Mid-Week Meet-Up: Summer Solstice

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up, and I want to begin by reminding you that this Sunday we go to our summer worship schedule of only one service at 9:30am. As has been the case recently at the 8:30am service, the balcony will be reserved as a masks-only sitting area during our 9:30am summer service. I hope to worship with you!

Yesterday was the first day of summer, which means it was the longest day of the year. Today, the daylight will be a little briefer than it was yesterday. Tomorrow it will be even briefer. I can’t help but think about the relationship of this solstice with the winter solstice. In recent years, we’ve been hosting “Blue Christmas” services on (or around) December 21, the winter solstice. The purpose of these services is to intentionally make space in our church life for people who may not be feeling like Christmastime is the “most wonderful time of the year,” because of grief they are experiencing. They may not experience Advent as filled with love, joy, peace, and hope – the characteristics we usually associate with the season – because they are feeling the pain of loss. This “Blue Christmas” service is alternatively called “The Longest Night” service, because of its associate with the winter solstice. The idea is that the night of the service is indeed the longest night of the year, and that all the nights that follow will be a little shorter. The night, like our grief, is real and very dark, but with each day that passes is the hope of more life on the other side of grief.

When it comes to the climate, the seasons occur on a cycle. Winter happens every year. Summer happens every year. By associating grief with the solstice cycle, are we suggesting that grief is also experienced in cycles – or is that stretching the connection too far? Does our grief “get better” and then “get worse” in the same way that winter turns to summer and then eventually back to winter? That may be stretching the analogy past its usefulness, but I do think it is true that we find ourselves in cycles of grief. Whether in connection to the same loss or multiple losses, we periodically find ourselves in seasons of grief and seasons of joy.

Yesterday was the shortest night of the year. Maybe your soul is experiencing a “summer solstice” right now. Be grateful for the season of joy you find yourself in, and hold onto to every moment that you have. Maybe your soul is experiencing a “winter solstice” right now. Take hope that it will get better.

No matter which season you’re experiencing today, the Lord of Life, who conquered death through his resurrection, is with you and offers to fill you with his love.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Father's Day

Hi First Presbyterian,
It's time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I love the Parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32. However, I’m not really sure the focus of the parable is on the prodigal son, as much as it is on the son’s father. I think the parable should, instead, be called the Parable of the Magnanimous Father. With Father’s Day approaching, I think this is a wonderful parable on which to reflect.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that in Luke chapter 15, Luke puts three parables together that each have to do with losing something and then finding it. Luke compiles for us the Parable of the Lost Sheep (vv. 3-7), the Parable of the Lost Coin (vv. 8-10), and then the Parable of the Prodigal Son (vv. 11-32). In each parable, something is lost and found (a sheep, a coin, and a son - respectively), and then we’re told about the reaction of the one who had lost it (a shepherd, a woman, and a father – respectively). I think (generally speaking) these parables are supposed to be stories about our relationship with God, to the extent that, in each parable, the thing that is lost represents us and the one who lost it represents God. However, I don’t believe the point of the parable is about us – per se – but about God. I believe Jesus told these parables in order to teach us something about God, and what he teaches is actually kind of radical.

Consider the Parable of the Lost Sheep. A shepherd has one hundred sheep and loses one. In the parable, the shepherd then leaves the ninety-nine sheep in the desert and goes to find the one lost sheep. This parable is so familiar to most of us that we simply nod our head along as the story is told, without realizing that Jesus is actually saying something very ridiculous! The Judean desert is a very unforgiving place. It’s blazing hot. You or your sheep could easily, in a day, die of exhaustion. You or your sheep could fall to your death off the side of any number of steep rock faces. You or your sheep could be bitten by a poisonous desert reptile and die. And then there are the jackals, who would gladly eat you or your sheep. Shepherds were working to make a living, and their livelihood was invested in their sheep’s health. As a business owner, a shepherd had to do a cost-benefit analysis of his entire flock if he lost any of them. In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the cost-benefit analysis leads to a very clear solution: Do not go after that one lost sheep! The shepherd should just cut his losses and leave well-enough alone. He would not only be risking his own life but also the lives of the ninety-nine sheep by leaving them unattended in the desert to go after the one lost sheep. Ancient listeners to the parable probably would have thought, “Jesus, it’s ridiculous to suggest that a shepherd would go after the one lost sheep!” And that’s exactly the reaction Jesus wanted to evoke from his listeners! Here’s the point that Jesus wants to make: God pursues with reckless abandon even those that the rest of us have written off as “too far gone” or as “not worth” saving! God’s love is radical and effusive.

The point is the same in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. After the son returns from wasting away his father’s inheritance, his father welcomes him with a lavish party. In ancient Israel, no father would have been expected to do such a thing for a child who treated him with such humiliation, disregard, and disrespect. The father in this parable is magnanimous and even recklessly loving.

As Father’s Day approaches, let me encourage those of you who are fathers to believe that our own children need to know that God’s love is like this, and the best way to teach them that lesson is to love them that way ourselves. Let’s be merciful, bighearted, accepting, and kind.

As Father’s Day approaches, I know that many of you are missing your fathers, your husbands, or your children. What Jesus tells us in these parables is that grief cannot push us beyond God’s attention. God sees you, feels your emptiness, and is pursuing you relentlessly. You are loved and not alone.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Trinity

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. I sometimes like to talk in detail about the Trinity in my sermon on Trinity Sunday, but I won’t be doing that this week. But because God’s triune nature is such an important aspect of who God is to Christians, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to write to you about it today.

I’m going to take the risk of getting a little technical today. Hang in here with me.

What makes the persons of the Trinity distinct from one another? We say God is “one God in three persons.” Why isn’t the Trinity three distinct gods, instead of three “persons”? Or, if we look at it from the other perspective: What makes God one, despite having three persons?

I guess the fundamental question I’m asking is: Where do God’s “oneness” and “threeness” begin and end? Believe it or not, there is actually an answer to this question. I should say: Theologians have done their best to provide an answer to this question, and the answer has to do with God’s distinct interactions within himself and God’s interactions with the world. Theologians use Latin phrases ad intra and ad extra to differentiate between these two types of interactions.

Ad intra means “within” or “internally” and refers to the way that the persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) relate to each other.

Ad extra means “outside” or “externally” and refers to the way that the persons of the Trinity relate to everything outside themselves.  

Here’s the bottom line: The primary distinction between the three persons of the Trinity (and the reason Christians even insist that there are three persons instead of just one person) is found in God’s ad intra relationships (i.e., the way that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relate to each other). The primary characteristic that makes each person unique is as follows: The Father is “unbegotten” (i.e., has no beginning). The Son is “eternally begotten” of the Father (i.e., has an origin in the Father). The Holy Spirit “eternally proceeds” from the Father and the Son (i.e., has an origin in the Father and the Son).

You might be thinking: “What a minute, Aaron! Are you telling me that the Son of God had a beginning?” Yes, I am! But notice that his beginning is described as “eternally begotten.” So, if the Son’s existence originated from the Father, when did the Son come into existence? That’s an invalid question, because he’s always existed. It’s the same for the Holy Spirit who originated from the Father and the Son, and yet has also always existed. See for yourself in the text of the Nicene Creed. This is what Christians have been professing for centuries. This is part of the mystery of the Trinity. The Son and the Holy Spirit have origins that we’ll never find, because they’ve always existed.

Let me see if I can put this another way. Unbegottenness is the unique personal property of the Father; eternal begottenness is the unique personal property of the Son; and eternal procession is the unique personal property of the Holy Spirit. Everything else the persons of the Trinity share with each other. The three persons share the same mind, the same will, the same substance, and even the same actions. What the Father thinks and does, the Son and the Holy Spirt think and do, too. And vice versa.

Does your brain hurt yet? Mine does, too.

Here are some practical take-aways from thinking about the Trinity.

1) In Western “enlightened” thinking, we tend to think in binaries. Good or bad; friend or enemy; true or false; conservative or liberal; Republican or Democrat; white or black. I think, if God’s fundamental nature resists binary thinking (after all, 3=1 is either right or it’s wrong, isn’t it?!), then our thinking ought to resist binary thinking, too. For me, this means I should seek to live my life with humility and with an openness to having my mind changed.

2) If the persons of the Trinity can be distinct from one another and yet work together in mind, will, and action, then we ought to seek to live together the same way. The persons of the Trinity share their life with each other (begetting and proceeding) and yet work together. Let’s do that for each other, too – in humility and love.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Christ and Paganism?

Hi First Presbyterian,

This Sunday is Pentecost (and, therefore, also Confirmation Sunday – yay!), so don’t forget to wear red! But did you know that, in the church calendar, yesterday was a day called “Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth.” Protestant churches hardly ever celebrate it (that I know of), even though it does show up on our calendars every year on May 31. It commemorates the visit of Mary to her relative Elizabeth, while Mary was pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:39-57). It was during this visit that Elizabeth exclaimed when she saw Mary, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” It was also during this visit that Mary proclaimed the well-known Magnificat. We often think of this episode in the New Testament as part of the Christmas story. So, why do we celebrate it every year on May 31? Well, if we assume that this visit took place shortly after (maybe 1-2 months after) Mary conceived Jesus and that Jesus was born on December 25, then May 31 is the approximate time that this visit would have occurred. In a previous Mid-Week Meet-Up, I’ve written about the fact that Jesus was almost certainly not born in December and that one of the reasons his birth is celebrated on December 25 is because it was believed that his death and his conception by Mary happened on the same date (March 25). There is usually more than one reason for something, and since we are confronted again with the question of the date of Jesus’ birth because of “Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth” happening on May 31, let me tell you about another reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25.

You’ve probably all heard that Christmas was established on December 25 because it coincided with the Roman pagan festival of Saturnalia, which occurred around the time of the winter solstice. The fact of the matter is: that’s true! You may have also heard that bringing in evergreen branches (which has led to our Christmas tree tradition) has pagan origins; or that other Christian holidays have connections to other Roman pagan festivals, like Easter is connected to the pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (hence the reason we call it “Easter.”) Well, the bottom line is: those explanations are also true! Now, I’ve met some Christians who find these historical explanations problematic, insisting that Christians mustn’t have Christmas trees or that we must call it “Resurrection Sunday” not “Easter.” They insist that we must distance ourselves from these pagan connections.

Not me, though.

Here’s the reality. Early Christians didn’t establish Christmas on December 25 because they believed in Saturnalia. They believed in Jesus but wanted to be able to tell the story of Jesus to Roman pagans in a relatable way. Early Christians didn’t make connections of Jesus’ resurrection to the celebration of Eostre because they believed in Eostre. They believed in Jesus but wanted to tell the story of Jesus to Anglo-Saxon pagans in a relatable way. The Church didn’t make any connections to paganism because their belief in Jesus was rooted in pagan ideas. The Church made these connections because they believed the story of Jesus was true and wanted to tell that story in a way that made sense to the cultures they lived among. It’s the same reason that Luther sometimes borrowed tunes from non-liturgical music (like popular love songs) to set with his hymn lyrics. The story of Jesus is meant to be told, and it is best told when people can understand it.

I don’t believe the Gospel was ever meant to be overly academic or highfalutin. It was always intended to be relatable and accessible. That doesn’t mean the way we tell it can’t be thoughtful and beautiful. It simply means – the goal must be accessibility.

Jesus used parables. The Church used pagan language and concepts. Luther used non-liturgical music. How are you accessibly and clearly telling the story of Jesus through your life? Do you need help? That’s one reason the Church exists. Let’s do it together.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Ascension Day

Hi First Presbyterian,

It's time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! In St. Michael’s Church at Brent Knoll in Somerset, England, there is an interesting image on some stained glass art. It depicts the Evangelists (i.e., the Gospel writers) Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You’ll notice that each Evangelist is depicted using different symbolism. Mark is depicted as a lion. Luke is depicted as an ox. Matthew is depicted as an angel. John is depicted as an eagle. The stained glass in St. Michael’s Church is from the Middle Ages, but the depiction of the Evangelists as these four symbols can be found in even much older Christian art. Why? Well, the simplest answer is that early Christians have always recognized that, although the four Gospels tell us about the very same Jesus, they emphasize different aspects of his life and ministry. I want to focus on the Gospel of John. He is depicted as an eagle. Why? Well, eagles are often seen flying high in the sky, so high that you might think, “Surely nothing is as close to heaven as an eagle.” When you read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (which are very similar to one another), it seems that those Evangelists are emphasizing different aspects of Jesus’ humanity. The Gospel of John, on the other hand, seems to emphasize the divinity or heavenliness of Jesus - hence, the high-flying eagle. John shows us a Jesus who seems otherworldly at times, a heavenly and divine being. John’s Gospel gives us an eagle’s-eye view of Jesus.

Tomorrow is Ascension Day, the day in the Christian calendar where we remember that, after spending 40 days with his disciples following his resurrection, Jesus ascended back into heaven - the unseen realm of God. The Gospel of John and Ascension Day remind us that Jesus is no ordinary human. Jesus is God. Jesus was God before his birth as a human. Jesus was God during his life on the earth. Jesus is God today and forever. In John’s Gospel, we see that, in his birth, Jesus came from heaven and took up residence in a human body. And, likewise, once his mission on earth was complete, he returned to the place he had come from and took his human body with him. Notice the complete narrative of John’s Gospel. Heaven… to earth… back to heaven. 

Here’s what that means for us. Jesus is not just with God right now. Jesus is God right now. Whatever you would do for God, you can do for Jesus because they are one and the same. Do you pray to God? Pray to Jesus. Do you worship God? Worship Jesus. Do you trust God? Trust Jesus. Since Jesus is God, that has enormous ramifications for our lives. That means Jesus made us and loves us as his very own creation. That also means when we follow the example that Jesus lived his life by, it is not like trying to emulate some other person, who though you may love and admire greatly, is only a human with flaws. Following Jesus is not like trying to emulate your grandmother, or your mother, or Mother Teresa, or anyone else you might admire and respect. When you seek to follow Jesus, you are seeking to live your life the way God lived in this world. There is no greater example to follow than the one God has left for us to follow in Jesus. For me - and I hope for you, too - that is incredibly reassuring. 

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Meaning of Baptism

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I wanted to start off today by reminding you that this Sunday, May 15, at 3:00pm, in our sanctuary the Presbytery of Genesee Valley will be installing Rev. Erin Jacobson as your Associate Pastor! Clear your calendars; you won’t want to miss it!

I’ve lived in Fairport now for two years, and one thing I’m realizing at this point about this time of year is that I love when the waters of the Erie Canal return to their normal level. It’s a clear signal that summer is almost here! I can’t wait to get my kayak out and to grease up my fishing reels! However, this year, waiting for and watching the rising waters of the canal made me think of baptism. Not that I would ever think of baptizing anyone in the canal! Although, I have joked about that on occasion! I think it has to do with the fact that the water is rising, which makes me think about resurrection and the purpose behind baptism.

Have you ever wondered why we practice baptism? Lots of faith traditions have water rituals. Roman Catholics use holy water. Jews sometimes still practice immersion in mikveh (like when a person converts to Judaism). Muslims make wudu before going to jummah prayer. Water is a pretty universally used element in world religions. But how did it start for Christians?

Did you know that in the time when Jesus lived, MANY Jewish groups practiced baptism? The Hemerobaptists believed they need to be baptized every day in order to receive salvation (that’s what hemerobaptist means = “daily baptism.”) The Ebionites believed it was necessary to be baptized every time you touched something unclean. The Elkasites believed that baptism cleansed you from sin and that you could exorcise a demon by being baptized 40 times over a period of 7 days. The Dositheans believed that baptism had magical power to convert people to faith. A Jewish group that followed a man name Banus baptized themselves in ice-cold water as a form of religious asceticism. And the Essenes who lived at Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found) practiced frequent baptism for ritual cleansing.

You can see that when Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize new believers, they probably didn’t respond to Jesus by saying, “What’s baptism?” No! Lots of their contemporaries were practicing baptism, and it was a very normal and ubiquitous ritual happening all around them. But, here’s an important question: What did Christian baptism originally signify? Was it a magic ritual like it was for the Dositheans? No! Was it to be practiced multiple times like it was for the Hemerobaptists, Ebionites, Elkasites, or the Essenes? No! From the very beginning, at least two things are clear about Christian baptism: 1) it was an initiation rite, and 2) it was to remind us of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

1) As an initiation rite, baptism was the ceremony that welcomed a person into the family of God. Just as at Jesus’ own baptism where God recognized him as “my Son,” so we too are recognized as God’s children when we receive baptism. Additionally, we are not alone as God’s children, we become part of the church when we are baptized and are welcomed into a large family of brothers and sisters. Just as we are born or adopted into our earthly families only one time, so too we need to be baptized only once.

2) From the earliest Christian writings, we see that baptism carried with it the symbolism of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just read what Paul wrote in Romans 6:4, “We have been buried with Christ Jesus by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” If you’re struggling to see the connection of baptism to death-and-resurrection, you’re not alone. The connection is much clearer if we imagine the way baptism was done by most Christians in the first century: through immersion. Imagine a person being plunged under the water. (This kind of looks like being buried under the water.) Then imagine the person coming up from under the water. (This kind of looks like being raised up from being buried.) Baptism is supposed to remind us that, through the Holy Spirit, we are children of God because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. And, as God’s children, we share the same inheritance as God’s only begotten son Jesus Christ, namely: resurrection from the dead. Thanks be to God!

Friends, remember that you have been baptized, and give thanks to God! If you or your children haven’t been baptized, please reach out to me or Pastor Jacobson! We want you to become part of God’s family and to be marked with the sign and promise of our faith in Christ – victory over evil and resurrection from the dead!

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Mary and Martha

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! My whole family has COVID except for one of my kids. As my wife and I have tried to do everything possible to keep our one remaining healthy family member from getting it, it has required her and me to swap some of our more normal family and household responsibilities. In other words, I’ve been doing some things Laura usually does, and she’s been doing some things I usually do. For some reason, this “role reversal” has had me thinking about a story from the Gospel of Luke about roles and responsibilities – the story of Mary and Martha.

In Luke 10:38-42, we see Jesus coming to the village of Bethany and being hosted in the home of Mary and Martha. For an itinerate preacher like Jesus, this hospitality was important. Mary and Martha show up periodically in the stories of the Gospels, because Jesus probably stayed with them whenever he came to Jerusalem (as Bethany is just a few miles away). In our story, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to him teaching, while Martha goes about her “tasks” (in Greek, this seems to refer to the household responsibilities associated with hospitality – cooking and serving). Martha is upset with what Mary has chosen to do, and complains to Jesus about it. Jesus essentially tells Martha, “Leave Mary alone.”

Interpreters of this passage have often said (I think, wrongly) that this passage teaches us that there are two kinds of people in the church: those that care more about acts of service and administration (the Marthas) and those that care about spiritual devotion to God (the Marys). Presbyterian “Marthas” might be more concerned about committee structures, church traditions, and doing behind-the-scenes work for the church. They might also be Deacons and Trustees. Presbyterian “Marys” might be more concerned about prayer, Bible study, and preaching. They might also be Elders or Pastors. Since it seems that Jesus prefers Mary's work over Martha's, we’ve been told that we should strive to be more like Mary not Martha. As a result of this kind of interpretation of this passage, I’ve heard people in churches admit with a little embarrassment that they are “Marthas.” However, I do not think that is what this passage is teaching us at all!

Just before this passage, Luke told us the story of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37), which is a story that encourages us to break down the barrier between insiders and outsiders (in that case, Jews and Samaritans). In this story of Mary and Martha, we are encouraged to break down the barrier between men and women. Let me explain.

In the ancient world, gender roles were very prescribed and even physical spaces were established as male spaces and female spaces. This was true in the Jewish Temple, which had a separate courtyard just for men and a separate courtyard for men and women. This was also true in the Jewish home. There was often a main “public” room in the home, which, although it was “public,” was just for men. Only the rooms that were unseen by visitors (rooms like the kitchen) were for women. Men and women did not share mixed company in the home – with the exception to the married couple’s bedroom and the areas immediately outside the home (the “backyard,” in essence). So what Mary was doing by sitting at Jesus’ feet – a posture that was designated for men who were students (see Acts 22:3) – was crossing social boundaries and even scandalous.

Understood this way, Martha’s complaint isn’t necessarily that she’s doing all the hard work while Mary is simply lying around listening to Jesus. No, her complaint is: “Mary, you are a woman like me. How dare you sit in the men’s area with Jesus! You need to know your role!” But what does Jesus tell Martha? I’ll paraphrase what Jesus says in response: “Martha, what Mary has chosen is good, and no one should take that away from her.” Wow! Jesus disregards the social expectation! A radical action from Mary is followed up by an equally radical endorsement of her action by Jesus!

People are so quick to judge who is qualified or called to do certain things. This passage from Luke tells us that Jesus is for everyone and that all should have access to his love and grace. The reality is, the work that Martha was doing (of supporting and sponsoring the work of Christ) was necessary and important. Likewise, the work that Mary was doing (of learning from Christ and devoting herself to him) was necessary and important. All of us are called to both of these tasks, which means that no one should ever be restricted from doing them.

Friends, let us all go out to share the love of Christ that meets us wherever we are and always breaks down the barriers that keep us apart.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Good News/Bad News

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Today, I have two very different things I’d like to tell you about. First is some REALLY good news! Last night, at the meeting of the Presbytery of the Genesee Valley, the Presbytery voted to approve the call of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsford to Rev. Erin Jacobson to serve as Associate Pastor. In other words, you all voted to make her your permanent Associate Pastor at the congregational meeting on February 27th, and now it’s finally official! Erin gets to be your Associate Pastor! This is great news, because Erin is a phenomenal pastor. I am blessed to work alongside her, and I am so happy for YOU that you get to experience her ministry. Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 15, at 3:00 pm, because that is when the Presbytery will be leading her service of installation right here in our sanctuary. You will definitely want to be there!

Secondly, some of you already know that I got COVID this week. It actually took me a while to mentally process the indicators on my at-home test saying that I was positive. But as soon as it sunk in, my mind began putting together the chain of related events, including the fact that I might have to isolate at home this Sunday. This realization did not sit well with me. I love leading worship! It is one of the primary things I believe God has called me to do! I began thinking, “First Presbyterian needs me! They need me to preach this Sunday! I can’t miss it!” So I began trying to calculate the number of days of required isolation to see if I could still lead worship with my mask on the whole time… but then I realized what I was doing. So I stopped my mind from racing and just admitted, “I can’t be there on Sunday. And even if I could technically come out of isolation, it wouldn’t be right to risk anyone else’s health.” I actually mentioned at the church staff meeting yesterday (which I attended virtually) that I was struggling with this, and Dr. Frank said to me, “Aaron, it sounds like you’re telling us you’re having a hard time letting go, which is something that you’ve preached about many times.”  I was so grateful to Bruce for saying that, because he was absolutely right! For me, letting go means admitting that my life is more than just my job as a Pastor, and it means admitting that God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness. Wow! This whole experience is helping me to put that into practice more fully. Plus, it’s also an opportunity for our wonderful new permanent Associate Pastor to preach! I was looking forward to seeing you this week, but we’ll have to wait until a later day. 

 Friends, continue to trust in God’s grace, and let’s give thanks to God for bringing us Erin!

 From my basement,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Youth Sunday

Good Evening First Presbyterian,

I hope you had a joyful Easter Sunday!

It was certainly a joy for me and Pastor Neff to see so many of you at our services on Sunday morning and hear from all of you who were worshipping from afar (more than 150 households!).

This coming Sunday, April 24th, promises to be an exciting and joy-filled worship experience as well! Over the last month and a half, several of our youth in grades 6-12 have met during their Sunday School time, and during Youth Group meetings, to prepare to lead both our morning worship services. They chose the theme and scripture together, and Piper Wilson (an FPC senior) will be providing the sermon.

Using scripture selections from Daniel and the gospels of Luke and Matthew, they will explore the theme of “Forgiving and Giving” throughout the service. Their gospel selections come from the section of the gospel of Luke that is referred to as the “Sermon on the Plain” and from the longer “Sermon on the Mount” in the gospel of Matthew.

As we prepare to worship together on Sunday morning, I encourage to reflect on this selection from Luke 6:37-38a ~ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you…

Martin Luther preached a sermon on this scripture titled, Be Merciful as Your Heavenly Father is Merciful* sometime around the year 1523. He closes this sermon on Luke 6:37-42 with the following, that I think connects this scripture and its message to the lessons of Holy Week, and in particular what we have just experienced in observing Maundy Thursday:

And just in this way does the world take knowledge of Christians, how they live among themselves and show one another such acts of mercy. This the Lord Christ also taught his disciples in the Lord's Supper when in John 13:34-35 he said: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Such is the explanation of this Gospel; let us pray to God for his grace.

This evening I am giving thanks to God for all the ways that Jesus explained, taught, repeated, and reminded the disciples and those present for his sermons that loving one another and God is at the heart of our purpose as Christians.

Beloved, may you love one another as Christ has loved you,

Erin

*A Sermon by Martin Luther; taken from his Church Postil, and first published in pamphlet form in 1523

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Maundy Thursday

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s Holy Week, and I wanted to send out my Mid-Week Meet-Up a little early. I mostly wanted you to give you a couple days to consider the nature of our Maundy Thursday service this week. First, have you ever wondered what the word “maundy” means? As a kid, I misheard it as “Monday Thursday,” and I thought it was nonsensical and was somehow connected to the utter incomprehensibility of the Son of God dying for us. It turns out that “maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means “mandate” or “command.” The command it refers to is from John 13:34, in which Jesus says: “I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” In other words, “Maundy Thursday” refers to the Thursday on which Jesus gave us a command to love one another. We could reasonably call this day “Love Commandment Thursday.”

Second, I want to make you aware that our Maundy Thursday service this year is going to be a service of foot-washing. In other words, Pastor Erin and I will be washing your feet during worship on Thursday evening. You will be invited to come forward during worship, remove your socks and shoes, and we will wash and dry your feet. I can hear some of you saying right now, “Why in the world is this happening?!?!” Let me say right away: no one will be forced to participate in the foot-washing. If you want to participate in the foot-washing, please come to worship on Thursday. If you don’t want to participate in the foot-washing, please come to worship on Thursday anyway! I encourage you to be open to it and to even try it. Everyone worshiping online will also have a way to participate from home.

The truth is: Christians from all different denominations have been doing foot-washing services for at least hundreds of years. In fact, it goes all the way back to Christ himself, which is kind of the point of doing it today. I encourage you to read about foot-washing on the internet and to read John 13:1-20 (read all the way to verse 35 to see how it’s connected to the Love Commandment I mentioned above) between now and Maundy Thursday. Then worship with us at 7pm and see if Holy Week opens up to you in a new and more meaningful way.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: New Members Class

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up. Our theme in worship and in our Pop-Up Fellowship Groups next week will be “coats.” This Sunday, Pastor Jacobson will be preaching and leading our Lent Learning Session on that topic. This Sunday is Palm Sunday, so the connection to “coats” should be obvious! But as I think about it, it’s hard to believe that Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and eventually Easter are right around the corner!

With Easter approaching and its reminder to us of God’s resurrecting life at work in the world, I want to take this time to announce that I’ll be leading a new members class this Spring. There have been a number of people who have expressed an interest to me in becoming members of our congregation, which is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work among us! This three-session class is required for anyone who wants to become a member of the congregation; however, anyone who wants to learn more about the current vision of the church is welcome to attend the class, too. The class will be offered at 11:30 am following the worship services on May 1, May 8, and May 15. The class on May 1 will answer the question: “What does it mean to be a Presbyterian?” The class on May 8 will answer the questions: “Why become a member of a church?” and “Why become a member of this congregation?” In the final class on May 15, we’ll tie up loose ends and take a “Spiritual Gifts Assessment.” If you want to become a member or if you are interested in attending the classes, please let me know!

One thing I love about the Presbyterian theology of church membership is that membership and faith in Jesus Christ are integrally tied together. To become a member of the church, a person must profess to trust in God’s mercy, to turn from sin and renounce evil, to trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to commit to live in obedience to Jesus, and to devote themselves to the life of the church. As Easter approached, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the resurrecting life of Christ!

Peace to you,

Pastor Neff

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Oil

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Continuing through Lent with our focus on the book Lent in Plain Sight, the theme of worship this Sunday and your Pop-Up Fellowship Groups next week will be “oil.” There are lots of references to oil in the Bible, and there is lots of theological symbolism behind the object. I have always been intrigued and perplexed by Matthew 25:1-13, in which Jesus tells a story about ten young women who are awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. As part of their waiting, five of them bring oil lamps without oil, and the remaining five bring oil lamps with flasks of oil for their lamps. They go out to wait for the bridegroom (presumably during the daytime) and end up waiting long into the night for him to return. They all fall asleep while they wait, until they’re awakened by the news that the bridegroom has returned and will be with them any minute. The young women who didn’t bring oil aren’t able to light their lamps. The ones who brought oil don’t have enough to share, and so the oil-less women must go find oil to buy. Unfortunately, while they are gone, the bridegroom appears and only those who were prepared with oil in their lamps go into the wedding banquet with him.

The background to the story is lost on us who are separated by geography and centuries from this cultural context. It’s likely that the ten young women are from the bridegroom’s household (maybe sisters or cousins or employees), and they are waiting for him while he is likely meeting with the bride’s father, agreeing to terms for her dowry. Once he returns, the young women will escort him to his bride (now in his own household) to consummate the marriage. Afterward, a wedding feast will be held.

It seems obvious that the five women who didn’t bring oil assume the bridegroom is going to quickly agree to terms for a dowry and return soon. That isn’t the case. In fact, even the women who did bring oil were surprised when he finally returned. What’s the point of this story?

Within the larger context of Matthew’s Gospel, it’s clear that this is a metaphor for Jesus’ return to earth, his Second Coming. What is he trying to tell us about his Second Coming? To me, he has one point to make: always be ready, because you don’t know when it will happen. Don’t be like the five women who assumed that his delay wouldn’t be long, which will lead you to be unprepared when he finally does arrive and which has the potential to lead you to believe that he’ll never come at all. Even within one generation of waiting for Jesus’ return, Christians were already becoming disenchanted with the idea that his return would ever happen. 2 Peter 3:3-4 says, “In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!’” If that was true for those who lived shortly after the time of Jesus, how much truer for those of us who live thousands of years after them! This is the very point of the story about the 10 young women. Jesus is returning… so we ought to be vigilant in being ready!

I think it’s also important to notice that, despite their preparedness, the five women who did bring oil for their lamps were still surprised when the bridegroom appeared! It seems there have been people in every generation of the Church’s history that have tried to predict the coming of the Lord based on things happening around them. Upstate New York is notorious for producing such “millenarian” groups like the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Shakers. The reality is, however, like Jesus says in this passage from Matthew 25: “you know neither the day nor the hour” (v. 13).

There is much that many people are anxious about these days: COVID, growing unrest in our country, and the war in Ukraine – to name a few. Some people may tell you, “Despair! If Jesus really cared about us, he’d come back and do something about it already. Abandon your hope! Jesus isn’t coming!” Don’t listen to them. The bridegroom delays but he hasn’t abandoned us. Other people may say, “The Bible has predicted the war in Ukraine, and we can know exactly what God is going to do next!” Don’t listen to them, either! We don’t know when Jesus will return.

The only thing we do know is that Jesus has told us to be ready. So… let’s be ready. Let’s not let him find us sleeping or unprepared. Let’s get serious about our faith. Let’s decide that if Jesus does return tomorrow, he’ll find us loving our neighbor with selflessness and humility… which is what he really wants us to do.

It’s amazing what you can learn from a story about oil!

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Shoes

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

 It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up, and the journey through Lent toward Easter continues. In your Pop-Up Fellowship Groups and in worship, we’ve been looking at everyday objects to help open up the meaning of Lent this year. (We've also been looking at these objects during the Lent Learning Sessions at 11:30 each Sunday, which Pastor Jacobson is leading this Sunday.) We’ve looked at bread, the cross, coins, and this Sunday’s object will be shoes. I’ve been incorporating the object-of-the-week into each Sunday’s service, and this Sunday I’ll be incorporating shoes into worship – specifically, YOUR shoes. At the beginning of Sunday’s worship, you are going to be invited to take your shoes off. Ok, I realize that some of you might be gasping aloud to even imagine taking your shoes off at church, which is why I’m telling you now that this will be a totally voluntary aspect of worship. You should feel free to come to worship and leave your footwear on your feet, but the invitation to remove your shoes will be offered to you. Read Exodus 3:1-6 between now and Sunday, and you will understand the rationale behind this sacred act. 

Before Sunday, as you reflect on what sort of theological meaning may be attached to shoes, allow me to refer you to two passages of scripture where shoes play a prominent role: Luke 3:16 and John 13:5. In the passage from Luke, we see that all the people who were receiving baptism from John the Baptist wondered if he was the Messiah. John the Baptist tells them that he is simply preparing the way for Jesus – the Messiah – whose sandals he isn’t even worthy to untie. It was customary during the first century for people to remove their sandals before coming indoors. Sandals were open-toed, and the streets were filthy; so it was also customary for a “lowly” member of the household (often a servant) to remove the sandals from a guest’s feet and wash their feet with water. John the Baptist was saying that he wasn’t even worthy to be a servant to Jesus, the esteemed Messiah. Now fast-forward to the passage from John 13:5 in which we see Jesus himself washing the feet of his disciples during their evening meal. What a statement Jesus was making! 

Jesus once said, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). John the Baptist – the greatest among all us mere mortals – didn’t feel worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. Yet, Jesus – the Son of God – believed it was necessary for him to wash his disciples’ feet, in order to demonstrate that true godliness is shown through humility and service. After Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he told them, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Friends, do you want to be great and make an incredible impact in the world? Then, quietly and compassionately serve your neighbor. That’s Jesus’ definition of greatness, which is surely good enough for us. 

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Temple Tax

Hi First Presbyterian,

I’m really enjoying our Lenten sermon series tying in the content from the book Lent in Plain Sight. This Sunday, the object we’ll be focusing on that is frequently “in plain sight” is coins. I’ll be talking about coins during my sermon on Sunday as well as during the Lent Learning Session I’ll be leading at 11:30 in the Fellowship Hall. (By the way, did you know that Craig, Erin, and I have been leading these sessions every Sunday for those of you who aren’t part of a Lent Pop-Up Fellowship Group?)

As part of the children’s sermon during the 10:00 service this Sunday, I’d like to bring the object of coins into focus. Do you have any spare change lying around your kitchen counter, in your couch cushions, in your car, or in a piggy bank? If so, ask your kids to collect those coins or collect them yourself and bring them to church on Sunday. During the children’s sermon, I’ll enlist the help of the kids to collect the coins, and then we’ll talk about a Bible passage that mentions coins. All the coins collected will be put toward a donation to Keeping our Promise – the organization that helped to bring our refugee neighbors here from Afghanistan. If you’ll be attending the 8:30 service, you can still bring your coins! If you won’t be at worship in-person on Sunday, you can bring your coins into the church office during the week!

All this talk about coins reminds me of a story about a coin in the Gospel of Matthew. It’s actually one of the more bizarre stories in the New Testament, and it involves Jesus telling Peter to collect a coin out of a fish's mouth to pay their Temple tax. In Matthew 17:24-27, people who worked for the Jerusalem Temple found Jesus and Peter in Galilee and asked them to pay the Temple tax. Ever since the days of Solomon’s Temple, a Temple tax was required from all Israelite men. The purpose of the Temple tax was for the upkeep and maintenance of the Temple facility. In response to being asked to pay the Temple tax, Jesus pointed out to Peter that kings don’t collect taxes from their own family, just people who are not their family. Then, without really explaining himself, he asked Peter to catch a fish and to find a stater (a coin that was worth the exact amount for two Temple taxes). Peter went out and did exactly as Jesus explained to him.

It’s such a weird story, the meaning of which Bible interpreters have argued for centuries. I tend to agree with a fourth-century Church Father named John Chrysostom, who believed that Jesus said his comments about kings not collecting taxes from their own family as a way of indicating, “This Temple is my Father’s, and, as his Son, I don’t need to pay this Temple tax.” The Temple tax (which maintained the Temple facility) was a way for God’s people to continue to have a Temple, and, therefore, to continue having access to God. The fact that Jesus (through the miracle of the fish) paid the tax for himself and for Peter was a way that Jesus was showing us that, as God’s Son, he has free access to God and guarantees our own access to God. The miracle of the coin in the fish was a metaphor for our salvation. We don’t need a Temple or a church building to have access to God. Jesus has reconciled us to God through his death and resurrection… and that is enough! Thanks be to God!

Peace to you,

Pastor Neff

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Mask News

Hi First Presbyterian Church,

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Session decided to make masks optional in the church building at all times except for Sundays for the 10:00 am worship service and Sunday School (except while actively eating and drinking).  This means that the masks-optional rule also now applies to activities that it didn’t apply to before, including youth group, confirmation, and LOGOS. The only time masks are required in the building are for 10:00 am worship and Sunday School. The Session is trying to consider everyone’s risk-tolerance in order to maximize the number of people who can attend church activities in-person.

Tuesday night, a long discussion was held on whether or not to also make masks optional for 10:00 am worship and Sunday School. The Session understands that health and government officials are no longer requiring masks indoors and is leaving it up to local organizations and individuals to make their own decisions about masking. However, the Session also understands that people make their decisions to attend or not attend worship/Sunday School for a variety of reasons. As a result, your Elders are divided about what to do for worship and Sunday School without some input from you.

Here is a simple 2-question survey for you to fill out to help us understand your feelings about masks and 10:00 am worship/Sunday School attendance. Your response to the survey is to help the Session understand your feelings and should not be understood as a referendum vote. If one person from a household responds, that response will be assumed to apply to the whole household. If there are different feelings represented in a household, please respond separately. Click the following link and kindly respond to the survey by March 23 to ensure your response is included the policy development.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FPCP_Mask_Survey

As I reflect on this situation and about leading a community of faith through this situation, one thing is very clear to me: churches make decisions differently than the world makes decisions. Jesus teaches us to use what freedom we have to love and serve one another. Your responses to the survey will help the Session to decide how best to love and serve one another in this situation. I appreciate your participation.

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Ash Wednesday

Hi First Presbyterian,

Ash Wednesday makes some Protestants uncomfortable. Some would rather not participate in the imposition of ashes at all. Others participate but add glitter to the ashes. There are probably a variety of other reasons, too, people don’t like to receive ashes and be reminded of mortality. I embrace the traditional observance of Ash Wednesday but understand the aversion by some Protestants. In fact, this aversion goes all the way back to the time of the Protestant Reformation.

In the sixteenth century AD, Martin Luther did away with the long-observed practice of imposing ashes. His reason? Because the practice isn’t found in the New Testament. In other words, because Jesus didn’t say, “Put ashes on your foreheads on Ash Wednesday,” Martin Luther didn’t want to encourage people to do it. Luther was pushing back against certain beliefs, traditions, and rituals of the medieval Catholic Church that he believed were ridiculous, harmful, and distracted from the message of the Gospel. He looked to scripture as his guide and, as a result, rejected many of the contemporary beliefs and traditions of his day. This is also one of the reasons that Lutherans (and Presbyterians, for that matter) have only two Sacraments, instead of seven.

Is Luther’s reason for rejecting the practice of imposing ashes a good reason? It depends on what you think the purpose of scripture is. Is the purpose of scripture to give us an exhaustive list of everything we ought to be doing in worship? Some Christians think so. Many very conservative Calvinists and Anabaptists hold to a belief called the “regulative principle of worship.” This principle states that God commands us to include certain specific elements in our public worship as found in scripture and that, conversely, we are prohibited from including anything in worship that isn’t found in scripture. This principle is held by many Reformed Baptists today. For example, the Bible includes as elements of worship: reading scripture, preaching, singing, and praying. So, many Reformed Baptists believe that those elements MUST be included in worship. However, scripture never mentions choirs, pageants, or certain instruments as elements of worship. So, many Reformed Baptists believe that God PROHIBITS things like the singing of anthems by a choir, special instrumentalist performances, and children’s Christmas pageants. Among some of these groups there is fierce debate as to which instruments are commanded/prohibited, so they avoid any possible missteps and simply have acapella congregational singing. Obviously, we don’t believe that at First Presbyterian.

So, was Martin Luther right to get rid of Ash Wednesday? Well, there is always historical and cultural context to consider, but I would argue that just because Luther (or Calvin or any of our forbearers) did (or didn’t do) something means we must follow them. The Bible never mentions modern day organs – should we get rid of our organ? The Bible never mentions stained-glass windows – should we replace our windows? The Bible never mentions Minute for Missions – should we never allow that to happen? I assume many of you would shudder at some of those suggestions!

Presbyterians have been observing Ash Wednesday for many years now. The Bible never says, “You must put ashes on your forehead to begin the Lenten season.” Nevertheless, I believe there are good and very meaningful reasons we do it anyway. If you want to know those reasons, I encourage you to worship with us tonight at 7pm – online or in-person. I hope to worship with you tonight!

Peace to you,

Pastor Neff

Mid Week Meet-Up: Introducing Pastor Erin Jacobson

Good Afternoon First Presbyterian,

This weekend I have the honor to be presented to you by the Session of First Presbyterian Church for election as your next called and installed Associate Pastor. 

As part of this process, on Saturday, February 26 from 3pm-4pm Pastor Neff will host a Town Hall meeting in our sanctuary where he asks me questions that all of you have submitted over the last few weeks.

You can participate in the Town Hall in-person or online via www.pittsfordpres.org/live. We hope you will join us on Saturday for the Town Hall meeting, and again on Sunday where I will preach at both the 8:30am and 10:00am worship services. Immediately following the 10am worship service, there will be a Congregational Meeting (in person or on Zoom) where one of the items of business will be a vote of the congregation on my candidacy. 

As a preview of what you may hear at the Town Hall meeting on Saturday, below is a brief biography of my time in ministry: 

I have had the pleasure of serving as your Temporary Supply Associate Pastor since September of 2020. Before beginning my service here, I served at East Bethany Presbyterian Church where I was their 1/3 time pastor from late 2017 until summer of 2020, in addition to working full time as the Office Manager in the Historic Village at Genesee Country Village and Museum.

My greatest passions in ministry are pastoral care and faith formation for all ages. Both of these passions take many forms; hospital and nursing home visitation, special services emphasizing growth through prayer and the sacraments, equipping church members with the skills and tools to provide pastoral care to one another, and providing fellowship, learning, and growth opportunities for youth.

I earned my Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. I also hold a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education and Human Development from the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester, and New York State teaching certifications for birth-second grade and grades 1-6.  

Prior to attending seminary, I taught Kindergarten for four years in Alexander, New York. During my time in New Jersey, I completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Princeton-Plainsboro Medical Center. I have also served churches in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Staten Island, New York in long term pastoral supply positions.  

I have a variety of experience working with Presbyterian youth and college students. I have attended Presbyterian Youth Triennium three times (once as a youth and twice as an advisor), and have served both the First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca and the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia, New York as Youth Ministry Director. As one of my field education placements I served as an intern with the 1,001 New Worshipping Community “Breaking Bread” – a ministry of Princeton Presbyterians (college student ministry) at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton. While living in New Orleans from 2005-2006, I also served as a youth ministry volunteer at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church.

I am currently the chairperson of the Committee on Representation (formerly the Nominating Committee) for the Presbytery of Genesee Valley, and I have had a long relationship with the Presbytery, serving as the Vice Moderator in 2004 (as a Ruling Elder) and as Youth Advisory Delegate to General Assembly in 2001.  

As a cradle Presbyterian, I was nurtured in my faith, confirmed, and ordained as a Ruling Elder at Corfu United Presbyterian Church until departing for undergraduate studies at Ithaca College in 2001. I credit the congregations and pastors of Corfu UPC, First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, and First Presbyterian Church in Batavia (who sponsored and supported me during the ordination process) for walking with me on the long path to my call and ordination as a Teaching Elder in the PC(USA).

My husband Steven is a clergy tax accountant in private practice who is originally from Amherst, New York. We have been married since 2014 and live together with our three adopted dogs: Teddi, McTavish, and Sammy. In our free time we enjoy traveling locally, and especially enjoy spending time in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. My parents, Tom and Cindy Schubmehl live in East Pembroke, New York and are active members at First Presbyterian Church in Batavia, where my father serves as their Clerk of Session. My brother Brian and sister-in-law Katie live in Marblehead, Massachusetts with our nieces and nephew. Eleanor is 6, and twins Anna and William are 3; we delight in their visits, and face-timing with them over dinner.

I hope to see all of you virtually or in person at some point this weekend. 

In Christ’s Abundant Love,

Rev. Erin 

Mid-Week Meet-Up

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I wanted to use this opportunity to remind you of two very important events coming up. First, do you remember the US Congregational Vitality Survey you completed in October? Many of you filled it out during our October 10th worship service. Others of you filled it out online the week after that worship service. Well, this Sunday, Craig Kunkle and I will be leading a workshop to discuss and unpack the results of the survey at 11:30am in the Fellowship Hall after worship. How did we measure up against the “7 Marks of Congregational Vitality?” How vital does our congregation think it is? If you want to know the answers to those questions, then join us Sunday at 11:30am in the Fellowship Hall. For those who aren’t able to come in-person, we’re working on a way to record the workshop.

Second, you should all be aware at this point that, at the annual meeting this month, church members will be voting on a nomination from the Session to make Rev. Erin Jacobson the permanent Associate Pastor of the congregation. However, don’t let the excitement of that opportunity cause you to forget that on Saturday, February 26th, from 3-4pm, Pastor Erin will be the focus of a town hall meeting at the church! At this town hall meeting, you will have the opportunity to ask her questions about herself and her ministry. The purpose of the town hall meeting is to help you prepare for voting on calling her as Associate Pastor by giving you a chance to get to know her a little better (in case you feel like you don’t.) If you have questions you’d like to ask her, please submit them by February 23rd to the church office at connect@pittsfordpres.org. The town hall meeting will be in-person and livestreamed. (Access the livestream just like you access our Sunday worship livestream).

Hooray for all that God is doing!

Peace to you,

Pastor Aaron

Mid-Week Meet-Up: Valentine's Day

Hi First Presbyterian,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! I’d like to write to you today about Valentine’s Day, but, first, an update from the Session’s meeting last night. The Session decided to reintroduce food service and eating/drinking back into our church activities. That means serving and eating food may now return to coffee hour, LOGOS, Optimists, and any other church event. The reintroduction of food service is the only change to our COVID protocols at this point, meaning masks are still required in the building for everyone unless actively eating or drinking.

Now, to the topic of Valentine’s Day. It’s interesting to think about how February 14, a day that has historically been a feast day for Saint Valentine in the Roman Catholic tradition, ever became associated with romance. Any historical details about the Saint Valentine celebrated on Valentine’s Day are essentially lost. There are so many conflicting stories about him that all we really know is a man named Valentinus was executed by a Roman emperor at the end of the third century AD for his belief in Christ. It’s unclear when Valentine’s Day was first connected with romantic love, but the first written record comes from a poem written in the fourteenth century by the great English poet Geoffrey Chaucer:

And in a clearing on a hill of flowers
Was set this noble goddess, Nature;
Of branches were her halls and her bowers
Wrought according to her art and measure;
Nor was there any fowl she does engender
That was not seen there in her presence,
To hear her judgement, and give audience.

For this was on Saint Valentine’s day,
When every fowl comes there his mate to take,
Of every species that men know, I say,
And then so huge a crowd did they make,
That earth and sea, and tree, and every lake
Was so full, that there was scarcely space
For me to stand, so full was all the place.

In the section I just quoted, Chaucer is describing a dream in which Nature is presiding over a council where all kinds of birds are choosing mates for themselves. I love watching nature documentaries on Netflix with my kids and learning about the courtship behaviors of birds. Some birds sing. Some birds, like peacocks, display bright and colorful plumage. Some birds, like birds-of-paradise, dance. One thought-provoking way some birds try to attract a mate is by building a nest. Some male birds show off their nest-building abilities to potential female mates to show them how safe and secure their offspring would be if the female would choose that male. I like the image of a bird putting so much time and effort into building a nest for its love-interest, because, to me, it illustrates that love requires preparation. The male bird shows the female bird that he is prepared to raise baby birds with her. Love requires preparation.

Lent, which is approaching next month, is a time of preparation. Specifically, it is a time to prepare for Easter. Sometimes, to understand and to show love, we need to prepare. We need to count the cost of what is required to be in a relationship of love. We need to consider in advance what will be required of us. That is what Lent is all about, and I encourage us all to consider how we will approach Lent as a time to prepare to experience the love of God shared with us through Christ’s resurrection.

Peace to you,
Pastor Neff

Mid-Week Meet-Up: February

Hi First Presbyterian,
It’s February! How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Just kidding! I don’t need to know anything about your New Year’s resolutions or even whether or not you have any. I do wonder, though: Why do people make New Year’s resolutions? Is it just because we feel like we need to course-correct after overdoing it on Christmas cookies and holiday celebrations? Probably not. How long have people been making New Year’s resolutions? Well, some people argue that the Babylonians were the first people to do it 4,000 years ago at their Spring-time new year festival, when they would make annual promises to their gods and to their king. It seems that people have always wanted to make changes every time a new year arrives.

It’s interesting to me that the month of February is named after the Roman festival Februa, a festival of purification, which sought to annually rid the city of evil and encourage health and fertility. Getting rid of the “bad stuff” seems to have always been a part of bringing in a new year – even in Christianity. This year, Ash Wednesday is on March 2, but, during most years, Lent begins in February. Lent is a time when Christians tend to reflect on sin and looking to Christ to free us from it. While the timing of Lent has more to do with its proximity to Easter, Lent wasn’t always part of the Christian calendar – to the best of our historical knowledge. The earliest “time of preparation” leading up to Easter seems to have only included Holy Week, in particular the two days before Resurrection Sunday (i.e., symbolizing the time that Jesus spent in the tomb). It was a later historical development to lengthen the “time of preparation” for Easter (i.e., Lent) by extending it 40 days prior. I’m totally speculating here, but I wonder if extending Lent into February wasn’t a reaction to what seems to be a universal experience of wanting to get the “bad stuff” out of our lives every new year.

Whatever the case may be, a lot of us are going about this time of year feeling like something is wrong, that something is missing, that we could be doing better, that we should be doing better, and that we have to do something to make ourselves more acceptable. The reality is: God has already done that for us through Jesus. By all means, make changes in your life to take care of your body, to prioritize your most important relationships, or to try to be more organized and focused. But also realize that none of those things will make you more acceptable or worth loving than you already are. I leave you with these words from 1 Corinthians 1:30: “Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (The Message).

(By the way, if you find these Mid-Week Meet-Ups meaningful and want other people to read them, please feel free to share them as broadly as you'd like!)

Peace to you,

Pastor Neff