Supporting One Another

March 6, 2020 Guest User

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, March 8, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ –

Brad Gustafson is a pal from Princeton. He grew up in rural Nebraska in a tight knit religious Swedish community. He and I encountered each other as we, both, answered the call to ordained ministry having been fortified and shaped by lifetimes in preparation.

Brad, I’ve found out, married a Charleston woman who, as many, has found her way home.

So after pastoring two congregations Brad and Sally are lowcountry denizens – ready for what’s next.

Brad has written an articulate, winsome book of remembrance. It’s called The Gift of Belonging. It chronicles his boyhood. It’s a timely book for us as we seek to be the people of God.

There are 52 vignettes. The lead line for one is “Truth be told, all of humanity is connected by the wound of being human.”

It’s in our connectedness we find strength and joy and purpose. Through our wounds we share each other’s pain and distress. Through our common calling we find our purpose. This week we ‘build it up!’

Logan Brown is baptized. Second Sunday lunch previews St Patrick’s Day (without the green beer).

We continue our quest to be the people of God.

See you in worship!

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Source: sermons

40 Days of Prayer: The Presbyterian Church

March 6, 2020 Guest User

The Presbyterian Church:

The Presbyterian Church throughout the country. While the 2019 statistics are still being complied, we are able to look at the 2018 statistics regarding the PC(USA) church. In 2018 there were approximately 9,161 PC(USA) churches with 1,352,678 members. As is the case with most mainline churches from the Reformed tradition, the PC(USA) church throughout the country has been on a steady decline for the past 15 years, with the statistical age ranges staying the same, with the majority of the congregation being over the age of 65.

While Second Presbyterian is clearly going against the trend, we are part of a larger Presbytery which is part of a larger Synod, which, in turn, all together make up the PC(USA) church. We can lift our brothers and sisters up in prayer and they seek to follow Jesus in all that they do, while reaching out to a hurt and dying world.

I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple. You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (MSG)

40 Days of Prayer: Church Sunday School Programs

March 5, 2020 Guest User

Church Sunday School Programs:

We currently have five up-and-running Sunday School classes and we are hoping to add more in the fall. Our current classes are Preschool and Early Elementary, Older Elementary, Middle and High School, Young Adults and Families, and Mixed Adults. While each class is studying something different, all come together each week for an hour before the main service to dig deeper into their faith.

While the children play games, read stories and sing songs, the adults open scripture and walk through it together. Taking the time to learn together, while supporting one another, in a more personal space than the larger service helps us to grow in community. I was once told “we don’t go to church for ourselves, we go because there are people there who need you there to help them grow and face challenges.” It definitely takes church out of the "me, me, me" mindset and helps us realize that at every age we need others to grow with us, alongside us.

Please lift up our Sunday School teachers: Peter Rupert, Sue Henderson, Robbie Staubes, Domonique German and the adults who are taking turns leading in the Young Adults and Families Class. Pray for all those who are currently coming to Sunday School and pray that more may begin to join us and bless us with their presence.

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.“

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

40 Days of Prayer: SPK

March 4, 2020 Guest User

Second Presbyterian Kindergarten:

For 42 years Second Presbyterian has had an incredible mission to the community through our Kindergarten program. Sue Henderson and Erin Kerr faithfully run a ministry of teaching through the power of Jesus Christ. Every teacher not only teaches ABC’s and 123’s but every student is told daily that they are loved and treasured by Jesus! Pray for the teachers and staff, that the Lord blesses them in their callings. We can also lift up the families already here and the families who will join us next year that they come to find Jesus within these walls.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 3:14-15 NIV

40 Days of Prayer: One80 Place

March 3, 2020 Guest User

One80 Place:

One80 Place is so much more than a homeless shelter, while they do have 160 beds that keep men, women and children off the streets, they also offer housing services, a community kitchen, training center, health care, legal services and veteran services. Pray for the homeless in our community, that we as a community can help find more solutions like One80 Place.

"God blesses those who are poor and realizes their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."

Matthew 5:3 NLT

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

1 John 3:17-18 ESV

40 Days of Prayer: Clean drinking water

March 2, 2020 Guest User

Clean drinking water:

Flint Michigan still does not have clean drinking water and that’s right here in the United States! Several major cities are inching toward the same crisis. Over 2 billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water and one child dies every minute due to preventable water borne illnesses. Pray for those without access to clean water as well as those who are working on solutions to bring this problem to an end.

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

John 4:14 NKJV

"Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."

Mark 9:41 NIV

40 Days of Prayer: Mini-Easters

March 1, 2020 Guest User

Mini-Easters:

While preparing for Lent I found this great description by Lesli White and I wanted to pass it along to you all.

“Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “sprint.” The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin His ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is also a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.

Sundays in Lent aren’t counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter” and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.”

I so look forward to celebrating with you our “mini-Easters" throughout this season. What a blessing we have, here at Second, to have the chance to celebrate our risen king each week together.

May you all have many blessings during this time!

Accepting Each Other

February 29, 2020 Guest User

SERMON SNAPSHOT: Sunday, March 1, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ –

One of the big takeaways from this past weekend many of us spent with Dr. Stan Ott was this: we must be the people of God before we attempt to do the work of the people of God.

One can stand at a distance and chuckle – of course! But I think many of us fall into a trap, a no win situation. We see what’s happening in the broader church where statistics don’t paint a positive picture. We are aware of the shifting loyalties, patterns of behavior, what appears to be waning commitment to the ‘church’ as we have known it.

And while we don’t shield our eyes from what’s right before us, we need to- with eyes wide open, with “people eyes,” as Stan described them- look deeper and beyond the surface. If we look with compassion at people’s lives today we see health issues, soccer weekends, family caregivers, multiple jobs – we see that lives are different and that yesterday’s norm is not today’s.

Dear friends, we have an opportunity to be a part of and live into Jesus’ new creation. We will spend Sundays in this Lent exploring what it means to be the people of God. We will accept each other, build each other up, be open to discipline and disciplining, come to know what it means to forgive and allow ourselves to be forgiven with humility modeled by our Christ.

Lent is a time to be used, to accept the chance to ponder… you!

What is in the way of your marriage, your friends, your work, your aspirations? By becoming the people of God we will be set free to God’s work which is our destiny (and our joy!).

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Source: sermons

40 Days of Prayer: The Church

February 28, 2020 Guest User

**The Church, big "C" :**

The holy catholic Church,“catholic” being Latin for “universal,” implying the Christian unity that exists beyond all denominations... the Church throughout the world.

As Christians we have chosen to be followers of Christ. Here in the US it’s not such a dangerous decision, but for many all around our world it can literally be life threatening. Pray for those who don’t have the freedom to choose their religion, that they might receive strength, wisdom and safety.

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

Acts 20:28 ESV

40 Days of Prayer: Neighbors

February 27, 2020 Guest User

Neighbors:

Pray for your neighbors, those you know and those you don’t. Pray the Lord will bless your community and use you as a light. No one fully knows what goes on behind closed doors but we can pray for Christ’s presence in their homes.

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:31 NIV

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

1 Peter 3:8 NIV

Civic Engagement: An Invitation to a Trust and Security Community Summit with the Mayor’s Clergy Council

February 27, 2020 Guest User

YOU’RE INVITED!

Please join your pastor at the Mayor’s Clergy Council meeting on March 16th. It is our hope that we could have Second represented by a group at each of our 2020 community engagements as they arise. If civic engagement or community building initiatives interest you, please reach out to Cress for more information on upcoming events. It’s the work we get to do!

The Mayor has invited the Clergy Advisory Council together for a Trust and Security Community Summit, which is open to the public and include presentations on the following topics:

· Security Measures for Places of Worship;

· Update on the Racial Bias Audit of the Charleston Police Department;

· Faith-based Initiatives on Trust and Public Safety.

At the summit-meeting, top security and public safety experts including FBI representatives as well as CPD officers, will share their insights and best practices. Please make plans to attend and to share the following information with your staff and others who have an interest in attending:

The meeting’s logistics are as follows:

· EVENT: Trust and Security Community Summit/Meeting of Clergy Advisory Council

· DATE: Monday, March 16, 2020

· TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

· PLACE: Greater St. Luke AME Church, 78 Gordon Street, 29403

40 Days of Prayer: Friends

February 26, 2020 Guest User

Friends:

Pray for your friends in your lives. Pray that the Lord will shower blessings upon them, that he will find them where they are and draw them close.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

40 Days of Prayer

February 26, 2020 Guest User

Lent is a time of reflection, a time to look back over the year since our last Easter, a time to look forward to the upcoming year. It’s a time to take 40 days, much like our Savior, to focus on our God and our redeemer. Some take this time to remove things from their lives that can draw our attention from Christ. Others take the time to add a new spiritual practice into their everyday lives. God created us to be in relationship with Him, relationships take open and honest communication. We are told in scripture that God walked with Adam and Eve in the evening. God knew everything that happened in their day, but he wanted to hear from them, to build strong communion.

I have put together a simple prayer guide to help you focus daily as you talk to our creator.

Work Has Begun!

February 25, 2020 Guest User

Thanks for sharing in the excitement and recognition of God's grace that is evidenced by the congregation's financial support of this long-needed repair. Please help tell the story that Second Church is doing the work we are called to do; work that includes being stewards of this particular house of God, the beautiful sanctuary we worship in.

You will see in the photos below that in some areas the old stucco has de-laminated from the bricks underneath. There is no safety issue, but this loose stucco needs to be removed and replaced. The cost of this work is not included in the original estimate for cleaning and painting. However, the contractor is able to add this to the scope of work at an added cost. We will continue to update as more information about this is received.

My prayer is we are able to continue to be effective stewards and to make added and needed improvements as we find a way forward.

-Patterson Smith, Property Committee

More photos and videos can be viewed here.

We hope you feel called to contribute toward the preservation of Second Presbyterian Church and the many ways in which God is working through this particular place.

Be a part of the legacy of Second Presbyterian and GIVE TODAY toward the $100,000 goal. Contribute to the fund (choose Bell Tower Steeple Fund from the drop down ‘fund’ options), in the offering plate, or deliver your donations to the church office.

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This year's Lenten Sermon Series