mid-week meet-up: Tabitha

Good Evening First Presbyterian,

As we make our way through the book of Acts in our one-year Bible reading journey, on Sunday I will be preaching from Acts 11, but tomorrow we are reading the story of Tabitha. In case it has been a while since you heard Tabitha’s story, here is a refresher from Acts, chapter 9:

“Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time, she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay."

So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.” - Acts 9:36-42

While I was in seminary one of my professors told us a story, when we were learning how to write funeral sermons, about death of a beloved church member. When this church member died the entire staff of her church had spontaneously gathered at the office upon hearing about it because they were so grief-stricken. When the funeral began their pastor began with the question; how can we go on without them?  

When I reflect on this account from Acts, I believe that is how her community – her church – felt about Tabitha. Tabitha took care of all those around her. Her hospitality and care for others was a hallmark of the early Christian church; earlier in Acts we were specifically told about the community sharing their wealth with those in the church who struggled to care for themselves, and in particular widows.

On the surface it seems like the main action of this story is Peter healing Tabitha (as the heading in many of our Bible translations says before this collection of verses). In truth, Peter does not heal Tabitha. Peter raises Tabitha from the dead. She is dead. She has been dead. All hope has been lost, or so it would seem. They call Peter with haste. The argument can be made though, that the emphasis is not actually on Peter, but on the community mourning for this pillar of their church. A community that surrounded her in death with garments she made for them as reminders of her compassion and Christ-like love for them. They mourned but with hope, as they waited for Peter.

In his resurrection moment with Tabitha, Peter commands - “Tabitha, get up.” this verb, translated “get up” is the same verb in Greek that Peter uses in his Pentecost proclamation in Acts 2:24: “God raised up Jesus, having freed him from death.” Peter’s “get up” command to Tabitha is empowered by the God who “raised up” Jesus, and in the humility of prayer before performing the miracle through the power of the Holy Spirit moving through him.  

Tabitha was an apostle, one who is sent to spread the Good News of the Gospel. She was feeding and clothing the people of God. She was doing the hard, unglamorous work of Christ’s church. She was in the lives of the most marginalized of society day in and day out making them clothes. Clothes were markers of status and respectability for widows in the Ancient Near East who had no agency because they had no men to speak for them or on their behalf. The conclusion of the story tells us, "He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”

As we continue to read through the book of Acts, and consider the actions and ministry of the early church, let’s not forget that apostles like Tabitha and other women were part of the story of Christ’s church from the very beginning.

In Christ’s Abounding Love,

Pastor Erin

mid-week meet-up: Always side with Jesus

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Last Sunday, we had some technical difficulties playing the pre-recorded videos that were contributed by the BSA Scout troops our church supports that were meant to be part of our worship service. You can see those videos here. Last Sunday, we also had the amazing and exciting opportunity of baptizing Griffin in a hot tub outside! If you missed it, you can see a recording of it here. Miraculously, there was a robin who alighted on a tree behind Griffin as he got into the hot tub to watch his baptism and then flew away when he got out! This Sunday, we will be commissioning our team of young people who are headed on a mission trip to New Bern, North Carolina, during their winter break to help rebuild homes after the disastrous hurricanes in recent years. There are lots of exciting things happening at FPCP, and you won’t want to miss a Sunday! 

Today is Day 157 of our one-year Bible-reading plan, and I wanted to point out something interesting that we read yesterday. We’ve been reading through 1-2 Samuel recently, which tells the interesting stories of Israel’s first kings - Saul and David. In 2 Samuel 24, we read an interesting story that starts off like this.  

"Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, 'Go, count the people of Israel and Judah'" (2 Samuel 24:1).  

The story continues and says that God sent a plague on Israel, because David had taken the census, which counted the number of eligible soldiers in Israel’s army. While the story doesn’t say why counting the soldiers was wrong, it is likely because the census was perceived as trying to quantify the strength of Israel’s power rather than simply trusting in God’s strength to protect them.  

But here’s the interesting thing. Later in our Bible-reading journey, we will read 1-2 Chronicles, which is a retelling of the exact same stories we read in 1-2 Samuel except written 100 years later. In 1 Chronicles 21, we will read the same story about David taking a census of all of Israel’s eligible soldiers, except one very important and very theologically significant detail is different.  

"Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel" (1 Chronicles 21:1).  

Did you notice it? In 2 Samuel 24:1, it had said that God incited David to take the census. But in 1 Chronicles 21:1, it said that Satan incited David to take the census. That’s an important difference! 

This goes back to what I said in my sermons during January when we were looking at explanations for the violence of God in the Old Testament. While the Old Testament tells us about moments in history when God was truly active in the life of Israel and was being revealed to Israel through those moments, it is obvious that Israel was also dependent upon interpreting the experiences they had. Sometimes, like in 1 Chronicles 21:1, they looked back and reinterpreted those moments. "Maybe that wasn’t God and something else was happening." 

This is why Jesus eventually came to us - to correct all the ways people had misinterpreted their experiences of God, leading them to wrong conclusions. This is why it is always my advice when reading the whole Bible that when Jesus seems to be saying something different than the Old Testament, always side with Jesus. As the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote, “Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is our clearest display of God, and we can always trust him. 

When reading the Bible, whether it’s the Old or New Testament, always look for Jesus. If you can’t find him, just keep reading until you do. 

Peace,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Baptism by Immersion

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It's time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Last Sunday, our worship was led by our youth who did such a faithful job of bringing us into God's presence! Well, I am so excited to let you know that one of our youth is going to be baptized this Sunday! Griffin, one of the youth who helped to lead last Sunday’s worship, is going to be baptized… immediately following the 10:00am service.  

“Aaron, you said ‘immediately following the service.’ Why not during the service like usual?”  

Because he’s going to be baptized by immersion!  

“Aaron, how are we going to baptize him by immersion when all we have is a baptismal font?”  

He’s going to be baptized outside!  

“Aaron, it’s February in New York! How and where are you going to immerse him for baptism?!”  

I'm going to baptize him in a hot tub in our church parking lot!! 

During LOGOS (our mid-week afterschool program) this evening, the kids will be playing in the hot tub in our parking lot (thanks to Matt and Susie Wahl!), and we’re just going to leave the hot tub in the parking lot until Sunday for Griffin’s baptism! Griffin wants to be baptized by immersion, and I love that he wants that! Since it’s winter, using the hot tub is what we were able to come up with to make that happen, since (unlike Baptists) Presbyterians don’t typically have baptismal pools in their buildings!  

That brings up an interesting question. We typically see babies being baptized by the font in Presbyterian churches. Are Presbyterians even allowed to baptize adults by immersion? Of course we are! Did you know that before 1953, there were consistently more adult baptisms than infant baptisms in the American Presbyterian Church? And, in fact, our denomination’s Book of Order says, “The water used for Baptism should be from a local source, and may be applied with the hand, by pouring, or through immersion” (W-3.0407). So, yes, Presbyterians can immerse adults for baptism - even in a hot tub in the middle of February! In fact, it is one of my hopes as a Presbyterian minister that I will have the blessing of baptizing many more adults by immersion in my lifetime.  

Following our final hymn at the 10:00 am service, I will invite you to come outside with me and Griffin into the Locust Street parking lot and witness as Griffin professes his faith in Jesus Christ and receives the sacrament of baptism. Then, you can rush back indoors to warm up with coffee and donuts!  

You know, last Wednesday in our one-year Bible reading plan, we read in John 13 about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Although foot-washing is not the same as baptism, I think what Jesus says in that chapter can apply to baptism. Jesus said to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me” (John 13:8). Baptism, like foot-washing, is an invitation to allow Jesus - the Creator, Son of God, and Savior of the world - to serve us. This act of humble submission (allowing ourselves to be served by Christ) is vital for understanding salvation. We are not able to act on our own behalf to save ourselves but must allow Jesus to do the work of salvation for us. That’s partially what baptism symbolizes, and I hope to see you outside on Sunday morning to witness a unique expression of that in one person’s life.  

Peace,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-week meet-up: A loving and merciful God

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I told you last week that, by today, our Vision Team would have convened at another Faith Forward retreat this past weekend, but you have probably also seen/heard that our consultant Kevin was ill and couldn’t travel to Pittsford. We canceled the retreat and are working on rescheduling it for the near future.  

I hope you are continuing to read along with us on our one-year Bible-reading journey. I also wanted to highlight that our families in the church have the opportunity to encourage their kids to participate in a daily Bible devotional called Jesus Listens. It’s a great resource to introduce young people (aimed at those 12 years old and younger) to the practice of daily prayer and Bible-reading. If you have one of these devotionals, I encourage you to try using it with your kids! 

Today is Day 143 of our Bible-reading journey. In our Psalms readings this past week, I was struck by just how many of the Psalms (from this week alone!) described God as loving and merciful. Just consider these examples. Psalm 116 said, “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion” (v. 5). Psalm 117 exclaimed, “Great is God’s love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever” (v. 2). Throughout Psalm 118, this refrain was given, “God’s love endures forever.” These words of praise really stayed with me this week. Why is that? 

When you read through the liturgical and other writings of the other people that lived around ancient Israel, like in Babylonia and Assyria, one thing will stand out: They hardly ever describe their gods as loving, patient, compassionate, gracious, or merciful! What should we infer from this comparison? 

While modern readers of the Old Testament (like us) may come away and say, “God seems so vindictive and angry,” if we were ancient readers, our opinion of God would likely be very different - especially when compared to the foreign gods! We would probably have the same opinion of God that the Israelites did - we would see the mercy and grace of God everywhere! I would encourage us all to try to read the Old Testament as the original audience would have read it. They were overwhelmed by God’s goodness and love, and, if we look through their eyes, we will be, too. This emphasis on God’s grace only grew clearer and greater over time, until we eventually see it most clearly in Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

Mid-week meet-up: Psalm 110

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! You might not know it, but this weekend is our next Faith Forward retreat. It’s been a year since our consultant Kevin Ford last facilitated a retreat with our Vision Team, and we’re meeting this weekend to discuss our progress on our strategic plan. I wrote about it in my newsletter article for February, so be on the lookout for the newsletter if you’d like to know more. 

It’s Day 136 of our one-year Bible-reading plan! We’ve are currently reading our way through 1-2 Samuel, the Gospel of John, and the Psalms and Proverbs. I wanted to reflect with you today about Psalm 110, which we read on Monday. This particular Psalm is one of the most quoted Old Testament texts in the New Testament. If you are having trouble understanding how the Old Testament speaks to the same truth and grace of God revealed in the New Testament, this Psalm will help us to understand how Jesus and the early Christians were reading the Old Testament. Let’s take a look. 

The Psalm seems to be talking about a king (who rules with a mighty scepter, v. 2) who is also a priest (“You are a priest forever…,” v. 4). Who is this Psalm about? Well, in the title of the Psalm it says it is a Psalm “of David.” The Israelites would have understood that this Psalm was written by David about David. Here’s the only perplexing part - David never served as both a priest and a king. In fact, the only person who comes closest to this description is the person mentioned in v. 4 - Melchizedek. Who is Melchizedek? Well, he is mentioned in the book of Genesis 18, and he’s not even an Israelite! He lives in Jerusalem before that city belonged to the Israelites. He’s called a king and a priest (Genesis 14:18). He meets Abram while he’s following God into the Promised Land, and Melchizedek blesses Abram when he meets him. That last detail is important, because, in the ancient world, only someone with greater authority can give a blessing to another person. Melchizedek is greater than Abram. So… why is this Melchizedek being invoked in Psalm 110? What is this Psalm about? 

When Jesus read this Psalm, he didn’t see David in it - he saw himself. Jesus said that when the Psalm says, “The Lord said to my lord…,” the Psalm is talking about the Messiah (Matthew 22:41-46). Likewise,  the apostle Peter said that this Psalms refers to the ascension of Jesus into heaven after his resurrection (Acts 2:34-35). And in the Letter to the Hebrews, the author says that Jesus himself is the “priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek blessed Abram and, by extension, all the Israelites would descend from him. Likewise, Jesus is greater than all the promises and covenants made to Israel through Abraham and Moses (Hebrews 7). Jesus himself is the priest and king that Psalm 110 describes.  

I guess here’s my point about what Psalm 110 helps us to see about the Old Testament. Even when it’s not apparent (as in the case of this Psalm) and in ways we don’t expect, the Old Testament eventually leads us to Jesus. That’s the point of the Old Testament. It should leave us longing and hoping for someone like Jesus to come, which he did. Thank God.  

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: Judges 19-20

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! It’s Day 129 of our one-year Bible-reading plan, and we just finished two Sundays of trying to answer some of your questions about our Old Testament readings, namely: Why does God seem so violent in the Old Testament, and why do women appear so devalued in the Old Testament? I hope that you found something in worship these past two Sundays to address some of your concerns. 

I promised in my sermon this past Sunday that I would find some time to address the troubling story we encounter in Judges 19-20. In those chapters, we encounter a grotesque story about a Levite and his concubine. I won’t rehash the details of that story here, but I want to respond to it.  

Understanding this story actually hinges a lot on what we read in its very first sentence: “In those days, there was no king in Israel…” (19:1). Why is that sentence so important? On first glance, it seems to have nothing to do with the events that follow. But, in fact, it does. We actually encounter the declaration, “There was no king in Israel,” a few times throughout the book of Judges. That phrase is often paired with another phrase, as we see in Judges 17:6 and 21:25: “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” In other words, the story of the Levite and his concubine begins with these opening words in order to tell us: “The following story is an example of a deplorable situation where people follow the inclinations of their own hearts, not the will of God.” The story of the Levite and his concubine is one of the most upsetting stories we read in the whole Bible, because it is a demonstration of what humans are capable of doing when they reject the ways of God.  

This story wraps up the book of Judges, which is then followed by the book of Ruth and the books of 1-2 Samuel. Think about what the stories of Ruth and 1-2 Samuel tell us. Ruth is about how the loyalty of one woman eventually leads to the birth of King David, and 1-2 Samuel is about the events that eventually lead to the ascension of David to being King over all Israel. If Judges ends with the cautionary tale that having no king would mean “all the people did was what right in their own eyes,” then it naturally sets up the story to lead to Israel having its first kings. The king had the job of rallying people around the wisdom and justice of God so that they would do what was right in God’s eyes.  

However, what we eventually learn is that even kings are fallible and corruptible people and can lead us away from God. What are we to do? If kings were meant to lead the people to the wisdom and righteousness of God, but even they are sinful people, what hope is there for anyone? This is precisely why God came to us in Jesus Christ.  

Isaiah 9:6-7 - “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” 

Jesus is our king, and we are so blessed by this fact! Jesus, the perfect human who reflects to us God’s intentions for true humanity, has come to us to save us from the deplorable sinfulness of our own hearts. By trusting in him, we are not abandoned to only do what is right in our own eyes, but we are shown very clearly what God intends for us and are given the power, through the Holy Spirit, to follow these ways. 

Thanks be to God! 

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: "Come and see."

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! This Sunday will be busy! We will be baptizing a little child, ordaining and installing our new church leadership, and continuing the two-week sermon series answering your questions about the Old Testament. In case you missed last week’s sermon on the apparent violence of God in the Old Testament, here’s a link to the recording: Sunday, January 5, 2025. This Sunday, I’ll be trying to answer the question: Why do women appear to be devalued in the Old Testament? 

Today is Day 122 of our one-year Bible-reading plan. This week, we started reading the Gospel of John. I love this Gospel. It’s different from the other three New Testament Gospels in such meaningful ways. I want to focus on the beginning of the Gospel, which illustrates one such way. In John 1:40, we learn that one of Jesus’ disciples (Andrew) actually used to be a disciple of John the Baptist. We’re told that, before Andrew actually believed in Jesus, he expressed a sincere interest to want to know more about him (1:37-38). In response to Andrew’s interest, Jesus simply says to Andrew, “Come and see,” and then Andrew spends a whole day with Jesus (1:39). What did Andrew see that day? What did he hear Jesus say? Whom did he see Jesus interacting with? The Bible doesn’t say, but whatever he experienced that day with Jesus, it was enough to totally transform his life. After just one day with Jesus, he didn’t just say, “Jesus is a good person,” or “Jesus has such a compelling personality,” or “Jesus has some interesting things to say.” No, after just one day with Jesus, Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41).  

Likewise, another of the twelve disciples (Philip), follows Jesus and is convinced he is the Messiah, and he goes to another person named Nathanael and tells him, “We have found the Messiah.” Nathanael doesn’t believe him. What does Philip say to Nathanael in response, “Come and see.” After just one interaction with Jesus, Nathanael declares, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49). All it took was just spending even a little time with Jesus, and Nathanael became a believer. 

I think sometimes we overcomplicate the path of discipleship. To be fair, Jesus asks us to do very difficult things. However, our mission is actually very simple. Our mission is to simply invite people to “come and see” Jesus for themselves. He is sufficiently gracious, powerful, and beautiful on his own to bring people to believe. Our job is simply to point the way.  

My prayer for you today is that you will be able to point the way to Jesus for someone today.  

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: The Book of Judges and the Gospel of John

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up (a day later than usual)! I hope this new year is marked by many good things for you but, most importantly, with growth in your relationship with God.  

This Sunday is going to be the first of two Sundays of sermons focusing on burning questions you’ve had during our one-year Bible-reading journey. This Sunday’s sermon will try to answer the question: Why does God seem so violent in the Old Testament? Next Sunday’s sermon will try to answer the question: Why does it seem women are devalued in the Old Testament? Of course, on both Sundays, we will hear what the good news of the Gospel has to say about both of these questions.  

Today is Day 116 of our Bible reading plan. We began reading the Book of Judges on Monday, and on this coming Monday we will begin reading the Gospel of John. Here’s some context for you on both of those books. 

Book of Judges
The Book of Judges is a continuation of the Book of Joshua. The Book of Joshua ended with Joshua’s famous exhortation to the Israelites: “Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). The Book of Judges shows us whether and how the Israelites follow through on their intentions to serve the God of Israel. Their faith is constantly put to the test. As you read through the Book of Judges, ask yourself: How well do the Israelites trust God in this passage, and what does it tell me about how I should trust God? 

Gospel of John
The Gospel of John is unlike the three other New Testament Gospels. It includes different stories about the life of Jesus and has much longer sections of his teachings. The Gospel-writer John has one focus in mind: he wants us to come away from reading his Gospel and believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God and, through believing in him, that we may have life in his name (John 20:31). As you read through the Gospel of John, ask yourself: How does this passage help me to see Jesus as the. Messiah and the Son of God? 

I hope to worship with you this Sunday!

Happy New Year!
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: "Two Carols" by Evelyn Underhill (1920)

Merry Christmas, First Presbyterian Church!  

Perhaps, at some point during your celebration of this sacred day, you will find some time to read the following poem, written by the Christian mystic Evelyn Underhill in 1920. It’s called “Two Carols” and contains much theological beauty and depth. Here it is:
________________

         Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra.1

Very still was all the land,
Very secret was the hour; 
Darkness as a guard did stand
When the Rose brought forth her flower —
Rosa sine spina.2 

Long the road and hard the pain,
Chill and lowly was the shed: 
See, upon the straw she's lain —
Straw, to make her childing-bed! 
Virgo et regina.3 

Cold the welcome, sharp the smart;
Godhead treads the bitter way. 
Only in the lowly heart
Is her Babe brought forth today — 
Genetrix divina.4 

        Omnis creatura ingemiscit, et parturit usque adhuc.5

Silence and darkness! Land and sea
Await the ending of their pain. 
Qui est in coelis6 now shall be
One with the world he made again.
Dominus tecum!7
So the angels say, 
So may it be alway!

Poor Earth, that hast in exile long
Borne alien gods, thy travail cease! 
Lift up, lift up, the mother's song: 
Rex natus est,8 his name is Peace.
Dominus tecum!
So the angels say, 
So may it be alway!

Adveniat regnum!9In the heart
Love's childing-bed is made tonight. 
There is he born that heals thy smart, 
Emmanuel, the Light of Light!
Dominus tecum!
So the angels say, 
So may it be alway!
 

1 Flowers have appeared in our land.
2 A rose without a thorn.
3 Virgin and queen.
4 Divine mother.
5 Every creature groans and travails in labor until now.
6 Who is in heaven
7 The Lord be with you!
8 A king is born,
9 May the kingdom come!
________________

Peace be with you,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: The Book of Joshua

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! This Sunday is the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, which means you have one more opportunity to complete the attached crossword puzzle, bring a copy of it with you to worship, put it in our crossword puzzle basket, and possibly have yours selected to win a lot of chocolate. Congratulations to Abby Schmitt and Kathy Blezard who won this past Sunday! Your hint this week is to look closely at our reading from Psalm 84:1-12. You won’t find all the answers there, but it will help! 

Today is Day 101 of our one-year Bible reading journey. Yesterday, we finished the book of Deuteronomy and began reading the book of Joshua. Here’s a little context for you on the book of Joshua. 

Book of Joshua

The Book of Deuteronomy ends with the people of Israel poised to enter the land of Canaan. Naturally, the Book of Joshua is a continuation of the narrative of the Pentateuch (i.e., Genesis-Deuteronomy). Everything since the time of Abraham (whom God promised to give the Promised Land) has been leading to this moment. The focus of the Book of Joshua is about showing what the Israelites must do in order to realize the fulfillment of God’s promise. As you read the Book of Joshua, ask yourself: How are the people of Israel being asked to trust God so that they don’t stand in the way of God’s attempts to give them what was promised? 

I want to reflect on our reading of the Gospel texts this week. In Luke 11:24-26, Jesus says this really peculiar thing about an unclean spirit coming back with seven more unclean spirits after it has been exorcised from a person. After years of coming back to this passage again and again, I honestly am perplexed by what Jesus might mean here. Some people have speculated if Jesus might be referring to the “seven deadly sins” when he refers to the seven unclean spirits. I highly doubt that’s the case, but I do see why people might see a connection.

Do you know about the seven deadly sins? They are anger, pride, envy, greed, gluttony, lust and sloth. You won’t find a list of these vices in the Bible calling them the “deadly sins,” but it certainly rings true that people tend to struggle with one or more of them. For centuries Christians have identified these vices as major temptations people face. In fact, this list of vices used to include nine deadly sins. As early as the fourth century AD, people such as Evagrius Ponticus included vainglory and fear with the now ubiquitous seven sins. It wasn’t until the sixth century AD that Pope Gregory I reduced the list to seven. Evagrius and others believed that, while people are susceptible to any of these sins, they tend to struggle most with one, and their personalities, hopes, and fears are shaped by that struggle. I don’t know about you, but I certainly know which of the nine vices I struggle with most.  

The path of Christian discipleship is to learn how to trust God to help us pursue freedom from these vices. Those who struggle with anger must learn to accept their own failures and the failures of others. Those who struggle with pride must learn to love themselves and others with humility. Those who struggle with vainglory must learn to be honest about themselves and their deepest struggles. Those who struggle with envy must learn to truly be themselves and live with authenticity. Those who struggle with greed must learn to use what they have for others and to live with contentment. Those who struggle with fear must learn to live with courage by trusting that God will provide for their needs. Those who struggle with gluttony must learn to orient their desires toward God. Those who struggle with lust must move away from shamelessness and trust in the mercy of God. Those who struggle with sloth must learn to allow the Holy Spirit to empower them to take decisive actions for themselves. 

The Bible is an endless mine of precious wisdom. I'm glad to be reading it with you this year, and I pray you draw closer to God as we do.

Advent blessings,
Pastor Aaron

mid-week meet-up: The Gospel is meant to be shared with all people!

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Congratulations to Karen Travis, Matt Wahl, and Janis Croop whose names were drawn after successfully completing the crossword puzzles for Weeks 1 and 2 of Advent! I’ve attached the crossword puzzle for the third week of Advent. Some clues to the puzzle can be found in this Sunday’s reading from Psalm 73:56-72. 

It’s Day 94 in our one-year Bible reading journey. Yesterday we read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, and today we read a story about two sisters named Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. I’d like to reflect on those two passages with you. 

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the main purposes of Luke’s Gospel is to communicate that Jesus is for everyone. Unlike the other Gospels, Luke includes more stories that show how the ministry of Jesus was radically pro-women. In Acts 22:3, the apostle Paul describes his own background and says he was “brought up at the feet of Gamaliel.” Gamaliel was a rabbi from the school of the Pharisees. When Paul says he was “brought up at the feet of Gamaliel,” he means he was a student of Gamaliel. Students would literally sit at the feet of their teacher, but the phrase “at the feet of the rabbi” was also a common euphemism that simply meant “a student of.” In the time of Jesus, only boys and men were allowed to be rabbinical students. So… in Luke 10:39, when it says that Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet,” she was doing something “out of place” and even radical! While others, like her sister Martha, thought Mary’s actions were inappropriate and even offensive, what do we see Jesus doing? He praises her for pushing against the social norms in order to dedicate herself to learning from him! He wants to communicate the important point that the Gospel is meant to be received by all people, regardless of social expectations. 

In the story of the Good Samaritan, we encounter a similar message. A Jewish man is attacked and left for dead. For passersby, there was probably no way of telling if the man was actually dead or not! According to known Jewish practice (from the Jerusalem Talmud Nazir 56a), anyone who came upon that man should have stopped to help him. The religious clergy who first passed by the man (the priest and the Levite) were obligated to try to save a life but failed to do so. The only one who fulfilled their moral and religious obligation was a Samaritan, and as you probably know, Samaritans and Jews did not only find it hard to tolerate each other – they hated each other! The fact that a Samaritan is the hero in this parable would have been offensive to Jesus’ listeners, and the fact that this Samaritan stopped to help a Jew would have put his listeners to shame. This parable communicates a similar point to the story of Mary and Martha – that the Gospel is meant to be received by all people (even Samaritans). But it also takes it one step further: the Gospel is meant to be shared with all people! 

Friends, the Gospel is good news: the God who created heaven and earth has come to us in Jesus Christ, forgiven us of our sin, rescued us from despair, and claimed us as God’s own beloved children. Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey, I pray you receive this truth into your life, let it transform you from the inside out, and then share it with anyone who will hear it. 

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Did you miss your opportunity to win a one-pound Hershey’s chocolate bar on Sunday because you didn’t bring your completed crossword puzzle to worship? Never fear! You have another opportunity to win one this Sunday! Simply download the attached crossword puzzle, complete it, bring it with you to worship, and enter it into the basket in the narthex for your chance to win! If you want a hint to complete the crossword puzzle, then refer to Sunday’s Psalm reading from our one-year Bible reading plan. 

Today is Day 87 in our one-year Bible reading plan. We’ve started the book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke. So, let me take a minute to give you some context for those books as you’re reading them.  

Book of Deuteronomy

The Book of Deuteronomy is the last of the five books of the Old Testament Law - the Torah. This final book is written to the children and grandchildren of the Israelites who escaped from Egypt. The first generation had died, and now their descendants are preparing to enter the Promised Land. Think of Deuteronomy as Moses’ farewell speech to this new generation of Israelites before he dies and they enter Canaan. The content of the book may seem familiar because it is mostly a recapping of everything that had happened to the older Israelites, for the benefit of the younger Israelites. The point of Deuteronomy is to reinforce what is most important for the Israelites to know and believe before they enter the Promised Land. As you read this book, ask yourself: Why would the Israelites need to know this before entering the Promised Land? 

Gospel of Luke

The Gospel of Luke includes many of the same details that Matthew and Mark do, but the focus is slightly different. Luke clearly intends his Gospel for “outsiders.” His original audience was probably mostly Gentiles, and so he includes more stories about Gentiles. He also includes more stories about women and other marginalized groups than Matthew or Mark do. His main point is: Jesus is for everyone. As you read this Gospel, ask yourself: Who is included in God’s plan of salvation? 

To illustrate this point about the Gospel of Luke, I want to briefly comment on two passages that we read yesterday - from Luke 7:36-50 and Luke 8:1-3. In the first story, Jesus is dining in the home of someone named Simon when a woman who is simply described as a “sinner” entered the home and anointed Jesus’ feet with scented oil. This may be another version of the same story we read about in Mark 14:3-9. However, in Luke’s account, he wants us to see just how scandalous this moment was. The fact that this woman is called a “sinner” is probably a euphemism implying she is a sex worker. The people hosting this dinner are appalled that Jesus would let this woman come anywhere near him! They’re probably wondering, “How does Jesus even know this woman? Doesn’t he care how it makes him look to have her touching him??” The reality is: Jesus doesn’t care how it makes him look! He cares about offering forgiveness and mercy to those who seek it. He cares about acknowledging and loving those whom society has written off as lost causes. Sometimes, doing the work of God takes you into situations where you will have to decide: Do I care more about what observers will think of me or about helping people to find the love and grace of God? 

Similarly, in Luke 8:1-3, Luke tells us that many women had become disciples of Jesus. This is not an incidental observation. In the days of Jesus, women were not typically welcomed to become students or disciples. Yet, Jesus invited everyone to follow him, regardless of who they were or whether society deemed them acceptable. Again, Jesus cared more about inviting people into relationship with him, not about how society would have viewed him based on the type of people who associated with him.  

Likewise, Jesus calls us to follow his example. Whoever you are, Jesus wants you to follow him. Jesus also wants you to extend his love and grace to those who need it most. As his followers, let’s ignore the opinions of others and simply go where he leads us, knowing that God’s opinion of us is the only one that matters.   

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Zelophehad’s Daughters

Good Afternoon First Presbyterian,  

I want to use today’s Mid-Week Meet-Up to highlight a story that appears in Numbers 27:1-11. The story of Zelophehad’s Daughters does not appear in our usual three-year lectionary cycle, so there aren’t as many opportunities to share the background of this story with you.

The book of Numbers details the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness. While none of the men who were liberated from Egypt would live to settle in the promised land, each of their descendants would be allotted land in their name. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (descendants of Joseph and daughters of Zelophehad) come before Moses and Eleazar the priest, not privately, but publicly in front of the entire congregation, to not ask, but demand (in the imperative form of the verb) that they be given their father’s land so his name is preserved for their clan. The daughters took a great risk coming before Moses to request this right. Barring women from land ownership was not the norm in the ancient Near East; women in Sumer, Ugarit, Egypt, Elam, among other societies, allowed women to inherit and own property. Still, other requests in the book of Numbers ended poorly for those who made them: in Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron asked if God spoke only through Moses and (only) Miriam was plagued with leprosy, for instance.

After the daughters come forward, Moses does not answer right away, but appeals to God for guidance. Moses going to God for guidance is not a given; he often makes judgments without seeking specific guidance from God. In this case, God vindicates Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah’s demand, telling Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their speaking.” Biblical scholar Wilda Gafney notes that God using the word ken indicates in Biblical Hebrew that the daughters were “right,” “correct,” “just so,” “honest,” and “righteous.” God’s judgment does not just apply to only Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, but to all women of Israel as well.

Sadly, Moses does not follow God’s command. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah have to go before Joshua after Moses dies and make the demand again. To his credit, Joshua immediately provides them their father’s land.

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah’s story is referenced in five different places in the Hebrew Scriptures: Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:1-12; Joshua 17:3-6; and 1 Chronicles 7:15. Only Miriam and Moses are mentioned in more books of the Old Testament.

You may notice I repeated the names of the Daughters of Zelophehad each time I referred to them instead of referring to them collectively. According to Carol Meyers, of the 1,426 personal names that appear in the Old Testament, 1,315 are presumed to be male. These five women are part of a group of just 111 women named in the scripture of Israel.

Today I give thanks for the bravery and persistence of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, as well as the grace and love of God in answering their request. I pray you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving.

In Christ’s Abounding Love,

Pastor Erin

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: The Ending of the Gospel of Mark

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Did you know that this Sunday is Intergenerational Sunday? Every year, we organize a couple of these types of services, which are designed to be more interactive. Pastor Erin and Craig have planned a great service that will focus on our readings from Luke 3:1-22 and Psalm 61. Plus, the children’s choir will be singing. You won’t want to miss it! 

Today is Day 73 of our one-year Bible reading journey. On Monday, we finished reading the Gospel of Mark. Did you happen to notice anything interesting in Mark 16 - the final chapter of the Gospel? Whichever version of the Bible you were reading, the final chapter of Mark probably had 20 verses, but it also probably indicated somehow that some ancient manuscripts end the Gospel with verse 8. Did you see that? So which is it - does the Gospel of Mark end with 16:8 or 16:20? Scholars make very good arguments one way or the other. For many technical and theological reasons that I won’t go into now, I happen to hold the view that the Gospel of Mark actually ends in 16:8. That means, I believe the Gospel writer intentionally ended the Gospel with Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and Salome hearing from an angel that Jesus had risen and then fled from the empty tomb saying nothing to anyone out of “terror and amazement.” If this is true, why in the world would the Gospel writer have concluded the Gospel here? It’s kind of an abrupt conclusion that ends on somewhat of a low note.  

Keep in mind that the Gospel of Mark was written about 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus. However, this was just the first written account of his life. The teachings of Jesus and the stories of his life (including his resurrection) were widely known and believed by thousands of people by this time. Christians knew about and believed in the resurrected Lord long before the writing of the Gospel of Mark. They knew that the women eventually proclaimed the news of the resurrection. I think Mark ended his Gospel in 16:8 because of the impact it would have had on the first readers. Think about it. If you had confessed your belief in the resurrected Jesus, committed yourself to live for him, and totally rearranged your life around him even in the face of opposition and persecution, and you read the end of the Gospel which concluded with no one saying anything about his resurrection - how would you feel? You might feel compelled to go out and share the news yourself! In other words, I think Mark ended his Gospel in 16:8 to provoke the early followers of Jesus to share the news of his resurrection themselves! The Gospel of Mark wants its readers - that includes you and me! - to feel that it is our responsibility to share the news of Jesus with others. What an amazing way to write the story of Jesus! Also consider the fact that the Gospel of Matthew ends on a similar note, but with Jesus himself telling his followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). 

I encourage you to take this message to heart today. Consider yourself a commissioned evangelist! Every Christian has been given a very important job - to share the news of Jesus with those around us. In this season of thanksgiving, think about how you can share with someone the gratitude you have because of what Jesus has done for you and the whole world. How do you plan to spread this good news? 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Book of Numbers, Gospel of Mark

Hi First Presbyterian Church, 

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! We’re on Day 66 of our one-year Bible reading plan. This week, we’ve started reading the Book of Numbers. Today, I’d like to give you a little context to help you understand Numbers and provide you with some helpful commentary on some of the passages we’re reading in the Gospel of Mark.  

Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is a continuation of the story of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus. The people of Israel continue their journey from Mount Sinai (where the majority of the Book of Exodus takes places) where they received the Law from God, and they make their way through the desert to the plains of Moab, east of their final destination - the Promised Land of Canaan. Throughout this book, the people are continuing to learn about who God is and what God expects of them. All along the way, they demonstrate just how fickle and self-centered people can be. We encounter lots of new religious laws and endless census details, which can sometimes feel monotonous and hard to relate to. However, there is meaningful content in this book. As you read Numbers, ask yourself: What do we learn about the nature of humanity in this book? Am I ever like the Israelites in this way? 

Gospel of Mark
The following is going to be a bit lengthy, but if you had questions about what Jesus says about divorce and marriage in the Gospel of Mark, I think you’ll want to read it. 

I want to reference two related but also difficult passages. In Mark 10:1-12 (which we read last Wednesday), Jesus is asked about the permissibility of divorce, and in Mark 12:18-27 (which we read on Monday), Jesus is asked about what marriage will be like in the resurrection. In my opinion, these passages have often been misunderstood and, in the case of Jesus’ remarks about divorce, have even been wrongfully used to shame and harm people whose marriages have ended in divorce. To be clear, I do believe that Jesus has a high view of marriage and thinks of it as a gift to society that, while at times very difficult, is worth fighting to maintain. But what Jesus says about these passages goes deeper than a simplistic interpretation of his words.  

To understand what Jesus means about divorce in Mark 10:1-12, we have to understand three  things: 1) first-century marriage was not the same institution that we know today, 2) the question he is responding to is a trap, not a sincere question, and 3) the original Greek language of this text helps us to understand a more accurate meaning of his words.  

First, marriage in the ancient world was understood primarily as a necessary institution to ensure the stability of society. While it was not uncommon for men to be single in ancient Judaism, singleness was incredibly rare for women. Why? Society was patriarchal, and without a connection to men, women were vulnerable to being sucked into the socio-economic vacuum. Generally speaking, women did not have a source of income or ownership of property apart from a man. As children, girls were forced to be dependent on their fathers. As adults, women were forced to be dependent on their husbands. If their husbands died or divorced them, they were forced to be dependent on their adult sons or, in some cases, they were forced to go back to live with their fathers. An independent woman was virtually non-existent in the ancient world.  

Second, the Gospel of Mark tells us that the Pharisees asked Jesus the question about divorce “in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan” (10:1). This happens to be the exact location where John the Baptist had been preaching. At this point in the Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist had already been murdered by Herod Antipas (Mark 6:14-29). Do you remember the reason he was murdered? Philip, the brother of Herod Antipas, was married to a woman named Herodias. Herod Antipas was also already married. However, Herod was attracted to Herodias, so he approached his brother Philip, and they made a deal: if Herod divorced his current wife, Philip would divorce Herodias so his brother could marry her instead. John the Baptist was an outspoken critic of this disgraceful situation, and it ended up with his imprisonment and execution. The Pharisees wanted Jesus dead; so it’s no coincidence that they ask him about his opinion about divorce in the vicinity of where John the Baptist had also been speaking out against the actions of Herod and Philip. The Pharisees are hoping Jesus would say something to get himself killed!  

Third, the New Revised Standard Version of this passage says that, in response to the Pharisees’ question about divorce, Jesus says, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.” However, I don’t like this translation of the Greek. The two verbs in this sentence “divorce” and “marry” are in a grammatical form called “the subjunctive mood.” Without getting too technical, when two Greek subjunctive verbs are used together like this, they describe a simultaneous action. In other words, what Jesus is really saying here is, “Whoever divorces his wife in order to marry another commits adultery against her.” That takes on a totally different meaning!  

You see, Jesus isn’t giving a blanket teaching on divorce; he’s responding to a trick question. In his response, he’s actually invoking the very action that Herod Antipas had taken. He’s criticizing the actions of Herod, not formulating a doctrine on marriage and divorce. In essence, he’s saying is, “In our society where women are forced to be dependent on men, to divorce your wife because you intend on marrying another women (like Herod did) is a total disregard of the humanity of women and is a total lack of respect and love.” Jesus is showing us his high view of women in these words, which is also what he is doing in our other passage.  

In Mark 12:18-27, we’re told that the Sadducees ask Jesus a question about marriage in the resurrection. There are two things you need to know about this passage. First, the Sadducees are asking about the resurrection, not about heaven. In other words, they aren’t asking about what will happen to people when they go to heaven after they die; they are asking about what will happen to people on that future day when God resurrects the dead and we will live eternally with new, physical bodies. The reason they are asking this question is because the Sadducees don’t believe there will be a resurrection and they want to trick Jesus.  

Second, the practice the Sadducees are describing (of someone’s brother marrying his widow after he dies) was a real practice in Judaism. It was called levirate marriage. We read about it in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. This practice was, again, to try to protect women from being sucked into the socio-economic vacuum of a patriarchy. If a woman’s husband died and she had no sons, his brother was legally responsible to marry her. Why? To protect and provide for her and to try to produce male offspring with her who would carry on her first husband’s legacy.  

The Sadducees are asking Jesus, “What if an unlikely situation occurred where multiple brothers were unsuccessful at fulfilling the requirements of levirate marriage? In the resurrection, who will be her husband of the seven men she had married?” When Jesus says, “In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage,” pay attention to the words he uses: “marry” and “given in marriage.” In a patriarchal society, who is “given in marriage?” Women. Who “marries?” Men. I don’t think Jesus is necessarily saying that marriage won’t exist in the resurrection. Jesus is saying that marriage as they knew it in the first century won’t exist in the resurrection. In the first century, women needed marriage in order not to succumb to poverty or violence. Jesus is telling us that that won’t be necessary in God’s perfect future, because women and men will be equal! In the resurrection, women won’t need to depend on men. Men and women will depend on each other as equal partners, mutually serving God together. This is another example of just how pro-women Jesus is! Amazing! 

I love reading the Gospels and encountering Jesus in them. He pushes and challenges the people he lived among two thousand years ago, and he continues to push and challenge us today. He also gives us the strength and power we need to follow him. What an amazing Savior we serve! 

Happy reading! 

Peace,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Psalm 42

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

Don’t forget that today at noon, Pastor Erin and I will be leading a time of prayer in our sanctuary. Our intention for this service was to create a space following Election Day where people could gather with others in a spirit of unity and simply let God know how they're feeling. I hope you will be able to make it to our time of prayer.  

Today is Day 59 in our one-year Bible reading journey. Yesterday, we read Psalm 42. We’re also going to be reading that psalm during our noon-time prayer service today; so I thought I would reflect on it with you now.  

Psalm 42 has always been one of my favorite psalms, mostly because of the opening sentence, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” It reminds me that I need God more than I need my next drink of water. But there is more to this psalm than that first verse.  

This psalm is unique compared to the rest of the psalms in the Bible. Rarely do we ever encounter a psalm in which the psalmist is having an internal dialogue. Many psalms describe external circumstances or societal conflict. There is some of that in Psalm 42. However, this psalmist is having a moment of self-awareness and looking inward at his or her emotions and asking, “Why am I feeling this way?” Do you ever say that to yourself? The psalmist is feeling sadness and maybe even depression, describing their sadness as a constant barrage of waves crashing over them (v. 7). Have you ever felt that way? 

Perhaps you feel that way today. If that’s true, then hear the answer the psalmist gives to this dilemma. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God” (v. 11). The psalmist is longing to be in the presence of God, worshiping God and remembering God’s goodness.  

Whether or not you join us in prayer at noon, spend some time with God today. The fourth-century bishop Augustine was right when he once wrote, “Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in you.” Jesus doesn’t just know the way to God; he himself is the way to God (John 14:6). Run to your Savior today, who is eternally faithful and true. 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: The Tabernacle and Sacrifice

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Today is Day 52 of our one-year Bible-reading journey. Some of you have had some questions about the meaning of all the details for constructing the tabernacle (which we read about in Exodus) and of all the details about sacrifices (which we are currently reading about in Leviticus). Let’s talk about those things today.  

Throughout much of Exodus, there is an incredible amount of detail about how the Israelites were supposed to build the tabernacle, including such things as the exact length of objects, the specific type of wood to use, the exact color of curtains, etc. Some of these details may not be theologically significant, such as the fact that acacia wood was required in construction most likely because it is a durable wood that is resistant to environmental factors. The tabernacle was a mobile place of worship and the Israelites used it almost exclusively in the desert, making a durable wood a very practical choice. Other details are simply beyond our ability to know thousands of years removed from them, even if those details probably did mean something to the Israelites. However, one thing is clear: the design of the tabernacle was intended to cause people to see a connection between the tabernacle and the Garden of Eden. Did you notice that the golden lamp stand was designed to look like a tree (Exodus 25:31-40), or that there was a gigantic bronze basin full of water (Exodus 30:17-21 - we learn later in 1 Kings 7:23 that when the permanent basin was built for the Temple is was 15 feet in diameter 7.5 feet deep)? These items were meant to call to mind the trees in the Garden of Eden and the river that ran through the Garden (Genesis 2:10). Later, when the prophet Ezekiel saw a vision of heaven, it looked like a Temple with a river flowing out of it (Ezekiel 47:1-2), and, in the New Testament, when the writer of Revelation sees a vision of heaven, it looked like a Temple with golden lamp stands (Revelation 1:12) and a gigantic water basin (Revelation 4:6) and even the ark of the covenant (Revelation 11:19). Here’s what all of this means. The Garden of Eden was supposed to represent heaven on earth, which was lost to humanity because of sin. The tabernacle was designed to represent the Garden of Eden in order to make the point: through salvation, God is trying to bring heaven back to earth! This is why even future visions of heaven also invoke images of the Garden of Eden. In the book of Revelation, this heavenly Temple descends from heaven and comes to the earth (Revelation 21:1-2) in order to make this same point. God has never wanted to rescue us from the earth by taking us to heaven; God has always intended heaven to be right here with us on earth! Everything God is doing for us in salvation has always been about making it possible for us to live with God right here where we are.  

That leads us to our next question: what’s with all the details about sacrifices in Leviticus? I like how Old Testament scholar John Goldingay makes sense of some of these details, which I'll summarize for you now. When Israelites offered sacrifices to God, they were told that no one was supposed to eat the fat or the liver or the kidneys of the sacrifice - these parts were meant just for God. This probably seems like a weird detail to us, but to ancient Israelites, it held lots of meaning for two reasons. First, ancient people associated these organs with “the inner person” - a person’s emotions and attitudes. We do this today with the heart, which we reference every time we say something like, “I love you with all of my heart.” For ancient Israelites, it wasn’t the heart but the liver and kidneys that were the “seat of emotion.” So, in other words, when someone brought a sacrifice designated the liver and kidneys specifically for God, they were symbolically giving their own hearts to God, too. Second, non-Israelites sometimes used an animal’s liver and kidneys to “predict” or “divine” the will of the gods. This type of divination was strictly prohibited in Israel (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). By giving these sacrificial organs to God, the Israelite was essentially confessing, “God, I surrender to you my desire to know or control the future.”  

If we put all these ideas together, what do we learn? God wants to bring the blessings of heaven (peace, joy, and hope) into our lives, and part of how we allow these blessings into our lives is by giving our hearts to God and surrendering our own desires to God. This is good news, even if it is hard to do. Thank God that we have the help of the Holy Spirit to help us on the journey.

Happy reading this week! 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Gospel of Mark and Leviticus

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Today is Day 45 of our one-year Bible reading plan. On Saturday, we read about Jesus’ arrest and his trial before the religious Supreme Court. Every time I read about Judas’ betrayal of Jesus it brings tears to my eyes. The actions of Judas are, of course, heartbreaking, but it is the response of Jesus to Judas that overwhelms me with emotion. Put yourself in Jesus’ shoes. If one of your closest friends for whom you were a personal mentor betrayed you and it ended up with you being wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to execution, how would you response to that person? With disgust? With vitriol? With hatred? I would probably have chosen one of those options… but that’s not what Jesus did.

In his moment of betrayal, Jesus calls Judas “friend” and then simply says, “Do what you have come here to do.” I can almost hear sadness in his voice, but, more than anything else, I can still hear love. In John 13:1, it describes Jesus’ relationship to his disciples and says, “Jesus loved them to the end.” That includes Judas. Jesus continued to love Judas - his betrayer - to the very end. This gives me hope that, for all the ways I reject or deny or forsake or neglect Jesus in my own life, that Jesus will still love me, too. It also convicts my heart, because if Jesus loves me this way, then I should love those who deny or neglect or betray me that same way too. Only Christ is able to help us do this and, thankfully, offers us the strength we need to carry it out.  

On a different topic, this week we finish reading the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Exodus, and on Thursday and Friday we begin reading the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Leviticus, respectively. As I’ve been doing, allow me to provide some background and context for these new books as we prepare to read them.  

Gospel of Mark

In the Gospel of Mark, we are going to encounter many of the same stories and lessons that we just read in the Gospel of Matthew. Mark is much shorter than Matthew, yet Mark also includes some details of the life of Jesus that Matthew never tells us about (such as the healing of a deaf person in Mark 7:33-35 and a blind person in Mark 8:22-26). I’ve told you that the focus of the Gospel of Matthew wants us to see how the story of Jesus is really a continuation of the story of God’s faithfulness to Israel in the Old Testament. The focus of the Gospel of Mark, on the other hand, is different. Mark wants us to see how Jesus is really to be considered greater than all worldly powers. You’ll notice that Mark uses the word “immediately” frequently in chapters 1 through 10. Then, in chapters 11 through 16, his use of this word nearly ceases! That’s because chapters 11 through 16 take place in Jerusalem during Holy Week. It’s like Mark is giving us a tour of Jesus’ life at 65 MPH until we reach Holy Week, when he slows down to 35 MPH so we can see the significance of the passion of Christ. As you read through Mark, ask yourselves: How is this story about Jesus showing me that he is Lord over all, including my own life?  

Leviticus

The Book of Exodus flows very naturally into the Book of Leviticus. Exodus ends with Moses assembling the Tabernacle, after all of the various elements of the Tabernacle had been planned and constructed. It is very logical, then, that the book of Leviticus begins with a series of laws pertaining to what should happen inside the Tabernacle. Throughout Leviticus, we will be reading about different types of sacrifices and offerings, about priesthood, about ritual purity, about religious celebrations, and more. Before you conclude that the content of Leviticus is irrelevant to Christians today, just wait! Consider the fact that Jesus is actually quoting from Leviticus 19:18 when he says that the second greatest commandment is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The whole point of all the sacrificial laws and purity laws in Leviticus is to convey to us that God cares about social and moral order and considers sin to be disruptive to that order. As you read through Leviticus, ask yourselves: How might these laws have provided order to the original recipients of the laws? Even though our context is very different, what does this say to us about God’s desire for social and moral order today? 

Happy reading this week! 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: How should we read the Old Testament?

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Today is Day 38 of our one-year Bible reading plan. As Protestants, and Presbyterians in particular, we are “people of the Word.” This means that our faith is guided by our reading and study of the Bible. However, reading the Bible is sometimes very confusing. This can be particularly true when reading the Old Testament. How should we read the Old Testament?  

Last month, we read that Jesus once said that he himself is the fulfillment of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17). That means, as Christians, we should look to Jesus to help us understand the meaning and purpose of the Old Testament.  

With that in mind, let’s look at our reading from Matthew from last Friday. Jesus was talking to the Sadducees and quoted Exodus 3:6, where God says to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Matthew 22:32). Then, he goes on to say something interesting. He tells the Sadducees that this means “God is not the God of dead people but of living people.” In other words, neither Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob are really dead but will one day be resurrected. God was and is and will be the God of these ancestors of the faith.  

Now, go back and read that section of Exodus 3. In the exchange between God and Moses in that chapter, would you have assumed that this is what God meant by saying those words? Probably not. I certainly wouldn’t have assumed this. What does this tell us? I think it tells us that, sometimes, the meaning of an Old Testament text is not always what it might seem it means at first.  

If you are reading the Old Testament and ever think, “This seems harsh,” or, “This seems confusing,” or even, “This seems offensive to me,” I encourage you to follow up that thought with the question, “What might Jesus say about this text?” or “How does Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection change how I might think about this Old Testament text?” Jesus should inform everything we believe about the Old Testament. This is, in fact, exactly how Jesus taught the early Christians to read the Old Testament (Luke 24:27). 

So, if Jesus is our cipher for interpreting the Old Testament, why shouldn't just read about Jesus and forget the Old Testament? Here are two reasons. First, Christ, through the Holy Spirit, uses the Old Testament to help us understand truth and grace about God. Second, the story of the Old Testament is the Prologue to the story of Jesus, which means we don’t understand the meaning and purpose of Jesus without first understanding the Old Testament.  

Whether it’s trying to understand the meaning of the Old Testament or the purpose of your own life, turn to Jesus and you will find the best and truest answers. Happy reading this week! 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

MID-WEEK MEET-UP: Psalms

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! It’s Day 31 in our one-year Bible reading journey. I have been using these mid-week messages to provide you with some comments and context for our Gospel readings. Today, I’m going to deviate from this practice and comment on some of our Psalms readings from the week. In particular, I want to comment on Psalm 22, Psalm 23, and Psalm 24.  

Psalm 23 is so popular and loved, because of its comforting words and its reminder of God’s attentiveness and care for us. I’m sure you took particular notice of this Psalm when it came up in our reading plan on Sunday. However, what you may not have noticed is the way Psalm 23 reads when it is sandwiched between Psalm 22 and Psalm 24. Did you notice when we started reading the Psalms that right before Psalm 1, your Bible had the title “Book 1”? That’s because the entire book of Psalms is divided into five sections, or “books.” Psalms 1-41 is Book 1. Psalms 42-72 is Book 2. Psalms 73-89 is Book 3. Psalms 90-106 is Book 4. Psalms 107-150 is Book 5. The ancient final editors of the Book of Psalms compiled the collection of poems into five books to mirror the Pentateuch - the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy). Bible scholars theorize that the final editors grouped each of the five books of Psalms together, because, in their minds, the Psalms in each book are somehow related to each other. Scholars have different opinions as to what exactly it is that connects the Psalms in each book to each other. However, here’s the point I want you to see: Psalms 22-24, as Psalms in the same book, were meant to be read together.  

Let’s look closely at those three Psalms. Psalm 22 is asking God for deliverance from suffering and hardship. Psalm 23 is a reminder that God is with us even in the “valley of the shadow of death.” Psalm 24 is a song of praise, extolling God as the King of kings and Lord of lords. In general, this sequence of themes is a good reminder to anyone who is facing challenges. Even in the midst of great suffering, God is with us and will eventually be victorious over all evil and suffering. As Christians, now think about what this means in light of Jesus. 

Do you remember the words that Jesus uttered just before he died on the cross? Matthew 27:26 records it for us: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” You probably see the connection already. Those words are directly from Psalm 22:1. Jesus identified strongly with this Psalm in his most difficult and darkest moment. Yet, we also see that in this very same moment, as Jesus himself was “walking through the valley of the shadow of death” that he was also “fearing no evil” (Psalm 23). Then, in his resurrection and ascension, Jesus became victorious over death and took his place as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Psalm 24). Amazing! Psalms 22-24 lay out the path that Jesus took through his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension! Praise God!  

If you are feeling like God has forsaken you or that you’re walking through the valley of death’s shadow, just remember that God is indeed with you and will one day undo all evil and suffering. Remember, also, that Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to be where you are and also knows what it takes to make it through the valley of death’s shadow toward victory and freedom. Trust him, because he’s trustworthy!

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron