Pastor Bob's Building Blog May 18, 2016 This one is not so much about the building as about the Capital Campaign, which will provide the means to do the building work. As I mentioned in my last blog, I will post drawings and floorplans as we have them to show you, so you can get an idea of what we are working on. In addition to the Library window, ...

​ The Spirit's Peace Pentecost; May 15, 2016 John 14:15-17, 25-27 Let's work backwards through the text: I'll riff on that word "peace" for a bit, then back up to the rest of the Scripture. You may have heard the Hebrew word "Shalom," which is usually translated as "Peace." And it does mean "peace" as we ordinarily use the word: nobody invading you...

pdf File Name: 2016.5.5_14136_CROSS_BELLTOWER-SKETCH-2.pdf File Size: 8.8 mb Download File ​ Pastor Bob's Building Blog May 13, 2016 "Wow, just wow," Pastor Sara texted me when she saw the news that pledges to the Second Fifty Campaign had topped $1,000,000. The progress of the Campaign is certainly a marvel: it shows your dedication to Jesus Chris...

​ Completely One Ascension; May 8, 2016 John 17:20-26 Maybe you remember that my last sermon was about table-talk at the Last Supper. Jesus and his friends had eaten and had completed their ritual for Passover, and they talked. Mostly, Jesus talked to them. Then he started praying, praying for his friends. This is the last part of his prayer; after...

​ Loving into the Second Fifty Easter V; April 24, 2016 John 13:31-35 This is table-talk. You know how sometimes when you are with family and friends, you have dinner together, and then you clear away the dishes and sit and talk. Perhaps you are nursing a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of brandy, and you talk over the events of the day. Perhaps U...

Pastor Bob's Building Blog April 27, 2016 Thank you to the wonderful Special Events chairs (Jean Koerten, Kathy Koslosky, and Winnie Pinch) for the elegant event we enjoyed last Sunday. And thank you to all those who participated in leadership and all who attended. We invited you to pose questions, and you did! All are very good ones, and here they...

​ Creo porque creemos Easter IV; April 17, 2016 John 10:22-30 There are a lot of weighty sayings in this short piece of teaching from the mouth of Jesus. There is a lot here worthy of consideration. For some reason – and I will, as usual, attribute it to the work of the Holy Spirit! – the line that caught my attention was, "But you do not believe, ...

​ Another Dawn Easter III; April 10, 2016 John 21:1-19 This week I went to visit my mentor, teacher, and friend. He is in hospice care, and we do not know how long he will live. Many of us have been taking it in turn to visit him. So I flew to Boston, and drove through a snowstorm to the Upper Connecticut Valley. That evening was chilly and dreary ...

​ Well, we're off! The Project Management Team met this week and made some decisions about our building project that I'm eager to share with you. We reviewed the results of the planning study that the Steier Group conducted. I am very glad the Session chose to engage in that study. It showed us, first, how strong the support is for doing this proje...

​ Look Who is at the Table Maundy Thursday; March 24, 2016 Luke 22:14-27 and Psalm 139:1-6 In adult Sunday School this month we have read and thought about Psalm 139. Mike, our teacher, asked very provocative questions to get us thinking about what we bring to the Lord's Table. Some of us brought cheese, some cookies, some fruit. All of us brought ...

On Good Friday, I was one of seven preachers in the service at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church. Each of us had one of the "seven last words" as a subject; mine was "I thirst." "I Thirst" Good Friday; March 25, 2016 John 19:28-29 I hope someone else here is wondering what Scripture John is referring to when he writes that Jesus said "(in order to f...

The Big Deal The Resurrection of the Lord Easter; March 27, 2016 Luke 24:1-12 Isn't it fun coming to church on Easter? There are flowers all over the front, and we have communion, and we have brass to play for us and the bells and the choir sings a barnburner. And the preacher wears his fanciest outfit. We make a big deal out of celebrating Resurre...

Voices from the Crowd Palm Sunday; March 20, 2016 Luke 19:29-48 Now, Jesus was getting close to Bethphage and Bethany; he was at the place called the Mount of Olives. He sent two of his disciples with these instructions: Go to that village there; you will find a colt tied up, one that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it. And if someone as...

Good Friday 2016 Let me tell you a little about worship on Good Friday, March 25. Most folks of our church are familiar with our Good Friday evening tradition of Taizé-style worship. Taizé is a community in France, originally Reformed but now ecumenical. Their worship is a combination of chant, Scripture, and silence. Our Ash Wednesday service was ...

The Steier Group completed its planning study with us; in my recent Building Blog I gave you a summary of it. Here is the complete report. pdf File Name: Planning-Study-Final-General-Report---Presbyterian-Church-of-the-Master.pdf File Size: 1.2 mb Download File

​ Pastor Bob's Building Blog March 12, 2016 Thank you to all who participated in the recent planning study conducted at Presbyterian Church of the Master. We received a wonderful response, feedback that is extremely beneficial as we look to the future of our church. Representatives with our consulting firm, the Steier Group, reported their findings...

​ A Mind for God SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent IV; March 6, 2016 Psalm 119:33-40 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) I'll be honest with you: to be a person of God is hard. No, I don't mean...

​ Strong in and for the Lord SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent III; February 28, 2016 Ephesians 6:10-17 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) I spent some time on the Power Team's website, lookin...

We are in the midst of our planning study now, to gauge the support for our building plans and to make a reasonable goal for fund-raising and construction. If you have not yet participated, you may: - Fill out and return the survey you received in the mail - Go online and complete it: go to www.steiergroup.com , select "Client Login" on the upper r...

"Bless the Lord, O my soul." SERMON SERIES: YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD Lent II; February 21, 2016 Psalm 103 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27) My usual morning walking route with my dogs is down the hill f...