The Precursor
September 2000
The Upward Path
THIS MONTH WE BEGIN another season of church activities. At the very heart of these activities there is to be the Lord and His Word. We look to the Lord in His Word so that from Him we might receive His truth, and, in living the truth, might receive from Him spiritual life.
The reception of truth from the Lord's Word is not always easy. We must devote time and energy to learning and coming to understand what the Lord tells us. We also face struggles or temptations. At times we must struggle to see and accept the truth of what the Lord says. We have to deal with doubts, and undergo states in which the very validity of Divine Revelation itself is called into question in our minds. And always there is the seemingly uphill struggle to do the Lord's will. Even when we see clearly what the Lord would have us do, part of us would have us act otherwise. It seems to be against our very nature to comply with what the Lord commands.
Each of us must at times wonder why it is that the Lord's truth is not more obvious, and why living this truth is not at least a little easier. Why is it always an uphill struggle? Quite simply put, it is because the path we seek to walk is, by its very nature, an "uphill" one. The Lord has given us His Word so that we might be lifted up, above ourselves.
This is why the truth of Divine Revelation is not always obvious at first. The Lord reveals to us, for example, the nature of the spiritual world. Now this is not at all an obvious truth -- at least to the physical senses. We see and touch the things of this world, but we do not, with our physical senses, see and touch angels. Why doesn't the Lord simply allow us to see and touch people and things in the other world? The answer is, of course, that it would destroy our freedom, in the sense of forcing us to believe what the Lord teaches us. Even more significantly, there would no longer be any need to consider what the Lord teaches us in this regard. We could simply turn to our own senses and experience, rather than to His Word.
What we see and touch is obvious to us. The word "obvious" comes from the Latin obvius, meaning what is beside or in front of us in the road or way. As we walk the path of natural life there are many things that are "obvious" to us -- things that are right in front of us, that we see and acquire, seemingly, all by ourselves. The Lord makes it possible for us to learn from our senses, and to acquire what is called "natural light" (HD 177), without our consciously turning to Him. But spiritual things, the things of heaven, cannot be learnt this way. Spiritual truth is not "obvious" -- it is not something which relates to the natural life and experience of man, but has to do with the Lord's way. To learn spiritual truth, we must look above ourselves, above our own very limited experience, and have the humility to turn towards and learn from the Lord's Word.
It is similar with the living of this truth. The path which leads to heaven is not the path of natural life. If we were to just go about the business of living -- doing what comes easily and naturally -- we would remain merely natural. The Lord's way is different. It requires us to look above ourselves to the Lord, and to walk His path instead of our own.
Spiritual progress requires change. It requires more than mindlessly following what is obvious and easy to the natural man. It requires that we look to the Lord and follow the way which He reveals. This way is an upward way -- it takes us above and beyond ourselves. It requires effort. At times it requires that we struggle against the temptation to follow our own natural tendencies.
But though it might be an uphill path, and at times an uphill struggle, it is not, or need not be, a difficult path. If we get lost, the Lord will show us the way. If we grow weak, He will give us the strength. If we but walk the upward path, the Lord will guide us and sustain us, and bless us, increasingly, with the happiness of heaven itself.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are at the church building. Classes for those in high school and for younger children are available upon request.
The Reading Discussion group meets normally twice a month. We are currently reading from the Old and New Testaments during our sessions. There is no advance reading, but please bring a Bible with you.
If you are scheduled for a specific job and are unable to be there, please could you find a substitute, and, if possible, notify the pastor in advance. Thank you.
Sat. Sept. 9 Privately
sponsored event. 10:00am. Homeopathic Study Group. All welcome.
General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: The Internal Sense. Suggested reading is AC 1-15. Refreshments: Jane.
Sun. Sept. 10 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Tom. Sunday School:
Gabrielle. Sunday School Subject: Genesis Chapter 1. Sower Notes "The Creation," pages 1-3. Flowers:
Jane. Please note that this service will be held in the meeting room, and will be relatively informal since the
pastor will be recovering from foot surgery.
Tues. Sept.. 12 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a
Bible. No advance reading.
Wed. Sept. 20 Trustees. 7:30pm.
Sat. Sept. 23 General Doctrinal Class. 7:30pm. Subject: "Let There Be Light." Suggested
reading is AC 16-29.Refreshments: Jane.
Sun. Sept. 24 Divine Worship. 11:00am. Usher: Need Volunteer. Sunday
School: Helene. Sunday School Subject: Genesis Chapter 2. Sower Notes "The Garden of Eden," pages 6-8.
Flowers: Jane.
Tues. Sept. 26 Reading Discussion Group. 7:30pm. Bring along a Bible.
No advance reading.
Wedding
At Glendale, Ohio, on August 13, 2000, Stephen
Douglas Woedl and Diane
Cecilia Woedl, the Rev. Patrick A. Rose officiating.
New Address
Mark & Julie Elder
[Email us if you need this information]
News Notes -- Summer Happenings
We extend our congratulations to Steve and Diane Woedl, who were united
in marriage in our church on August 13.
We wish Mark and Julie and their children well as they change their address (officially) to Michigan, and remind
them that we hope that this move is only temporary. We miss you guys.
Max and Jane Blair had visits this July from their friends the Reverends Clark Echols and Stephen Cole and their
families. In each case they enjoyed beautiful singing and stimulating discussions about the state of the Church,
as evidenced at the recent Assembly in Canada. In August, while the younger Blair family headed for the two church
camps in Western Pa: Jacob's Creek and Laurel.
Later in August, Max and Jane held a Blair Reunion, with (at this writing) all of Max's siblings arriving from
both coasts.
Tom and Gabrielle recently returned from two weeks of travel which took them to Toronto, Maine and Massachusetts.
They very much enjoyed visiting with family and friends along the way, including a reunion of Tom's high school
classmates, and a short stay with their daughter, Helen.
Patrick and Dinah went to the Jacob's Creek Church Camp in Pennsylvania, and plan to take a week's vacation later
on in August.
Helene also attended the Jacob's Creek Camp, after which she traveled with a friend to the mountains of New York.
She expects to visit another friend in Pittsburgh on her way back to Cincinnati.
Endrede welcomed daughter and son-in-law, Lori and Murray, and two of their children, for a short visit following
the Assembly at Guelph, then traveled with them to Kempton, PA, en route to Lake Wallenpaupack for a week's family
get-together. Endrede then visited Bryn Athyn before returning home.
The annual Cincinnati tennis tournament was the draw for some Pittsburgh visitors. Jane and Bob Blair were at Endrede's
for a few days, and then the Nathan Gladish family came to enjoy the week of tennis matches.
Gill and Patrick's family vacationed at Pawley's Island for a week in August.
JMB, ESG & PAR
