Current Events
07/03/2010 - Annual Conference July 3rd-7th in Pittsburgh, PA
07/07/2010 - New Vision Fund Food Stand at Newville Fair 7/7-7/10
07/11/2010 - 6:30 pm Sunday Evening Vespers Service
07/17/2010 - National Youth Conference - July 17th - 22nd
07/18/2010 - 6:30 pm Sunday Evening Vespers Service
07/25/2010 - 6:30 pm Vespers Service at Shippensburg Fair
FROM THE PASTOR'S PEN...
A Christian and a Patriot, One in the Same!
July, in the United States of America, holds the most important and cherished of holidays, for its citizens. That day is set aside to remember and celebrate the birth of the greatest country on the face of the planet [in my opinion]. I will make no list of its vices because there are many all too eager and willing to take the stage and condemn the U.S.A. If you believe all they claim, the U.S is the black hearted villain responsible for half of the world’s ills and making victims out of the other half. I want to go on record saying, we [the United States of America, all those who live in it and love it] are not perfect BUT we are the best thing going anywhere in the world. If, I were to offer any criticism of our country, government, and the citizenry, it would be the fact that we have lost or abandoned our first love.
Whether you like it or not, or believe in them or not, this country was fought for, and by people with strong Judeo-Christian values. Yes, preachers and devout followers went to battle because they took the teachings of Christ, the law of God seriously and wanted to build a community i.e. a nation on those beliefs. They risked everything to make their beliefs more than words of Scripture. They worked to make them what they ought to be, what God intended them to be … “a way of life”. I challenge you to look at the founding fathers and see, that the vast majority of them were people of deep faith and conviction. Were they without sin? No! They did however, get their priorities right, God and Country. They were working to bring God’s kingdom into being, here on earth. Patriotism and Faithfulness were not a conflicting interest or set of ideas. They understood that it was a mockery for the two not to coexist.
Today’s interpretation of “separation of church and state” means the elimination of all that is labeled religious. That definition is a gross perversion of what the founding fathers intended. They wanted a government that would not tell people how or what to worship but without hesitation, would protect, at all costs, their right and practices of faith. We are fast approaching a time when observance of any faith tradition, especially Christianity, will have to be done in privacy, perhaps even secret. Does that sound remotely familiar? How about our first 300 years.
There is another red, white and blue banner that calls us to that same kind of patriotic fervor our founding fathers held. It is a white banner with a blue field bearing a red cross in it. I speak of the Christian Flag. We Christians must answer God’s call to prepare for and be part of the establishment of His kingdom. Let me be as clear as possible in what I am saying. Christians cannot continue to be content as the “silent majority”. We are no longer the majority and we had better not keep silent. Look where that has gotten us! We, must, and need to speak and vote our faith with all the passion and patriotic gusto we can muster. This is our Christian and American duty. We do not need politics dabbling in the business of the Church but we sure need the Church more involved in our political processes. Otherwise, we will be a Godless nation. Let’s get to it! Bro. Earl