First Presbyterian Church

I was given a very precious gift from our Heavenly Father this weekend...it was the gift of nothing. With the bad weather cancelling everything from my children’s activities to even church services on Sunday, I was forced just to relax for a couple of days. Because I didn’t have to be anywhere and because I couldn’t get anywhere, I gave myself the permission to stop and rest. I played out in the snow with Madison, Kinsley, and Mollie; I read a book I had been meaning to get to; and I even did a little “work” around the house which really wasn’t work.

By being forced to slow down this weekend, I began to see even more clearly the truth of what I have been sharing in my sermons and newsletters over the past month. We do live in a “high velocity” society that carries us along with the rush of so many activities. We become so accustomed to the “rush” that we don’t even know we are in the middle of it. So it takes a major snow storm to slow us down enough to show us that perhaps we do need to take some quiet time to ourselves now and again.

God understood this when he gave us the gift of keeping Sabbath. God wanted His people to rest one day out of seven so that they could not only glorify him but also be re-energized. In the 21st century, we tend to see Sabbath keeping as a burdensome command rather than the beautiful promise it is. We say we don’t have time to rest, and yet this weekend showed me that the world did just fine without me for a couple of days. Perhaps you discovered the same thing. God has given us the permission to rest one day a week, and we cheat ourselves when we don’t use and enjoy the gift.

Resting, however, doesn’t just have to be a "one day a week" kind of thing. Each day, we can take a few moments to sit quietly in the presence of God. We can read a passage from the bible for five minutes; quietly reflect on it for 5 minutes; and then pray about whatever is on our mind for five minutes. Consider it a 15 minute “school closing” that you can use to rest in God. This is one way that you can nourish your spirit in the midst of the rush of your lives.

May God grant you and me the desire and ability to rest in Christ.
Your friend and pastor,
Pastor Lee

In my last posting, I explained that we now find ourselves living in a time of high velocity change where the perception of truth is based not on some unchanging constant but on the experience of the individual. In addition, the once prominent place of protestant Christianity in our nation has given way to religious pluralism and an increasing secularism. What we are finding as a result is that the ministries developed in that simpler time, which were good and appropriate, just don't seem to have the same impact on people today, and church participation in many denominations have plateaued or are in decline.

The long-awaited Pictorial Directory is finally finished and available for pick up at the church office!

Because we handled the entire process (picture taking, data input, layout, printing, and binding) in-house, we are asking that you donate $2 for each copy of the directory that you take in order to help offset printing costs.

The directory may also be accessed online. You will need to contact the church office to acquire the password.

Our annual church-wide family retreat in Montreat, NC will be March 5-7 with the theme "Discovering Our Spiritual Gifts." Adult discussion sessions will be led by Pastor Lee. Brochures are available at the church, or you may download a copy by clicking here. The registration deadline is January 31. Please contact the church office if you have any questions.

“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.” - Acts 16:5

You may have heard the phrase “Acts 16:5” used around church by the elders and deacons and been wondering what it is. Well, it is obviously a reference to a verse in the book of Acts which is quoted above, but it is also an initiative sponsored by Salem Presbytery in which the churches take disciplined and intentional steps toward creating new ministries to reach new people while honoring and strengthening the work of present ministry.

Pastor Zehmer has the following sermons planned:

February 7, 2010
Transformation: Growing Up - Part 2

February 14, 2010
Transformation: Sending Forth

February 21, 2010
YOUTH SUNDAY

February 28, 2010
TBA

March 7, 2010
Guest Preacher: Dianna Wright from Salem Presbytery

March 14, 2010
TBA