Bible and Coffee Time

What We Say About Others "With the  tongue  we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness." (James 3:9 NIV) Several years ago, I was involved in prison ministry. As part of the training for being able to minister in the prison, I witnessed a lecture about improvised weapons prisoners make, usually called "shivs" or "shanks" in prison lingo. And it was surprising how inventive some of these weapons can be. A plastic spoon, a pen, a toothbrush, or even soap, can be sharpened to be turned into a dagger for stabbing. Scrap metal can be gathered and wrapped in a sock or bandanna to make into a bludgeoning weapon. In one instance, a prisoner improvised a crossbow out of newspaper and rubber bands, hardening the newspaper to create a sharp arrowhead. Presently, there are even videos on YouTube demonstrating how Jolly Roger candies can be made into weapons. It is actually quite shocking how all these see...

The Difference Words Can Make " Gracious  words  are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24 NIV) As I mentioned yesterday, the uncertainty regarding the effects of the pandemic has caused quite a bit of tension and frustration, which has meant a rise in expressing of hurtful thoughts and opinions, both in social media and in the public sphere. Since this uncertainty seems to be continuing, perhaps this is a call from God for us to engage in serious self-examination, and ask ourselves if how we express ourselves, especially our opinions, truly reflects what our calling as followers of Jesus and believers in God really is. Having opinions is unavoidable. We all have thoughts and opinions on various events and issues that are present nowadays. What is necessary, however, is to consider how we choose to express our thoughts and opinions, or not express them at all. What is also necessary is to consider what t...

Being Gentle " Let your  gentleness  be evident to all. The Lord is near." (Philippians 4:5 NIV) In many places, the time of transition from full quarantine to opening up various economies and loosening restrictions is taking place. As a result, many are expressing their opinions about if and how this ought to take place, both in public discourse and on social media. Much heated rhetoric has been expressed, as, understandably, it is a frustrating time. Many people are anxious to know when work may resume, people's favorite restaurants and other public meeting places and venues may open, and life as before may resume in some fashion. There have also been rather hurtful and offensive insinuations and accusations made against individuals, political figures, companies, even churches. However, as believers in Jesus, we are blessed with he Holy Spirit. And one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is gentleness; gentleness is one of God's many characteristics. The Hol...

An Eternal Message " For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should  love  one another." (1 John 3:11 NIV)  If this pandemic has hopefully taught us anything, it is how much we really need to be in contact with each other.  Family members and friends have not been able to see each other in person on a regular basis. While virtual meetings have certainly increased in usage over the last few months, it has still not been the same as an actual in-person get-together. This whole situation therefore hopefully has taught us the value of being able to be with those we love, and being able to show love to those we love. This pandemic hopefully also has taught us the value of being able to show love to others, even to our neighbors. Certainly generosity has increased, as more people have been able to do things for others, especially those who are vulnerable to the virus and unable to leave their homes. And, hopefully, as we have realized how m...

Part of God's Family " Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same  family . So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Hebrews 2:11 NIV) On this Mother's Day, I want to give special tribute to my mom. When I was growing up, she, along with my pastor dad, were major influences on me, not just as parents, but as teachers and role models for how to be a Christian. One of the things my mom especially taught me was what it meant to be part of God's family. Her example of piety greatly influenced mine, especially in terms of treating people as God would treat them, and serving others. My mom also encouraged me to treat all people with love and respect, and to regard all people as being worthy of love and care. Additionally, she also taught me the value of having a close, personal relationship with God, one that has lasted for me even up to the present day. During a particularly challenging and uncertain time in m...

Hello everyone, this is Pastor Jon Kibler. Many of you in the congregation and community have been asking when St. Andrew will be resuming public worship services once more. On Monday, May 18th, our Church Council will be meeting to discuss and devise a plan for being able to hold public worship services in a safe manner. We request that as many Council members as possible be present for this meeting, so that we might be able to have a proper quorum for both discussion and voting. For all of you, we ask for your prayers for God's wisdom, guidance, and discernment for us, as we devise a plan for being able to move forward, and being able to hold public worship services. Thank you, and may God bless you.

Love is a Verb " May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s  love  and Christ’s perseverance." (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NIV) We have often heard it said, and it has often been repeated here, that God is love. However, the definition of love itself is highly general, and, in fact, when used only as a simple word, or a noun, can be subjective. As it happens, however, and especially with God, love is not simply a noun: love is a verb. When the Bible, and we, say "God is love," we are not simply saying that God is the definition of a noun. God's very being is love, and His love is expressed through His actions. That is how we see that love is a verb: that God defines love through demonstrating His love. He has created us and given us life. He continues to sustain us from day to day. He reaches out to us and intervenes in our lives in small, yet often out-of-the-ordinary ways. He continues to preserve us, not only by giving us the energy to keep going from day to da...

God's Nature Transforming Nature "And so we know and rely on the  love   God  has for us.  God   is  love . Whoever lives in  love  lives in  God , and  God  in them." (1 John 4:16 NIV) Although the pandemic has brought a lot of changes, especially by bringing things to a standstill, there is great comfort in the fact that nature is continuing to transform. Flowers that were budding are now in bloom. Trees that were budding are now in leaf. Animals that were being born are now appearing outside. Birds that were building nests are laying eggs. Grass is growing well - as evidenced by the fact that people are having to mow their lawns twice a week some weeks. Nature is moving forward and acting, well, naturally. Nature is not at a standstill, but is continuing to transform and move forward. All this is happening because God remains involved and in charge - even of nature. He is making sure nature continues to...

Pray at All Times "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." (Ephesians 6:18 NIV) Today, and every day, we need prayer more than ever. Though there is talk of re-opening various state economies, even lifting restrictions on stay-at-home orders, progress continues to move slowly. While the increasing number of positive coronavirus results may simply indicate more testing, the coronavirus is still not going away. Our schools, and many other businesses, remain closed, and their future schedules and logistics remain uncertain. We need to turn to God in prayer for His help and deliverance more than ever today. There are many who are also on the front lines both of fighting the coronavirus, as well as those who continue to work even despite potential continued exposure to the coronavirus, who bravely and courageously continue to serve and even help heal and co...

Equally " He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45 NIV) Lately the weather where I live has been a bit unpredictable. Not in an extreme way (for the moment, at least), but in the sense that the weather can be a bit inconsistent from week to week. As in, one day can be warm and beautiful, the next cold and rainy. One day can be a bit cooler with sunshine, the next can be hot, muggy, and wet. There is even talk of frost for next week. Even more unusually at times, certain parts of the state can receive different weather patterns. One part of the state can have a rainstorm, which disappears by the time it gets to the major highway a bit north of where I live. Some places have received major snowstorms, while others have received milder weather. It was even the case last year over Memorial Day weekend where, horrifyingly, a large series of tornadoes touched down only a few short miles north o...

No Job Too Big Or Small "Arise,  Lord ! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the  help less." (Psalm 10:12 NIV) Yesterday, in anticipation of consistent good weather coming up soon, I spent much of the evening, as I had done a couple days prior, clearing out flowerbeds of weeds. It turned into a larger job than I anticipated, because the past couple of years I have had a problem with thistles, which tend to grow and spread rather rapidly. Thistles also require being dug up rather than simply pulled, since they develop deep roots quickly. Removing them can thus always turn into a big job rather quickly. Additionally, the bucket I had to haul weeds away quickly proved inadequate to the task, as it was too small to take away such large loads at a time. Fortunately, my neighbor across the street had a garden cart, which made hauling away the weeds a lot easier. This is doubtless going to be an ongoing project throughout the Spring and Summer, as I am able to plant herbs an...

Brand New " See, I am doing a  new   thing ! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:19 NIV) One of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is check the weather forecast on my phone. Today, rather surprisingly, the weather app on my phone had this reminder: "It's a brand new week!" And, indeed, it is a brand new week! We have a choice in how we can face this coming week: either we can look forward to it with fear and dread, especially with the ongoing pandemic; or, we can look forward to it as another gift God has given us, with hope, to experience the blessings and ways of growth He will give us this coming week.  The reality is, while our reality might be the pandemic and its effects right now, God is still with us. Even though our normal lives and routines may have been disrupted by the pandemic for the past couple of months, God's love and care for us has not changed and has not been dis...

Another Day " I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the  Lord   sustain s me." (Psalm 3:5 NIV) It can certainly seem, during this pandemic, that we are simply existing day after day. There have been frequent jokes and internet memes about forgetting what day it is because we spend so much time in our homes, having been away from our normal routines of work, school, and life in general for so long. Living can at times seem like drudgery, simply because we are waking up to the same routine day after day. Sometimes, there can even seem like there is little or no reason for living at all. Yet the reason we wake up in the morning is also simple: God has given us another day of life. He has a purpose for us: to grow closer to Him, deepen our relationship with Him, and strengthen our trust in Him. He has given us life to enjoy, even though our normal routines may have been disrupted for a while. He is giving us opportunities to discover new things abou...

Sustained " Surely God is my  help ; the Lord is the one who sustains me." (Psalm 54:4 NIV) The question that is frequently repeated, especially at the beginning of this new month, is, how much longer this is going to last. Even though the Governor of the state I live in will soon be outlining a plan for how certain business are going to reopen, things will largely be remaining the same as they have the past couple of months. Stay-at-home and social distancing requirements are still in place, many schools and certain public places remain closed indefinitely, and the effects of the pandemic, even after everything returns to some semblance of "normal," will remain for a long time to come. Our daily cry remains, how long? The reality at this point is that we may not know how long this situation may last. Although there are promises of businesses and recreational facilities slowly opening up, things may change. As of today, where I live, there is still talk of a ...

May Day! May Day! "You make your saving  help  my shield; your  help  has made me great." (2 Samuel 22:36 NIV) Today is May Day! Traditionally, this day is celebrated as being the beginning of the permanence of Spring, when all the flowers are blooming, the trees are in leaf, the birds and animals which had been born earlier are emerging, and nature truly begins anew. "May Day" has also traditionally been a call sign for help, especially when a ship, plane, or the pilots of any form of transportation have been in distress. It is believed that the term comes from the French phrase " M'aidez!" , which means "Help me!" Today, on this May Day, we celebrate that, once again, God has come through for His creation. Even with the ongoing pandemic, God continues to sustain creation. The weather continues to change, flowers continue to bloom, trees continue to leaf, and animals continue to be born. We also see another day, and thank God for all...