Weekly Bible Verses: Galatians 5:1-25: Freedom: Faith Working Through Love

Galatians 5: For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ²Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love. ⁷You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth? ⁸Such persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. ¹⁰I am confident about you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. ¹¹But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am still preaching circumcision? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.¹²I wish those who unsettle you would castrate themselves!
¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. ¹⁶Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

ECBC on Summer Hours

Just a quick notice to let members and visitors alike know that Exton Community Baptist Church is now worshipping on summer hours. Our Sunday School classes begin at 8:45 AM and our worship service begins at 10:00 AM. We look forward to seeing you here.

Experiencing Hopewell Methodist's 50th Anniversary Presentation of The Passion Play

Last night several of us were attending the final night of Hopewell Methodist's (Downingtown, Pennsylvania) presentation of The Passion Play. Sherry knew one of the cast members, who wrote very engagingly about the experience in the church program.

What began as a small production in the church's Fellowship Hall has grown over the years. It is now performed in a 1000 seat amphitheater with a multilevel stage and dedicated sound booth and light system.. Drama ministry has become a vital part of Hopewell Methodist's efforts to spread the good news and to build their mission to help Christians grow and help grow Christians. I highly recommend to anyone reading this that they take advantage of this free drama in years to come. The passion play begins with the death and resurrection of Lazarus and concludes with the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a moving experience that is well performed and well worth two hours on a night in June. The church lends blankets to the viewers in case they get chilly and a dinner is offered ahead of the play. The play takes place all around the audience, so prepare to move from time to time to take in what may be happening beside or behind you.

After the drama is complete, a moving communion takes place at the base of the cross at the back of the amphitheater at the top of the hill. It is a wonderful, short service that caps the evening and is well worth staying for (although this is not required).

For me, equally moving is the reflection of one of the members, who wrote about his family's involvement in the passion play for many years. His father and he both have played Jesus. His father played Judas against his Jesus on at least one occasion. He and his sister began participating as young children as members of the crowd, lamenting Lazarus, praising Jesus for Lazarus' resurrection, cheering Jesus into Jerusalem with palm fronds in hand, and demanded Jesus' crucifixion shortly thereafter. He stated that the Bible stories he and his sister knew came to life in fresh ways. Both of them learned many passages of Scripture by heart and would rearrange the back patio to play out various scenes as a variety of characters. It is impressive to see how much this drama ministry brings to the lives of the players, as well as to the lives of the audiences who see it. What a wonderful way to engage church families in active ministry.

It is wonderful to see what starting small can lead to with persistence and a desire to answer God's call to spread the good news far and wide. 

Weekly Bible Verses: Luke 8:26-39: What have you to do with me, Jesus?

²⁶Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— ²⁹for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) ³⁰Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. ³¹They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. ³²Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. ³⁴When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. ³⁷Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.