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January 14, 2015
A Devotional Life

 

Ephesians 1:15-23

 

"God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

(Ephesians 1:20-23)

 

            This entire passage is a great summation of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In it Paul lays out the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. Yet look at what is missing. Nowhere is it mentioned that this death and resurrection is for one's personal salvation. No, for Paul, the Gospel is so much more all-encompassing. It is not individual, personalized, or specific. Rather it is broad, far-reaching, entire. This is made no clearer than in the highlighted portion of today's reading. "And he has put all things under his feet" and "seated him... far above all rule and power and authority and dominion." These sorts of passages help us understand that what Jesus has accomplished in His death and resurrection is not for us, even as it swoops us up in it. No, it is not for us, rather we are for it. We are for the establishment of this new Kingdom, the enthronement of this new King, the living as "the fullness of him" as He rules and reigns over all.

            More specifically, he rules and reigns over "rule and power and authority and dominion." This repetition of synonyms is meant to leave no corner of creation uncovered by Jesus' kingship. There are no rules - be they laws or social customs and mores - that don't fall under His lordship. There are no powers - be they natural or social - that don't fall under His lordship. There are no authorities - be they kings, tyrants, or elected officials - that don't fall under His lordship. There are no dominions - be they nations or neighborhoods - that don't fall under His lordship. No corner goes uncovered. All is tucked into His lordship. This means that all of it must bow down and worship Him. This means that all of it must be obedient to Him and His will for the world. If He wills that the poor and needy be lifted up, then this must happen in our laws, our customs, our social order, our government, our nation, and - maybe most of all - our neighborhoods. If we don't see this happening - it logically follows - then we are witnesses to insurrection, to rebellion, to an inevitable idolatry. It is a difficult way, for sure, to walk about your days viewing the world, but its difficulty does not detract from its truthfulness. The goal, then, in these difficulties - the difficulties of living in a world that does not bow to the will of its Lord - is to "know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints." The goal, as well, is to remember that His fullness "fills all in all." Just because we walk through a world rebellious toward its King does not mean that we must also join in the rebellion. That would be the succumbing to peer pressure. No, instead, we must continue to gather together in worship and remember - time and again, anew each day - that God has, indeed, "put all things under his feet" and this changes everything... for good. Amen.

 

 

A Worshipful Life

Sermon Title:     "First Responders"

Sermon Text:      John 1:43-51

Other Scripture:  1 Samuel 3:1-20

 

Whenever tragedy strikes, we all marvel at the first responders. They are the ones who enter into the chaos with no prior knowledge of what they will encounter. They step out in faith as they step up in service. First responders are due our admiration and this is as true in our faith. Samuel, Philip, Nathanael are all good examples of "first responders" in faith. The rest that remains for us is to follow these first responders in their leadership.

A Servant's Life
Upcoming Events
  •  Pastor Joe's 100th birthday celebration was in Joe's words, "a wonderful event.  Thank you all for the kind words spoken, the precious memories recalled, and the thoughtfulness of every moment."  DVD's of the festivities will be available soon in the Gathering Place.
  • Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday Parties, Center Church Preschool is offering a Bartram Bakery fresh baked pepperoni roll fundraiser.  They will be sold in packages of 6 for $12.  The best part, the preschool will earn $4.50 from each pack sold.  Click here to place your order or see Bonnie KlineThe deadline is Friday the 16th! 
  •  Pastor's Christian Ed Evening is cancelled on Monday January 19th in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  It will resume on Monday, January 26th with a discussion on chapter 9 of How To Read the Bible for All Its Worth. There is still time to join the group and we have a few more copies of the book.
  • Christmas Clean-up - went smoothly thanks to

    following folks who helped.  Many hands made the work much easier. Thanks.

    1. Rev. Jeff and Brianne Schooley

    2. Bucky Yatsko

    3. Amy and Bob Davis

    4. Becky Boyer

    5. Bob, Harriet, and Josh Dilly

    6. John Heinrich

    7. Bob Latimore

    8. Bill Spangenberg

    9. Barry and Michelle Miller

  • Senior Highs had a pizza challenge on Sunday night.  Pizzas were ordered from several of our local pizza shops. The big winner of the Great Pizza Challenge is ( drum roll, please).........Mm, Mm! Pizza!  Here are the details:  Italian Village won Best Topping; Mm, Mm Pizza won Best Cheese; Vocelli Pizza won for Best Sauce; Pizza Hut won for Best Crust; Mm Mm Pizza won for Best Delivery Time.  Participating pizza shops were Mm Mm, Vocelli's, Pizza Hut, Italian Village, Ollie's.  Only delivery pizza shops were included.
  • On your way out of the church, don't forget to pick up your pledged offering envelopes.  They are on a table in the Gathering Place.
  • There are many openings on the Chancel Flower Schedule.  The board is posted in the Gathering Place.  Please be sure to include your dedication.
  • Likewise, we have openings on the PIE volunteer schedule.  Volunteers are asked to be on stand-by for two weeks to bake an apple pie (frozen) to deliver to Sunday visitors.  Call the office to see what dates are available.
  • Interested in joining CPC's Book Club? We will be reading Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann (ISBN-13: 978-0-664-23928-2).  Copies should be purchased independently.  We will gather to discuss the book on Saturday February 21st at a time and place TBD.
  • Officer training on Saturday January 24th is for all officers running from 10 - noon at the church.
  • Talk Back Tuesdays begin on January 20th at 7 p.m. in the Bride's Room.  These weekly discussions are an opportunity to continue the conversation begun in the sermon each Sunday with one another and Pastor Jeff.  No RSVP is needed.  Please plan to attend soon.
  • The Board of Trustees will meet on Wednesday January 28th at 7 p.m. in the Parlor. 
  • The Deacons will meet in the Parlor after 11 a.m. worship on Sunday January 25th.   
  • The Missions Committee will convene the first meeting of 2015 on Sunday February 1st following 11 a.m. worship.  Meetings will be quarterly throughout the year. 
  • Center Church Christian Preschool is accepting enrollment for the 2015-16 school year.  Pass the word to your family, friends, and neighbors.  We are one of a very few preschools in the area with Christian curriculum.   Classes and enrichment opportunities are offered for children ages 2 - 5.
  • Center's Annual Congregation and Corporation meeting will be held on February 8th immediately following 11 a.m. worship.  Annual reports will be received and annual business will be conducted.  Early worshippers are urged to return to take part in this important part of church life.
  • A monthly list of birthdays and anniversaries is posted in the Gathering place.  If yours is not listed or is incorrect, please let the office know so it can be corrected.
  • As we learn some of the new hymns in our Glory to God hymnal, you might find it helpful to follow the music.   Occasionally the Power Point slide will direct you to use the hymnal to help you sing new tunes.  And remember, you need not be an above average - or even average - singer to offer your praise through song to Christ.  Something new in this hymnal is a brief blurb containing interesting information on every hymn. 
 

 

 

A Joyful Life

A Joyful Life

 

In case you missed Sunday's Golden Globe Awards, here's Amy Poehler's and Tina Fey's HILARIOUS opening monologue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw-wODbjmZI