Abide

If you abide in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine,

and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

One of my favorite passages in scripture comes from John 15 where Jesus commands us to "abide in the Vine" (15:1-7). Dick and I are clear that only as we abide in Christ can we abide in each other; this is the passage that has guided our marriage for 27 years and was the gospel lesson read at our wedding.

Imagine my delight last week to find that abide is the first word in A Dallas Willard Dictionary compiled by Ellen O'Rourke. As Ellen reminds us, Dallas frequently used the word abide in his writing:

When you abide (or dwell) you make a home in a place. You linger, and its reality shapes yours.   If you abide in a nonmaterial abode, such as God, or the word, or darkness or light, you are immersed in its real presence: you "inhale" it and it becomes part of you. For example, if you abide in darkness, your inner self will be shaped by the darkness. If you abide in the word of God, your mind fixed on it, your inner self will be shaped by the word, and your whole self will embody its truths. If you abide in God, God's presence will influence and guide your actions.

There is no question in my mind that abiding in God is grounded in relationship. You cannot abide in God if you are not in relationship with God.

So also, truth is about relationship. Jesus tells us that if we abide in his word, not only shall we be his disciples, but we shall know the truth which will set us free. Pilate's famous question, "what is truth?" cannot be fully answered apart from relationship with the One who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

So, here is my question to you: In what -- or more to the point, in whom -- are you abiding? How is your inner reality being shaped? Jesus said: "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). If we are to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love, we must find a way to abide.

With love and abiding in Christ,

Debbie

Holy Habit: Abiding

A.W. Tozer once said: "Retire from the world each day to some private spot, even if it be only the bedroom. Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God's presence envelopes you." Allow yourself to abide in God!

On Sunday, October 5, at 9:15 a.m. the Reverend Jonah Salim will be leading a special Sunday school class at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Ohio (501 Fourth Street) and preaching in worship at 10:15 a.m.  

He will also address church and community at Trinity United Presbyterian, 830 Military Road, Zanesville, on Saturday, October 4th, at 7:00 p.m. 

Jonah Salim

It's difficult news to comprehend: ISIS militants in Iraq forcing Yazidis (an Iraqi religious minority) and Christians to flee their homes, whole families running for their lives to Mount Sinjar in the northern part of the country, with some who did not escape being lined up and killed. There are also reports of women and young girls being held separately - transported from their families by bus and truck, reputedly in an effort to coerce them to convert and become the wives or sexual conquests of Iraqi militants.

For many, this is a surreal reality gleaned from news reports from far across the world.  For Jonah Salim, these are stories he hears firsthand in nightly phone calls with his aunt and other relatives. Salim, who in 2009 became the first Iraqi to become a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has family immediately affected by the crisis - including his parents, now in Kurdistan, and his widowed aunt, who helped to raise him and who he considers like a second mother, and her two young adult children.

To read the rest of the article, click here. 

Hello to Everyone!

Below is a flyer for our fall Blood Drive with the America Red Cross, at our Buffalo-Cumberland Church on October 23, 2014 from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm.  The Church is located at 302 W Main Street in Cumberland, Ohio. 

Blood is very much needed, and is very important and powerful. If you are able to give, please put the date on your calender, pass this information on by placing it in your newsletters or even print and put up on your news board.   

Call the church at 740-638-2877 for an appointment or the Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS. 

Thank you!

Pastor Jim

James R. Gibson,

68340 Mount Hermon Road

Cambridge, Ohio 43725

(740) 439-2961,(p)

(740) 517-1190,(c)

jimrgibson@yahoo.com  

• GA: increases to $7.07
• Synod: remains at $3.25
• MVP remains at $18.36
• Total Per Capita is $28.68.

Per capita letters for each church will be sent near the end of 2014.  Please note: the membership number for your church is based on the membership number reported by your churches to the Office of the General Assembly for your statistical reports, year ending December 2013. If your church did not complete your statistical report, your membership number may not be accurate.   

When you receive your per capita letter, if the membership number on your is inaccurate, please contact Candice McMath at the Mission Center to receive adjustment instructions.  

Good afternoon everyone,

We in the Office of Mission Program Grants would like to take this opportunity to share the current nomination forms for the 2015 Sam & Helen R. Walton Awards for outstanding new church developments that have placed an emphasis on site acquisition.  Click on the links here to access the nomination form and the  cover letter. 

The Mission Development Resources Committee (MDRC) will make decisions on Walton Awardees during their March 2015 meeting.

If you have any questions or comments about the Walton Award or Mission Program Grants, please contact our office.  We are sure that we will be able to answer your questions and assist you through this process.  Please visit our webpage, http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionprogramgrants, to download our resources and application form.

Sincerely,

Tim McCallister, Associate

Office of Mission Program Grants

Presbyterian Mission Agency

Tim.McCallister@pcusa.org 

Tel:  (888) 728-7228, Ext. 5230; (502) 569-5230

Fax: (502) 333-7251

 http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionprogramgrants/ 

 

• choir robes (both youth and adult)
• paraments (including a storage case)
• Celebration hymnals
• and many other assorted items

Please contact Jen Baer at 330-601-0098 or jenniferannbaer@gmail.com to arrange to see the items and pick up any you are interested in.    

From First Presbyterian in Marietta: 

Our congregation purchased the building and contents of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Marietta.  We are trying to find a good home for the pews and organ in that building.  We would be glad to accept a monetary gift (we have been selling smaller pews to individuals for $100), but our bigger concern is to find a church or other space where these could be put to good use.

Anyone who might be interested is asked to send an email to pastor.fpcmarietta@yahoo.com.  We can arrange a time for an up-close look.  

Grace and Peace,

David Smith
First Pres of Marietta.