I awakened refreshed after 10 hours of good sleep and walked down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was beautiful, surrounded by… Read More »Israel and PA Trip: Day 4
night I ended up sleeping only about two hours. Between staying up too late with the Pinchases and jet lag, I ended up staying up… Read More »Day 3: Rev. Ritsch’s Trip to Israel and the PA
Tuesday, February 10, was pretty full day. We began by visiting Bialik Rogozin School, which focuses on educating the increasing number of non-Jewish immigrants coming… Read More »Day Two: My Trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Israel/Palestine Journal, Day One: Monday, Feb. 10
We arrived in Israel this afternoon at about 4:30 pm local time at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. My companions are an interesting mix of folks. The organizer is Rev. Bill Harter, pastor emeritus of a church in Pennsylvania, who has led PC(USA) delegations to the Holy Land since 1970. Most of my companions are Presbyterian pastors. They include the exec of Santa Barbara Presbytery and pastors from Virginia, Idaho, Iowa, and California, a college student, an a couple of folks who are slated to be commissioners to the PC(USA)’s General Assembly in Detroit in June, where issues related to Israel and the Palestinian territories are going to be addressed. There are twelve men and two women.Read More »Day One: Fritz’s Trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories
by Mike Tyson
Last Thursday, nine St. Stephen members assisted with Tarrant County Homeless Coalition’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of the homeless. This survey is essential for our community to apply for over $16 million in grants, mostly federal, that we receive every year to address the needs of the homeless. Hundreds of volunteers turn out for the count. Mike Tyson wrote this report about his team’s research. Read More »Reflections on the Annual Homeless Count
The St. Stephen Presbyterian Church Mission Committee needs your help at the new, state-of-art, VA outpatient health center serving vets from Tarrant and 15 surrounding… Read More »Help SSPC Help Military Vets! Great Opportunity!!
To Listen to this Sermon, Click Here -> http://ststphnfw.sermon.tv/9807639
Matthew 1: 18-25
Romans 1: 1-7
“… In Matthew, Joseph plays an important role…. His ‘doing what was right’ can hardly mean his ‘fidelity to the Law’ but his compassion… The one has come in whom God in person dwells among mortals (Immanuel) and who thus will be the salvation of his people (Jesus). The importance of Jesus’ subsequent life, not his birth, is the reason for placing such stress on the obedience of Joseph, who, in the light of God’s great promise, can give up his previous moral principles to fulfill God’s command literally.” The Good News According to Matthew, Eduard Schweizer.
We know Joseph, the husband of Mary, is Jesus’ father “according to the flesh,” as Paul puts it in our reading from Romans.This is important because it is through Joseph that Jesus is established as being a descendant of David, “according to the flesh.” Of course, “according to the Spirit,” God is Jesus’ father. But we know Joseph from the stories of the birth of Jesus. The last appearance he makes in Scripture is in Luke, when 12-year-old Jesus disappears while they are on a trip to Jerusalem. His parents search for him frantically and find that he is at the Temple, teaching the elders, who are amazed at his wisdom. We don’t have any more stories about Joseph after that. Scholars generally assume Joseph dies while Jesus is still quite young.Read More »Joseph, Jesus’ Father ‘According to the Flesh’
WORSHIP SURVEY: NEXT STEPS
November 8, 2013
by Charles Hoffman, Ruling Elder – Worship Committee
GOOD NEWS: The Sessional Worship Committee and staff have developed and are implementing a series of initiatives that will both inform and query the congregation about “the maintenance of Divine Worship” at St Stephen. The anticipated outcome of these efforts is a thriving congregation that is fully participating in worship.
To inform and engage the membership, a series of classes in Reformed Worship and worship leadership was developed and provided in early Fall during the Church School hour. Each of these classes addressed different aspects of worship at St Stephen—hospitality and fellowship, liturgy, prayer, music, sacraments and the symbols that represent and remind us of our faith.Read More »Worship Survey: Next Steps by Chuck Hoffman, Ruling Elder
Situation Report Update from Grace Presbytery, Presbyterian Church (USA) Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Situation Typhoon Haiyan left monumental devastation when it struck the central Philippines November… Read More »Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Disaster Assistance
Luke 10: 21-36
This is the second of a series on the virtues.
The other day someone asked me, “What is love?” It’s an important question. The Bible teaches from beginning to end, “Love your neighbor,” so “what is love?” is a crucial question.
It’s not the one that the lawyer asks Jesus.
Instead he asks, “Who is my neighbor?”Read More »The Virtues: Love
