Sunday is Coming!
What do you do with Hard Questions?
Next week, our Bible Quiz Team is going to the CGGC Nationals Competition! I was a quizzer when I was a teenager, and I have also helped to lead quizzing ministries in various ways over the years as a coach and as a "Quiz Master." I recall that some questions are harder than others… Sometimes when there is a very difficult question, such as a verse quotation, the reaction of many quizzers is to sit back in their chairs—an obvious sign that they are not planning to give an answer. But some quizzers lean forward, ready to jump and attempt to share the knowledge they have gained from God's Word.
When you face a difficult question in life, do you lean forward or sit back?
Do you put forth the effort, or just try to get comfortable?
Do difficult questions make you uncomfortable?
To Understand the Call to be God's prophets and messengers, we need to ask some difficult questions. We need to contend with some uncomfortable topics. And we must wrestle with the Word of the Lord.
Are you up for some difficult questions today?
A very common "Hard Question" that scholars and common folks alike have wrestled with throughout history is:
-Why do Bad things happen to Good People?
This is often called "The Mystery of Suffering"
(think: book of Job)
The book of Jonah essentially contends with the reverse of that question:
-Why do Good things happen to Bad People?
-(Or furthermore, if everyone is sinful and the world is fallen, and entropy is the primary force governing the universe, why does anything good ever happen at all?)
This is sometimes called "The Mystery of Compassion"
Both are questions about Justice—good things should happen to good people, while bad things should happen to bad people.
Or so we think…
In Jonah 3 & 4, we see that Jonah disagrees with God about an issue of justice. Jonah did not like how God relented from punishing the Ninevites for their wickedness—
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
--Jonah 3:10-4:1
Maybe we can relate to the Jonah's feelings when we face hard questions…
If God is so powerful, why does He allow tragedy and injustice to occur? Why does wickedness go unpunished?
If God is loving, why does He allow suffering? Why do the righteous face hardships?
The Bible does give us some "simple answers" on this (such as Romans 3:23: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"), But these questions are at the heart of so much of the Bible, so let us not be too quick to oversimplify it to any single verse.
To answer hard questions like this, we must consider the Character of God. We must take it up with God Himself.
To his credit, Jonah himself does exactly this, first by repeating back to God God's own description of Himself:
"I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."
-Jonah 4:2
Notice that Jonah is already beyond asking questions—as an Old Testament Prophet, he already 'knows' God. The problem is, he doesn't like the way God has revealed Himself. It would seem that he disagrees with God's way of handling justice. He seems to be accusing God of being too soft and permissive. He wants a more wrathful, vengeful god, not the God of Love that he knows…
We must all honestly contend with our own understanding of God—Are we worshipping God as He has revealed Himself in scripture, or are we trying to tell God to be something different than He is? Are we trying to fashion a god in some other image?
Sometimes our hearts go after the idols of power and destruction that we see in the world, ignoring the God of love and compassion that has revealed Himself through Jesus. And other times we try to oversimplify God into something more comfortable for us… We focus on our own comfort, while we ignore the Bigger picture that God wants to show us.
Jonah had seen the power of God in the storm and in the monstrous sea creature. He had experienced the salvation of the Lord personally, and the forgiveness of God upon hundreds of thousands of people and animals too…
And yet in the end, chapter 4 reveals to us that Jonah couldn't see past his own discomfort…
Jonah is truly an Epic Tale that speaks of God's Greatness, but a Cautionary Tale that warns against the tragedy of human self-centeredness.
It has a "cliff-hanger ending" that invites us to finish the story in our own hearts—We must ask ourselves, what will we do in response to the hard questions?
I can give you suggestions, and as a church we can work together on some projects, but in the end, each of us has to make some personal decisions about how to join God in His Concerns.
God has the last word in Jonah 4:11, and quite fittingly, it is a question—
"And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?"
God invites a response…
We've seen that God has enough concern and love and forgiveness to go around. Know that God is Concerned for us, and He invites us to join in sharing His Concern for every city and nation and person and creature around the world.
The hard question we are left with, is how do we respond to God's love and compassion, even when it doesn't make sense to us?
Join us Sunday as we ponder this together!
This Sunday
8:30 Traditional Worship
Grace Greater than Our Sin #344
And Can It Be? #347
The Love of God #157
Think About His Love #158
We continue our Summer Special Music series, with a Family Trio consisting of Michelle Komora, Her Sister Janelle Allen, and their Mother, Tammy Henneman.
9:45 Sunday School for all ages
Check out our Sunday School classes and other Care Group ministries on our website, or visit the welcome desk to learn more.
11:00 Contemporary Worship
Beautiful Things
How He Loves
Revelation Song
10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
Prayer Requests
- Keith Rowe was admitted to the hospital this morning. Join me in prayers for he and his wife, Heather, as they await some results and answers.
- Continue to pray for CGGC Triennial Conference as it concludes today. Pray for the safe return of all of those who traveled to be there, including many from our international churches and Global Reach ministries.
- Please join me in prayer for Jewel and David Sheeler, the missionaries with Work Team Partners in the Dominican Republic that visited with us at VBS. They were planning to return home earlier this week, but the thunderstorms caused travel difficulties and a flight delay. They are hoping to fly home tomorrow evening, and are also in need of a ride to the Newark Airport.
Bible Quizzing Nationals
Our Bible Quiz Team will be heading to the Annual National Competition at Camp Sonrise Mountain in Western PA next week. We will recognize them on Sunday and commission them with prayer before the depart. Please keep all of the teams in your prayers as these teenagers hide God's Word in their hearts and as their teams travel from around the denomination.
CGGC Triennial Conference & 200th Anniversary
The Churches of God Triennial Conference gathers every 3 years for fellowship and inspiration, and convenes to conduct the official business of the General Conference. It is taking place this week in Harrisburg, celebrating the 200th anniversary of our CGGC denomination. Pastor Gary and Joyce are serving as delegates from our church for the ERC, so Pastor Gary has been out of the office this week (July 14-18). Please keep the leaders, pastors, and missionaries of our denomination in your prayers as they travel and gather together.
(Contact Pastor Rodney or the Church office with any pastoral needs while Gary is serving at conference).
As part of the 200th year celebrations, a historical tour and song service was held in Harrisburg and the surrounding areas on Monday. Our Living Stones group took a vanload of people along to learn and to worship together.
"If I would be a child of God,
I surely must obey his word;
With cheerful heart and willing mind,
To all his precepts be inclined.
O blessed Redeemer!
Thou who has died for me;
Whatever thy will may be, dear Lord,
I'll gladly follow thee."
—Lydia A. Forney
1881, from a CGGC historic music book.
Church Membership Class
Our next Membership Class is going to be on August 10th at 9:45. This one-time class will tell you more about our church and what membership at SFCOG entails. Please sign up on the sign-up sheet in the Gathering Place, or contact Pastor Rodney for more information (feel free to reply to this email).
Summer Bible Studies
- Ladies in Step are having some special activity nights throughout the summer. The next will be Fabric Basket Making on July 30 from 6:30-8:00 in the Annex. Please RSVP to Joyce Hornbaker to help with planning for materials.
- A summer Men's Bible Study and Prayer Time is being held at the home of Jerry Underkoffler. This will take place every Wednesday morning at 8:00-9:15 until the end of August. Coffee cake will be served each week with coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. Please inform Jerry if you plan to attend.
Living Stones Activities
- Cowan's Gap Potluck Picnic and Swimming Tuesday, July 29 10:15 AM
Location: Cowan's Gap State Park, 6235 Aughwick Road, Fort Loudon, PA 17224
Arrive at Annex by 10:15. We plan to return no later than 5:00 PM.
We will use the church van, carpool, and vehicles to haul lawn chairs and food.
Church will provide: Water, sliced cheese, ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, and will grill your meat
What to Bring: meat you would like to have grilled, roll or bread for your sandwich(es), a side dish to share, your drink, lawn chairs (if you desire), and swimming suit (if you wish to swim)
Register: The Gathering Place, Sunday School Classroom, or call the church office by July 20th. Please indicate what side dish you plan to bring, and if you wish to ride in the church van, carpool from the Annex, meet us at Cowan's Gap.
Location: FNB Park, 245 Championship Way, Harrisburg, PA 17101
Leave Annex (Church van and carpooling) at 5:00 PM. Priority seating for the church van will be for our seniors on a first-paid registration basis.
Cost: $17/Person (all ages) A food voucher (hot dog, chips, and a drink for $7) is an option, but must be requested in advance. (If paying by check, make it payable to the Shippensburg First Church of God.)
Register and Pay Pastor Gary: The Gathering Place, Sunday School Classroom, or call the church office ASAP. We would like to know by June 29th if possible because we need to order tickets in advance so that we can sit together. This activity is open to all ages. You are welcome to bring your family. Please indicate if you wish to ride in the church van, carpool from the Annex, or meet us at the game.
Serving and Community Partnership Opportunities
This Sunday Evening (7/20) at 7:30 there will be a Community Vespers Service at the Fair Grounds to kick off Shippensburg Fair Week. Churches from around town will gather together for a night of worship and fellowship. The Town Band will also play at 7:00 prior to the worship service. Bring a lawn chair!
Our Outreach Committee is now collecting Toothpaste and Children's Tylenol for Circle of Love ministries. Donations can be placed in the appropriate place in the entryway of the Sanctuary that is closest to Crossroads Station. In addition, Circle of Love is always in need of financial donations, which can be delivered directly to their location at 150 Reading Road, Shippensburg, PA.
To learn more, contact (717) 372-1112 or circleoflovegiveaway@gmail.com
Local Women's Conference
Crossroads Station will be the location for the "Joy in the Journey" women's retreat August 1 & 2. This event is open to all women and is seeking to bring together ladies from across our community for fellowship, prayer, and spiritual growth. Various women's ministries and speakers will be represented, including our own Women's Alliance Tribe. To learn more and to register online, visit this link:
Women's Retreat Registration: 8/1-8/2
Communications Updates
*Be sure to check out our Activities Calendar and the Events page on our website to learn about more upcoming opportunities!
The July edition of our "FYI" Newsletter is available in the Gathering Place or the center section of the Sanctuary. The FYI contains information about upcoming events, care group opportunities, giving and attendance information, and more.
If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office, in the Gathering Place, or online.
Looking forward to worshipping with you in the Sanctuary or Online this Sunday!
Pastor Rodney Bistline
Shippensburg First Church of God
seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org
Helpful Links:
Online Messages (shipfcog.org)
Our Activities Calendar & Events
Care Groups & Sunday School Classes
Weather Alerts/ Schedule Changes (shipfcog.org)
Weekly Bulletin (updated over the weekend)
shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html
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