Sunday Worship and Eucharist, Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.
2561 Newburg Road in Palmer Township
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Sunday School 2nd and 4th Sundays at 9:00 a.m.
From the desk of Pastor Dan
November 2025
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Let us give thanks . . .
In this wonderful month of November, we devote but one single day out of the whole month—out of the whole year—for giving thanks. Thanksgiving is not specifically a Christian holiday. However, as Christians, we should remind ourselves constantly that we have so much to be thankful for, and that we should “give thanks in all circumstances.”
During the past couple of years, there are many who would ask, “Just what do we have to be thankful for?” The economy has had some wild swings, unemployment is a delicate issue, political issues locally, statewide, nationally, and worldwide are divisive, confrontational, and worrisome. But we also have much for which we should give thanks. We have a God who loves us and we live in a country that, despite all its faults, constitutionally guarantees us unparalleled freedoms compared to almost any other nation in the world.
Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians is one of tremendous hope. It is the hope that derives from our faith. It is the hope we have been given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. It is the hope that comes from the Good News that we are justified before God through our faith alone, because of God’s loving grace. For that hope we should give thanks and rejoice. Take some time each day to thank our good and gracious God for the love we are shown each and every day of our lives.
Not too long ago, I was speaking with a man who did not have long to live. He was dying of cancer, and his treatment options had been exhausted. He told me that someone had asked him if he was scared to die. His testimony to me was one of great hope and joy. He said, “I don’t worry about dying. God will take care of that in God’s own time. And afterward . . . well, God will take care of that, too. I worry about living, because I want to make each moment of my life a moment of praise to the goodness of God who has given me so much—my family, my home, and all the joys of my life. I want to use my life to testify to the goodness of God and to give thanks.” I said to him, “Then you have nothing to worry about at all, because you have done just that.”
With that in mind, I want to testify to you that I love Thanksgiving Day. I love the time with family; and believe me when I say that Thanksgiving Day at our home is huge—physically and spiritually. Patti and I give thanks for our four children and their spouses, our nine grandchildren, and others who have become family members through the marriages of our children. We also give thanks for our parents, aunts, and uncles who have passed into God’s eternal kingdom, but who continue to surround us with their love. Come Thanksgiving night, Patti and I will be exhausted, but we will give thanks for such a large, loud, wonderful, and yes . . . sometimes a bit crazy and wild . . . family that blesses our lives every single day of the year.
Additionally, for the past eight Thanksgivings, Patti and I have added a prayer of thanks that our family has grown to include all of you. Thanks be to God!
Consider all your blessings from God this Thanksgiving and every day, give thanks in all circumstances, and share those blessings with one another.
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Blessings,
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
October 2025
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
Where is God?
Have you ever had this experience? Ben and Maryanne have an elementary-school-age child. Like most young couples these days, their schedules were tightly packed with important meetings, events, and other responsibilities. On this one evening, their eight-year-old son David was in a special program at school, which he had been talking about for weeks, so it was obviously very important to him. However, Ben and Maryanne both had important work meetings that were scheduled for the mid-afternoon. On the morning of the school program, they explained to David that they would be at the program that evening, but they would be getting there very close to the start time. Because David had to be at the school early, Ben and Maryanne arranged for David’s granddad and grandmom to get him to the school early for the warmup. As promised, Ben and Maryanne arrived at the school with several minutes to spare and took seats near the middle of the auditorium. Shortly after they arrived, the children filed in and up onto the stage. As they sat back and waited for the program to begin, Maryanne noticed something and nudged Ben. “Look at what David is doing,” she whispered. David was scanning the audience, going up on his toes to get a better view, his head going back and forth as if he was watching a tennis match. Suddenly, he spotted his mom and dad. He settled back on his feet . . . and he never looked their way again throughout the entire program. Once he knew they were there, he was calm and relaxed.
Aren’t we all at least just a little bit like David, in terms of our relationship with God? Haven’t we all, at one time or another, wondered if God was there when we really needed him to be there? It doesn’t matter what we are going through at any particular moment in our lives— perhaps serious illness or financial difficulties or loneliness or a prodigal child or a broken dream. Haven’t we all wondered . . . haven’t we all spiritually swiveled our heads and stood up on our toes searching for God? And when we finally feel the presence of God through prayer or simply as that still, small, quiet voice, doesn’t that make all the difference? God promises us, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
You don’t need to search for God. Know that God is there . . . before you, behind you, beside you, above you, below you, and within you . . . at all times and in all places.
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Blessings,
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
September 2025
“For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: . . .” Ecclesiastes 3:1(-8)
A Time for Everything
In many ways, I am an Autumn person. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the cooler days and even cooler nights, the return to “normalcy” that is signaled by the opening of schools and of Friday nights under the lights for high school football. Even the gathering of the fallen leaves is something I enjoy, as it gives me time to think and meditate. And I’m old enough to be nostalgic for the fragrant smell of burning leaves, although I’ve grown to know that it is bad for the environment.
Every new season brings changes, but as I reflect on my life, Autumn seems to be the most representative of life changes, and always brings to mind the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1 . . .
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven . . .”
The text continues in verses 2-10 comparing life events and experiences that are either positive or negative, but what we need to understand is that all the events and experiences of our lives . . . whether they are positive or negative . . . all are important and known to God. As we reflect on those changes that result from, or influence, our own events and experiences, we often become nostalgic for those that reflect a youthful perception of the world around us. What we often fail to realize is that every single one of those events and experiences has contributed to the sum total of who we are as individuals, as members of our family, and as members of the various communities to which we belong. If we live in our nostalgia, we fail to grow because we live in the past. God challenges us through our life events and experiences to not look to the past, but rather to grow from them in order to live, love, and enjoy life in the present, and to look forward to our future.
I often think about how children commonly react to the coming of Autumn with a bit of sadness and even anxiety. The promise of Spring gave way to the warmth of long Summer days which now give way to the shorter, cooler days of Autumn that, in turn, give way eventually to the cold of Winter. We need to live in the light of Christ, knowing that the turning of the seasons from Spring to Summer to Autumn to Winter does not represent a timeline of life but rather new opportunities for life events and experiences. Even in darkest depths and days of Winter, there is the promise of new life just below the surface. And so it is with the life we have in Jesus Christ. Each of the seasons of our life has a purpose under heaven . . . from the springtime of new life to the winter that holds the promise of new life in Christ.
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Blessings,
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
July and August 2025
“I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3
God IS calling us
I believe—and I believe this with all my heart—that God has called us together in this congregation, in this parish, in this community, in this time for reasons that God is gradually revealing as they need to be revealed. I am confidently hopeful as God continues to unfold a plan for St. Paul’s III. And as God does unfold that plan, I have confidence that the faith you have received through the Holy Spirit will enable us to fulfill God’s plan.
Many times we expect God’s call to us to be a dramatic event that grabs our attention with unquestionable power. We want the burning bush, the blazing light from heaven, the voice booming out in the thunder, but more-often-than-not, God’s call is far more subtle and unassuming. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 Elijah is told to go stand on Mt. Horeb because the Lord God is about to pass by, so Elijah does as he is told. As he stands there on top of the mountain “there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
God was in the silence. God’s call to us is most often the still, small voice that we hear when we are at peace and being silent ourselves. So, if you’re expecting some dramatic event or moment in your life or in the life of our congregation, you may be waiting a long time; you may actually miss the call from God. You see, God is simply saying to us—at all times—“Trust me, just trust me, and you will have nothing to fear.”
That’s the message from God that I want you to hear. St. Paul’s III is a wonderful congregation. Patti and I are incredibly blessed by God to be serving this congregation. So, have faith and trust God to guide us and lead us into the various ministries to which he is calling us as individuals and as a community. He will show us what needs to be done.
As you listen for God’s messages in your life, let God’s peace wash over you and fill you with the grace and love that can only come from God.
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Blessings,
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
June 2025
“He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters”
Psalm 23:2-3
School’s out and summer’s here (well, almost)!
Oh, those, sun-filled, lazy days of summer; not a care in the world. Just go out and play ball or go fishing or go swimming or just ride our bikes to . . . somewhere . . . and back. The long days of warm breezes and sudden thunderstorms filled with brilliant lightning and booming thunder. Do you remember those days? I remember oh-so-well leaving the house early in the morning and heading out to the ball field where I would join my friends to play endless innings of baseball that made no difference to anyone but those of us playing. Most of all, I remember relaxing and having fun during summers that were both never-ending and yet always too short.
But now there is adulthood and responsibility. There is no time to just relax and have fun. Oh, maybe we find some time on weekends, but that time is sandwiched between yard work and house work and errands to run, and . . . Well, you know the drill. And that is a real problem. You see, God has given us this grand and glorious creation so that we might seek out ways to recharge our batteries. God has given us the gift of this wonderful and beautiful world so that we might find sources of recreation. Now, just think about that word recreation. Within it we find the word create. God wants us to take time in our lives so that we might seek out ways to re-create ourselves; to take time for self-care. In our busy lives, self-care is incredibly important. We need to take time out to just have fun; to just relax. Realistically, we can’t simply take a whole summer to do nothing but play, but we do owe it to ourselves to find time to relax and have fun. So, as we approach summer, my prayer for each of you is that you rediscover the child within you. Promise yourself, that this summer you will find time to
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Read a book—or two or three; or read a book to someone who can’t.
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Take long walks. Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in this wonderful season of summer.
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Sit and watch children play. Just watch them play. Don’t coach them. Don’t give them advice on how to “do it better.” Just watch them play.
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Get up early and watch a sunrise with someone you love.
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Sit on the porch with your spouse, your friend, your children, your brother, your sister . . . and just talk. You may find out something you never knew before.
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Go someplace quiet and pray; but really take time to pray. Remember praying is a conversation with God. Give God time to respond.
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Set aside some time to read the Bible. Pick out a book of the Bible you’ve never read before and take time to read through it slowly. Savor the beauty of the words and of the message.
Most of all, simply enjoy the world around you. Enjoy God’s gift to you this summer—God’s creation.
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Blessings,
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
May 2025
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.”
Mark 16:15
Where do we go from here?
Advent! Christmas! Epiphany! Lent! Easter! Phew! Well, we made it! What a run! What a build up! All the ups and downs! It’s all been so exhilarating! Wow! WOW! Yup. Uh, huh. Okay, so let’s just take a deep breath now. Yup. Ummmm . . . uh . . . where do we go from here? What do we do between now and next Advent?
Well, we certainly can’t just sit back and just look forward to . . . to what? We can’t really just do that . . . can we? Come on! There must be something we should be doing! YES! THERE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE DOING!
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” In John’s Gospel, when he appears to the disciples who have gone fishing, and he’s sitting around a small fire eating breakfast with them, Jesus says to them, “Follow me!” In Luke’s Gospel, he says to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations . . . You are witnesses of these things.” In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says to the disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As he is preparing to leave them and his earthly ministry behind, Jesus commands his disciples and us, through them, to take the Gospel and preach it to all the world and to all generations. That is what we should be doing in all ways . . . with our voices and with our actions. We have the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been witnesses to the Good News through the readings and the teachings we have heard. Now, it is up to us to carry that Good News out into a world that is starving for good news, to a world that, increasingly, is falling away from the message of peace, grace, love, and mercy that Jesus would have us spread.
So, in essence, all that came before Holy Week and Easter was simply the learning phase. Now, we are in the active, application phase; the time when we not only read about the sending of the Apostles out into the world, but also when we better understand how Our Lord is calling us to practice what he teaches and preaches. Sounds hard? Remember what he says in Mark’s Gospel and in Matthew’s Gospel. He says, “Follow me” and “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We do not go into the world alone to do his work. We follow him, because he is with us always.
Blessings,​​​
​Pr. Dan
From the desk of Pastor Dan
April 2025
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
Luke 24:5
Where would you look?
On April 20th, we will once again celebrate the resurrection of Our Lord, an event that can only be described as THE most surprising, THE most astounding, THE most amazing, THE most wonderful, THE most spectacular, and THE most illogical event in all human history. Did I startle you at least a little with that last adjective?
Certainly Our Lord’s resurrection surprised his disciples . . . even though he told them it was going to happen. Certainly they were astounded and amazed! One of them had actually seen him die and then had assisted in taking his lifeless body down from that horrifying cross. Then he had assisted in burying him in that cold tomb. But didn’t they all find it wonderful and even spectacular when he appeared to them in that upper room where they were all hiding in fear?
But illogical? Was it illogical? Yes! Yes, it was! But not for the reasons you might be thinking. Sure, somebody coming back from the dead wasn’t something that was easily comprehended. But what made it illogical wasn’t just his resurrection. It was the whole series of events that had just taken place. The illogic starts with Our Lord’s betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death. That Chief Priest standing near the foot of the cross expresses the logic of the situation simply because he could not explain the illogic of the situation. The High Priest stands there and says, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” (Mark 15:32) What was illogical, simply put, was that God would allow the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior, God’s only son, to be crucified and die. How could God be subject to death itself, let alone such a horrifying, excruciating, and humiliating death?! It simply was not possible! It was completely illogical . . . by any human standard!
However, it was NOT illogical by God’s standard! It was exactly why God came into the world in human form, exactly why God’s only son was sent into the world. Our Lord, the Messiah, the Savior, the Christ came into the world for one reason and one reason alone. He came into this world to save us from our sin. Along the way, he taught us how to live. He taught us how to love one another. He taught us how to live in harmony with one another. He taught us the Good News of the Gospel. But his ultimate purpose for coming into the world was to be a living, breathing sacrifice to conquer death and sin and to guarantee us eternal life through faith in him and his sacrifice.
That, my brothers and sisters is the message of Easter. Jesus the Christ died for our sin so that he might conquer death, rise again, and open the way to eternal life. Why? Because we could not do it for ourselves. So God came down to us and did it all for us.
So where would you look for him? Don’t look among the dead! He is not there. He is living and preparing a place for you in his eternal Kingdom.
Blessings,
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​Pr. Dan
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From the desk of Pastor Dan
March2025
23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
In, with, and under . . .
Each week, when we celebrate Communion . . . The Lord’s Supper . . . The Holy Eucharist . . . you hear Words of Institution that are very similar to those above, “In the night in which he was betrayed, Our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘This is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.’ Again, after the supper, he took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you, and for all people, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.’”
Think about those words. Think about their meaning. Think about the power of what is being said and done. Those words reflect the very mystery and Theology of the Cross. We say the words, “Jesus died for my sins,” but do we fully embrace the incredible power behind those words? Our Lord gave his Body and Blood as a sacrifice for the salvation of all humankind. He became this sacrifice, not just for some people or for a special group of people. He did so for ALL people.
As we enter the Season of Lent and begin our journey to Holy Week, the Cross, and Easter, take some time each day to reflect of the events of Holy Thursday and the meaning of those events. Jesus gathered his disciples . . . soon-to-be-apostles . . . around him at a meal. That meal was a family meal! He ate with those he had lived with and taught; those who were so incredibly close to him; those whom he loved so dearly; and he shared a last meal with them. His heart was full of love for them, and he wanted to give them a gift, a gift that they would understand all-the-better the next day. He broke bread with them. He shared wine with them. He blessed the bread and wine in a way that has been passed down to us throughout the centuries.
However, what Jesus gave us in that meal is not just a re-enactment of that meal. It not just a symbol of that meal. In his blessing of the bread and wine, he truly gave us his body and blood as source of God’s grace for all time. In the celebration of the Eucharist, through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine is truly the body and blood of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. HE is present IN the elements of the blessed bread and wine. HE is present WITH the elements of the blessed bread and wine. HE is under the nature of the elements of the blessed bread and wine. This is most certainly true and it is through the grace of God the Creator, God the Savior, and God the Holy Spirit that it will remain true until time itself shall end. Reflect on this incredible gift during this Lent and for all time!
Blessings,
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​Pr. Dan​
From the desk of Pastor Dan
January and February2025
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
“Now is the Winter of our discontent,” Richard III by William Shakespeare
Recently, I saw an editorial cartoon comparing the time up-to-and-through Christmas, to the time after Christmas. In the left-hand panel, the artist showed the time up through Christmas as all sparkling and light-filled and bright. Then, in the right-hand panel, the artist showed the time after Christmas as all dreary and gray. It was that second panel that made me think about the line above from Shakespeare’s Richrd III, “Now is the Winter of our discontent.” And, that made me recall something I was feeling right after Christmas as I anticipated taking down the Christmas Tree and the other Christmas decorations. I described it as “Post-Christmas Depression.”
Perhaps you have felt it yourself. Perhaps not to any great extreme, but think about that first Sunday after Epiphany, when all the Christmas decorations had been taken down in the Sanctuary. Did you have a sense of, “Oh, wow, the church looks just so plain!” Was there just a little bit of sadness that the joyous Christmas Season was over? And then when the snow and ice came, was there a moment of realization that now the real impact of winter was upon us? Did you . . . do you . . . have a feeling of “Winter Discontentment?”
As human beings, we are subject to the vagaries of our emotional responses to conditions surrounding us. And, while those emotional responses can be, at times, quite uplifting and wonderful; there are also times when those emotional responses can literally drive us to despair, especially when we feel that we have little or no control over what is going on around us. We certainly can’t control the winter weather, now can we? Well, I suppose we could somewhat control it by going south for the winter, but this year, there has been significant snowfall in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Alabama. And, we also can’t control regional disasters or national disasters or world crises or geopolitical crises.
However, what we can do in response to what we can’t control, is turn to the source of all comfort and peace. The prophet Isaiah, 800 years before the birth of Christ, wrote those words above; words that came from God, “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you . . .”
In your deepest, darkest moments, when everything seems dreary and gray; when the “Winter of discontent” has enveloped you, when perhaps you’re wondering if you will ever experience the “Spring of renewal,” turn everything over to the upholding, victorious right hand of God, knowing that you are not alone; knowing that Our Lord is with you to drive away the fear; knowing that you will be strengthened through the abiding presence and sustaining power of the Holy Spirit. Open your heart to the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ that comes to you without your asking; comes to you without price.
Blessings,
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​Pr. Dan​