Posted on 01 Mar 2010 . 3 comments
During this season of Lent we prepare for the coming of Easter, the glorious resurrection of our Lord.
At our worship service that evening I explained how Lent is a time for us to look inward . . . to examine our hearts. During this season of our Church calendar we are invited to take a journey inward where we encounter and confront all that which causes separation between ourselves and God.
It is a time when we should consider the question:
“How is it with you and the Lord?”
Rather than the traditional “give something up for Lent” practice, I suggest that we make this season a time to “take something on” for Lent. During the days of this month that are leading up to Easter, I encourage you to take a few moments each day to look yourself squarely in the soul . . . examine your heart . . . and ask: “How is it between you and me, Lord?”
I realize that this is not an easy thing to do or a light commitment to make. Taking a serious, personal, inventory of our hearts is something most of us would rather not do, probably because we are fearful of what we will see. For in our answers we will find that there is sin standing between us and God.
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Posted on 20 Dec 2009 . 1 comment
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Come celebrate the birth of Christ with us!
Christmas Eve Service
Thursday, December 24th
10:30pm Nativity Concert
11:00pm Candle Light Service
Our regular Sunday morning worship service will be held at its normal time, on Sunday December 27th at 10:00am.
See you in church!
Posted on 31 Aug 2009
By Eileen Jones, Director of Urban Ministry
On Monday August 17 everything seemed normal as I approached the front of the church. I pulled into the parking lot and noticed immediately that four cars were missing. Entering the building, there was no flip chart stating instructions and highlights for the week. When I crossed the threshold into the Longstreth Auditorium I was greeted by the sound of silence.
The energy and vitality that accompanied children, and which greeted anyone entering the building the past seven weeks, was gone. Left was an empty room and the fresh smell of Murphy’s oil soap. Immediately, I thought of Jesus saying “suffer the little children and forbid them not to come to me”. Missing in that space was the presence, energy and contagious enthusiasm of children that is a witness to us all. What if we didn’t operate a camp program?
With this thought in mind, suddenly my heart was filled with a sense of pride and gratitude for the members and leaders of First Church who each year support the camp program that provides an opportunity for children to come to Christ, and to grow in faith and community.
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See photos from summer camp here
Posted on 31 Mar 2009 . 1 comment
by Rev. Nancy Muth
The Lenten journey for 2009 is coming to an end. April 12th is Easter Sunday, the most glorious day in the Christian Church.
It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a day that we are reminded that the promises of God are true.
It is a day that we sing “Alleluia!” together as we know that because he lives, we will live also!
I, along with others from First Church, just returned from my first visit to the Holy Land. What a magnificent trip! One of the things we had the privilege to do while in Jerusalem was to walk along the Via Doloroso, which in Latin means the Way of Grief or the Way of Suffering.
This is a road that winds around Jerusalem and which is thought to be the path that Jesus took on that Good Friday. This is not a tree lined street, but one with old stone buildings on either side and with venders calling for your attention selling their wares. It was along this route that our Lord carried the cross on which he would soon be nailed to die a painful death . . . all on our behalf.
This year’s Holy Week will be all the more meaningful to me because of my trip, but we don’t have to visit these places to fully comprehend the significance of this week’s events on our faith.
Click here to read more about the worship events scheduled for Holy Week
Posted on 02 Mar 2009 . 1 comment
By Nancy Muth, Pastor
It’s Lent! The 200th Lenten Season to be celebrated at The First Presbyterian Church in Germantown.
Actually, that’s probably not true, for as Presbyterians celebrating Lent is relatively new. Yes, we have always observed Holy Week with worship services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, but the weeks leading up to those days before Easter have been more a part of the Roman Catholic tradition than Presbyterian.
Recently, however, that has changed and as Presbyterians we take Lent very seriously. It begins with Ash Wednesday and continues for the next forty days (excluding Sundays).
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. It originated in the fourth century as a time of preparation for those who were to be baptized and join the church on Easter Sunday.
Also, it is when those who had been separated from the Church would prepare to rejoin the community. Lent was a time of preparation. And so it is that preparation is still part of Lent as we, even Presbyterians, learn what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
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