First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood
  • Home
  • About
    • Leadership
    • Church History
    • Matthew 25
    • Community Resource
    • Facility Use & Rental
    • Want to Join?
  • NEWS
    • ONLINE WORSHIP
    • NEWS & UPDATES
    • Newsletter
    • Renovation
    • Photos
  • Ministries
    • Worship Services
    • Christian Education
    • Music Ministry
    • Mission
    • Deacons
    • Presbyterian Women
    • FROGS Program
    • Community Meals
    • Stewardship
  • Calendar
  • Directions
  • Contact
  • DONATE
  • Home
  • About
    • Leadership
    • Church History
    • Matthew 25
    • Community Resource
    • Facility Use & Rental
    • Want to Join?
  • NEWS
    • ONLINE WORSHIP
    • NEWS & UPDATES
    • Newsletter
    • Renovation
    • Photos
  • Ministries
    • Worship Services
    • Christian Education
    • Music Ministry
    • Mission
    • Deacons
    • Presbyterian Women
    • FROGS Program
    • Community Meals
    • Stewardship
  • Calendar
  • Directions
  • Contact
  • DONATE

ONLINE WORSHIP

Pastor's Point of View: June 2016

6/14/2016

 
PicturePastor Michael Rucker
Hello sisters and brothers and friends of FPCE,
We are sliding into the summer time.  Perhaps we will find a week or two or three to catch our collective breath and have some fun; as in recreation, as in re-creation.  I do wish each of you a summer full of blessing and peace. 
 
This past May, I attended a conference for preachers called The Festival of Homiletics (which is a fancy word for the art of preaching.)  The conference leadership decided to focus on the theme, Prophetic Preaching in Changing Times..  As the theme’ suggests, the preaching and teaching we heard was not to make us preachers feel good, or successful, or comforted, or entertained.  As I re-read my notes, I see even more clearly that the week’s preachers and teachers laid out some tough challenges to those of us in the pulpit on Sunday morning.  Here are just a few points that spoke to me:
  1. “The Christian Church in America has reached the height of irrelevance and the pinnacle of importance.”  Meaning, the mainline churches find themselves disconnected from much of America, especially from our young generations.  Yet, the power of the gospel is the hope of the world.  How do we connect the power of that gospel with people who know longer speak our language—and really don’t want to.  Can the church step out of its own traditions?
  2. Churches loooooove to preach Jesus.  But are reluctant to preach what Jesus preached—which is a VERY revolutionary message. 
  3. Over and over I heard the prophetic challenge, don’t fret so much about how many people are in the pew.  Instead, ask yourselves, are the people who do come growing in their discipleship?  Does our mission include reaching out to the marginalized...the outsiders? 
  4. From Alyce McKenzie, Pastor and Professor, described what she sees emerging in our cultural context.  As a people we are:
  • Distracted. Too much going on.  We are bombarded by too many messages, too many demands, too much information.  How can we help a culture focus? 
  • Story-suspicious:  The overarching story of previous generations; the way we interpret the gospel, the way we apply the gospel to our lives used to make sense to most people in our culture.  No longer true.  The younger people are developing a different story, a different narrative.  Can we listen to their story and maybe even try to connect with it?
  • Scene-loving:  Images, Instagram, selfies, photos and videos on Facebook, has become the primary mode of communication.
  • Wisdom-hungry:  No one has the answer for what we as a church and culture need to do next.  But really, we don’t need answers, we long for wise people to help us discern out next steps.

A lot to think and pray about.  The good news?  Change happens, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Pastor Michael


Comments are closed.
    created with MySignature.io created with MySignature.io created with MySignature.io created with MySignature.io created with MySignature.io

Archives

March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
September 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
January 2019
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
December 2015
November 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014

RSS Feed

ABOUT US
Leadership
Church History
Community Resource
Facility Usage Policy
​
HOME
NEWS
Online Worship
News & Updates
Newsletter
Church Calendar
Worship Schedule
MINISTRIES
Christian Education
Music Ministry
​
Mission
Presbyterian Women
​FROGS Program
Deacons
Community Meals​
Photo Galleries
DIRECTIONS
CONTACT
​
DONATE
First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood   |   The Community Church   |   120 East Swissvale Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15218   |   412-241-4613