September Newsletter
2021
MEETING TOGETHER
Dear Saints of CPC,
One of the things I love at the church is my door. Now this is very self-satisfied of me, because I am obviously the one who built it, but I love the controversy that it causes. I have purposefully curated the door, like an art selector at the Louvre, with memes that are somewhat designed to arouse feeling. Maybe laughter, maybe shock, maybe anger. It is all done in a spirit of jest , but I still make people upset from time to time, but I deal and it makes for a good story. After all, as Alfred Hitchcock said, “What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out.” But one of the things that I love most on my door. Is the “Should you got to church on Sunday?” flowchart.
The reason that I love this chart so much is because I think it does a good job of calling out a malaise that has swept over church culture in the United States in recent decades. As the nation has become less beholden to Christian ideals the rate of things being scheduled on Sundays has increased. Not only sports games, but all sorts of stuff, and I think that the church and Christians have been too ready to give ground on this issue. Not only that but the ongoing COVID situation has made churches like ours adaptable and start offering virtual services for people at home, and this has affected the church at large as well. We are headed towards our annual church re-opening day at the end of September and that got me thinking about how we should view church and church attendance.
Maybe some of you have heard someone says something like, “You can be a good Christian and not go to church.” I have heard that many times. I have even heard say that the Bible teaches that claim, but they didn’t show me where. Now, let me just say that this is wrong. Can you be saved and not attend a church? Yes. I’m sure this is the reality for some Christians (countries with intense persecutions that make meeting together difficult, being stranded on a deserted island.) However, if you live in a place where it is not a difficulty to gather and you are not hindered by any other means (transportation, health, etc.) you should be attending church as often as you can.
Now the reason I say this isn’t because of any personal gain that would be involved. I say this, because this is what the Bible says. In Hebrews the author of Hebrews tells us this:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. – Hebrews 10:19-25
At the very end there the author tells the readers: “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…” Evidently, this has been a problem since the early church. What the author is getting at here is really important. As Christians we are a not an island just to ourselves, we exist to be in community together. We are here to support, encourage, and rebuke each other. And we do this in order to build up one another in the faith. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but the support, encouragement, and rebuke that I have gotten from all of you since I have been here has been immensely spiritually beneficial to me. I’m sure if you have been in the CPC community for some time it wouldn’t take a lot of effort to have seen these things in your life as well, and that’s good. It might not always be fun, but it is good.
When we neglect to meet with each other we deprive others of our wisdom and gifts, and that is bad. When we do not attend church, we view our relationship with God as something focused around our pleasure and our comfort, rather than going to serve him.
With COVID still ongoing right now there is plenty a good reason for those who do not feel comfortable to remain at home. The same goes for those who are homebound due to medical or financial reasons. That is the blessing and joy of virtual worship. However, for those of us who can make it we have an imperative placed upon us to be there. And we should want to be there. Not only to worship God, but to be in fellowship and community with others. So, I encourage all of you as we enter a new season in the ministry of our church: “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
WOMEN’S BOOK CLUB
There is a Women’s Book Club beginning in September. The book we will be reading is “The Book of Lost Names” by Kristin Harmel. Books can be bought at Costco, Amazon or try the library. Our first meeting will be September 25th at 10:00am. Please read the first 5 chapters. After our first meeting, we will discuss how to proceed with readings.
BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY
Join us for Back To Church Sunday, September 26, 2021. Following worship, we will have a Potluck Picnic. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be provided. Please bring your favorite dish to share with us all. Bring a main, side, dessert or whatever you enjoy to cook or bake. Also, bring a chair.
G3 FOR KIDS
G3 for Kids is back. Join us Tuesday, September 28th at 6:30pm. We will have groups for ages 4 through 12th grade. Bible truths are taught to the children through crafts, songs, videos, Bible stories and games. Please regisgter here.
YOUNG ADULT GROUP
Our Young Adult Group will begin October 3, 2021 at 4:00pm. They meet at Panera Bread, 2700 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison.
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY
We began a tradition a few years ago that we wish to continue. Please wear cultural clothes to the service. It doesn’t have to be your ethnic culture, but it must be done respectfully and in the spirit of love and celebration. And, yes American is a culture.
CALLING ALL LAY READERS!
Thank you for serving the church by offering to be a lay reader for our worship services. This is an important part of our worship, because it gives a voice to the congregation through the reading of scripture and prayer. However, just because it is important doesn’t mean that one needs to be nervous. We often think that God is most pleased when we are “most perfect.” That if we make any mistakes that we have dishonored him and ourselves. This is simply not the case, what God values most is the true worship of our hearts. In the Psalms we are given this message:
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. – Psalm 51:15-17
More than anything else God desires our hearts to be geared towards him and towards worshipping him. Does this mean we should take worship seriously? Absolutely. Does it mean perfection? Absolutely not. Pastor George screws up at least 15 times every Sunday on average probably, so do not worry about being perfect. Often times people have used “perfect” worship as a way to mask sins and unrepentant hearts and God hates this.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! – Isaiah 1:15
To this end we at CPC want to honor God fully in our worship and make it a worshipful experience for everyone involved. Not just the people in the pews, but for all of us up front as well. It is hard to be worshipful if you are nervous and there is no reason to be, because God knows your heart and your desires. To that end here is a list that helps to provide guidance and limit distractions for everyone.
- Before Sunday take some time to read through the sections that you will be reading. Go through them several times and get the rhythm for the readings down. Memorization isn’t required, but familiarity will help you to express and lead the congregation through the readings.
- Show up to the service early. You don’t have to be there 30 minutes before worship starts, but being there 10-15 minutes early helps us not to fret about covering when the service starts.
- Start up on the stage sitting opposite of Pastor George.
- After Pastor George welcomes everyone you can go up.
- Feel free to say “Good morning” to everyone and announce that we will be reading the Call to Worship.
- Remember to read with a loud and clear voice. This helps everyone from the font of the church all the way to the back hear and understand the reading. In my experience it is always better to be louder than quieter. You are a proud Christian! Do not be worried about someone hearing you in the neighbor’s yard.
- When reading the Call to Worship READ BOTH PARTS. Yes, you are the leader, but you are also part of the congregation. You set the pace and tone and when you read both parts it helps people to follow along and keeps all of us from falling into confusion.
- Announce the hymn, again, with a loud and clear voice.
- Once the hymn is finished you go up to the podium and read the Prayer of Confession. Once again reading in a loud and clear voice, setting the pace for everyone else. If you end up pulling back as the congregation starts to read there is a lot of confusion, because people will set themselves to whatever pace they read naturally. Having a strong and authoritative voice leading is what keeps them from happening.
- Once finished you return to your seat.
- After the time for silent prayer Pastor George will go up to the podium and begin the Assurance of Pardon. Once that begins you can make your way back down to your seat.
While that may seem like a lot of minutiae each part helps to make the service flow well and consistently for everyone else. If you screw-up that is fine, it happens, just keep rolling with the service. Thank you for your willingness to serve and your care for God’s people.
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