Day 21: "Getting Ready for the Week that Shook the World"

Day 21

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith, published by the Patuxent

 Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: SATURDAY 4 APRIL 2020

"Getting ready for the week that shook the world."

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,

Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, and with its dawning the beginning of Holy Week, the week that will remain in all of human history the week that shook the world.

The English adverb “resolutely” in the Greek provides for a variety of translations, all of which provide color and nuanced depth to what it is Jesus is doing here.

“…he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem.” The Message

“…He was determined to go to Jerusalem (to fulfill His purpose).” The Amplified Bible

“…he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” King James Version

“…He made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.” Good News Version

Resolutely…steeled himself…courage…determined…steadfastly…made up his mind…set his face…well, you get the picture. Whatever was going to happen, Jesus was not going to allow anything to keep Him from it. His face could only point in one direction – Jerusalem.

I particularly am taken by the image of Jesus ‘setting his face…’ because it makes it quite clear that we are so constructed that we can look in only one direction at a time. In this instance our outward anatomy mirrors our inner construction: we can only give our hearts, our ‘selves’ to one thing at a time. But beware - God’s Word describes persons attempting to focus on two different things  at the same time: “…a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:8

Reflective question: As you approach Holy Week, what is Jesus saying to you He wants you to ‘set your face’ to, make the one thing that will be your focus this week? 

Reflective scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Reflective hymn: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” – source unknown

I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 20: “What does eternity feel like?”

Day 20

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith, published by the Patuxent

 Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: FRIDAY 3 APRIL 2020

“What does eternity feel like?”

“It has been just over a week since Americans started to be ordered to stay at home and out of the way of the coronavirus. For many, it already feels like an eternity.” Newspaper article by Nellie Bowles 26 March 2020

“Kids are trying to escape. Careers are falling apart as parents working from home become de facto kindergarten teachers. Marriages are being strained. Couples who wanted to break up are stuck together; Craigslist roommates are suddenly family. And everyone has to stay put with others 24 hours a day because there is nowhere else, really, to go….cabin fever is setting in.”

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” David asked centuries ago in Psalm 11:3. What do you do when everything begins to be too much?

The choir room was packed with children in Christmas costumes ready to enter the church for the Christmas pageant. It was pandemonium. Exasperated at getting nowhere, the children’s choir director stood on a chair and literally screamed, “Shut up!” At which point silence fell and we filed into the sanctuary to celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace. I’ll never forget it.    

It’s going to feel like pandemonium, like an eternity, like the foundation, the floor, being pulled out from under some of us before this is over. It’s both unfair and unrealistic to believe we are all supposed to ‘keep a stiff upper lip’ and carry on, business as usual. Some will feel like standing in the middle of the prolonged confinement and yelling something at it, anything, if in so doing everything can go back to normal. But normal has fled, never to return the same.   

When it begins to feel like an eternity, this confinement, turn it upside down - really right side up - and ask the Holy Spirit to help you sense the truth: in Jesus you already live in eternity. 

Reflective question: What plan do you have in place for times when cabin fever is closing in?

Reflective scripture: Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are wearied and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Reflective hymn: “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” (Isaac Watts 1674-1748)

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 19: “The Inspiration of a Higher Meaning”

Day 19

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith, published by the Patuxent

 Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: THURSDAY 2 APRIL 2020

“The Inspiration of a Higher Meaning”

“It can all seem so meaningless. Some random biological mutation sweeps across the globe, murdering thousands, lacerating families and pulverizing dreams. Life and death can seem completely arbitrary. Religions and philosophies can seem like cruel jokes. The only thing that matters is survival. Without the inspiration of a higher meaning, selfishness takes over.” Newspaper editorial “The Moral Meaning of the Plague” by David Brooks  27 March 2020

Interpretation. It’s all in the interpretation, how we perceive what is happening, which in turn informs how we respond to what is happening. If ‘selfishness takes over’ as things become more dire, it will be because of a worldview devoid of an experiential ‘inspiration of a higher meaning.’

And even for those who have an inspired connection with a higher meaning, interpretations can fall on the bleak side: fatalism can cripple the soul, a belief that it was all predestined, resulting in a sober resignation to God’s will. Then there is the judgmental worldview that interprets all of what’s happening as God’s judgment on the world. And what believer would question that?

But there is another interpretation marked by hopefulness, a worldview that sees everything in the hands of a God who is sovereign over all, and in Whose benevolent nature we can trust, no matter how dark the day when we can’t seem to see at all into tomorrow: “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the light will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:11-12. 

The inspiration of a higher meaning for people of faith does not involve a worldview that understands what is swirling around us, but rather trusts in someone Who does.

Reflective question: Jesus is the ‘inspired higher meaning’ you can trust to interpret today… and tomorrow. How is your trust level just now?

Reflective scripture: Psalm 56:3 – When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”

Reflective hymn: “Moment by Moment” – Daniel Whittle 1840-1901

Never a trial that He is not there, never a burden that He doth not bear,

Never a sorrow that He doth not share; moment by moment I’m under His care.

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love; moment by moment I’ve life from above.

Looking to Jesus ‘till glory doth shine; moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.   

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 18: “But the Word of God is Not Confined”

Day 18

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith, published by the Patuxent

 Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL 2020

“But the Word of God is Not Confined”

                 “This is a deadly public health crisis. We are no longer asking or suggesting

 that Marylanders stay home. We are directing them to do so.”

Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland, 30 March 2020

What does it mean to be confined? While it might prove emotionally difficult for some, our plight is nothing compared to the confinement being experienced by hundreds of thousands in refugee camps in Sudan and Syria who, if the coronavirus finds a foothold in their midst, will experience a devastating number of deaths.

The Apostle Paul knew what it was to be confined – jailed, to be exact, and that for the sake of the Gospel. He recounts that time in his life from a firsthand vantage point in jail in his letter to a young disciple named Timothy:

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.

This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being

chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.” 2 Timothy 2:8-9

Confinement can be deleterious to our mental and emotional health. Taking advantage of this time of confinement to spend time in God’s word can mitigate potentially negative effects on our person, turning this time around into a life-giving, spiritually energizing chapter in life.

During this indeterminate time of confinement don’t allow your soul to be confined. Get acquainted with the God Who made you through quality time in His Word, so that when this chapter in your life is concluded, you will look back and be glad you “redeemed the time,” (Ephesians 5:16), instead of wasting time in countless hours of television and computer games.  Get out your Bible and turn it into a ‘best friend.’ You can also go to the pcusa.org website for the daily lectionary readings. Do something for your soul. This is not a rehearsal.

             `

Reflective question: What plan do you have in place during this time of confinement to spend  

                                     more time in God’s Word? Be intentional in your response and map it out.

Reflective scripture: Hebrews 4:12 – “The word of God is living and active.”

Reflective hymn: “How Firm a Foundation” – Author unknown, from a 1787 hymnal

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said, to you who to Jesus for refuge have fled.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Dedication of Easter Flowers

The Easter Azaleas and Lilies

are given to the Glory of Almighty God by:

Rosemary and David Bailey

To the glory and praise of Jesus Christ and his victory over the grave

Dudley and Georgia Chase

In memory of our parents,

Frederick and Lydia Chase and George and Louise Rowe

Jim and CiCi Donnelly

In memory of CiCi’s parents, Bill and Jane Carl

In honor of family near and far

Stephen and Chrystal Godfrey

In memory of Stephen’s father, James Godfrey

Rev. Robert Hardin

The joy of the season in Christ Jesus!

Harritt Goosetree Family

In loving memory of Phyllis Harritt and Eilene Kimmell

Marie and Scott Hankinson

In memory of our loved ones with Jesus

In honor of our family

Carolyn and Dick Huff

In memory of loved ones

Alene and Dick Imes

In memory of loved ones

Junek Family

In memory of Rev. Junek

Sinclair and Junek parents

Lawrence Family

In memory of Ruth Jensen

Melanie Ledig

In memory of Randolph Brown

Glenda Lytle

In loving memory of my husband, Allen Lytle

and my parents

Phil and Sue Menthe

In Honor of Patuxent Presbyterian Church Choir

Patuxent Presbyterian Garden Club

In honor of Ken and Jean Reamy

In honor of Hazel Stotler

Ken and Jean Reamy

In memory of Dorothy Reamy and Frances Pearson

Jamie, Laura, Bailey, Kirklin, and Peyton Rhodes

To celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior

and in honor of the Rhodes and Kirklin families

Cindy Romano

To the Glory of God

Elaine and Neil Saaiman

In memory of Margaret Clements, Elaine’s grandmother

In memory of Danie Saaiman, Neil’s father

In memory of Neil’s sister, Lani Saaiman

Les and Shirley Schnake

In honor of our children, Dan and Diane

and grandsons, Derek, Brandon, Liam and Caden

In memory of our son, David and son-in-law Robby Byers

Patsy and Tom Schumacher

In honor of the Schumacher family

David and LuAnn Smouse

In memory of our parents,

Bill and Hazel Smouse and Lou and Ann Lakes

Aleida Snell

In loving memory of my husband, Dale

and my dear mother

The Unangst Family

To celebrate the Resurrection

Mac and Tina Watts

To celebrate the gift of Eternal Life

The Wolfe Family

In loving memory of Jane and Megan Wolfe

Don and Beth Wright

To the glory of our risen Lord

In memory of Beth’s parents, Walter and Dorothy Frazier

and Don’s parents, Helen and Don Wright Jr.

Geoff and Maureen Wysham

To celebrate Christ’s Resurrection

Day 17: “Your Questions About Life Under Coronavirus”

Day 17

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for the people of faith at Patuxent Presbyterian Church,

 California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: TUESDAY 31 MARCH 2020

“Your Questions About Life Under Coronavirus”

“How worried should I be about getting sick?

Should I get tested?

Why is it called the coronavirus?

Is there a vaccine yet?

What if someone on my family gets sick?

My kids are scared – what can I tell them?”

Newspaper article “Your Questions about Life Under Coronavirus.” 22 March 2020

Years ago I methodically went through my Bible, page by page, and circled every question mark, underlining every question. From the beginning of time when God asked Adam in Geneses 3:9, “’Where are you?’” to the question asked at the end of time in Revelation 7:13 at the sight of a vision of redeemed saints in heaven, “’these in white robes – who are they, and where did they come from?’” God has been asking questions of us, and we have been asking questions of Him.

We were created to ask questions because of a God-implanted desire to know, and the questions referenced above from the newspaper come from that unique human capacity to question, and from a growing existential anxiety in the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

I am of the generation of cradle Presbyterians who can remember Confirmation Class and the memorization of the catechism. To this day if you ask a room full of Presbyterians my age, “What is the chief end of man?” most will still be able to answer as can I, “The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” (The Westminster Shorter Catechism).     

A growing number of questions accompany us on this pandemic journey, and only at its end will some be answered. But at the end of life’s journey one ‘answer’ will suffice for all our questions: the presence of Jesus. So let our focus during this uncertain time be on Him and be at peace with unanswered questions.

Reflective questions:

What is your most pressing question for God?

What is His most pressing question for you?

Reflective scripture: Mark 10:17 – “’What must I do to inherit eternal life?’”

Reflective hymn: Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know (Johann Schwedler 1672-1730)

Ask ye what great thing I know that delights and stirs me so?

What the high reward I win? Whose the name I glory in?

Jesus Christ the crucified.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 16: “The Art of Memory in a Time of a Pandemic”

Day 16

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for the people of faith at Patuxent Presbyterian Church,

 California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: MONDAY 30 MARCH 2020

“The Art of Memory in a Time of a Pandemic”

“This do in remembrance of me.” Jesus, Luke 22:19

Ars Memoriae, the art of memory, is a concept and practice that traces back to Aristotle before Christ. From the earliest church to the rise of monasticism to the Renaissance, the committing to memory of Scripture and theology – think the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, for example, has marked the Christian faith. The absence of books for much of its history and the absence of an ability to read for most Christians until recently made memory work essential for Christians.  

The words of Jesus found in Luke 22:19, “This do in remembrance of me,” are inscribed on  Communion tables in Protestant churches throughout the English-speaking world. We glance at them at best if at all, yet they are a powerful call to an ancient dynamic that goes back to the children of Israel and the annual celebration of the Passover Seder, when the question is asked, “Why is this night different from all other nights?”  The response is the entire Passover Seder celebration and when it is concluded everyone present has engaged in the art of memory, and the Exodus is remembered as though it happened just last year. The power of memory.

Memory – can you remember what your life was like before Christ came into your life? “Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,…without hope and without God.” Ephesians 2:11,12. Engaging in this kind of remembering fills us with gratitude for what He has done in our lives. Such a surveying of our lives can only serve us well. The art of memory.

During this time of a tragic pandemic, we are responding in certain ways that will form  memories in our lives, as well as the lives of those around us. What will they remember about how we conducted ourselves – did we exhibit Christ? At our memorial service may they be able to say, “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing.” Proverbs 10:7 – the art of memory.

Reflective question: Write down as much as you can remember that God has done in your life.

Reflective scripture: Psalm 77:1 – “I will remember the deeds of the Lord,…”

Reflective hymn: According to Thy Gracious Word (James Montgomery, 1771-1854)

According to Thy gracious Word, in meek humility;

this will I do, my dying Lord, I will remember Thee.

Thy body broken for my sake, my bread from heaven shall be;

Thy testamental cup I take, and thus remember Thee.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 15: "Doxologies in a Time of a Pandemic"

Day 15

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for the people of faith at Patuxent Presbyterian Church,

 California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK THREE: SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2020

"Doxologies in a Time of a Pandemic"

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Thomas Ken, 1637-1710

Suddenly ill, in only a couple of days he found himself quickly slipping away in the hospital. His family was summoned and I met them there. There were about eight of us forming a semicircle around his bed. Parting words were said to a loving husband, father and grandfather. Then joining hands, prayers were prayed, concluding with a unison praying of The Lord’s Prayer. When we got to “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” his monitor flatlined and he was gone. Then, as if on some heavenly cue, we all began to quietly sing the doxology. The room was filled with tears and peace, and I cannot write of it even now without tears. Overwhelming, it will remain my most powerful experience of the Doxology.

Doxology comes to us from ancient Greek by way of Medieval Latin, a compound noun formed by “doxos” meaning glory, and “logia” meaning word, written or spoken. In other words, it is a ‘word of glory’ sung to the Triune God. The melody most familiar in our western Protestant culture comes from the Genevan Psalter of 1551.   

When we say ‘doxology’ we all think of the one we sing as the offering is brought forward in the service. But there is another doxology we sing every Sunday immediately after our unison Affirmation of Faith: The Gloria Patri, the text of which goes back to the second century AD.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,

World without end. Amen, Amen.

What happened in that hospital can happen to us as well, in the serendipitous sovereignty of God, experiencing the Holy Spirit filling a Doxology with power, even during this pandemic.

Reflective question: On this Sunday morning when we are not able to worship together and sing our doxologies in unison, how would you ‘say’ your doxology to the Triune God in the midst of this pandemic? Write it out and make it your own personal ‘Pandemic Doxology.’  

Reflective scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20 – “You were bought with a price. So glorify God…”

Reflective hymn: Sing both of the Doxologies above: ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in them.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 12: “Who Sinned?”

Day 12:

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK TWO: THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2020

“Who Sinned?”

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that this man was born blind?’’”  John 9:1

Blame  - that’s really what the disciples were asking: ‘Who is to blame for this man’s blindness?’

From time immemorial, human beings have sought to locate the cause of calamity and illness, assigning blame in antiquity to malevolent unseen forces needing to be placated through ceremonies and sacrifices. While we are a tad more refined today, we still seek to locate and place blame for similar malevolent unseen forces that cause us harm and which we cannot control, even if we can now name their identity: a microscopic virus.

The need to locate or assign fault is embedded in our DNA as human beings – it’s in our family tree all the way back to Adam. When God queried Adam regarding the mess in the Garden, Adam defaulted to faulting first Eve and then God: “’The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12. Notice Adam’s need to blame someone else – his wife, and ultimately, God: “The woman you gave me…” 

Who sinned – who’s to blame? In the current uncontrollable coronavirus in our country, the propensity for blaming is front and center: it’s another country, it’s the other political party, it’s the government, it’s Satan and his demons, or it’s God Himself visiting some sort of cosmic punishment on a rebellious creation, yet the question remains, and none of the answers being proffered address the crisis and none, really, are correct.  

Here’s the bottom line in Jesus’ response to the question: “’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:2-3. Jesus’ words echo the promise of God in Romans 8:28, and remind us to look, not for blame, but for God being glorified in some way in all we are experiencing during this time.

Reflective scripture: Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him…”

Reflective hymn: Glorify Thy Name (#9)

Father, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth….

Jesus, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth…

Spirit, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth…

Glorify Your name, glorify Your name, glorify Your name in all the earth.

Reflective prayer: write your own

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

“Good is Happening” Sermon

“Good is Happening”

sermon by 

Rev. Benjamin Garris,

Associate Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

 March 29, 2020

1.      Main Scripture: Psalm 91

2.      Supporting Scriptures:

a.      Job 30:26, “But when I hoped for good, evil came, and when I waited for light, darkness came.”

b.      Matthew 4:6, ““If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

c.      1 John 5:19, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”

3.      Do you find yourself doubting God?

4.      “How may we journey into these promises and see them fulfilled in our experience?

a.      Jesus said, ‘indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.’ Luke 12:7.

b.      ‘the God whom we serve is able to save us… But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you… that we will never serve your gods.’ Daniel 3:18.

c.      Luke 9:24, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

5.      Good is Happening

a.      What good do you see around you? What good are you doing?

Prayer written by Chaplain Scott USCG:

When we aren't sure, God, help us be calm; 

when information comes from all sides, 

correct or not, help us to discern; 

when fear makes it hard to breathe, 

and worry seems to be the order of the day, 

slow us down God,

to trust You when disease afflicts;

help us to reach out with our hearts,

when we can't touch with our hands;

help us find sincere connections,

when we have to be socially distant;

help us to love as perfectly as we can,

knowing that "perfect love casts out all fear."

Day 14: “What time is it?”

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic
A series of daily reflections for people of faith
by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
WEEK TWO: SATURDAY 27 MARCH 2020
“What time is it?”

“Now is the time to build on our relationship with God.” - Carolyn Huff, member, Patuxent Presbyterian Church

St. Augustine, 354-430 AD, bishop of North Africa, said “I thirst to know the meaning and purpose of time.”  What about us? What do we do with time? We mark time, we waste time, we redeem time, we lose time, we save time, we kill time, but do we really understand, as Augustine put it, “the meaning and purpose of time?” 

There are two kinds of time in the Greek New testament: kairos and chronos. Let’s look at chronos time first, as we can grasp that more easily. Chronos has to do with a quantity of time: “How much time will this take?” Kairos has to do with the quality of time: “I think it’s time we made an important decision.”   

All time is in God’s hands – “My times are in your hands,” confessed David in Psalm 31:15. And within this chronos time, this measured time in which we live, God has embedded kairos time, opportunities, perhaps chief among them kairos time to spend more time with the Lord, reading His Word, time in prayer for those we love and others, reading devotional material. 

Years ago I attended a service in a congregation of the Church of God in Christ, a black Pentecostal denomination. I guess the pastor tired of seeing people looking at their watches asking themselves, “What time is it?” So in bright neon letters across the wall in the front of the church directly above the choir he put the answer to their question:  “It is time to seek the Lord.” - Taken from Hosea 10:12, I would concur. What about you? What time is it?

Reflective scripture: Hosea 10:12 – “It is time to seek the Lord.”  Hosea 10:12

Reflective hymn: Take Time to be Holy (#656)

Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord; 

abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.

Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak; 

forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. 

Reflective prayer: Write your own.

Day 13: “Is this the End of the World?”

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK TWO: FRIDAY 27 MARCH 2020

“Is this the End of the World?”

“Chuck Pierce’s son was concerned, like a lot of other people looking out on a world of ransacked grocery stores and canceled sports seasons and eerie lines of people standing six feet apart from one another. So he asked his dad: ‘Is this the end of the world?’” - Newspaper editorial, March 17, 2020

With the advent of the coronavirus millions of sincere Christians who live in their Bibles are asking the same question. After all, did not Jesus himself, when teaching about signs of the end times state “’There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places…’” Luke 21:11. And the apocalyptic scenario laid out in the book of Revelation sees a pale horse rider decimating large numbers of people by “sword, famine and plague,…”  Revelation 6:8. Could the coronavirus be a portent of the second coming of Christ, “Is this the end of the world?”

Jesus cautions against attempts that are ultimately futile to nail down when it will all be over:

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’” Matthew 24:36.

WHEN it will happen is not given to us to know. Indeed, Martin Luther, when asked, ‘What would you do if you knew Christ was coming back tomorrow?’  was said to have responded, “I would go out and plant an apple tree.” Knowing we can’t know frees us to faithfully live life for the Lord, one day at a time.

WHAT will happen at the end of the world – TV prophecy preacher prognosticators notwithstanding, is not given to us, at least not in very much detail. One thing, however, is sure, and it is the most important thing of all, making knowing details secondary at best. John puts it this way in his letter to new Christians: “Dear friends, now we are the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:2. We are going to see Jesus! 

Reflective hymn: Face to Face (#781)

Face to face with Christ, my Savior, face to face what will it be,

When with rapture I behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me.

Face to face I shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky;

Face to face in all His glory, I shall see Him by and by.

Reflective Prayer: Write your own.

Day 12: "Who Sinned"

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK TWO: THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2020

“Who sinned?”

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that this man was born blind?’’”  John 9:1

Blame  - that’s really what the disciples were asking: ‘Who is to blame for this man’s blindness?’

From time immemorial human beings have sought to locate the cause of calamity and illness, assigning blame in antiquity to malevolent unseen forces needing to be placated through ceremonies and sacrifices. While we are a tad more refined today, we still seek to locate and place blame for similar malevolent unseen forces that cause us harm and which we cannot control, even if we can now name their identity: a microscopic virus. 

The need to locate or assign fault is embedded in our DNA as human beings – it’s in our family tree all the way back to Adam. When God queried Adam regarding the mess in the Garden, Adam defaulted to faulting first Eve and then God: “’The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12. Notice Adam’s need to blame someone else – his wife, and ultimately, God: “The woman you gave me…” 

Who sinned – who’s to blame? In the current uncontrollable coronavirus in our country the propensity for blaming is front and center: it’s another country, it’s the other political party, it’s the government, it’s Satan and his demons, or it’s God himself visiting some sort of cosmic punishment on a rebellious creation, yet the question remains, and none of the answers being proffered address the crisis and none, really, are correct.  

Here’s the bottom line in Jesus’ response to the question: “’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:2-3. Jesus’ words echo the promise of God in Romans 8:28, and remind us to look, not for blame, but for God being glorified in some way in all we are experiencing during this time.

Reflective scripture: Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him…” 

Reflective hymn: Glorify Thy Name (#9)

Father, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Jesus, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Spirit, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Glorify Your name, glorify Your name, glorify Your name in all the earth.

Reflective prayer: write your own

Day 11: “A Mercy from God”

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic
A series of daily reflections for people of faith
by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
WEEK TWO: WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH 2020
“A Mercy from God”

“During this uncertain time we are living in, I’m thankful that we have a God that we can fully trust, if we choose to do so. We do not need to live in fear of COVID19. We need to fear God. COVID19 is possibly a mercy from God to help people think about death and whether they are ready or not to meet him.” - Mark Peachey, caseworker, the Anabaptist Foundation, Central Pennsylvania Clinic

Mercy – how does that word strike you in the context of the coronavirus? Searching for God’s mercy in the midst of a pandemic that has yet to exact its full toll on humanity, hitting especially hard hundreds of millions of the planet’s poor, proves an elusive endeavor.

Mercy in the Greek New testament is a word that conveys the dynamic not only of showing kindness toward those who are suffering but equally so desiring to help them. And does this not fit perfectly mercy as an attribute of God?  Actually, is this not what the cross represents?

Two men went to the temple to pray. One man stood up in front and reminded God what a good man he was. The other stood in the back and prayed quietly, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus said the latter rather the other, went home right with God, ready to meet Him. Luke 18:9-14.    

The ancient prayer of the church traceable back to the fourth century, “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison” remains integral to the liturgy for hundreds of millions of Christians to this day, including its use in some Presbyterian churches following the Prayer of Confession: “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”  The mercy Mark Peachey references above is specific: to help us consider if we are, to use the traditional phrase, ‘right with God.”

The way back home to the God who made us, to be ready to meet Him someday, is simple: “I surrender all.” May the Holy Spirit use the present crisis to help you know you are ready. 

Reflective scripture: John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

Reflective hymn: I Surrender All (#596)

All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. 

I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.

I surrender all, surrender all.

All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

A reflective prayer: Write your own

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.

Day 10: “No Time for Tears”

Day 10:

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic
A series of daily reflections for people of faith
by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
WEEK TWO: TUESDAY 24 MARCH 2020
“No Time for Tears”

“There are so many patients there is no time for tears.” - Doctor in northern Italy on the overcrowded hospital conditions there.

They called it “Nunahi-Duna-Dlo-Hilu-I” in a language my grandfather spoke and in which my ancestors worshipped as Christians. “The Trail of Tears” in English, it marked the forced removal of 15,000 Cherokee walking from the southeastern part of the country to Oklahoma, a trail along which some 4,000 of them died, a trail they walked while singing Christian hymns. White settlers recorded hearing not only their singing but their crying. It was a time for tears.

When the wise men did not report back to Herod that they had found the newborn king, he ordered the slaughter of all baby boys two years old and under, fulfilling a prophecy in Jeremiah recorded in the nativity narratives in Matthew’s gospel:  “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:18. It was a time for tears.

Both of these historical incidents involve the loss of loved ones and a time for tears. But what must it be like this very day to be a health care professional in an overcrowded hospital full of sick and dying people? Is it possible to be so overwhelmed with grief that one can be beyond tears? It involves a numbing of emotions in order to be able to function.

God’s Word reminds us in verses often read at memorial services, that “There is a time for everything…a time to weep…” Ecclesiastes 3:1,3. As we travel on what is at times a surreal journey there will be times of ‘no time for tears’ as well as “…a time to weep…” May the Lord who created us and gave us the gift of tears enable us to discern which times are which, and to learn from those times when we weep that all tears are temporary. For there is coming a time…  

Reflective scripture: Revelation 21:1-4:“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed  away,… I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,…And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with people, and he will live with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.”  

Reflective hymn: My Savior First of All (#768)

Thro’ the gates to the city in a robe of spotless white, 

He will lead where no tears will ever fall;

In the glad song of ages I will mingle with delight, 

but I long to see my Savior first of all.

Reflective prayer: Write your own.

PRAYER REQUEST: click here to submit.