October Pastoral Letter

Greetings in the Name of the Lord!

It is hard to believe that we are coming upon my family and I’s one-year anniversary of joining you here in Ellisville. It is amazing to see how many ways God has blessed us by your love and fellowship. We look forward to many more years of service and friendship with you as we work together for the Gospel and the Glory and Majesty of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We have also come to the end of our most recent sermon series on the Book of Ruth and I hope our time with Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz has been a blessing to you as it has been to me. It never ceases to amaze me as I read through Holy Scripture the way in which God blessedly orders everyone’s lives for His Glory. You can imagine that when Ruth awoke the morning she was introduced to Mahlon she had no idea what the Lord had in store for her in the next decade of her young life. But what we see in that decade is salvation for Ruth, redemption for Naomi, and the extension of the line of Christ by the mercy of the Kinsman-Redeemer Boaz. One of the things that sets apart the Scriptures is how often the focus of the stories in the Bible are on ordinary folks, living ordinary lives, seeking in their day-to-day life to serve and honor God in everything they do. We see that Boaz’s selfless acts towards Ruth and Naomi were done not for personal gain, but because he loved God and he loved his neighbor first. It is a reminder to us that if we put our trust and faith in the purposes of God and in His Wisdom and Direction then God will bless us in His mercy.

Our next sermon series will see us attend to the relationship between Jesus and His Father. John 17 begins after Jesus had spent the previous couple of chapters preparing His disciples for His departure. Jesus now is preparing Himself for the cross and He does so by going to God the Father in prayer. One of the problems in the Church today is we have lost a real understanding and appreciation for the relationship between the members of the Trinity and what it means to us that God the Father sent God the Son to die upon a cross for His people.

I again want to welcome you to join us for Sunday evening Bible Study at 5:00pm in the Pastor’s Study. We have been enjoying the study and hope that you will consider meeting with us. As always if there is anything I can do for you do not hesitate to give me a ring or stop by the study during the week. There is also some interest in having a weeknight prayer meeting. If you have questions about this or are interested in attending such a meeting please let me know.

In God’s Love,

     Rev. Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div.

Pastor, Ellisville Presbyterian Church (Independent)

www.ellisvillepres.org

August Pastoral Letter

 

Greetings in the Name of the Lord!

While the temperatures may still be in the 90’s here in Ellisville we have certainly entered into a new season of discovery and wonder as our kids and grandkids start afresh in new schools and grade-levels. Lily began Kindergarten, Mackenzie started preschool, and the Probst children entered Moselle Elementary after spending the last year at South Jones Elementary.  It has not just been a beginning for the kids we also congratulate Hope Kelley on starting her teaching career at Bay Springs Elementary!

One of the many things to be brought out of our series on the Book of Ruth has been a healthy dose of the doctrine of Providence. Providence is a word that we use to describe the hand of God in the life of the believer. What we have seen in the lives of Naomi and Ruth has been both what we can call “easy” and “hard” Providences. It is most assuredly true that while these things were happening to Naomi and Ruth they probably did not see God’s plan in their lives and the part they had to play in the Birth of the Messiah, our Savior Jesus Christ (Matt 1:5). The Puritan pastor John Flavel speaks of Providence in this way, “Some Providences like Hebrew letters must be read backwards.” We don’t often see the plan God has for us while we deal with adversity in our lives, but what makes us as Christians able to deal with such adversity is the faith we have in a Sovereign God that has ordered our lives for His Glory. There is a great peace and contentment to be gained in resting in the Providence of God. When you know that God holds you in His hand and has ordained your life before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-6) you can deal, through the work of His Spirit, with even the worst of possible situations and can keep a proper perspective in the greatest of circumstances. You can confess with Job in Job 1:21:

 “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

               I again want to welcome you to join us for Sunday evening Bible Study at 5:00pm in the Pastor’s Study. We have been enjoying the study and hope that you will consider meeting with us. As always if there is anything I can do for you do not hesitate to give me a ring or stop by the study during the week.

In God’s Love,

     Rev. Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div.

Pastor, Ellisville Presbyterian Church (Independent)

www.ellisvillepres.org

July Pastoral Letter

 

Greetings in the Name of the Lord!

It is amazing to me that we are already at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. Even more mind-boggling to me is that Lily will be beginning Kindergarten at South Jones Elementary on August 8th and Mackenzie will be starting pre-school at Laurel Christian School on the 9th. It only seems like yesterday that I was holding each of them in the delivery room at Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. If I am already affected by the commencement of their respective educational journeys I cannot imagine what it will be like when graduation comes down the line!

As we come to the close of our study of 2^nd Peter we have seen the Apostle’s dying concern for his flock. In 2 Peter 3:1 the Apostle Peter uses the word “Beloved” to describe the folks he has been instructing and warning concerning the many false teachers that are reaching out to them while he has been away. We are reminded by this the loving, tender relationship a true shepherd will have with his flock. A shepherd that does not care for the flock will not stay with the flock when wolves threaten but will run like the hireling Jesus mentions in John 10:12-13. Peter’s letter also reminds us that the Christian Life is not an easy one. The Scriptures require of us to follow the Law of God with a loving heart, seeing Gospel Obedience as a Gospel Promise and as a pleasure, not a duty. This can cause us hardships sometimes when the culture and/or even family or friends want us to do that which God Himself has called us not to do. In our next sermon series beginning August 14^th we will look at the trials and tribulations of a woman who had to make some very tough decisions that concerned following her earthly family and the god of the place of her birth or to go with her new family to the place the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had given to His People. Through Ruth’s journey we will also learn more about our deliverance and redemption by Jesus Christ as well as the reward given to those who persevere in faith and righteousness.

I again want to welcome you to join us for Sunday evening Bible Study at 5:00pm in the Pastor’s Study. We have been enjoying the study and hope that you will consider meeting with us. As always if there is anything I can do for you do not hesitate to give me a ring or stop by the study during the week. Brandy, Lily, Mackenzie, Iain, and I will be visiting Brandy’s family in Cincinnati and then attending my Father’s 60^th Birthday Party at my sister and brother-in-law’s home in Kingsport, Tennessee. We will be leaving after worship on the 31^st of July and will return on the evening of the 7^th. If you need anything while we are gone please contact one of the Elders.

In God’s Love,

 

Rev. Benjamin P. Glaser, M. Div.

Pastor, Ellisville Presbyterian Church (Independent)

www.ellisvillepres.org