Pastor's Pen Archives

January & February 2010

Scripture Readings

1/3 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14; Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12

1/10   Psalm 29; Isaiah 43:1-7; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17,21-22

1/17 Psalm 36:5-10; Isaih 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

1/24  Psalm 19; Nehemiah 8:1-3,5-6,8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21

1/31  Psalm 71:1-6; Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30

2/7  Psalm 138; Isaiah 6:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11

2/14  Psalm 99;  Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-43

2/211st Sunday In Lent 

Psalm 91:1-2,9-16; Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13;  Luke 4:1-13

2/28 2nd Sunday In Lent  

Psalm 27; Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35

Moving On Up

^NIV Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Many of you probably remember the old TV show about an upper middle-class family in the late 70s and early 80s who moved from a working class area of Queens to a luxury apartment in Manhattan.  This family had made it!  They were finally experiencing the American dream.

The theme song for this show has always stuck with me (even though I was only 4 when the show stopped airing).  The show and song symbolized the drive of the typical American family.  We desire to be rich and have life easy.  We all want our piece of the pie.

If the current recession has taught us anything, it is that pie is a perishable food.  Riches don’t last.  Yet there is still something inside us that strives for riches and ease of living.  Unfortunately, it is easy for the church to fall into the same pursuit.

As Dingmans Ferry United Methodist Church begins to grow, and as the Vision Team seeks guidance from God on the future of our ministries, we must be ever vigilant that we do not fall for the dream of riches or ease. 

The life of the Christian, and therefore the life of the church, is one of sacrifice.  As we move into the future to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost of this world let us remember that the church is full of sacrifice, not luxury

Grace & Peace

~Pastor Matthew Riley