St. Paul's United Church of Christ

Sometimes I recall the musing of my fellow seminarians, years ago.....Did Jesus tell jokes? Did he fall in love? Did he ever play a practical joke on anyone? If someone dropped their tray in the cafeteria, would Jesus have chuckled? Was the countenance of Jesus, overall, more serious or more cheerful? Would it be possible for Jesus to accidentally wear mismatched socks? Did Jesus ever burp when it was not socially acceptable so to do? If Jesus was young and very tired and his father asked him to clean up the carpentry shop, could Jesus have said, "Aw, C'mon Dad." Did Jesus ever have acne? Was he ever afraid of the dark? Did Jesus ever protest having to eat all the vegetables on his plate?

One conclusion to be made from the above is that seminarians have too much time on their hands. But there was, believe it or not, a more intelligent undertone to these ideas. As potential pastors, we were schooled in the doctrine that Christ is God revealed. A corresponding teaching was that Jesus was fully human, experiencing the full range of what it means to be human. Fully God. Fully human. Someone beyond us. Someone near us. A great God. A good friend.

One spiritual formation can be shaped by our view of God. Some of us were raised with an austere view of God. Distant, beyond, hardly approachable.

Others of us remember being taught about Jesus who is like us in every way. We can take it all to the Lord in prayer, because he is near and he understands.

A God is who is beyond us must be remembered and revered. The God who created this universe is an awesome God. No one else could pull off the miracle of the galaxies but God, and this God inspires confidence and admiration. The miracle of life is grounded in a great, glorious and marvelous God. The Psalms ring out His majesty. This God cannot be trivialized. We sing of a grand God whose ways and thoughts are not ours.

A God who is near must also be cherished. This God has not regarded his standing as something to be grasped. This God, according to Philippians 2, emptied himself and took on the form of a servant, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. We see God in Christ. We also see ourselves. He walks with us. He is near. He understands. He caries us. He forgives us. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Fairest Lord Jesus, our Companion.

Beyond and Near. The God who created the universe and, at least according to my fellow seminarians, the God who could have possibly worn mismatched socks. God's nearness is part of His greatness. Let the creation praise our Majestic and Awesome God. Let our hearts welcome Christ into our lives. Invisible and Intimate. Unfathomable and Knowable. Creator and Crucified.

--Pastor Brad

From Our Council President - Jul/Aug, 2010

Hello everyone,

It seems like the summer is just flying by. There are a few things going on here at St. Paul's. As many of you know, the room we have called the "the purple room" is in need of serious repair. The gutter has been leaking so badly that much of the wood by the windows is rotten. We have selected a contractor to repair the damage and to restore the room. We also had some electric work done in the kitchen to support the electric flow for both refrigerators. The last item on our fix-it list is to get new carpet for our sanctuary. Since the roof leak has been repaired, we can move forward with the carpet.

Finally, remember our annual yard sale will be held Saturday, July 17th. Our sale date co-ordinates with the Franklin Park Community Wide Garage Sale, so we expect a good turn out! If you can help with set-up and clean-up, please contact Linda Kosko.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer.

Debbie Wisowaty Council President