Readings for the Week of October 30, 2016

The readings this week will set the context for the first passages shared during Sunday’s readings.

Sun., Oct. 30: Proverbs 13 :24; Colossians 3 : 18-24; Matthew 18 : 1-14

Mon., Oct. 31: Proverbs 10-These are the sayings of Solomon.  They begin here and will continue through chapter 13 and beyond.

Tus., Nov. 1: Proverbs 13-This is a continued sampling of the book of Proverbs.  Full of pithy statements, aphorisms, and clichés, it sometimes reads like the collected bumper stickers of the bible.  The chapter begins with another statement about child raising.

Wed., Nov. 2: Colossians 1-Paul begins his letter to the church in Colossae.

Thu., Nov. 3: Colossians 2-This chapter continues with encouragement and Paul’s hopes for the church in Christ.

Fri., Nov. 4: Colossians 3-This chapter begins by talking about the new life in Christ, ends with the apparent restrictions of life in Christ.  Can these mesh?

Sat., Nov. 5: Matthew 18-Jesus speaks to the true calling to be His followers.

Bible Readings For the Week of Oct. 23, 2016

This Sunday is about slavery.  The readings this week lay out some of the background around the passages on slavery, about how this issue falls into a broader context in the life of God’s people.

Sun., Oct. 23, 2016: Lev. 25: 39-46; Ephesians 6: 5-9; Titus 2: 9-10; Galatians 3:28-These are the verses from Sunday’s service.

Mon., Oct. 24, 2016: Leviticus 25-The context of this passage is the Sabbath year and the Year of Jubilee, the seventh and fiftieth years in the Jewish calendar that trigger special observances, celebrations, and a ‘rebooting’ of ownership-of land and slaves.  Everyone was always to have a place in the Promised Land.

Tue., Oct. 25, 2016: Ephesians 6: 1-19-Here we find, side by side, one of the ‘oppressive’ passages of Paul alongside one of the most inspirational passages for people seeking to live the Christian life, putting on the whole armor of God. 

Wed., Oct. 26, 2016: Titus 1-This is one of Paul’s shortest letters, written to a man and not to a church.  Its content and focus are a little different.  At three chapters, we shall read the entire book.  Chapter 1 is a contrast of proper leadership for the church versus what is occurring at the church on Crete.

Thu., Oct. 27, 2016: Titus 2-Paul offers a wide range of behavioral advice for different segments of the church community.

Fri., Oct. 28, 2016: Titus 3-Paul finalizes his advice and says good bye.  Note how he writes this on the fly, in the midst of the rest of his work, trying to fix what people are complaining about.

Sat., Oct. 29, 2016: Galatians 3-It seems the church in Galatia is also causing Paul headaches.  It seems to be a question over the place of the Gentiles in the church.  So Paul wonders if they are squandering the Holy Spirit, reviews the life and theology of Abraham, then the law, before centering everything in Christ and offering us the full freedom that comes with being in Christ Jesus.

The Faces of God

We are the Faces of God, each person.  This program year, we are celebrating the power of God’s Spirit in each of us, revealing God’s Face in each of us.  The gifts of the Spirit run through us all, granted by God Almighty.  In this 2016-17 Program year, we are going to experience and celebrate those gifts with a set of programs designed to entice our senses, following the seasons of the year.

If you are interested, please contact Rev. Peter Hofstra at pastorpeter@fpcperthamboy.org or through the Church office of the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy at 732-826-2132 for more information.  Please watch our FB page at www.facebook.org/fpcperthamboy for more up to date information. 

These events will occur on Sundays, following worship.  There will be program time, the tour, the concert, etc., lasting approximately an hour.  There will be a time of worship gathered around the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper, lasting approximately a half hour.  There will be a meal that we will share together in fellowship, perhaps also an hour long.  The aim is to be home by the early evening in order to prepare for the week to follow.

The times and prices will be forthcoming as the final details are put into place.  At this time, for group management purposes, our target size for each program is approximately twenty.

Sunday, November 13, 2016.  Seeing what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  We are going to travel to the Grounds for Sculpture* in Hamilton, NJ for an amazing tour of the outdoor museum.

Sunday, January 8, 2017.  Hearing what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  We are going to travel to Princeton Theological Seminary where, at the Miller Chapel, we will experience a program of beautiful music.

March, 2017, date TBA.  Smelling and Tasting what the Lord can accomplish through His Children.  Food, the byword of the Presbyterian Gathering.  Sundays in Lent are meant to be days of celebration during this time of personal reflection before Easter.  We are going to gather for a special meal designed to raise our awareness of the delights of God’s bounty.

May, 2017, date TBA. Experiencing God’s own artistry through His Creation.  We are going to travel to Camp Johnsonburg* to experience the joy of God’s creation in the great outdoors, at a place that has brought special connection to our Lord to so many of our members.

*Please note that a certain amount of walking is involved in some of these programs and the content or length of program may make it more trying for our youngest members. 

Readings for the Week of October 9, 2016

The readings for this week will begin with our passage from Sunday and then proceed to the end of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.  You will see that it calls again for the reading of 1 Corinthians 13, but this time in the wider context of the letter.  Note how it connects to what precedes it and what comes after.

Sunday: Oct. 9: 1 Corinthians 12: 1-13     Memory verse: 12:4.

Oct. 10, Mon.: 1 Corinthians 12: 14-31

Oct. 11, Tue.: 1 Corinthians 13

Oct. 12, Wed.: 1 Corinthians 14

Oct. 13, Thu.: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-33

Oct. 14, Fri.: 1 Corinthians 16