Tracing Our Physical and Spiritual Roots

Genealogy has become a very popular pastime for many people since the completion of the human genome project more than two decades ago. Most families are not able to trace their heritage further back than a few generations, but the pursuit is growing, thanks to such websites as Ancestry.com, Legacy Tree, and 23 and Me, among others.

Sheri’s cousin has taken a particular interest in this area, and he has helped me to trace my family’s roots back to my great grandmother, whom I never met. He was even able to locate a photo of her. Now, I am really curious about my ancestors — Who were they? Where did they come from? What did they do? What sort of life experiences did they have? 

When it comes to our spiritual origin, we don’t have to look far. Thanks to the scribes, prophets and disciples, as well as other contributors to the Bible, we can draw a straight line from our existence to the God we serve — the creator of the universe — along with his Son, Jesus Christ, who became our Savior, and the Holy Spirit, who guides us in our daily journey.

In the Book of Genesis (1:26) we know that God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

In other words, he created us with a plan and a purpose. We don’t need a website to trace our lineage to God. His Word and His wisdom are enough to make an everlasting covenant.

An Invitation to Worship and Fellowship This Sunday

People rarely complain about having a day off, but I must admit that I felt a little out of place last Sunday when I was not with you during worship. Our Staff-Parish Relations Committee very kindly and generously afforded me a day off, and Steve Moore volunteered to deliver an excellent message, which was uplifting, encouraging, and inspirational. 

While out of town with the family last weekend, I searched the Internet for local Methodist Churches, but none had a service time that fit into our schedule, so I wound up missing an opportunity to worship, and, frankly, I felt a little lost. I guess I had forgotten how much I rely on weekly worship services to energize myself for the week ahead. It reminded me that when I miss church, I really miss church (if you know what I mean).

As we begin this Lenten season, we have an opportunity to reconnect with our Lord. It’s not that we haven’t been faithful, it’s just that we have been a little busy and perhaps somewhat distracted.

It’s not essential that we attend worship every Sunday, but I would suggest that some sort of connection with God on the Sabbath is both wise and beneficial. 

This coming Sunday, we will have an opportunity to worship and reconnect with others after the service during our monthly Fellowship Dinner. We encourage everyone to come, and, if possible, bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.

God wants us to remain united with him and with one another. What better time to do that than with devout worship and a hearty meal on Sunday! Hope to see you there!

A ‘Souper’ Invitation for Super Bowl Sunday

There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot soup to warm one’s heart on a cold winter’s day. In fact, the only thing better than enjoying a steamy cup of vegetable, chicken noodle, mushroom, or broccoli cheese is sharing it with someone else, particularly someone who may not have any other source of nourishment on that day.

This Sunday, we will have an opportunity to do just that as we collect cans of soup for our pantry in recognition of Super Bowl Sunday, As I have said many times, the good graces of all of you have worked wonders in transforming faces of despair into expressions of joy and contentment. 

Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand how a simple, inexpensive can of soup could so profoundly affect the lives of others, but I have seen it over and over again among those who visit our pantry and find a generous supply of soup and other items to satisfy their hunger and feed members of their family, who are so dependent upon them.

We invite you to bring a can or two of soup to this Sunday’s service. It won’t cost much, but it will pay enormous dividends as we feed those in need. Just as importantly, it will be holy and pleasing in the eyes of the great God we serve.

God probably doesn’t care who wins the Super Bowl, but he does care about those on the margins of life, and He is glorified when we reach out to assist and lift up the least among us.

Standing in the Shadows or Walking in the Light?

I think we all know what’s coming up at the end of this week. That’s right, Friday is Groundhog Day, one of the silliest but also one of the more charming days of the year.

Pity the poor groundhog. Yanked out of a hole before dawn on a frigid morning so that a foolish group of men in top hats can speculate about whether Punxsutawney Phil sees six more weeks of winter or an immediate leap into spring.

The deciding factor is whether or not Phil sees his shadow. My question is, how do they know? Does he whisper in their ears, or does he communicate his conclusion by blinking his eyes?

It really doesn’t matter because it’s all in good fun, and it gives a nice boost to the economy of Central Pennsylvania. But it also raises a question about shadows.

Does our life cast a shadow, or does it provide light? The Gospel of Matthew (5:14-16) encourages us to provide light with this well-known passage, which tells us that we “are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

We have been given the great gift of being able to reflect the light of the Lord for others to see, so we are called on not to lurk in the shadows but to walk in the light so that others might see and believe.

Following the Footprints

In the aftermath of this past Sunday’s evangelism event, in which we invited and honored First Responders as well as others from our area, I was struck by the soiled floor in the Narthex, which showed the remnants of the snow and ice that were tracked inside — a result of an exceptionally large gathering.

Oftentimes, we can evaluate the effectiveness of an event or endeavor by what is left behind. In this case, those numerous footprints — both large and small — gave testimony to an incredibly noble and, in the end, eminently successful effort by our Evangelism Team and each of you in our congregation.

Despite the cold weather, the doors of the church were open wide to welcome a cross section of residents in our community. Not only were there police, fire, and paramedics, but there were also young students, and a variety of other guests. For the first time in many years, our church was filled on a day other than Christmas Eve or Easter.

How this event will affect our church moving forward is uncertain, but on this particular day, Oak Chapel showed its true colors with a worshipful service, an engaging program, and a wonderful meal. Each and every one of you is to be commended for doing God’s will by making His House a warm, welcoming, and inviting place. My sincere thanks to all of you for your efforts. Now let’s continue to move forward as we profess our faith and
share the love of God to others.

A Salute to the Real Lifesavers

We toss around the term “lifesaver” rather casually these days, but if you have ever been in a life-threatening situation, you can certainly appreciate those who put their lives on the line to save ours. Firefighters, paramedics, police officers, doctors, nurses, and other emergency personnel are true heroes.

This Sunday, Oak Chapel will honor our local First Responders and medical professionals at our worship service and immediately following at our monthly Fellowship Dinner. We hope you can join us and bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Former College of Wooster head basketball coach and current Evangelism team captain at Oak Chapel, Steve Moore, will deliver an inspirational message for our guests after our meal.

The Gospel of John makes clear the significance of one’s willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice with this familiar passage from Verse 13 from Chapter 15 — “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down [one’s] life for [another].” First Responders do this every day as part of their call of duty, so we thought it would be appropriate to show our gratitude.

We hope that you can join us, and make our local heroes feel welcome by bringing your favorite food, displaying your trademark hospitality, and showing them just how much we appreciate all that they do.

Also, don’t forget that this is “Jingly Buckets” Sunday. We will be collecting loose change (and paper currency, too, if you wish). Money collected will go to Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

Using Our Personal Platform to Spread the Good News (282)

At a time when professional athletes are known as much for their massive egos and outrageous salaries as their ability, rookie NFL quarterback and former Ohio State Buckeye C.J. Stroud is a breath of fresh air. In his first year with the Houston Texans, he has guided his team into the playoffs, where they will face the Browns on Saturday. 

Football will be front and center, but it won’t be Stroud’s top priority. He is an anomaly among the athletes he competes with and against. Despite his success and his passion for football, he has shown uncommon humility and deep faith, which he is committed to sharing with whomever will listen. With symbols of faith on his headband, wristband, and even his face, Stroud says that his football experience is a vehicle for his primary purpose — “to spread the Gospel and the life of Jesus Christ.”

Clearly, Stroud has a platform that most others don’t — a weekly audience of millions of viewers. Our exposure is not nearly as far-reaching, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be just as effective. To the contrary, our one-on-one opportunities to share our faith can arguably have a comparable or even greater impact.

Stroud says that he is blessed “to walk, to talk, to interact with people…to do his best to thank the Lord, who laid his life on the cross for us.” Indeed, Stroud’s faith trumps everything else in his life. In that sense we are just like him. Even though we don’t have the same athletic skills or the same platform, we are called upon to share our faith whenever and wherever we can with the same passion as this talented young quarterback.

Hope in the Midst of Darkness and Despair

The year 2023 has finally come to an end, and not a moment too soon. As you know, our church was hit extremely hard by the passing of longtime, loyal members, and their loss has left a significant void in our hearts. Since July 1, we have conducted eight Celebration-of-Life services here at Oak Chapel, and after a while, it begins to wear on us. Sadness is an unavoidable part of life, but when you lose so many people in such a short period of time, it has a profound impact on us — individually and collectively.

The good news is that these departures are not permanent. Isaiah 40:28-31 gives us encouragement, even inspiration, with this familiar passage, so often read at memorial services: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

We have been given a great gift through our faith, and it is that faith that we lean on in times of trouble and despair, lifting us up and giving us hope. God only knows what 2024 will bring, but we can rest assured that He will walk with us through the valley of darkness and up to the mountaintop of resilient light and joy. So take heart, remain faithful, obey God’s commandments, follow His Word, and love one another as he has loved us so that our journey will culminate in the glory of His eternal kingdom.

Let Peace and Good Will Reign

In the Gospel of Luke (2:13-15), an angel appears with a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.’”

This is, indeed, a season of peace and good will, or at least that’s what we hope for. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always come to pass. Conflicts continue, bloodshed persists, and those words from the Gospel passage that we long to hear seem to ring hollow.

The shepherds keeping watch in their fields were struck with a profound sense of curiosity when the angels appeared to them. This led them to abandon their routine and see what “has come to pass.”

How often do we get so caught up in a daily pattern of life that our curiosity is stifled, and our routine turns into a rut? Perhaps this Advent season, we can allow our curiosity to take us in a different direction. Instead of being consumed by our to-do list, maybe we could take a break, relax, and enjoy the peace of the Christmas season.

With that in mind, allow me to invite you to join us for our Christmas Hymn Sing this Sunday at 2 p.m. Hear the sounds of the season, and lend your voice to the chorus if you wish. Then join us for a cookie reception in Fellowship Hall. Our hope is that this will bring serenity to your soul and inspiration to your spirit as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, and take note: our Nutshell will also be taking a brief respite for the holidays before returning again in January.

Riding the Great White Horse

On my way to the church each morning, I make a point of looking to my left and checking out the small white horses in the corral just east of the bright red barn. 

In modern-day culture, the one who rides the white horse is the “good guy,” the noble one. Likewise, in the Book of Revelation 19 (11-16), the White Horse is believed to be carrying Jesus as our Savior, suppressing all evildoers and conquering all sin. 

Here is John’s account of that vision: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Now that, in contrast to the white horse believed to be the antichrist in the sixth chapter of Revelation, is quite a striking image of the Lord coming in glory to rescue his people. It is, indeed, a reassuring vision of God’s great power and might.

The little white horses on Warner Hill are no match for the great White Horse, but they still provide for me an assurance of God’s other side — his purity, gentleness, compassion, grace, mercy, and, of course, love.