Senior Pastor's Blog

We try to make family meals a priority in our house. Trust me: it doesn’t always work, and sometimes it’s a hilarious disaster, but it remains a priority. When we can make it happen, we do.

The ritual is pretty simple. After corralling the kids through a day of school, Molly summons the strength to prepare a meal while the punks do homework or play. God bless her. Yikes. It ain’t easy, but she somehow gets it done.

I tend to get home right around dinnertime. Taking off my coat and my shoes, I wander through the living room and into the dining room. After stepping on a few Legos in my “sock feet” and feeling piercing pain radiate through my body, I am ready to yell at – I mean, enjoy a delicious meal with my kids. Usually though, I am about the only one.

The kids, busy with homework and play, are scattered about the house. It’s my job to call and corral them for dinner. I call out their names, and they make their way to the table. However, there always seems to be one slow poke in the group. Somebody needs “just a minute” before they finally make their way to the table.

Even though it might take a while and the broccoli isn’t getting any warmer, we always wait for them. Why? Because we love them and it’s just not the same without them. Having just some of our family present is not enough; we want to see and spend time with them all.

In our circles, we call Sunday mornings lots of things - “church,” the “Lord’s Day,” the “Sabbath,” and more. Those are all more than appropriate, but let me throw another at you. Do you ever think of Sunday as a family reunion?

It is. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Every week, our Dad calls us to the table for the nourishment of his Word; to share stories of success and struggle with him and our siblings; to tell him how much we love him; to hear how much he loves us; to receive encouragement and rest; and to go forth with his blessing.

This past week, we had one of our highest attendances ever. We worshipped with over 350 people on a Sunday in the middle of January! It was awesome. Thank you so much for attending the reunion!

I hope to see you this week, too. We need each other. We need our time with Dad. Invite a friend over. I am confident that our Dad is cooking enough for us all to eat and drink until we’re “fat and giggly” in his grace.

You are loved in Christ.

PK

In just a few short days, a bus from Murrysville Community Church will be heading down to Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life. If history is any indicator, there will be empty seats on that bus.

Now, before you sense from me any sort of guilt trip, let me quickly and robustly disarm that thought. I don't mention the empty seats to shame anyone - honestly. We all have many obligations and not everyone can make it. I understand that, and shame on anyone who tries to shame you! However, with that said, some of you can join us - and I want you to know that there is room. There is always room for more.

Why do we go? Simply stated, we go because we love God and we love what God loves. And God loves his creation, from the smallest unborn child to the oldest member of society. He loves his creation, whether healthy or infirm. He cares for his creation with meticulous and merciful interest, not letting a sparrow fall to the ground without his notice (Matthew 10:29). He forms us in what the Bible refers to as the "secret place," "knitting" us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139). He is the Lord of Life, all life - from the moment of conception to our last breath and beyond. And because he loves his creation, we should love it too.

Sadly, despite this, there is something terrible happening in our country - and even in many quarters of the Church. We are turning aside from a conviction that truth and morality is transcendent, revealed by God for his glory and the good of creation. More and more, we're embracing the myth of moral relativism. In arrogance, we're seeking to radically redefine what it means to be human, selfishly equating the worth of our fellow man with its utility to us. With increasing comfort, we've aborted approximately 50 million of our own since 1973. With dulled consciences, we're eroding protections for the elderly and the infirm. With technological advancement loosed from ethical moorings, we're blurring the biological distinctions established by God in the order of his creation.

So, what should the Church do in the face of this culture drift? Should the Church remain silent and simply allow our slide toward barbarism to continue unabated or should we speak the truth in love, interceding for our nation before the throne of God and in the public sphere? As followers of Christ, I believe that the choice is obvious.

Two final thoughts:

First, although many seek to "frame" the abortion conversation as primarily political, it is not. Issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life are not fundamentally political; they are moral and theological. If the Church does not speak to them, we fail to declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and callously abandon society to moral confusion and decay.

Secondly, statistically speaking, it is not only probable but also almost certain that abortion has directly affected men and women within our congregation. Let me say that we believe that God's grace is as real as it is powerful. It brings healing from guilt and pardon from condemnation. Do not interpret our stand for human life as a stand against those touched by this evil. We are not against anyone. We are for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the healing of forgiveness that can come to all who ask for it.

With all of that said, let me encourage you to join us. Register on our website. It's only a day, but it can make a lifetime of difference.

Here are the resources from our second session of The Bible and the Basics.

These cover the books of history: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

As promised, here are the resources from our first session of The Bible and the Basics.

These cover the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.