THE ENCOUNTER APRIL REV S RAMBLINGS E W P C

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George Griffith
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1 E W P C THE ENCOUNTER APRIL REV S RAMBLINGS 2018 As we move through the season of Easter, I ve been thinking about it s meaning and it s implications. I ve been thinking about sin and forgiveness and salvation and relationship with God and the promise of eternity. My thoughts have included a number of ideas that are often mentioned and sometimes discussed in Christian churches. One of those ideas is that once we have placed our trust in Christ, our forgiveness is assured. John 3:18 speaks to our forgiveness: Whoever trusts in Him is not condemned. And in John 10, Jesus said, My sheep are Mine, given to me by My Father, and no one can take them out of My hand. The doctrine/belief is sometimes referred to as Once Saved, Always Saved. It is the notion that you cannot lose your salvation. And because God s forgiveness for our sin is that a crucial part of that salvation, it also means that once we are forgiven, we are always forgiven. This doctrine has been a part of Christian belief and theology for a very long time. John Calvin taught it almost 500 years ago. Perseverance Of The Saints was the term he used. St. Augustine taught the same idea 1100 years before Calvin did, arguing for the concept against a man named Pelagius. But then, if I m already forgiven, then does it really matter if I sin in some way this afternoon or maybe sometime tomorrow, or both? If my forgiveness is so completely assured, then what does it matter? And yet, right is still right and wrong is still wrong. So it must matter. It must still be important that we behave rightly and avoid sin. And what then? What if we do sin? Or, to be more realistic, what about when we do sin? I ve known those who ve worried that a sin they hadn t confessed might not be forgiven. But if that s true, if that s a legitimate concern, if our forgiveness is dependent on us remembering and confessing each and every sin we ever commit, then I (and probably all of us) would be in a great deal of trouble. For I am confident that I have committed numerous sins that I have completely forgotten. As you can see, once we begin to look at the topic of sin, forgiveness, and salvation, it turns out to be complex, confusing, difficult to figure out, and in the end, perhaps even unknowable. Our understanding of God s promise of salvation requires an understanding of forgiveness that is Once For All, yet our experience includes a need to address confession and forgiveness with God on an alltoo-frequent, ongoing basis. Somehow, it must be both. Part of the answer, I think involves a better understanding of what sin is. From time to time I get mushrooms in my yard. but the mushroom I see it s really the plant. The visible mushroom is the fruit of the plant. The plant itself is the network of little fungal roots that remain the soil. In much the same way, the individual behaviors that we call sins are not the whole problem. Nor are they isolated events. Sin, in us, is a deeper spiritual turning from God, a deeper rebellion against Him, and the separation from Him that results from that rebellion. The individual behaviors are the fruit of that deeper problem. So, when we confess our sin to God and turn from it back toward Him, it is primarily a matter of the heart and spirt and less a matter of the details of particular behaviors. Because of this, I don t worry about forgetting anything. If the heart confesses, repents, and turns back to Christ, then the confessing the details is not as big a deal. And better behavior can be learned. But that doesn t answer the original problem, which involved trusting and God s grace while living imperfect human lives. If we re already reliably forgiven, then does current and future sin matter? I think the answer for how this can all be must we wrapped up, somehow, in the nature of time and eternity and our experience of it. For God s perspective on us and on our lives must be very differ-

2 I think the answer for how this can all be must we wrapped up, somehow, in the nature of time and eternity and our experience of it. For God s perspective on us and on our lives must be very different from our own. We live in the present moment. Yes, we can remember the past. And yes we can imagine, anticipate, and plan for the future. But when we think of who it is that we are as individuals, that seat of self-awareness is in the moment-by-moment present. I am who I am now. My past is who I used to be, and my future is who I might become. And, by the way, I am fully capable of just putting out of my mind those elements of my past that I think I ve moved beyond. We all are. We see and feel ourselves as the people that we are in the present. This is the reason that many people don t think of or feel their sins as being a part of who they are now. After all, those actions are in the past, and we live in the present. God doesn t see us that way, because God is eternal. Time itself, as we experience it, is an aspect/dimension of this created universe. So while we, as people who are very much a part of this creation, experience life and self through the lens of time, God is not locked into time as we are. He can see the length and breadth of time just as easily as you or I might see the length and breadth of a coffee table. From God s perspective, the present is only one part of who we are as people. God sees us at the level of our entire lives. Imagine a 5-year-old named Billy. Billy is fascinated by fire trucks and by Olympic ice-dancing. So he wants a bed shaped like a fire truck and posters of ice dancers on his bedroom walls. But by the time Billy gets to be 17, he is now deeply embarrassed by those childhood interests. He feels that he has left those behind and has become a different person - a change that he sees as a huge upgrade. But Billy s parents don t experience Billy in the present only, as he does. Instead, their understanding of him very much includes that earlier history and all the bumps & bruises along the way. That past is a part of the person that they experience Billy to be. That is just the barest picture of how God sees us. We live within our self-aware, momentary present, and that becomes the foundation for how we understand and experience our identity. But God sees the entire story of our lives, and for each one of us, that entire story is who we are. We are the stories of our lives. I think that it is this difference in perspective - the Godly and Eternal perspective vs. the Time-bound and Human perspective - that is the source of the confusion when it comes to sin and forgiveness and salvation. Eastertime gives us a clue: From our human perspective, the death and resurrection of Jesus was in the past. And yet, each and every one of our sins, whether those sins are in our past or in our future, was already forgiven when Jesus died on the cross. After all, He did say, It is finished, using vocabulary that essentially meant, Paid in full. From God s perspective, the story of Jesus - His birth, His life, His ministry, His willing and self-sacrifice death, and His resurrection - His story was placed right in the middle of God s great story of Creation and Salvation. And that Story of Jesus and Salvation through Him then fills the whole story of Creation of which each of our stories is one part. In this, when God forgives and saves us through Christ, He does so the level of our entire lives - of the entire stories that make up who we are as His people. This is the reason that we can be confident that when our faith is in Jesus, as long as that faith is real, we are His. And nothing can take us away from Him, for we are loved, forgiven and saved at the level of our entire lives. Yet our experience of living within time, in the present moment, means that for the sake of our ongoing, living, growing relationship with God, when we do become aware of sin in us, we confess, we turn from it, and we find God s forgiveness waiting for us in Christ. This act of confession, repentance, and finding forgiveness is a matter of relationship, something God knows very well, for He has been here, living as one of us and sharing our experience in the person of the same Jesus who won our salvation for us. He knows how time feels for us, and He knows how relationship feels for us. So it is both. We are saved, once and for all, at the level of our entire lives. Saved, forgiven, made clean in the sight of God. And also, when we do sin, we confess, we repent, and we find His forgiveness renewed and refreshed within the experience of this life as He s given it to us. And in that, we are able to grow close with Him throughout our lives. So these are my thoughts as we approach Easter this year. I m not at all sure that I ve explained it well. But I hope that somehow something in this can enrich your thoughts, your faith, your experience of knowing our Lord. For He loves you, now and forever. May God bless us all as we consider and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. In Christ, Rev. Jeff W. Rumble

Love/Serve Whittier Day April 21, 2018 This year EWPC is excited to work on our Love/Serve Whittier project with a non- profit organization, Together We Rise decorating and assembling duffle bags,

3 Love/Serve Whittier Day April 21, 2018 This year EWPC is excited to work on our Love/Serve Whittier project with a non- profit organization, Together We Rise decorating and assembling duffle bags, called Sweet Cases, for children in Foster Care. Most children entering Foster Care receive two trash bags to put their belongings in as they are moved from home to home. The hope is that the Sweet Cases will help them to feel supported and loved by the community of caring people. The Sweet Cases come ready for us to decorate on the outside of the duffle bag. The items that go inside the Sweet Cases are provided by Together We Rise so that we can assemble each one with our special care. The cost of one complete Sweet Case kit is $ We have begun a sponsorship campaign so that we can order the supplies and receive them in time for April 21 st, as our Love/Serve Whittier Day Project. Donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated. Below is a list of the cost of the individual items. $8 Duffle Bag; $6 Teddy Bear; $5 Warm Blanket; $2 Fabric Pastels $2 Hygiene Kit; $1 Art Book; $1 Crayons We also need helping hands on April 21 beginning at 10:30 AM in Purdy Hall to decorate and assemble the duffle bags. No need to be an artist, we have stencils to guide the decorating! Please contact Becky Campos for more information at or by at jcsmrs@verizon.net. We look forward to having you join us as we love and serve these precious members of our community.

Food for our local hungry The Interfaith Food Center is a non-government, non-profit, local organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity for many low-income families and homeless people.

individuals, schools, and churches. We, here at EWPC have an opportunity to help in this very Christian local effort. Two food baskets stand in the narthex of this church.

4 Food for our local hungry The Interfaith Food Center is a non-government, non-profit, local organization dedicated to alleviating food insecurity for many low-income families and homeless people. It was started more than thirty years ago by local churches and is able to continue helping people because it is manned by volunteer workers and it receives donations of food, from local markets and individuals, schools, and churches. We, here at EWPC have an opportunity to help in this very Christian local effort. Two food baskets stand in the narthex of this church. We all have an opportunity to put non-perishable food items in these baskets - canned goods, packaged goods-whatever you and your family eat, our low-income neighbors and the homeless can also eat. Won t you please remember this wonderful organization as you do your weekly grocery shopping? Jesus said, For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and came to visit me. Matt. 25: We have our directions straight from the Lord Himself. Let s obey Him by feeding the hungry. Join Presbyterian Women on Sunday, April 29 On Sunday, April 29 we will be serving lunch after church in Purdy Hall. It is our yearly after-church lunch and we hope that many of you will sign up to attend. The lunch is $12.00 and worth every penny of it. The food is always delicious and the company pleasant - our own congregation, and we always enjoy talking to each other. Presbyterian Women in the Congregation use the proceeds from our various fund raisers to support missions here and abroad and we also use some of it for women s leadership conferences. Everyone wants some lunch after church on Sundays so why not eat with us on April 29 and enjoy the pleasant company of the people of our church? Presbyterian Women in the Congregation

5 Presbyterian Women in the Congregation We had a really nice Valentine Tea on Wednesday, February 21, There was a good turn-out of people at the event and everybody seemed to have a good time. We heard the little children of the church school sing their sweet Valentine songs and they handed out valentines, We had a delicious finger sandwiches and scones and lots of sweets. Oh, and we drank teapot full after teapot full of hot tea. We also did something for somebody else. We collected $50.00 for the Hunger Fund and we collected paper goods which have been delivered to the Salvation Army Living Facility. We gave 150 rolls of toilet paper 200 napkins 18 rolls of paper towels And 9 boxes of tissues What a pleasant way to receive and share at a Wednesday lunch? PWC s Easter Activities at East Whittier Presbyterian Church SECOND STREET, WHITTIER CA Easter "Sonrise" Service April 1, 6:30 AM Join us on the front patio as the sun is rising for this inspirational service Easter Breakfast April 1, 8-10 AM Our Easter breakfast will begin after the Sonrise service. Delicious breakfast casseroles, fruit, sausage, coffee, and juice in Purdy Hall. Easter Service April 1, 10:30 AM Join us in the joyous worship of our Risen Lord! Listen and meditate on the wonderful message of this day and let the beautiful music touch your heart. The children will participate in an Easter Sunday school class, and even have a hunt for Easter eggs! EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Bunny Hop to the EASTER BREAKFAST Sunday, April 1, 2018 8-10 a.m. Everyone is welcome!

.. 4 Angela Perine 5 Juli Meyer 9 Deborah Rich-Miranda 15 Judy Reed 18 Alejandra Lopez

6 Bunny Hop to the EASTER BREAKFAST Sunday, April 1, a.m. Everyone is welcome! Your kind donations will benefit programs of the Youth Group. Happy April Birthday to... 4 Angela Perine 5 Juli Meyer 9 Deborah Rich-Miranda 15 Judy Reed 18 Alejandra Lopez 19 Allen Travis 21 Janet Miller 24 Natalie Higgins and Barbara Saunders 27 Lavina O Hirok

Former Members Alert to Scholarship Offerings The application forms, located in the church office, two page each, represent $1,000 to be awarded to a qualified senior, one to be selected from

7 Former Members Alert to Scholarship Offerings The application forms, located in the church office, two page each, represent $1,000 to be awarded to a qualified senior, one to be selected from California, La Serna, Whittier, Montebello, Schurr, and Vail High Schools. The second award is for anyone planning on attending a Trade School. From this congregation was chosen. The reason for my alert. Every month I look forward to and I read the Encounter. I especially look forward to reading about members of your extended family who graduated from one of the above noted high schools. Too often though I read a name from one of our six high schools noted here and none applied for one of these scholarships. Please give a look, think about your family members, and let Jean know if you have questions. Thank you, David Coppock and Donald Travis, Co-Chairs 2018 Award Program.

Lesson Plans That Work Year A Last Pentecost Gospel Lesson for Older Children

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46 Lesson Plans That Work Year A Last Pentecost Gospel Lesson for Older Children In this season after Pentecost, we hear stories of Jesus ministry in the world and our call to