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Have you ever experienced a Sunday morning when worship felt lifeless, empty, routine, "same-old-same-old", "heard it all before", dare I say, even boring? Here's the question I would like to have you think about between now and Sunday. How does someone reignite a burning desire in their heart for worshiping Jesus?
This idea of "hearts on fire for Jesus" is not just Christianese. It's biblical. Join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as we continue our series, Encounters with Jesus. This week, we will dive into Luke 24, which recounts one of the most powerful post-resurrection moments. It was on the road to Emmaus, where two despondent disciples are transformed by an encounter with the risen Christ. Near the end of the story, after Jesus disappeared from their sight, the two disciples talked about what they learned and how it affected them. They asked each other, "Were our hearts not burning within us while he (Jesus) talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?". What set their hearts ablaze was an interpretation of Scripture that put Jesus front and center. If our Sunday worship experience is going to set our hearts on fire, it must put Jesus front and center, through the Scriptures. Protestant Reformer, Thomas Cramer, in his short manifesto on worship claimed that the purpose of worship, centered on Christ and filled with the Scriptures, was to cause worshipers to "be the more inflamed with the love of God.". In short, Cramer believed that making much of Jesus through our worship was a key ingredient for igniting hearts that were passionate for following and proclaiming the message of Jesus. I believe the same is still true today. Connecting with one another authentically is one of the core values of Calvary Parkside, and one of the best ways to connect with others is through our Sunday Adult Discipleship class. This class meets every Sunday at 11:00am. This Sunday is a perfect time to join this class, as they will begin a study in the book of John, focusing on the last days of Jesus. I hope you will consider checking out this opportunity to further your relationships at Parkside. See you Sunday. Doug This past November, Parkside Fellowship celebrated 67 years of ministry in Beaverton. If you look around, a lot has changed over the last 67 years, and with changes comes "Mission" or "Purpose" drift. The reality is, over time, it is easy for a church to forget who they are, why they exist and what they are supposed to be about.
This is exactly what happened to the temple in Jerusalem. As Jesus began his final week here on earth, he decided to visit the temple, and when he did, he quickly discovered that the priests and religious leaders had lost sight of God's original vision for the temple. According to the prophet Isaiah, and Jesus himself, the temple was to be a place of worship and prayer. A place for God to be exalted. Instead, it had become a place to buy and sell goods, while stealing from the poor. In short, it had become a place for one's own personal pleasure. Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we embark on a four week journey focusing on who we are and what we do. As we look to the future and embrace where God is taking us as Calvary Parkside, we will take time to look back at the core values on which this church was founded. Core values (core commitments) designed to grow us and shape us into the likeness of Jesus. This Sunday, we will focus on the first core value of worship God passionately. The church exists for God, to glorify God, to worship God. When God's people gather to worship Him passionately, God things start occurring. God blesses those who gather to magnify and exalt His name. It's why we exist as individuals and as a church. Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we worship God passionately...together! NOTE: This Sunday, following the service, our adult Sunday School class will resume its study in the book of Acts. This is a great study as we enter a new year and recommit ourselves to going, showing and telling the gospel boldly (one of our core values)! Praying for one another helps us to connect with one another authentically (a core value). See you Sunday. Doug |
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