enjoyed doing with your mom?

Sharing many Sunday meals with her after my husband died.

Cooking, Canning, Quilting, everything!

My mom always brought us to church from baby on. She taught us to pray and how to be a good kind human being. I had the best mom.

How has your mom shaped your spiritual life?

She taught me about God, His children, how to “Be still and let Him take over.”

By sharing family and stories and love every Sunday and teaching us to pray.

She shaped my spiritual life by my watching her work in the Kindergarten Department at church with our aunt who was superintendent. When I was joining the church at 8 years old and frightened, she joined at the same time.

My mother started me in Sunday School at the age of 2. She made sure that I attended Sunday School 50 Sundays each year. I did this for 13 years.

I still feel my mother with me even in her absence. Thank you Lord for my mother.

Mother was an active member at 12^th Street Presbyterian Church since her teens. Her faith to the church and Women’s Fellowship shaped my thoughts and church involvement for my life. I am so thankful to God for giving me my mother.

She saw to it I went to Sunday School and Church.

She brought me to the Church and the Church to me.

Brought me up in church and sent me to an Episcopal High School. She walked the walk.

She taught me to pray.

Blessings,

Pastor Jerry

May 11, 2023

Mom!

I am considering Mother’s Day from a slightly different perspective this year. I am going to write an answer to the questions below. I would like for you to join me in doing this, and bring your response to church this Sunday. I’m going to collect them in a basket during worship, and we will offer them up in prayer.

This opportunity to be thoughtful about our mothers, with us or in heaven, is one I wish to share together. You can write out your responses on a piece of paper and bring that to church if you’re getting this in your email.



What is your favorite thing about your mom?





What is the sweetest/funniest thing about your mom?





Why do you love your mom?






What have you enjoyed doing with your mom?






How has your mom shaped your spiritual life?






See you Sunday!
Pastor Jerry

May 4, 2023

Spirals, Arrows, Markets

There is an old Greek word, telos. The word can have various meanings, although those meanings typically have to do with purpose and goal, and how life is lived with purpose and goal in mind.

Christians believe our lives have meaning because our lives have both purpose and goal. Our purpose and goal is to live Christ-like lives.

Some Christians think Christian living is shaped like a spiral. Though the seasons revolve, through years and decades of living we evolve upward in fulfilling our purpose and goal of living Christ-like lives.

Some Christians think Christian living is shaped like a line that flies forward through time, like an arrow that has been loosed from a bow. Time never runs backward, but only forward.

Focus on our purpose and goal of being Christ-like requires steady application of effort as we attempt to travel a direct line toward our purpose and goal, never taking our eyes off of that end goal of being Christ-like.

Some Christians think Christian living is shaped like the ups and downs of the stock market. Growth in becoming Christ-like is not guaranteed, though it is desired. Growth toward the goal of being Christ-like can fluctuate upward and downward, just like the market.

This way of Christian thinking acknowledges that life presents us with unforeseen obstacles in achieving our purpose and goal of being Christ-like. There are seasons of growth and decline in our purpose and goal of being Christ-like.

No doubt there are other ways of thinking when it comes to Christian purpose and goal, the shape of our journey of becoming Christ-like. These few I offer are given as a way to get you thinking.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

April 20, 2023

Back for Easter

“The music is so solemn,” said the woman, a parishioner who had come to her new church from a very different church background. “I like peppy music.”

“Well, it is Lent,” said the associate pastor of the church. “It’s a time for remembering Jesus’ suffering, and the weight and reality of sin, and our fellowship with him in suffering.”

“Maybe I’ll just go someplace else until Lent is over,” she concluded. “I’ll be back for Easter.”

This little story, which is true, brings a knowing smile to my face. Personally, I think I understand wanting to skip the sad fact of our sinfulness and suffering, too. Easter is more enjoyable.

Backing up a bit, I do prefer the honesty of Lent to a life of denial. Human sin and suffering are realities; our sin and suffering are realities. Easter transforms these realities in order to free us from sin and meaningless suffering.

What about after Easter? The big crowd disperses, and those of us willing to experience Lent are the people willing to experience the season of Easter, also known as Eastertide.

Perhaps we are more aware of our need for Easter to have a place in our everyday lives than people who are only here on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. I’m thinking about our need to have a relationship with Christ every day, especially when we are sharply aware of our sinfulness, or experience suffering.

It is good to share this journey with you. We walk together and with Christ. I am glad that we are journeying together through this blessed season of Eastertide.



Happy Easter!
Pastor Jerry

March 30, 2023

Holy Saturday Devotional

Centering Prayer

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Each reading is offered with the idea that you will read, then give thought to the meaning the reading has for you. Then, you move on to the next reading and engage in the same practice of reading and contemplation.

Old Testament Job 14:1-14
“A mortal, born of woman, few of days and full of trouble, ²comes up like a flower and withers, flees like a shadow and does not last. ³Do you fix your eyes on such a one? Do you bring me into judgment with you? ⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one can. ⁵Since their days are determined, and the number of their months is known to you, and you have appointed the bounds that they cannot pass, ⁶look away from them, and desist, that they may enjoy, like laborers, their days. ⁷“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. ⁸Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground, ⁹yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth branches like a young plant. ¹⁰But mortals die, and are laid low; humans expire, and where are they? ¹¹As waters fail from a lake, and a river wastes away and dries up, ¹²so mortals lie down and do not rise again; until the heavens are no more, they will not awake or be roused out of their sleep. ¹³Oh that you would hide me in Sheol, that you would conceal me until your wrath is past, that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me! ¹⁴If mortals die, will they live again? All the days of my service I would wait until my release should come.

Epistle 1 Peter 4:1-8
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention (for whoever has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin), ²so as to live for the rest of your earthly life no longer by human desires but by the will of God. ³You have already spent enough time in doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in licentiousness, passions, drunkenness, revels, carousing, and lawless idolatry. ⁴They are surprised that you no longer join them in the same excesses of dissipation, and so they blaspheme. ⁵But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does. ⁷The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. ⁸Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.
Gospel Matthew 27:57-66
⁵⁷When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. ⁶²The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” ⁶⁶So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Remember to pray for others before reading the closing prayer.

Closing Prayer
Holy God, I entrust myself to you. I entrust those for whom I pray to you. I entrust all of creation to you. Gather all of us into your loving embrace. Amen.


Dear Friends, the following is the retirement letter I gave to Julie Hinesman. We agree that you should be able to read it, too.

I cannot thank you enough for everything!

Pastor Jerry

March 2, 2023

Open arms. Open doors.
I’m writing this the day after seeing the new movie “Jesus Revolution” with our middle and high school youth. It is the true story of Costa Mesa, California pastor Chuck Smith during the late 1960s and early 1970s. If you know your church history, you may remember this as a key location in the Jesus Movement that brought hippies and other young people into Christianity, sweeping the nation and beyond.
(As far as ‘spoilers’ are concerned, everything I’m sharing below is also in the trailer.)
As Pastor Chuck and his wife sit watching TV reports about hippies, she says, “I think these kids need help.” His response: “What they need is a bath.” Any of you that lived through this time period may remember hearing (or having) similar feelings about these countercultural young people.
Cut to Sunday morning: It is very clear that the Smiths’ church is struggling to survive and that he, as a pastor, is discouraged. Everyone looks like they are just going through the motions, with little joy or hope in sight.
After a series of conversations with Christian hippie Lonnie Frisbee, Pastor Chuck has a change of heart. He begins to welcome any and everyone into his church with open arms, particularly Lonnie and his friends. Unfortunately, not everyone in his congregation is happy about this. There are several tense scenes in the film where board members complain about these new guests: “They don’t belong here!” “Half of them aren’t even wearing shoes!” “They’re staining the new shag carpet!”
The transition was difficult but essential for the survival of Calvary Chapel. But once it began, this willingness to embrace the outcast grew their local church exponentially and kick-started a movement that spread like wildfire. Suddenly people everywhere were finding meaning, purpose, hope, and acceptance in the arms of Jesus Christ.
As Christians it is difficult to be completely open to everyone, especially those we don’t relate to or understand. But accepting that challenge is essential to the survival of God’s Church. May they know we are Christians by our love, our grace, and our hospitality.

Tim Sandifer, Director of Youth and Christian Education

February 23, 2023

A Few Things

I want to make sure you remember to attend Fish Fry. What a great way to financially support the youth as they raise funds for going on mission trip. The feasting begins this Friday—just two days away! Hours open are 4-7pm, and cost is $13 all you can eat, $10 fish sandwich and 1 side, $5 hot dog and 1 side. All meals include a drink and dessert.

Holy Communion will be served this Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent. We often enjoy the sacrament the first week of a liturgical season of the church year, instead of the first week of the month.

Susan will lead worship the first Sunday in March, and communion will not be offered, as we celebrated the previous week. Lori and I will be out of town.

Don’t forget to check out our website. Quite a bit of work has been done on it, and I think you’ll like what you see. Our website is EvangelicalGodfrey.com



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

February 16, 2023

The following story illustrates the power of stories to give meaning to our shared experiences.

“My friend Emily works for a famous movie studio I’ll call Neptune Studios. She recently told me about a time when one of the company’s middle managers (not an executive) learned that her daughter had been diagnosed with a neurological disease that meant over her life she would gradually lose function and eventually not be able to care for herself. While there’s no cure, there’s ongoing research to find a cure, or at least therapies that can help. Filmmakers at the studio wanted to help. Many artists at the studio make world-famous characters and stories, and they came together and created an art auction of personal work, putting several hundred pieces up for charity auction at Neptune. After hearing about the auction, company management agreed to cater it. The event raised significant funds to reach a cure or treatment for the sick child. This story tells Emily that the Neptune community cares about more than making movies and pocketing profits. She works at a place where people care for one another and will create the extraordinary to help. It makes her more comfortable and committed every day.”

I am thinking “Neptune Studios” is a caring and compassionate place to live and work alongside other people. Churches, also, often pull together to help a member who lacks the resources, financial and otherwise, to help him or herself.

Many of us want to belong to a church that loves the Lord in obvious ways, where we lovingly look after each other in obvious ways. I feel blessed and close to the saints at Evangelical when I recall stories of how church members have loved one another well.

How about you? What stories of Christian love shared in words and deeds at Evangelical continue to bless you, connect you to other Christians in our church? I encourage you to remember them; then share them.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

February 9, 2023

Sacred Space

Church folk usually know sacred space when they see it: humble sanctuaries; clearings in heavily wooded areas where a rough hewn cross stands, rows of logs arranged in relation to that cross; cathedrals wherein the chancel is dwarfed by the length of the nave, capable of holding a thousand worshippers.

The “on the other hand” in relation to the above paragraph is obvious: God is everywhere, and there is a sense in which all spaces and places are sacred. In theory and in practice, a person can offer God worship wherever she is at the moment.

People, of course, are not God, incapable of being everywhere as God is everywhere. So it is that people define specific places and spaces as sacred: Battlefields; Arlington Cemetery; a garden in which there is a columbarium holding the ashes of loved ones; Evangelical United Church of Christ!

At Evangelical, chapel and sanctuary are set aside for our most sacred activities. Those spaces are reserved for our most deeply meaningful shared experiences of God’s presence as a community of faith. We are drawn to such sacred spaces seeking an encounter with God; the experience is intensified, deepened as it is shared with others who join us.

The power of sacred space to draw us into God’s presence, no longer alone but as members of the Body of Christ is real. There is no substitute for being physically present in sacred space. All you have to do is speak with homebound Christians who feel cut off from experiencing God’s presence in sanctuary or chapel with other Christians to begin to understand how important it is to be physically present in sacred space with other people of faith.

You are always invited to partake of the many blessings of worshiping God with other Christians at Evangelical, a place where sacred space exists for the purpose of drawing you, body and spirit, into the presence of God, as one more member of the many members of the Body of Christ.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

December 29, 2022

Returns

My first Christmas season working retail at a toy store brought me many surprises. 

I remember speaking with a coworker, just before the toy store where we worked opened that day, December 26. I recall saying that I was looking forward to a quiet day, after surviving wave after wave of desperate Christmas shoppers.

He looked at me, and told me we were about to have our busiest day of the year. This surprised me, and I said as much.

“Returns. People will be bringing in all the stuff they got for Christmas that they don’t want.”

The doors opened and people poured into the store. Hours went by as we restocked shelves quickly as we could; and yet, mountains of returned toys outgrew our efforts to reduce them.

I realized a lot of people did not want the Christmas gifts they had been given; and, people also gave unwanted gifts.

At present, I find myself pondering the Christmas gift of Christ, and how too many people, all the way back to Herod, prefer to reject, or return the gift—in whole or in part.

The season of Christmas exists to draw us close to Christ. Our “return” has to do with renewing our relationship with Jesus. 

Many people “return” Christ to a place they have set aside that gets Christ out of their way, “returning” Jesus in favor of something less fulfilling, but which they believe is preferable to the gift of life in Christ.

Going forward into the new year, may you continually receive the gift of Christ that you have been given. May Christ be both precious and of greatest value to you, your having returned to a more intimate relationship with Christ this Christmas season.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

December 22, 2022

End of Advent

Anyone else tired? 

It occurs to me that the journey to Bethlehem was tiring. Mary and Joseph were likely weary of what people in Nazareth were saying about them.

Traveling without knowing where you will rest is taxing. Joseph and Mary were likely worn out when they settled for shelter in a place set aside for animals.

Being tired is part of the journey.

The beginning of Advent feels distant. The physical demands of meeting personal expectations can grind us down, leave us spent.

By the time we arrive at worship on Christmas Eve, our hunger for spiritual experience has been sharpened, or dulled, by weeks of seeking but not always finding, perfect gifts, perfect feelings, perfect relationships. 

Christmas Eve arrives. Many of us arrive feeling spent. Still, we gather, sing carols, receive Communion, sing Silent Night as the lit candles we hold shine away darkness.

We end the evening feeling gratitude for Jesus’ birth. We may be tired, but we are filled with gladness. Every step of our Advent journey feels worth the effort.

Being tired gives way to joy.



Merry Christmas 
Pastor Jerry

December 15, 2022

Shadow and Light

The German Lutheran Church gathered in solemn conclave shortly after World War II. One of the first subjects on the agenda was the question: had the church contributed in any way to the rise of the Nazi movement in Germany? After a day of debate, the assembly concluded the church was blameless. 

But the church was forced to reassess this conclusion when Martin Niemöller, a Lutheran minister who had been imprisoned for opposing Hitler and was a hero of the church and of the German people, had a profound numinous experience. The night the assembly reached its conclusion, Niemöller was awakened and saw before him a light, which was unmistakably the light of the holy, the divine one. Niemöller was tremendously moved, and then he heard behind him the unmistakable voice of Adolf Hitler saying: “Martin, Martin, why didn’t you ever tell me?” As Niemöller became fully awake, he reflected on the many times he had been eyeball to eyeball with Hitler, and never once had he tried to lay the claim of Christ on him. 

Martin Niemoller told his dream to the assembled church, and two days later the synod passed a resolution stating that the church was as responsible for the rise of the Nazi party as any other part of German society. Niemöller had pushed the group truly to face its shadow side.

I spend Advent looking for The Light. Ironically, scripture, especially by way of John the Baptist, insists that I consider the darkness within myself. To face my shadow makes me uneasy, as it precedes a reckoning.

Still, a reckoning that leads to repentance is a good thing. Yes, a very good thing, for repentance precedes spiritual growth.

I encourage you to keep working on awareness of your shadow, the part of who you are that you prefer to keep to yourself. Awareness of the darkness within you allows for enlightenment and the possibility of renewal. 

Continue to seek The Light that dispels darkness and shadow. Do so with a depth of feeling and awareness of your need to live in The Light. Living this way, you will find your way to Bethlehem this Advent.



Pastor Jerry

December 8, 2022

Advent Journey

Light your candles quietly, such candles as you possess, wherever you are.

—Alfred Delp

John the Baptist leapt for joy within his mother’s womb when Mary told Elizabeth she was pregnant.

Joseph started making plans for an unexpected, unwanted divorce when Mary told him she was pregnant. Later, he changed his mind.

Jesus’ birth occasioned joy from shepherds who heard angelic song from heaven.

Jesus’ birth set in motion a long, dangerous journey by three Wise Men. A dream saved their lives.

Jesus’ birth prompted paranoia within the mind of a murderous politician. Many innocents would die by way of his decree. The world has always been a dangerous place.

Jesus would eventually be brought to the Temple, where old Simeon and Anna turned celebratory.

Wherever you are in your relationship with Jesus this Advent, know that the light you bear, regardless of your circumstance, is enough, for the Light that is coming to dispel Darkness is always more than enough.



Pastor Jerry

You’re Invited! Dec. 1, 2022

Ever feel alone in the world? You may have had this feeling while surrounded by people. Most thinking people experience this loneliness; some feel this way much of the time. It can be unpleasant.

Belonging resolves the problem of feeling alone in the world. Some people feel less alone by way of belonging to a church, their family ties, career choices, love for sports; other ways of recreation, and so on. Identity as a member of one of these can potentially ease feelings of loneliness.

Many people live with the feeling of not being a true member of their family or group. I felt that way in graduate school, at Duke and Vanderbilt. Everyone in the room was smarter than me!

It was only when Dr. Gregg, a professor of church history, during a meeting wherein my schoolwork was being reviewed (“B” on my first test), complimented my work as evidence of my capabilities—he told me I belonged at Duke Divinity School—that I began to feel as if I belonged. That moment in time remains one of the most affirming moments of my life.

People experience feelings of inadequacy and being alone in places like work, school, and church. Yes, church. There are times when some folks ponder whether they belong in more than name. This can be a lonely feeling.

I want you to know you belong. You are invited to worship, Christmas Family Day, and more. We respect individual privacy and such at Evangelical, but you are invited—and you belong!

You belong at Evangelical. I am glad, grateful that you are here.

Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

November 23, 2022

BELONGING

Communities are defined by the values they embody. Our congregation is a community of faith striving to embody the ministry of Jesus. As a community of Christians at Evangelical, our deeds give the ministry of Jesus flesh and blood. We Incarnate Jesus’ ministry when we love both God and other people.

Loving God and other people are two principles fused together by Jesus. Why? I think Jesus wants us to know that love for God and others may proceed from our minds and hearts, but until we love God prayerfully and (when possible) through worship, love other people through feeding and clothing them in the name of Christ—then calling ourselves Christian is an empty declaration. Praying, worshiping, serving others who are in need in the name of Christ are behaviors that Incarnate the ministry of Jesus. When we behave in Christ-like ways, not only are we Christian, but we are also easily recognized as Christian by other people.

Our church, Evangelical United Church of Christ, is a community of faith where the ministry of Jesus is embodied through living behaviors that strengthen our relationship with God, each other, and people living beyond the bounds of our congregation.

I understand Evangelical to be a community of Christians growing in our capacity for thinking and feeling, living and expressing Jesus’ love for God and people. Truly, our blessings abound.



Happy Advent!

November 17, 2022

Understanding



Thinking other people do not understand you can leave you feeling lonely. Knowing a person you love will never understand you brings misery. Knowing that a person you like, or love, understands you is a bit of heaven on earth.



At Evangelical, feeling understood, connected to each other, is centered in our shared commitment to following Jesus. The way we worship, the hymns and songs we sing, and the kind of language we employ in worship connects us to each other. Our shared fellowship and ministry create experiences that make us one people. It is a fair share of heaven on earth.



When two or more of us discuss something about life at Evangelical, we take being understood for granted; we’re closer to God, and each other. This is a little bit of heaven on earth.



All of us are not identical in the spiritual/material beliefs we hold. We live, work, vote, recreate, as unique individuals. We retain our individuality, and also are part of one community of faith at Evangelical.



All of this is made possible through the love of Christ, who understands us and loves us, and lifts us out of loneliness into Christian fellowship. He invites us to love him and each other, that God’s kingdom of loving relationships may bring heaven on earth into your life and ours.



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry

November 10, 2022

Why?

Why get out of bed for church? Why take time to be part of church functions? Why give of yourself and your money to Evangelical?

I have answers!

Getting yourself to church keeps you connected to other people serious about their Christian faith. One of the things that hurts homebound church members most is missing out on being connected to other people serious about growing in their faith. We become more than acquaintances by way of worship and fellowship; we become friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ.

Church is an emotional experience. I get that I tend away from bringing tears to your eye during the sermon. (Of course, a looong sermon can hurt!) A little levity, a tug at the heart is fine, as long as the meaning of the message is not obscured. Music, that which is played and sung, is an entirely other matter! Wonderful music makes us think, feel, choose new directions, all at the same time!

Growing in our abilities as Christians is an important part of creating a Christian community. Growing in biblical knowledge and devotion is part of being a Christian. Service also is part of being a good Christian: serving others within our church, and serving people in our community and beyond leads to saintliness.

Supporting our church financially is supporting the ministry of Jesus Christ. Without your intentional participation and financial support, two thousand years of Christian commitment and faithfulness to the Gospel risks being broken. So, a lot of our efforts today help ensure that those who follow us will have a church to belong to.

Amazing, how important your part is in our life together, how essential you are to the vitality of God’s Church!



Blessings,
Pastor Jerry