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Temptations- Before the people of Israel ended their 40 years of wilderness wandering Moses addressed them on the east side of the Jordan River. They were about to enter the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk & honey. Yet, even across the Jordan River, in the Promised Land, their faith would be challenged. They would […]
Joseph, Son of Jacob- The youngest of twelve, favorite of his father, Jacob, his brothers conspired to get rid of Joseph. At first they wanted to kill him, but for 20 pieces of silver, they sold him into slavery. Taken to Egypt, sold to PotiFar, captian of the Pharoah’s guard, he came to the notice of the Pharouh. Interpreting […]
The Clydesdales- Local television news has shared with us the story of two Clydesdale horses, the breed that pulls the red Budweiser beer wagon, breaking out of their pasture, pushing down fences, and wondering on to a frozen lake in the Poconos. That frozen lake was not solid enough to hold these 1,500 lb horses and they […]
March 10, 2019 – Leon Broskey & Cheri Wagner- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: March 10, 2019 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: Leon Broskey (guitar,vocals) and Cheri Wagner (vocals) are both from the Elysburg area. Leon and Cheri have a long […]
Anointed to Serve- Jesus read in the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth from the prophet Isaiah, CHapter 60: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to […]
The Heavens are Open- When Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, we are told that the heavens were open and the Spirit of God descended. When we are baptized into the Body of Christ, into Jesus, then, to the heavens are open and we say to the newly baptized “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked […]
February 10, 2019 – Kj Reimensnyder-Wagner- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: February 10, 2019 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Kj Reimensnyder-Wagner is a Singer/Songwriter/Performer/Motivational Speaker and Educator, “Kj” certainly has some stories and songs to share. […]
Restoration = Reconciliation- Psalm 80, verse 3, verserse 7, verse 19 – Restore us [Reconcile us], O God of Hosts; Show us the light of your countenance and we shal be saved. To compromise is to meet somewhere toward the middle of two differing perspectives. To reconcile is to move to the correct position, the right position. In being […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Epiphany 2019- Wednesday Morning Bible Study Epiphany 2019 The Corinthian Correspondence The setting for the ministry of Jesus was rural Galilee. Thus, many of his parables have an agricultural theme. But the Biblical record clearly shows that as Christianity spread through the Roman world, it was a largely urban phenomenon. One of the earliest Christian […]
January 13, 2019 – The Jubilate Choir, bell choir of Wesley United Methodist Church- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: January 13, 2019 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: The Jubilate Bell Choir is one of two bell choirs at Wesley UMC. Most of the players […]
Community Connections- A community has always been an important building block for all human society. We now have so many ways to stay connected – email, facebook, twitter, facetime on our smartphones and computer screens. Of course, the more traditional means of a letter and phone calls are still available. Our connections enhance our sense of belonging […]
God of Love- Jesus, standing before Pilate, the Roman governor of Jerusalem, on Maundy Thursday, said this when asked if he was a king: You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. For the last Sunday of the church year, this is […]
Holy Scripture- Most of us are in the midst of the holiday frenzy of gift purchasing. And after they are selected and purchased, they then need to be wrapped. Some people are artful wrappers, me, not so much. Perhaps that is because most of our gifts are opened by children, and they can’t unwrap quickly enough. One […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – December 2018- Wednesday Morning Bible Study November/December 2018 Hymns of Second Isaiah In the concluding chapters of the Book of Isaiah we find a collection of beautiful hymns from the liturgies of ancient Israel. As we prepare to enter the Advent Season, we will be revisiting these familiar passages from the Hebrew Scriptures. Come and join us […]
December 9, 2018 – Renee Long, violin & Ben Nylander, keyboard- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: December 9, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: Renee Long is a sophomore at Selinsgrove Area High School and began her violin studies at age […]
Story of Welcome- When in the 4th century B.C. voices in ancient Israel were calling for racial purity, even to the extreme of abandoning “foreign wives and their children” (Ezra 10), the small book of Ruth was written. It described an earlier time of famine when Naomi and her husband and sons migrated to the land of the Moabites […]
Share our Goodness- The story of blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, found in the gospel according to St. Mark, is one of my favorites. Bart is one of the very few encounters of people along the way with Jesus that is identified by name. Scholars suggest that this is because Bart became a disciple of Jesus and was […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – November/December 2018- Song of Songs The author of the Book of Kings tells us that David’s son, Solomon composed more than a thousand poems. (I Kings 4:32) The Old Testament book known as the “Song of Songs” contains a collection of love poems attributed to King Solomon. Some are written from the perspective of a woman — […]
Second Chances- In times such as ours, when people shopping, people at yoga, people worshiping are attached, to be reminded of the promised love God is essential for our health. I think God makes this promise to us: I take you to be my companion, “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for […]
November 11, 2018 – Judy Blee, keyboard & Dale Orris, trumpet- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: November 11, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: Judy Blee Judy is a retired music educator, having taught 37 years in the Lewisburg Area […]
Service = Greatness- The disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, wanted the power positions in the kingdom of God when Jesus would reign. They wanted to sit, one on his right and one of his left. And all the other disciples were angry, James and John were the first to ask what they all wanted to […]
Beyond the Rules- When a player goes down in soccer and appears to be injured, what happens? Whoever has the ball promptly kicks the ball over the touch line and play stops. In youth soccer, both teams are coached to “take a knee” on the field, when play is resumed with a throw in, if the opposing team […]
Thanks, Thanksgivings, & Prayers- The day after Christmas was always a busy day at my family home. It was thank you note writing, while we thanked people in person who presented us with gifts, the other people who mailed packaged gifts were to be thanked by hand written notes. The understanding was that no toy could be enjoyed or […]
Presentation by Bruce Johnson on September 30, 2018- Searching for the “Good Life” A friend of mine recently learned that he needed hearing aids. He had probably needed them for quite a while. But he had finally gotten around to having his hearing tested. Once he got the results from his test my friend began shopping for hearing aids. He was amazed at […]
October 14, 2018 – Eric Sundberg- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: October 14, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Eric Sundberg is a musician, a retired elementary teacher of 33 years, educational consultant, and singer/song […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Fall (2) 2018- Jesus and the Pharisees “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20) In the four gospels there are numerous accounts of antagonistic interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees claimed Mosaic authority for their interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures. […]
Let is Shine- The young boy had five loaves and two fish. He presented them to Andrew as the 5,000 people sat down on the grass on the mountainside in ancient Israel. That’s all they had! Philip thought that six months wages would not be enough to feed all who came to see Jesus. Jesus accepted the boys’ […]
Presentation by Jim Rogers on July 22, 2018- The Hymnal 1982 This presentation is a bit different from those we have had in the past few years as it is about our hymnal and the hymns that are part of our service today. The beginning of the hymnal is all service music. Music to accompany various prayers and parts of our services such […]
Why do We Hesitate?- In April-October 1980, we experienced the Mariel Boatlift from Cuba to the United States. Hundreds of small boats, plus the U.S. Coast Guard, brought over 125,000 Cubans seeking asylum from Castro Ceusa. Most landed in Florida. For the most part, these refugees were welcomed and many are now leaders in their communities and beyond. The […]
August 12, 2018 – Shade Mountain Strings- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: August 12, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: In September of 2008 a small group of friends and fellow music lovers came together to begin […]
Opportunities- In the face of hometown skepticism and opposition, Jesus and his early disciples left Nazareth and set up a new home-base in Capernaum. And as he sent out the disciples on their first missionary journey, he gave them their advise: If any place will not welcome you…as you leave, shake off the dust that is […]
The Value of Touch- Mike Maddox is the pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. I think a pitching coach is the most important coach on the team. He has to know all the pitchers and their skills and their temperament. The pitching coach advises the manager and he also visits the mound in stressful times when a pitcher […]
Mission of God- The story of David, the young shepherd, & Goliath, the Philistine warrior, is well known. Taking a break from shepherding & transporting provisions to his older brothers on the from lines of the Israelite army facing the Philistine army, David heard to the bully Goliath challenge the Israelite army. As shepherd David had fended off […]
Sowing Seeds- Jesus said – The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seeds on the ground… The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on the earth; yet when it is sown it grows up & becomes the greatest of all shrubs… And as he sowed, […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Summer 2018- Parables of Grace “Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.” Matthew 13: 34 In chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel we are told that Jesus “turned his face toward Jerusalem.” As he traveled south from his native Galilee, he preached to many large crowds. Luke tells us […]
July 8, 2018 – Jessica Weidman- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: July 8, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Jessica Weidman is a classically trained Lyric Soprano with a four-octave range. Her beautiful voice, warm and […]
Digging Deeper- Jesus said “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, & acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply & laid the foundation on rock; when a flood rose, the river burst against that house, but could not shake it, because […]
Clay Jars- As I approach 70, I notice that weeding is a little more difficult. The ground is a buit harder on my knees, the weeds roots a bit more stubborn, & the getting back up is a bit more difficult. And pitching to my grandson is a bit more challenging & I notice it the next […]
June 10, 2018 – Judy Christie & Lloyd Wolf- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: June 10, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: Judy Christie performs throughout central Pennsylvania as a soloist and with a variety of ensembles including […]
God so Loved the World…- God so loved the world (John 3:16) that God gave his son as a sign of his love. And we, are called to be generous as God’s people. When the prophet Isaiah expressed God’s presence in the ancient temple of Jerusalem, he confronted reality. He decreed, “Woe is me. I am last for I am […]
Thy Sea, O God, so Great…My Boat, so Small- The first lines of this old poem by Winfred Ernest Garrison were given by Admiral Rickover to all his submarine Captains & to president John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who kept it on his oval office desk. In times such as ours it is so easy to feel small & insignificant or even helpless. And yet, we […]
Presentation by Maeve Schurz on May 6, 2018- In the Gospel lesson today, we heard Jesus command us to love, to abide in love just as he has loved us, to love one another. Jesus calls us his friends. He says there is no greater love than to lay down ones life for ones friends. This is exactly what Jesus did for us […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – May-June 2018- Joseph, the Dreamer The first book of the Hebrew Scriptures is essentially a collection of stories. The book opens with the story of creation and ends with a very long story of how the descendants of Abraham ended up living in Egypt. The final 20 chapters of the Book of Genesis consist of a collection […]
In Serving, God’s Will be Done on Earth- Philip of the Acts of Apostles was selected to serve the Greek speaking members of the earliest community of faith. The original disciples thought they were too important to attend to daily distributions of food to the widows & needy among them. So Philip & six others, men full of faith, stood before the apostles […]
Shepherd Leadership- All too often when we hear the 23rd Psalm, we envision ourselves as the sleep in the arms of the loving shepherd Jesus. At times of stress & crisis, to be in the arms of Jesus is what we need. However, on most days I think we are invited to be shepherds. In fact, Jesus […]
May 13, 2018 – Christopher Meng- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: May 13, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Christopher Meng, a Lewisburg High School senior, has been playing violin with his private teacher, […]
Show Up & Stand Up- It is hard to ignore the miracle of St. Peter’s transformation from a fearful man who denies even knowing Jesus of Nazareth in the courtyard of the high priest on Maundy Thursday to the leader of the early church. As Peter & John continue joining in late afternoon prayers at the temple in Jerusalem, they […]
We have been Raised Up- In 1951, the song “Eagles Wings” was written & introduced to the Roman Catholic congregations first, then to all traditions. The song is based on Psalm 91. It envision’s the Easter joy that God shares with God’s People – God raises us up; God bears us on the breath of the dawn; with God we […]
The Flow of Water & Blood- When St. John wrote the gospel that bears his name, the temple in Jerusalem was gone, destroyed by the Romans, & the earliest of Christians had been expelled from their community synagogues. They were now gathering secretly in private homes & in the underground, the catacombs of Rome. In that environment, the spear thrust on […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Spring 2018- Paul’s Letter to the Church in Colossae In the last days of Paul’s life, he was held prisoner in the city of Rome. Because he was a Roman citizen, he was allowed certain privileges. He was allowed visitors including his personal physician, Luke. Because of his failing eyesight he was allowed to have a scribe. […]
April 8, 2018 – Liesl Doebler, flute- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: April 8, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Liesl Doebler is a music educator in the Lewisburg Area School District. She is a graduate […]
Infrastructure- Physical infrastructure binds us together as a community. Roads, bridges, railroads, airports, & harbors, are all outward & visible signs of an infrastructures health. Spiritual infrastructure is more difficult to see & to evaluate. Yet, as the people of God, the spiritual health of our planet is our ministry. The priesthood of all encourage us […]
God so Loved the World- Sunday’s reading from the book of Numbers, describes the Hebrews following their flight from Egypt coming into a region of venomous serpents. Of course they blame Moses & God for their encounters, some of them being deadly. As a remedy, they are instructed to place a serpent on a pole & whenever snake bitten, to […]
Presentation by Bruce Johnson on March 4, 2018- Religion — True and False The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and […]
Walk Before Him- Robert Frost is my favorite poet. This is one of his better known poems, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.” Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must […]
Stand by Him- A Stephen King novel was turned into a movie called “Stand by Me.” It’s about four teenage boys & an adventure. The theme song was written by Ben E. King. A portion of it is as follows – When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon is the only light […]
Looking for Love- Johnny Lee wrote a country western song that was popular a few years ago. It includes these words – I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, Looking’ for love in too many faces, Searchin’ their eyes Looking’ for traces of what I’m dreaming of. In our reading from the gospel according to […]
February 11, 2018 – Dee Mikita, guitar & Judy Ellis, hammer dulcimer- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: February 11, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musicians: Dee Mikita & Judy Ellis: Both Dee Mikita and Judy Ellis have been involved in […]
Cleansed, Washed, Free- Washing clothes since the beginning of time has been hard work, only in the 1950’s did it get any easier for 20th century women. Not only does doing the wash take a toll on the washer, it also stresses the fabric, in many cases stretching it or wearing it thin. Each Sunday I recite on […]
“Heart Memory”- To be a “professional grade” athlete takes years of training, years of practicing, in order to develop “muscle memory”. In game situations, almost without thinking, “muscle memory” takes over to perform the required tasks. The same is true for “heart memory”, for a life of faithful behavior. Andrew, Philip, Peter, and Nathaniel were invited by […]
New Additions to our Martha’s Table Family- Something rather exciting has happened for Martha’s Table this year. Starting January 3rd, on the first Wednesday of every month (except December), a few awesome students from the local SUN Area Technical Institute will be dropping by in the morning to complete most of the preparations for that evenings meal! This is a great opportunity […]
January 14, 2018 – The Bell Choirs of Wesley United Methodist Church- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program on Sunday: Date: January 14, 2018 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Services will conclude with communion Musical Selections will include: Softly and Tenderly – arr. Behnke Be Unto Your Name – arr. Edwards Ancient […]
When the World Said, “No”, God Said, “Yes”.- The neighbors in Nazareth said, “No”. Mary, you’re an unwed mother, you can’t be here. The relatives of Joseph in Bethlehem said, “No”. Joseph you’re not welcomed into our homes. The innkeeper in Bethlehem said, “No”. Mary and Joseph, we have no room for you here. On that first Christmas Eve, the world of darkness […]
Creating Space- “…that your son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself.” There are times when God’s presence just comes crashing through our day to day lives, yet I think more often God’s presence gets squeezed out by the rush of our lives. So, how do we open our lives […]
? Why am I Here?- This is a question that pops into our minds from time to time. John, the Baptist, grew up in a Family of Faith. His mother was a descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses. His father was a priest in the temple in Jerusalem. John lived in the wild and looked wild. Scripture tells us […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Epiphany 2018- “Lessons in Living from the Book of Ruth” Most of the important people in the Hebrew Scriptures are men. An interesting exception to this is David’s grandmother, Ruth. She is portrayed as a courageous and resourceful woman who perseveres in overcoming personal tragedy. In many ways Ruth offers us a model of how to live […]
The Greatest Relay- One of my favorite passages is Isaiah 40: 8: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. We are all temporary, on this earth fro only a limited time. We have received the baton of life from the hands of previous generations and we pass it on […]
Presentation by Maeve Schurz on December 3, 2017- St. Nicholas Day is December 6th, just a few short days away. For those of you who don’t know, the true story of Santa Clause begins with St. Nicholas. He was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of […]
Restoration- The collect for the last Sunday of our church year begins – “Almighty & Everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved son…” Years ago, I restored a dresser that had been painted over numerous times. It took many hours of striping & sanding before it could be stained & […]
December 10, 2017 – Brandy Vasey Aguirre, soprano- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: December 10, 2017 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Musician: Brandy Vasey Aguirre: Brandy is a 2013 graduate of Susquehanna University, […]
Our God is Awesome & Our God is Patient- At the 11th hour on the 11th day in the 11th month, the Great War (W.W.I) ended. The scarred earth of Flanders and Northern France, filled with trenches and barbed wire, was deserted. And the following spring the good earth filled with blooming poppies. The Fields of Flanders recovered faster than the warring nations. While […]
Presentation by Christiana Gianetta on November 5, 2017- How We Celebrate All Saints’ Day Around the World Death is a universal human experience. As much as we may want to, we cannot cheat death. It’s not that, historically we haven’t tried. Humans have been and probably will continue to be, obsessed with the idea of cheating death. We have the Fountain of Youth, […]
Presentation by Jim Rogers on October 29, 2017- Thomas Cranmer This presentation is about Thomas Cranmer, who was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He helped build the case for Henry VIII’s annulment from Catherine of Argonne and the more I read about him, the more I realized that this […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study – Autumn 2017- “The Three Letters of John” According to Christian tradition, John, the Beloved Disciple”, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, spent their last days in Asia Minor in the city of Ephesus. It is further believed that the church in Ephesus together with several other churches in that area formed what can be referred to as […]
The Coin- They showed Jesus a coin. It had the emperors image stamped on it. Jesus said to the gathered people, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and render unto God the things that are God’s.” Of coarse, people of faith know that all things in heaven and earth are God’s. Psalm 24, v. 1 […]
“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going!”- St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians encourages Euodia and Syntyche, two leaders of that congregation, to stop quarreling and to “be of one mind”. All too often stresses cause us to regress. Instead, St. Paul calls us to “Rejoice in the Lord, always”. He writes, “Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone”. […]
St. Francis, the Most Admired and Least Followed Saint- “Lord, make us instruments of you peace…” So begins the prayer of St. Francis. God’s peace encompasses health and wholeness, the Hebrew word “Shalom”. To be instruments of peace, includes stewardship of this “fragile earth, our island home”. We can all participate in this stewardship through gardening. The flower garden on Market Street this year […]
The Graciousness of God- Jesus, the Christ, was born; Jesus, the Christ, lived and taught; Jesus, the Christ, was crucified; Jesus, the Christ, was raised from the dead; and Jesus, the Christ, shared the Holy Spirit. Through God’s graciousness, we have been saved from aimless living and death. God’s graciousness has shown us the way, the truth, and the […]
White Table Cloths- When the escaped Hebrew slaves complained about their hunger in the wilderness of Sinai, God provided. Exodus 16: 12-15 reported, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread”…In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of […]
Presentation given by Emily Johnson on July 16, 2017- Simon Snyder, His Character and Christian Life Simon Snyder is a man of interest to us at All Saints because he lived in Selinsgrove from his mid twenties until his death at age 60. After serving several years in the legislature, he became speaker of the house and then the 3rd Governor of the Commonwealth […]
In the Midst of Chaos- The story of the Exodus is one of the greatest of our faith history. The Hebrew slaves, guided by God and lead by Moses, walked through the sea of reeds on dry ground. The pursuing Egyptian chariots got bogged down when they wind shifted and the tempestuous sea returned. The sea, like in the genesis […]
Presentation by Laura Keister on September 10, 2017- ANNA PAULINE MURRAY “PAULI” November 20, 1910 – July 1, 1985 In the past, I have given presentations on St. Francis of Assisi, Elizabeth Seton, Pearl Buck and Harriet Tubman. While you may not have known very much about them, you had heard their names a few times. Now I will tell you about a […]
As We Walk the Path with Jesus- I recently had the opportunity to learn from John Kruk, a former Philadelphia Phillies baseball player and now TV analysts, that really good hitters focus on balls pitched into their “happy zone”, which is only a portion of the strike zone. Not only do good hitters allow balls outside the strike zone to fly by, […]
Fall 2017 – Wednesday Morning Bible Study- “The Abrahamic Tradition” As we make our way through the Bible we encounter many stories of people who were convinced that they had special roles to play in the fulfillment of God’s purpose for mankind. Jacob and Moses are examples of such people in the Old Testament — Mary and Paul in the New Testament. […]
Stay on Course- Coming home from State College after the night time fog has rolled in, is not fun. Yet the yellow line down the middle of RT 192 makes it possible to go 35mph, a bit down from the usual 55+. The fog was a challenge, yet having the yellow line for focus enables us to stay […]
People of Justice- This November, a movie will be released about the “Justice League”. The Justice League is composed of the superheros: Spiderman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg. Their mission is to see justice prevail. Jesus is the ultimate champion of justice. Jesus, the just, talked about the silliness of building bigger and bigger to house […]
Give Thanks to the Lord- In a world where the urgent frequently drowns out the important, the author of Psalm 105 reminds us not to lose sight of the eternal in the midst of the day to day. The psalmist reminds us to: – “give thanks to the Lord God, call on his name, make known his deeds among the […]
Accentuate the Positive- On Sunday, I shared an old song for 1945 that I can remember my parents playing on our 78 record player. “You’ve got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with Mister In-Between. You’ve got to speed joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to the minimum […]
Conversation and Hospitality- The story of Abraham’s servant sent off to search for a wife for his son, Isaac, is a wonderful story from the book of Genesis. The thirsty servant engages in conversation with a young woman at the well. With a jar on her shoulder, she offers the stranger a drink and offers to water his […]
Let History Remind Us- In the midst of troubling times, it is helpful to look back to former days for a bit of guidance. Here is the Gettysburg address, presented on 19 November 1863, just a few short months after the Civil War battle took place on those same grounds. “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought […]
God’s Grace- The graciousness of God gave Sarah and Abraham, in their old age, a son they named Issac. However, out of fear that Ishmael, born earlier to Hagar (Sarah’s slave) and Abraham, would be the primary heir, Hagar and Ishmael were abandoned in the desert to die. The graciousness of God came to the aid of […]
Wednesday Morning Bible Study Summer 2017- Reading Isaiah From a 21st Century Perspective This summer the Wednesday Morning Bible Study Group will be focused on six of the magnificent spiritual poems preserved for us in the Book of Isaiah. In addition to exploring the historical context in which these poems were composed, the group will also be discussing their […]God’s Extending Touch- In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine called the leadership of the still very young church to gather in Nicea, Turkey. He instructed them to develop a statement of belief, a creed. What they developed is the Nicea Creed that we re-state most Sunday’s as a key part of our worship. The Nicea creed connects us […]
Sharing- Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist, wrote that life is divided into thirds – 1st-education, 2nd-making money, 3rd-giving all money away. In following his own idea, he created 3,000 lit in the United States, United Kingdom, & Canada. He also donated 7,000 church organs as well as endowing Carnegie-Mellon University & many other projects. He saw wealth […]
Pentecost- Following the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days among the disciples. Just before he ascended on the 40th day, he challenged the disciples to be witnesses of good news to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. To us these may be just place names, but to those first disciples, they were much […]Judy Christie, clarinet & Lloyd Wolf, keyboard & organ- You are cordially invited to our ‘Second Sunday at Six’ program: Date: June 11, 2017 Time: 6:00 pm Place: All Saints Episcopal Church 129 North Market Street Selinsgrove, PA 17870 Services will conclude with communion Musical Selections will include: Spring Time, by Louis Verroust […]
What the World Needs- Growing up in the 1960’s, changes and frustration and anger were a part of everyday national life. Today’s times seem very similar, so it is not surprising that the song written by Hal Davis and Burt Bacharach and sung by Jackie DeShanon comes to mind: What the world needs now is love, sweet love It’s […]
Virtue of Baptism- By virtue of our baptism, we all have been called into the ministry of priesthood. As members of the priesthood, we are to be a bridge between the entire creation and the creator; we are to connect earth and heaven; we are to enable God’s will to be done on earth as it is in […]
Holy Life- There is much noise; there is much static; there are many siren voices in our world today that distract us from being people of God. To live a holy life, as a disciple of Jesus, requires discerning his voice. Amount the many tools for voice discernment as weekly worship in community and daily individual prayer/reflection. […]
Gracious Forgiveness- When St. John was finishing his gospel, followers of Jesus were being expelled from their local synagogues – centers of faith, and community. So it is not surprising that the original conclusion of the gospel emphasizes the community of faith we now call the church. That early community, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knew […]