Someone is calling you.

​Do you remember being that little girl or boy playing outside with your neighborhood friends, the sun is slipping beneath the horizon, the daylight is moving into the mysteriously lit dusk, and the voice you did not want to hear calls out: “Michael, time to come inside!” Do you remember dating in high school, nervously waiting to either receive or place the call to your girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you remember being called on in class at school to answer the one question that you did not know the answer to?

Someone is calling you. Even today. No matter how young or old you are. You are being called.

I learned that the word vocation is what we often think of as something we do with our lives. We pursue vocations to teach, manage a business, be a nurse, become a contractor, or preach. What I learned is that the root of the word vocation is the Latin word for voice. Vocation is not something we do, it is something we hear. Something we listen for. Something we listen to.

Someone…some voice…is calling you. We hear different calls for the different stages of our lives. But echoing somewhere in the depths of who you are is a voice calling you to a new place, a new way of being you.

Over these summer weeks, take some time. Sit quietly for ten minutes ever day. Listen. Someone…something…is calling you. What you are being called to be or do is very important. It is the next step in your life. As Jesus says to his followers, “Let anyone with ears, listen!”

Have a blessed summer everyone!
Pastor Michael

Good morning sisters and brothers,
                We have planned a beautiful, joyful, and meaningful time together this coming Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. Powerful liturgy and song will form the backbone of the service, but there is more! Together we will hear the Apostle Paul tell us of his total commitment to the coming Kingdom of God.  We will honor the total commitment of our brothers and sisters who embody that kingdom in our community today.  The service will conclude with the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  The table is a big one.  There is plenty of room for you!  I hope to see you and your family in church. 
May the grace, peace, and joy of the Risen Christ be with you,
Pastor Michael
 
PS – the final adult class will take place at 9:45 a.m. in the lounge. 
 

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
                “What a strange, strange world we live in!” might very well have been a thought running through the minds of the early Christians.  Pentecost introduced tremendous joy, power, and courage into the lives of the early church.  Along with those wonderful blessings came the challenge of great change.  How much changed?  Tomorrow morning scripture reading from Acts 8: 26-39 gives us a clue – check it out. 
                After the worship service we will cross the street and hold a service of memory in honor of the men and women who gave their lives in service of this country.  The scouts, some vets, people from the community, and our choir will lead the service. 
See you in the morning!
Pastor Michael
 
PS – adult Sunday School at 9:45 in the  lounge. 

Grace and peace brothers and sisters!
Every one of us has heard those “words of wisdom” that trip easily from the tongue, but hearing the words and doing as they say are two different things! We may smile, nod, and murmur, “I’m sure you are right,” but when we try to put the advice into practice – “Ah, there’s the rub!” Take these words of wisdom for example:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.”
“If anyone lack wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly and it will be given you.”
Positive, affirming words, yes? Indeed. They are biblical. They have a fine ring to them. But to put the words into action...really? How?
May I share the secret I’ve discovered that makes these hallowed words doable? It takes time. It takes time and practice. It takes time, practice, and stillness. The stillness, the trusting, the wisdom are all there waiting for you. How quaint that advice sounds! Especially in our instant gratification driven world where we can buy or numb our way through many of life’s challenges. Quaint but true.
Listening for God’s word , opening ourselves to God’s presence, and discerning the wise words takes time…practice…stillness.
During these crazy, deeply unsettling times nothing is going to be easy. From the events unfolding day by day in our nation, or discovering the next step for our congregation to take, or learning to live in the bodies that don’t work as well as they used to, and finding the peace of God in the midst of it all? It may not going to be easy, but is still possible. God works best in the dark.
​If there is any advice that I, as your pastor, have for you it is this: Take the time. Practice, every day. Be still. Pray. Meditate. Find that still, quiet center within you that is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is there. Strong, patient, expectantly waiting for you.
“I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken...
my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices.” (Ps. 16:8)
Pastor Michael

Good morning,
                Any fishermen/women out there?  You might be interested in a fishing tip we will find in the verses we read tomorrow morning? Do any of you wonder what the church is good for in this fast-paced, tech savvy, confusing culture?  Let’s go back to the basics and find out. If you want to get a head start on tomorrow’s message…see John 21: 1-19. The sermon will be followed by the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. 
                Let’s meet together, be fed together, pray together, and sing together tomorrow morning at 11:00.  The life of this congregation is deepened and enriched when you, each one of you, is with us.
Grace and peace good people!
Pastor Michael
 
PS.  The adult class will continue to think and discuss how we can go about living the resurrection.  9:45 am in the lounge.

Good morning brothers and sisters – and what a beautiful morning it is!
A reminder, the last few Sunday mornings I have talked briefly about the vital ministry Wilkinsburg Community Ministry.  Mission emphasis: feeding children, supporting families. Please take a moment - maybe right now? – to affirm this ministry and support the work with a donation.  Giving is easy, it must be done on-line.  Support the Critical Needs Alert Giving Event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Foundation, go to:

1. Type www.pittsburghgives.org/wcm into the address bar.  You will be directed to the page for WCM contributions
2. Click on the DONATE box.  You will be directed to the giving page.
3. Type in the amount you wish to give (minimum $25.00) ….respond to the few questions….at bottom of page click – add to cart. 
4. YOU DO NOT NEED TO SIGN UP AS A REGULAR DONOR – scroll to bottom of page and click GUEST DONOR
5. Fill in the information for credit card and billing address.  Go to bottom of page and click on – accept terms.  Click – add to cart 
6. You will be directed to your CART  - you may be asked to click confirm donation – click on it -
7. YOU HAVE GIVEN TO A VITAL MINISTRY.  Thank you. 

That’s it – you are done.  If you have not given on-line before, be patient…and calm…the instructions are straightforward.  If you would like assistance, call or text me at 412-298-3140.
Grace and peace.
Pastor Michael

Good morning everyone,            
                We awaken to a morning of sunshine!  The spring we have longed for has sprung!
                This morning my time of meditation (go to www.pray-as-you-go.com) focused on the gentle and sure advice of Jesus: Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; believe in me.
Reassuring words in a troubled world.
                This coming Sunday morning, two of our young men are going to confirm their trust in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Years ago, Jake and Spencer’s parents made a commitment to raise their child in the Christian faith.  This congregation made a commitment to provide education, support, and love.  It worked.  As it has for generations.  Sunday we celebrate a coming of age moment.  Please join us in worship this Sunday and rejoice with the Lehrian and Santo families as we witness Spencer and Jake make their public commitments of faith.  See you then.
Grace and peace be with you,
Pastor Michael
 
PS – there will be no adult class this week.  Elders who can make it, please meet in the lounge at 10:15 a.m.  Thanks.

HI all,
Oh my, isn’t it beautiful out there?  A day all of us have been longing for!  Enjoy. 
Our delight can continue and be shared tomorrow morning.  We will worship at 11:00 a.m. The praise ensemble will lead our voices and spirits in song.  The scripture passage is about doubt.  And faith. And the doubts many people in our world continue to have about the risen body of Christ…that is, the church. 
See you tomorrow morning!
Pastor Michael
 
The adult Bible class is beginning a new study based on the resource, “Living the Resurrection.”  Class begins at 9:45 in the lounge.