Intersections

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

With the need suddenly arising to get a “Thinking of You / Get Well” greeting card, I hurried to the card store and became somewhat unhinged to discover that the usual display racks allocated to such cards had been displaced with Halloween cards along with yet another section for such cards likewise replaced with Thanksgiving Day cards. To add to my discomfort was the intrusion of Christmas music embellishing the holiday atmosphere at the “hard-to-ignore” decibel level. All of this holiday madness before the week of Halloween !   Being the only customer in the store at the time, I queried the cashier on duty, “How can you stand this –hearing Christmas music every workday from now til Christmas? How many times a day can you listen to “Jingle Bells”?”  I admitted that I would have a hard time working in such a workplace environment; I would be all “Christmas-ed out” well before the actual holiday!  How does this overdose of “triple-play commercialism” affect the original meanings of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas –and how does this blending and blurring of these special days affect our respect and understanding of these disparate days?  Ecclesiastes had it right: “To everything there is a season.”  There is something to be said about having too much of a “good” thing !  How much hot sauce can you add to a recipe before all you can taste is the hot sauce?  How much tuna fish can you eat before it becomes nauseating?   Allow me to apply this to other areas: how many instant replays can a televised sport employ before it loses the interest and enthusiasm of the spectators?  How much socialism can a democratic-republic absorb before it becomes a socialist government?  Churches of all denominations are not immune to the infiltration  –and sometimes imposition– of secular humanism with biblical principles. How much of “man’s word” is conflated with God’s Word thus blurring the original message causing confusion of the truth among the believers?. Upon reflection, it is endemic of our present progressive culture that the traditional boundary lines governing the order of things — both commercial and social– have been incrementally and insidiously combined ( the blending ) or expanded ( the blurring ) causing the suffering of unneeded anxiety and distress, leading to chaos and confusion.  The secular world for the most part has undermined the true meaning of these three unique days of our calendar year. As Christians we need to “sort through this holiday mix” to recover and uphold their true spiritual purposes –both for ourselves and for those in our sphere of influence!

On Halloween, we enjoy seeing the costumes, the parties, and the “Trunk and Treat” community events. As Christians, we are reminded of the dark demonic presence that exists –the spiritual warfare within us to follow Satan or Jesus Christ.  On Thanksgiving Day, we are grateful for so many persons, benefits, and opportunities received in our lives. As Christians, we are thankful for the churches, pastors, fellowship, and discernment using God’s Word to help us navigate through the obliteration and confusion of boundary lines in our daily lives.  On Christmas, we are joyful of celebrating the “goodwill” and gift-giving of the day with loved ones.  As Christians, we are thankful that God has sent His Son to redeem us, personifying in Jesus Christ THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life –for us to truly live free from sin, and for the sending of the Holy Spirit to energize us to be “containers of Christ” transforming the lives of those we encounter everyday!

The secular commercial world has no problem with the blending and blurring of what they call the “holiday season”; after all, for them it is all about the money!  But for us Christians, we see the importance of framing these special days as distinctly significant to ponder. After all, they point out to us aspects of our spiritual life journey that we must heed ( and be reminded ) :– recognizing our “dark side”– our propensity to sin; our need for humility — to be grateful and thankful; and our reason to be joyful — receiving the gift of Christ, our Hope.

–Rob Riehl

Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It’s written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Hello Friend,
October may herald the start of the Fall season, but apparently there is much more associated with the month. Did you know that October, for example, is Computer Learning Month? It’s also International Dinosaur Month, Bullying Prevention Month, ADHD Awareness Month, Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, Diversity Awareness Month, Positive Attitude Month, National Ergonomics Month, and National Book Month. Whew!

October is also a great time to reflect back on our Summer. We enjoyed very strong attendance and giving at worship and our events from Open Air Craft Markets to dinners which were truly energizing events! Thank you for the way you and your family connects to what God is doing in our community!

Part of our mission as a worshipping community is also being excellent stewards of our expansive campus of more than 200 acres. This is an area we have experienced some growing pains this past Summer. Our cemetery is visited every day by families expressing love and devotion for loved ones. We are honored to serve families at every stage of life and take great pride in providing burial and grave services that make visits to our cemetery meaningful, safe, and welcoming. We recognize our special, sacred space is important to hundreds of families and we have a great staff that consistently ensures that it is beautiful and well-maintained. But unfortunately, the last 6-8 weeks of the Summer have been particularly challenging to our team and we have not meet our high standards and campus appearance goals.
On behalf of the entire Cold Spring Church staff, leadership team, and congregation, I offer my apology for any distress or concern the tall grass and unkempt look around your family’s tombstones, headstones, or markers may have caused your family. Our staff knows better than anyone that we got behind in our grass cutting efforts. We realize there is no excuse that can make up for the unexpected and atypical deficiencies this Summer, and you will be glad to know that we are again achieving our high standards of care and maintenance.

I’d like to help you understand what we have learned and what we are now doing to keep our campus looking great. We have a great staff! Our staff persistently cut the grass, but the grass was just too high for too long in some areas across our cemetery, especially in July and August. The grass cutting challenge was caused by a combination of factors. First, we had record rainfall this Summer. The grass and the weeds responded with aggressive growth. Normally by August the grass is pleasantly tan or brown color and almost dormant requiring less cutting. Not the case this Summer! Second, two of our staff left earlier than unexpected; one due to family matters and the other returned to school. Recruiting replacements has taken a long time. Third, this year we have accommodated more funeral services than usual, and during one seven-day period in August, we had seven funerals. We cannot cut grass in a section in which a funeral is being conducted. With so many funerals across our campus, re-scheduling the mowing activities to keep up with the active grass growing was a insurmountable task. Finally, thanks to our skilled and persistent staff, our campus is looking great again!

October is the month for learning! On our website you will discover many energizing events and enjoyable opportunities for your entire family. Please let us know how we can better serve you. Cold Spring Church has been serving this community for more than 300 years, and as we keep growing and learning, it feels like we are just getting started!

Sincerely,

Pastor Kevin

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Explore God with us!

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

Why should we pursue exploring God? As believers in God we know that our final destiny is to be forever resting in Him; to be forever apart from God is the ultimate tragic loss! Many noted philosophers and great theologians of the past have spent much of their lives exploring God. Many such educated and profound thinkers are exploring God today –even atheists talk about God! To such persons, the exploration of God seems to be rather important; to us as Christians it is vitally important: our very existence, life, and afterlife depend upon our connection with God! Understanding the significance of this truth, we must conclude that our relationship with our eternal Creator-God is of the utmost importance. Though much about God is shrouded in mystery, he has sufficiently revealed enough of himself in many ways for us to come to know and love him intimately. What does the Triune God Himself say about this truth? God the Father says “I am the Lord your God…you shall have no other gods before me!” (Exodus 5:6-7); Jesus the Son affirms the Father saying “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…soul…and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”(Mt.22:37-38); Jesus promises “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”(John 14:26). Clearly, God wants to be pre-eminent in our lives –and He expects us to respond to his call. This begs the introspective question: “Where do I find myself in this divine expectation? What do I really know about God? How can I have a better understanding of God? How do I begin connecting with God?” To stimulate an interest in this pursuit, begin the practice of taking notes during ( or after ) each sermon of this series; then attend the follow-up discussion meeting to share your thoughts. Actively participating in this self-education process can open your mind and heart toward receiving a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus!

The “Explore God” Sunday sermon series schedule:

October 1 “Why does a good God allow pain and suffering?”
October 8 “How bad is ‘too bad’? / How good is ‘good enough’?”
October 15 “Jesus: lunatic, moral example, or God?”
October 22 “Is Christianity too narrow?”
October 29 “Is the Bible reliable?”

“Q Place” means a safe place where you can ask questions about the topic under discussion. Everyone has the opportunity to explore the question more deeply –some by asking questions or sharing their own perspective and experience; others may prefer to just “listen in” and learn from what others have to say. Whether you are an active or a passive learner does not matter; the shared questions, perspectives, and experiences provide an interesting learning opportunity for everyone in the group. A short dvd introduction of the scheduled question will be viewed, followed by comments from the group. These comments are often the catalyst that ignite stimulating discussion! Recommended readings will be presented for those who wish to further explore the topic on their own.

For anyone interested in discussing these Sunday sermon questions within a small group setting, simply show up for the designated class.
No registration is needed to participate in this open-meeting format. You may participate in any one or more of these weekly sessions.
Coffee and fellowship begin at 10:15am with the discussion led by a facilitator beginning at 10:30am.

The “Q Place” discussion group schedule:
Wednesdays at 10:15am in the Taylor Room of Price Hall –on October 4, 11, 18, 25; and November 1.

You may have noticed our banner now posted (near our worship center ) on Seashore Road proclaiming “We all have Questions! –Explore God”. There are also several “lawn signs” positioned by our several property driveways and facility entrances. In addition to a series of newspaper ads, these signs are another way that our church is announcing to our surrounding community ( and the out-of-town drive-by vehicles ) that we at Cold Spring are a participating church in this mission! The best ways are people like you helping us to “spread the word” and by your personal prayers –calling upon the Holy Spirit to move the hearts of those who are ready to explore God!

–Rob Riehl

Are You Ready to Grow From Tourist to Explorer?

Explorer Membership Orientation will begin in October!

Have you discovered Cold Spring Church through the Explore God series? Wonderful. We have created a special group for you if you’d like to make deeper connections to our community of faith!

Or, maybe you’ve been attending Cold Spring Church for weeks or months. Or, even years! And we’re glad you have! You can receive even more blessings by connecting as a member of our faith community. If you’re a Tourist, is might be the right time to consider becoming an Explorer. That’s someone who is interested in learning more about Cold Spring Church, its future, and its mission.

People participate in church for many different reasons and for more than 300 years, Cold Spring Church has welcomed thousands of individuals to connect in whatever way was right for them, and we still do!

For those who’d like to move from awesome Tourist to that of an amazing Explorer, you may want to become a member of Cold Spring Church. All of us have questions about spirituality and you may want to deepen your faith in Christ. Well, this orientation promises to increase your spiritual energy and provide more satisfaction in being part of our community of faith. The three enjoyable, informative, 40-minute sessions will consider the foundations of the Christian faith and the unique benefits and responsibilities afforded to members. Participation in these interactive conversations may lead to membership in our church, but there are no obligations.

The Explorer Membership Orientation will be guided by the pastor, Dr. Kevin Yoho, and begins on Sundays starting soon. We will meet in the upstairs classroom on the 2nd floor of the worship center (red brick building) from 9:35-10:10 AM. We plan to start and conclude on time. Refreshments are provided.

Now is the time for new possibilities! Please contact Pastor Kevin for more information and to register your participation in this no obligation opportunity! Call the church office or email pastor@coldspringchurch.com.

Build a new future as an Explorer! Sign up today.

Explore God with us!

The Clerk’s Corner, by Rob Riehl, clerk of session, ruling elder

We all have questions about God, faith, religion, and more. Where can we find the answers? Where –and with whom– can we discuss our personal perspectives and experiences about these questions? The “Explore God” series is designed to provide opportunities for people to explore these important questions through hearing sermons and participating in follow-up discussion groups. Six area Christian churches have collaborated to invite their surrounding communities in Cape May County to explore the many common and important questions about God. This community outreach initiative calls everyone who is seeking satisfying answers to these questions —both those affiliated with a church and those who do not belong to a church. Why is having and sharing this knowledge important? What is the objective –the mission– of this initiative? Through this process, participants can both strengthen their own faith beliefs and be able to engage in healthy spiritual conversations with others. This is a way for everyone who hears the Word of God to fulfill the command of the Great Commission: to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his/her world —their “sphere of influence”. You are invited to explore God!

The “Explore God” Sunday sermon series schedule:

• September 24 “Does Life have a purpose?”
• October 1 “Why does a good God allow pain and suffering?”
• October 8 “How bad is ‘too bad’? / How good is ‘good enough’?”
• October 15 “Jesus: lunatic, moral example, or God?”
• October 22 “Is Christianity too narrow?”
• October 29 “Is the Bible reliable?”

Q Place

“Q Place” means a safe place where you can ask questions about the topic under discussion. Everyone has the opportunity to explore the question more deeply –some by asking questions or sharing their own perspective and experience; others may prefer to just “listen in” and learn from what others have to say. Whether you are an active or a passive learner does not matter; the shared questions, perspectives, and experiences provide an interesting learning opportunity for everyone in the group. A short DVD introduction of the scheduled question will be viewed, followed by comments from the group. These comments are often the catalyst that ignites stimulating discussion! Recommended readings would be presented for those who wish to further explore the topic on their own.

For anyone interested in discussing these Sunday sermon questions within a small group setting, simply show up for the designated class. No registration is needed to participate in this open-meeting format. You may participate in any one or more of these weekly sessions.
Coffee and fellowship begin at 10:15 a.m. with the discussion led by a facilitator beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The “Q Place” discussion group schedule:

• Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m. in the Taylor Room of Price Hall
• September 27; October 4, 11, 18, 25; and November 1

In the course of the next few weeks, you will notice a banner proclaiming “We all have Questions! –Explore God” posted on Seashore Road as you approach our worship center. There will also be several “lawn signs” positioned by our several property driveways and facility entrances. This is just one of the several ways that our church is announcing to our surrounding community (and the out-of-town drive-by vehicles) that we at Cold Spring are a participating church in this mission! Help us by “spreading the word” and by your personal prayers for its success. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

–Rob Riehl

The joy of service to others.

September begins with our national Labor Day celebration, a movement in the United States that started in Oregon and later spread to New Jersey and three others states in 1887. Designated by the federal government to be the first Monday in September, it is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. Cold Spring Church recognizes Labor Day and expresses gratitude for our staff, and the myriad of current and retired workers both in the congregation and our community at large. Workers have contributed to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our congregation, and our country. The holiday is well-deserved. We should take joy in our work, and enjoy rest from our labor, too.

“Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the people in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the church to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:36-41).

In the passage above from Acts, the ministry team that included Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and John Mark decided to re-calibrate the good things they did by paying attention to what was bringing joy, and what wasn’t. They knew that God not only cared about what we accomplish, but how we are feeling. Our wellness of mind, body, and spirit applies to faith communities, too.

I am delighted and humbled to accept the session’s invitation to continue another year in my interim part-time role as the transformation pastor. West Jersey Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry last month approved the contract for another term and celebrated the progress we have experienced. There is a hope-filled future for Cold Spring Presbyterian Church as we continue to listen to the Spirit and move forward together. Thank you your support.
More individuals have volunteered to take on new responsibilities and many others have increased their participation in worship, activities, events, and ministries. But there is a flip-side to positive engagement; it is called fatigue. As we continue to grow and learn, we need to monitor ourselves so that we do not become fatigued in doing good (see Galatians 5:6-7). How are you feeling? Do you feel energized or fatigued? Do you feel over- or under- utilized? Are you ready for something new? Or, maybe you need a well-deserved break, or to do something different?

While we can feel energized, from time to time we may feel a bit overwhelmed. If you do, that’s O.K., and please let me and others know. We care about how you are feeling! We don’t want to sacrifice our own sense of joy in serving. One of the early mottos of the Labor Day movement was “8 Hours Work, 8 Hours Recreation, 8 Hours Rest.” There is a natural rhythm to the cycles of life in our work, in our volunteer service, and in our retirement, too!

For example, the rhythms of engaging a new vision, preparing, and maintaining high engagement, and then enjoying accomplishments should naturally be followed by rest, learning, reflection, and the option for re-engagement. These cycles vary for each person and can span days, weeks, or months, depending on our circumstances. It’s all good. We might have been energized by serving for years as a liturgist or on a church team, for example, but we now may want to try something different. That’s great! Try something different

There are new ministries developing that might be the perfect fit for you right now, or suggest a new ministry yourself.
Do you volunteer with a community organization, not for profit, or service group? Thank you for your service! But remember to pay attention to your own wellness to be sure you are getting the resources you need to offer your best. You can count on the Cold Spring Church community to deliver refreshment of the spirit and to support you as you serve.

We tend to overlook our own needs. But to experience more satisfaction and joy in your service to others, the first week of September is the perfect time to recalibrate, and be open for what God may invite you to do next. The Apostle Paul’s mission team decided to uniquely invest their resources to visit all the towns where they had served to see how they were doing (Acts 15.36), which resulted in strengthening the churches (Acts 15:41). We need to be strengthened, too.

No matter what your availability or the particular gifts you may have to offer, they are welcomed at Cold Spring Church. You can make a difference. Thank you for your labor (1 Thessalonians 1:2-5). Thank you for the opportunity you have offered me to labor another year with you in this ministry!

Enjoy your Labor Day. Let’s make time to pause, rest, and then consider how to creatively re-engage to experience joy in the ministry opportunities ahead!

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Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. — Song of Solomon 8:7
Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas coast, Irma hit landfall in Florida, and now Maria is devastating the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. Historic flooding, forcing rivers and streams from their banks, submerging homes, churches, businesses and roads, and stranding thousands of people, with many lives lost make these storms especially tragic. But you can help! Your gifts are urgently needed now to support the communities devastated by these historic storms. You can join in the response and encourage those in need by standing in the “GAP” — Give. Act. Pray.

Give today to help Presbyterian Disaster Assistance bring hope & healing to families and communities. We are standing by with resources and our National Response Team members are ready to deploy upon invitation and when it is safe to do so.

For those who wish to support PDA’s emergency response and recovery efforts, gifts can be designated to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance-Maria. We need your help. Thank you for giving generously. For more information, please visit pda.pcusa.org.

If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to:
Cold Spring Presbyterian Church
780 Seashore Road
Cold Spring, NJ 08204

Donations received that are designated for Hurricane relief will be forwarded to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Thank you for your prayers and response!