News
Testing Positive
I recently heard someone say on a podcast, “I live in such-and-such a place, where people still test positive for Jesus Christ.” That catchy comment caught my attention. I don’t have to tell you that we are living in an unexperienced time. Worldwide pandemics were common in previous times but no-one alive today has ever experienced a worldwide pandemic. Most communities around the world experienced a shutdown of varying severity. Economies around the world have been hard hit.…
“The Church Reformed, Always Reforming”
October 31 is the day on which Protestants celebrate the start of the Reformation. That is the day in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. What was intended for debate among scholars became fuel that triggered the Reformation. Today one sometimes hears the phrase, “The church reformed, always reforming” (or, in Latin, ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda). This motto, or slogan, is often used to support all kinds of…
Starting the 2020-2021 Ministry Year
Our 2020-2021 ministry begins on Sunday, September 6, 2020. Ministry this fall will look different than in previous years. This is of course due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Lord-willing, we will continue our in-person worship services on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. Sunday evening services are suspended for now. We are, however, having a Prayer Meeting via Zoom on Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. In previous years, most ministries have taken off for the summer. That allows ministry…
The Need for Fellowship
One of my “go to” webpages to follow the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic says that the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed 196 days ago. Our entire world has changed in the last almost seven months as we all have had to deal with safer-at-home orders, quarantining, facemasks, social distancing, and so on. Covid-19 has kept people from connecting with one another. Vast numbers work from home. Almost everyone has greatly reduced interactions with colleagues, friends, and even family. It…
Resuming In-Person Corporate Worship
These past 10 weeks has seen our church family unable to worship together in person due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. We have had to use Zoom to stay connected for Virtual Fellowship services, Prayer meetings, Bible studies, and Committee meetings. However, that is all going to change soon. The church officers met recently and have approved resuming in-person corporate worship services, beginning on Sunday, May 31 at its usual time of 10:45 a.m. Since Adult Bible Fellowships,…
Is COVID-19 God’s Judgment on Us?
We are in the grip of a worldwide pandemic known as COVID-19. People all over the world are living under various levels of “Stay at Home” orders. I have been asked, “Is COVID-19 God’s Judgment on us?” Perhaps you have seen, as I have, commercials on TV or television evangelists confidently asserting that COVID-19 is God’s judgment on America. One can then buy a book or send in money to learn more about what God is doing through COVID-19. Let me share with you my thought…
Fear and the Resurrection of Jesus
On the first Sunday after Jesus’ crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus’ tomb. Suddenly, however, there was a great earthquake, which must have terrified the women. Then, an angel descended from heaven and rolled back the stone to Jesus’ tomb and sat on it. Surely, the women were trembling with fear at that point, wondering what in the world was going on. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.…
Why Missions?
We recently had our annual Missions Conference at the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church. It is always good to catch up with the missionaries we support. And it is also good to be encouraged to press on with the missions enterprise. However, one might ask: Why missions? Why should my church or I be involved in missions? There are many reasons for us to be involved in missions. I would like to list just three reasons for every Christian to be involved in missions by praying regularly, giving…
We Have an Intern!
On Saturday, February 8, 2020 the Presbytery of Southwest Florida, the presbytery of which our church is a member, will receive and act upon a request from our Session to have Mr. Jason Knecht begin his internship with us. Jason has already been approved by the Candidates for Ministry Committee, and the request regarding his internship will come to the presbytery through that committee. Well, you might ask, what does that mean for us? Jason believes that God is calling him to preach the…
“My, How You Have Grown!”
“My, how you have grown!” I can still hear uncles and aunts saying these words to me when I saw them after a long period of time. The question I would like to ask you is this: “Will anyone be able to say these words of us a year from now, ‘My, how you have grown!’ ” I don’t of course mean growing in size but, rather, growing in spiritual maturity. I would like to invite each one of us to make a commitment to grow spiritually in the coming year. In Luke’s Gospel, we read…
The Trumpet is published monthly by Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church.
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