Four Weeks to Children and Family Worship

July 9, 2019

                In four Sundays, we introduce a second worship service on Sunday morning, our Children and Family Service.  It will begin at 11am and will last for half an hour.  Our Traditional Service will continue at 10am, but it will be shortened to 45 minutes to allow for a transition to the second service.  We begin with worship because this is where we begin when we commit our hearts eagerly and sincerely to the Lord. 

                That phrase, that we commit our hearts eagerly and sincerely to the Lord, it is our statement of purpose as the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy.  Where that begins first is in the worship of our Lord.  But when we start talking about worship, things can get sticky very quickly.  How do we speak gently about the reality that our Traditional Service has seen a declining attendance for months. 

                We could have an extended and hearty discussion as to the various reasons why this is.  We could rapidly become annoyed with one another and point fingers and talk about the past and expectations and responsibilities.  We could have a very fruitful conversation and chart a new path forward.  We could do a lot of things.

                But committing our hearts eagerly and sincerely to the Lord, that is our first line of response to the Lord for all that the Lord has done for us.  In our Scripture for this Sunday, a lawyer asks Jesus what must be done to inherit eternal life.  Jesus asks him what the law says. 

The response:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."

To me, committing our hearts eagerly and sincerely to the Lord is how we are fulfilling this call.  And that call begins with worship. 

                I believe that the measure of our commitment to our Lord, that the measure of the commitment of our hearts to the Lord, will come in the worship of the Lord. 

                Now is the time for questions, now is the time for conversation, now is the time for commitment.  We are the Lord’s Presbyterians in Perth Amboy.  Let us give our hearts to Him afresh.

Pastor Peter