In this E-pistle
Welcome, 2007
Simply Christian, a first take

Welcome, 2007. Maybe it’s just the turn of another page on the calendar, but there is something about the new year with its resolutions and clean slate that gets us thinking.

A few weeks ago I was with a group of pastors who were talking about pastoral care in some of the toughest situations of life. “Sometimes all you can say is, ‘I don’t know why,’” one of my friends said. We talked about that for awhile and all agreed. “I don’t know” is often a wise answer. There are mysteries we will never solve this side of the new heaven and the new earth. But then one of the pastors said this – and he was right – “Yes, often we don’t know why but the sentence does not end there. We may not know why, but we do know God and we know that he has promised never to leave us nor forsake us.”

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The Light Shines in the Darkness

On Christmas Eve you will notice that we have placed some outdoor floodlights (thanks, Paul Gourley) to gently shine through the Shepherd Window so that we can see the Story as it is being told. I think it’s going to add to our worship and I hope it becomes one of our Christmas traditions here at Park. But there’s another tradition I’d like us to begin next year – thought about it too late for this year. I’d like to see us flood the window with light from the inside throughout the evenings of Advent so that all those who pass by can see the window as we enjoy it when we worship by the morning light. It will be one of our gifts to the community. For those who know the story of the Nativity, the window will bring great joy. Increasingly, though, the story the window tells is not told to the world outside the church or the circles of the church’s families. Among those who don’t know the story but who see our window we will pray that there will be those who can answer the questions: “What were the shepherds doing?” “Why is the angel there and what is he saying?” “Why is that bright star shining above the little town?”

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In this E-pistle:
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
SEVEN GIFTS THAT ARE EASY ON YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
JESUS IN THE NEWS

The church prayer list often includes the names of Park people and friends who are suffering brokenness of physical health. Such prayer is altogether appropriate for those who serve One who sent his followers to heal the sick (Luke 10:8-9). One of the great distinctives of the Christian faith is its insistence on the inherent worth of the human body, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). There are, of course, other kinds of brokenness that afflict us from time to time. So in addition to those whose broken physical health we bring before God, we also bring those surely known by God and maybe known by us who suffer a brokenness of:

Relationships: Family ties or friendships that have grown tense or may have snapped.
Will: The lure of or addiction to food, drink, drugs, gambling, sex, power or self-disdain that has overcome our ability to say “no” to that which harms us or “yes” to that which strengthens us.
Finances: The loss of employment, under-employment, catastrophic emergencies or poor decision making that has led to a sense of being overwhelmed by financial obligations.
Hope: Sometimes health, relationship, addiction, financial and other circumstances seem bigger than our ability to manage.

Let’s pray for broken people – perhaps ourselves – that they, like the Apostle Paul, might hear the voice of Christ saying, “My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

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In this E-pistle
Prayer for Darfur
Here We Go, Jesus, Here we go

Christians across the country have been called to a weekend of prayer for Darfur. (Click here for details on the weekend of prayer Click here for an update on the situation in Darfur Click here for further information and action options ) Plus you’ll find additional background on the crisis in Darfur in the Gathering Room information racks.

Here we go, Jesus, here we go! Thanks to a kind invitation from Brad Davis, I was able to attend last night’s Steelers game at Heinz Field. The weather was a bit nippy, but the game was good; nothing like a victory over the Browns to warm the spirits. Speaking of spirits, plenty seemed to have been shared among a fair number of the fans.

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In This Epistle:
World AIDS Day
Cold wind blowing…

Today is World AIDS Day. For some HIV/AIDS remains a matter of partisan politics. But as the globe approaches 20 million children orphaned by AIDS, none of us, and certainly not the church of Jesus Christ, can afford the luxury of non-involvement in the struggle against HIV/AIDS because it’s “too controversial.” First, we must pray for AIDS victims and their families. Pray today. World Vision offers an opportunity for those who are willing to become a part of national prayer chain for AIDS victims. You can join here.

You may also offer an encouraging word to President Bush and other officials by adding your virtual signature to a petition urging full funding for the President’s Emergency Response for AIDS Relief. Click here for more information.

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