Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: Good Times & SFCOG updates for 1/21

Sunday is coming, and I trust it will be a good day!

How often do you find yourself missing “the good old days?” Where does your mind wander when you hear that phrase? Or should I say, ‘to when’ does your mind wander? What year or age of life reigns in your mind as the “good old days?”

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12,

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.”

I occasionally reminisce about the ‘good old days’ of my youth…

· riding bikes around the neighborhoods of Shippensburg…

· hopping in and out of streams looking for frogs and turtles…

· afternoons of sitting on a living room floor playing Nintendo…

· college days, meeting new people and learning new things…

· traveling with friends to punk-rock shows…

· the sound of dial-up internet… (ok maybe not that one)

But then I also reflect on all of the ‘good new days’ and the blessings I have right now…

· a caring and creative wife who is my best friend…

· 5 unique, playful, fun-loving kids…

· ministry with a church family that is alive and active…

· years of experiences and memories to reminisce about…

· meaningful, lifelong friendships that have stood the test of time, and new friends too…

· the ongoing mercies of the Lord that are new every morning…

What do you remember from your youth? What blessings are you thankful for in the present?

Solomon reflects on this idea more in Ecclesiastes 7:13-14—

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

In every season of life on this earth, there will always be good days and bad days, blessings and struggles. And we can’t go backwards in time, only forwards… but no one can discover what the future holds, except by living one day at a time!

So what does it mean to “Remember our Creator” especially for those of us who are no longer in the “days of our youth?”

The Hebrew word for “remembering” implies Action. It comes from the root word, zakar.

There’s a sense that remembering is not merely a matter of thoughts and ideas inside our head, but allowing that memory to present itself in the real world and change things. In the Bible, remembering implies making what is unseen visible.

Elsewhere in scripture, when the word zakar is used, it’s often in the context of the people of God being instructed repeatedly to remember the Lord—meaning to live according to his laws and make him known to the world.

If we remember our Creator, it means we must make him actively known and visible in our world through our own God-given creativity.

It’s significant that Solomon refers to God by his Role as the Creator in this context. God has many names and roles and functions—Father, Son, Holy Spirit… Sustainer, Savoir, Almighty Ruler & Law Giver, Holy One Who is Worthy to be Praised.

*By remembering God as our Creator, we are prompted also to be Creative, because Creativity is central to the Character of God!

Let me suggest to you that in light of the other themes of Ecclesiastes, the heart of creativity is Fun!

That’s right—Fun! Enjoyment! Satisfaction!

Notice that back in Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, Solomon reminds us of God’s design for this life:

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

But before we get too self-indulgent or irresponsible, lets trace this theme a little further through Ecclesiastes (and the rest of Scripture).

The Bible shows that we must make the most of the days we are given on earth, before this life is over. As Solomon discovered, this does not mean living to please ourselves or make a name for ourselves, but to “remember” God, making him known and living according to his commands.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 concludes the book in this way:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

Solomon says without God, who can find enjoyment? So as believers, we are called to be fun-loving people!

Ecclesiastes contains many clear reminders that it is God’s Design for us to find Enjoyment in our Toil, and when we do so, we are tapping into the creative Spirit of God.

We will explore this further during our time of worship on Sunday, but for believers in this New Testament world, true enjoyment means “Remembering our Creator” by living creative lives! And the full extent of this is found by having a relationship with Jesus, our savior, who says in John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Whether you’re in your youth or not, whether you’re facing good days or bad days, I pray you’ll seek to find enjoyment in your Creator, keeping His commands, living creative and full lives in service to the Savior! And I hope you’ll gather with your church family this weekend as we worship and grow together!

Council Commissioning

Our 2024 Church Council will be commissioned with prayer during our morning worship this Sunday. Please continually hold all of our leaders in your prayers as we seek to Glorify our God and serve Him with all of the talents and resources that he has entrusted to our congregation, for the furthering of the Gospel and the betterment of our church family and our community.

Upcoming Events

This Sunday we will be offering our New Member’s Class during the Sunday School hour at 9:45 in room 210. This is a chance to learn more about Shippensburg First Church of God and our CGGC denomination, and consider if God may be calling you to make a greater commitment to our church by becoming a member. People who choose to become members will be installed in February.

Our next Baptism service is scheduled for February 25^th. If you or someone in your family is considering this important step of faith, please sign up in the Gathering Place or respond to this email.

“A Weekend to Remember” is coming to Hershey on February 9-11. This is a wonderful time to strengthen your marriage and experience a weekend away. Now through January 22, Family Life Today is offering a 50% discount. That is the best price they offer, but after the 22, you can still save $100 if you register as part of our Church. You can register at this link: Weekend To Remember Marriage Retreat - FamilyLife® --When registering, we ask that you use the following code: ShippensburgFirstChurchofGod (no spaces). By using this code, the church receives a free couple registration for every five couples registered, and you receive the $100 discount (if registering after the 50% off promotion ends).

I pray your week is filled with fun and creative opportunities to worship and serve the Lord, and that we can gather together to praise him as a Church Family soon!

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org