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Welcome to our church website.

We are glad you are here!

We hope to see you soon!

Our physical gathering has been postponed until further notice!

But, our spiritual worship continues with links here.

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"When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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        Second Sunday in Ordinary Time   

       January 17, 2021  Second Sunday in Ordinary Time     

        Sermon: "Come and See"  Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

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  First Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 10, 2021  1 Samuel 8: 4-18   

"Give Us a King" Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

 

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Epiphany is January 6th

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2020 Confirmation Class

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Please join us on Thursday, December 24th. We will celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Friend, Redeemer and Savior.

At NOON, I will ring the church bell 100 times in gratitude for the COVID-19 vaccines. It has been a difficult ten months, but we have reason for joy.

That same evening of Dec. 24th, we will hold a Service of Worship via Zoom at 7:00 p.m.

Visiting - We will open the microphones and cameras in our Zoom "room" at 6:15 p.m. for those who simply want to visit with one another. At 6:40 p.m., we will play Christmas music as a prelude for worship at 7:00 p.m.

The sermon is titled, "Come, Hold This Baby."

The Prophecy of Christ: Isaiah 9:2-7, Louise Umbarger

The Prophesy of Christ: Micah 5:2-4, Carolyn Bell

The Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38, Emily Kropkowski

Angelic Visit to Joseph: Matthew 1:18-25, Matt Floros

The Visitation: Matthew 2:1-12, Stacey Pinder

The Christmas Story: Luke 2:1-20 Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

Homily: "Come, Hold This Baby", Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

Remember this scene from "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? What is a lesson we can learn from Linus at Christmas?

Click Here for 7:00 p.m. Live Worship on Facebook and Zoom

Meeting ID: 790 818 2538

Password: 503509

Or, call using: +1-301-715-8592

Attached Dec. 24, 2020. 7pm Worship Service.  is a copy of the bulletin for Christmas Eve.

Together in Christ,

Pastor Steve

 

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"Jesus in born. Happy Birthday Jesus!"

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   4th Sunday in Advent "LOVE" Angels' purple candle

December 20, 2020. Luke 1:26-38   

Sermon: "Do You Remember Me", Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton 

 

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   ​​​3rd Sunday in Advent "Angels Rejoice" JOY Shepherds' pink candle

 December 13, 2020. Luke 1:26-35   

Sermon: "Visitations", Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

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  Second Sunday in Advent "Peace" purple candle

December 6, 2020. Mark 1:1-8    Sermon    Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.^a

2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,^b

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare^c the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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First Sunday in Advent "Hope" purple candle  

November 29, 2020. Psalms 147:7-11, Romans 5:1-5    Sermon: "Hope", seminary intern Carroll Fitzgerald

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Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

Nov. 22, 2020. Romans 8:28-39,    Sermon: "Thanking God for Everything"   Rev. Dr. Stephen R. Melton

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Adult Education

Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Zoom

Wednesday mornings at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Pastor Steve will be teaching on the New Testament book of Romans using a commentary by Karl Barth. 

Click Here for Live Discussion Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

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  Advent Activities for all ages

There are Four Sundays in the season of Advent. This is the time of year we prepare for the birth of Jesus.

We begin November 29, 2020.

We have two special Advent programs this year.

Each week we are watching a Christmas movie. The Pastor will mention them in worship, and you will find a devotion from church members. They will tell us what they find special about the film.

Attached is an Advent flyer with questions for each film: 

November 29 – “It’s A Wonderful Life”

December 6 – “Home Alone”

December 13 – “Elf”

December 20 – “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

Click Here for the Weekly Movie Devotionals

Second, is called, S Is For Star, this is based on the book by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds and Pam Carroll.

On each page there is a poem and a project for each letter of the alphabet:

For example, “C is for Carol,” and on that day we will learn about Christmas carols and something special to do.

See the attached Adject Program flyer.

Every day starting at MIDNIGHT (and not before) on November 29, you can open each video to watch with your family. 

There will be a video link where we will hear area pastors talking about the letter and the Advent Project.

Click Here for Letter A

Click Here for Letter B

Click Here for Letter C

Click Here for Letter D

Click Here for Letter E

Click Here for Letter F

Click Here for Letter G

Click Here for Letter H

Click Here for Letter I

Click Here for Letter J

Click Here for Letter K

Click Here for Letter L

Click Here for Letter M

Click Here for Letter N

Click Here for Letter O

Click Here for Letter P

Click Here for Letter Q

Click Here for Letter R

Click Here for Letter S

Click Here for Letter T

Click Here for Letter U

Click Here for Letter V

Click Here for Letter W

Click Here for Letter X

Click Here for Letter Y

Click Here for Letter Z

You can get ALL this information in the Advent Boxes in the Child Care Center office. There are a limited number of boxes so act soon! The boxes are arranged for the number of people in your family.

Finally, we have a "Reverse Advent Calendar" attached. For each day, we collect items for people in need.

When we are all done, we will have the necessisties delivered.

Attachments:

1. https://s3.amazonaws.com/mychurchwebsite/c3517/advent_devotionals_2020_larger_print.pdf
2. https://s3.amazonaws.com/mychurchwebsite/c3517/reverse_advent_2020.docx
3. https://s3.amazonaws.com/mychurchwebsite/c3517/s_is_for_star_flyer.docx

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   Advent is a time of preparing for the birth of Jesus. Once again, we are reminded of what started this Christian faith of ours. It had a starting point. Two refugees wandering from home. They were afraid. Mary was pregnant. Joseph was her protector. There were politicians who did not want them in their country. There were people eager to send them packing and others who would give no thought to killing them.

   She gave birth. From the first moment the Child cried, the world began to turn in a new direction. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it is bent towards justice.” God giving the Law to the Jews started to bend the curve, but it was at that moment in a Bethlehem stable the arc made its eventual turn back towards God.

   One day that bend will be complete. As John says in his Revelation, “the earth will pass away… there will be no more sadness and there will be no more tears.” In the meantime, as Christians, we prepare to celebrate this day. If the hatred of Herod, the loneliness of being homeless, and the doubt of the world could not stop the first birth, then no virus or political stubbornness can stop it this time.

   There is no question that Christ was born and there is no question he will be born again, the only question is are we willing to allow this Christ to be born in us?

   Mary calmed her fears. Joseph paid attention to his dream. The shepherds allowed themselves to be distracted. The Magi made a long journey. Simeon was patient in his righteousness. Anna was persistent in her faith.

   Are we willing to stop long enough to listen?

   Are we able to consider watching for angels?

   Are we determined to consider God?

   As a person prone to melancholy, I am glad to say, I am even joyful at the thought, Christ is here and will be here and especially at this time, we can receive Him.

   The Christmas spirit is the hope which tenaciously clings

to the hearts of the faithful and announces in the face

of any Herod the world can produce

and all the inn doors slammed in our faces

and all the dark nights of our souls

that with God all things are possible,

that even now

unto us

a Child is born!

- Ann Weems

 

Together in Christ,

Pastor Steve

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Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

October 25, 2020. "Fairness" Matthew 20:1-16

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Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

October 18, 2020. "No one knows the hour" Matthew 24:36,37

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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

October 11, 2020. "Privileged" James 2:1-9

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Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

October 4, 2020. "Hubris and Israeli intertribal conflict and bloodshed", Judges 12:1-6

 

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Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

Sept. 27, 2020. "Forgiveness--coming to terms with the past, part III", Matt 6:7-15

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Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days 

Sept. 20, 2020. "Forgiveness--coming to terms with the past, part II", Matt 5:21-24

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Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

Sept. 13, 2020. Rally Day, Compassion Sunday. Sermon: "'Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung'--coming to terms with the past", Matt 18:21-35

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Pastor Steve and Kathy are on vacation this week. For Sunday, Sept. 6th, we encourage you to attend Fallston's Outdoor Worship at 9:00 a.m. or the Worship at the National Cathedral at 11:15 a.m., Live on-line Click Here for Worship at National Cathedral

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Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days 

Sermon: August 30. "Two Wisdoms". James 3:13-18

 

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Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

Sermon: August 23. "Setting Things Right", Galations 2:15-21. Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

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Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - Ordinary Days

Sermon: August 16. "Thou shalt not covet", Exodus 20:17. Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

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My father served in Navy during WWII. He entered right after graduating high school. The war in Europe had ended. Hostilities with Japan were far from over, in fact, the worse battle in the Pacific theatre took place between April and June of 1945. Okinawa was an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The U.S. forces considered it preparation for the invasion of Japan itself.

The closer the Allies got to Japanese homeland, the bloodier the battles became. In those three months in Okinawa, Japan had 100,000 casualties and the Americans had 50,000 – more lost than in any other WWII engagement.

My father was on the aircraft carrier, the Essex. They were retrieving the dead, evacuating the injured and bringing soldiers back home. My father said there were thousands on board. The deck of the carrier was littered with casualties.

The only people who truly understand warfare are those who experience it. The rest of us may get a vague sense from movies and books, but unless we have been there ourselves, we really don’t know what it’s like. Seeing bodies torn apart. Watching your friends die. The sounds of bullets whistling past your ears. The thunder of bombs which envelope you. The one thing my father said he remembers most distinctly was the smell. The main reason so many of the soldiers were on deck was to keep the smell of burnt flesh from permeating the inside of the ship.

On Memorial Day, we remember those who lost their lives protecting our nation. In hindsight, we realize not every conflict our nation participated in was just. But, on Memorial Day we are not measuring the motives, we are honoring the sacrifice. The men and women who serve our country put devotion to the country first and protecting the person right next to them as their motive.

In John 15:13, Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” This is what these women and men did. They gave their last measure of love to defend their brothers and sisters in arms. We have freedoms to live where we want to live, to love who we want to love and to worship God in a manner of our choosing.

We stop this Memorial Day for just a moment to honor their memory. It is right and good that we should do so.

Let us pray:

“All Powerful God,

we honor those men and women - 

Our sons and daughters, Husbands and wives,

Fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers—

Who have laid down their life for their country.

Whether weary or emboldened, quiet or defiant,

Vulnerable or ready when You called them home,

Their sacrifice is too humbling for words

except these uttered in prayer.

Loving Lord, bless them forever in Your eternal peace…

Cherish their spirit, honor their commitment,

send them our love,

and will never forget the service that they gave.”

Let us never grow weary of working for that day when “…we shall beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into pruning hooks. And, nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more…”

In the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen. 

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"Give it the green light!"

 

"See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland." Is. 43:19

The prophet Isaiah tells us to keep our eyes open for the new thing God is about to do. During this pandemic, we are preparing for a vaccine to be found. Our church is doing it's part to prepare the way.

Bells - Each morning at 11:00 a.m. we will ring the church bell eleven times. The number eleven is an incomplete number, just one short of the twelve we learned about in the Bible. We ring the bell to announce our solidarity with all those laboring on the front lines, but also to express our desire for the complete resolution to this pandemic. 

Green Light - We ask that all of you turn on a GREEN light at your house every evening. Place the light somewhere it can be seen at night – ideally outside.

Why?

Green is the color of renewal and promise. When things start to turn green in the spring, we know new life is on its way. We believe a new vaccine is on its way.

Let us join together in hope.

Turn on your green lights at night.

Imagine the lights as prayers reaching to the heavens.

Share the idea!

 

Together in Christ,

Pastor Steve

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Watch our Virtual Easter Parade!

Featuring Flowers and Families.

 

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A Pastoral Message from Pastor Steve

"This Time Is Hard On People"

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Click Link Below to Hear

Autumn, Clementine, Finnegan and Kalliope Ferguson

Sing "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna" for Palm Sunday:

Welcome Jesus On Palm Sunday:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1moyenJfLRnDQMTr8

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Welcome to Our Virtual Palm Sunday Parade:

 

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Elder Darlene Seippel Shares a Minute for Mission 

for The Presbyterian One Great Hour of Sharing Offering:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0Vlf6Ns9U0z9ERan8yrhSRwTA

You may give to the OGHS by choosing the "Give On-line" Tab

(Icon of Hand Offering $) in the Top Right Above.

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Preventive Medicine - Get Outdoors!

There are many benefits to being outside during the pandemic, not the least of which is our mental health. Sunny skies, and a little exercise makes us feel better, mentally and physically. Fresh air is also good for our lungs and allows us to expel recycled air and any germs that might be in it. Some research suggests UV light helps kill the virus. Hospital grade sterilization is dangerous, but we know it works. No definitive data has been collected on UV, but the thought is - yes, sunlight will help. We don't know how much time is needed, but any sunlight is a good thing. So enjoy the fresh air, get some Vitamin D and boost your mental health.

Enjoy the spring!

- Dana Cross

 

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We share a reflection on a creation psalm: Psalm 104.

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Almighty God, today we celebrate Your magnificent splendor. For by Your hand You placed time in motion. From the first day of creation until this very day, Your creative wonders have filled the universe. On this Sabbath day, we celebrate how by Your mighty power You raised Christ from the grave. From that first resurrection Sunday until this day, Your love has given life to all mankind. Now, O God, as we enter this sacred time of worship, we call upon You to bathe us in Your presence and bless us by Your Spirit. To Your Name be glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.

We open with a discusson of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk:

COVID-19 Communications

Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Building Closed

In response to the coronavirus, our Session voted to suspend all group activities on church grounds. There is a compelling reason for this action. While most of us are not at serious risk, we have many in our community – namely the elderly and those with medical conditions – who are at risk. We want to protect them. By all reports, social distancing and careful attention to hand cleanliness, are two of the best ways to discourage the spread of the virus. Thus, because we love you and we love our neighbors, we are initiating these decisions.

On-Line Services

We are offering an on-line service of worship on Sunday using the Zoom platform. Worship will be at 11:00 a.m. Visit this site and the manner of the broadcast will be explained on the right side under announcements. 

Child Care Center

The CPC Preschool and Child Care Center has cancelled Preschool and Child Care. However, You may contact our director, Libby Turney, for answers to your questions: 410-836-2148.

Office Hours

The office is without an Administrative Assistant at this time, Kathy Melton is volunteering her help, but there may be periods when no one will be there to answer phones. If you want to ask questions, please contact the pastor, Dr. Stephen Melton, by cell: 717-571-6787.

Church Support

For those who wish to provide financial support for the ministry of our church, there is a giving link on the top right-hand corner of this church website. There you will see three icons. The middle one showing a hand giving money, is the one to click. You will be asked to provide a number for a credit card or for a bank account. You can save the information and give again in the future without much trouble.

Open to Christ

The theologian and writer, C.S. Lewis said as people of God we want “the good infection.” We want to get close enough to Christ, so His Spirit infects our spirit. We will become less ourselves and more of Him, and by becoming more of Him, we rediscover our natural state as children of God.

The doors of the church are temporarily closed for now, but we are reminded - the door Christ is knocking on, has been and always will be, the door of our soul – and we can open it anywhere and at any moment.

Dear God, we look to You in this time of trouble. May Your Son, our great physician, be present to us all. Especially be with those who will have a difficult time during this period of isolation. May our concern not only be for ourselves but for them. Help us find ways to reach out in faith. Enter our room. Fill us with grace. Send us back out as agents of hope. In Your name we pray. Amen.

 

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We give thanks for the virtual visit from Missionary the Rev. Sarah Henken.

The Rev. Sarah Henken is a Presbyterian missionary serving in Colombia, South America, where our "Well" project is being pursued. If you would like to send her cards, feel free to use this address:

Carrera 37 #54-44

Apartamento 102

Barranquilla, Colombia

08001

You may send her an e-mail: 

http://mailto:sarah.henken@pcusa.org

You may also follow her work through the PCUSA website:

Sarah Henken, PCUSA Missionary

In Christ,

Pastor Steve

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Church: A model community of the imperfect