Tag Archives: 44256

Values: Towards Wholeness

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Over the course of five worship services, St. George’s is looking under the microscope to see what our DNA is and will remain to be. When we name our values we aren’t just posting a list of “ideals”, but the primal ingredients of what we are already about at our conception. The DNA of a tree remains relatively the same as a seed, sapling, or as a fully mature tree.

There is no particular order to our values, nor is it a closed list. We are still looking to identify any values that aren’t covered by these first five. I also attempted to put our values into “secular english”, so that non/un/de-church people will understand (at least in part) what we value.

Below is Fr. Ryan’s fourth homily (sermon) from the Values series: “Towards Wholeness.”

Sermon – 10-14-12 – Wholeness

 

Values: Being Witnesses in Christ

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Over the course of five worship services, St. George’s is looking under the microscope to see what our DNA is and will remain to be. When we name our values we aren’t just posting a list of “ideals”, but the primal ingredients of what we are already about at our conception. The DNA of a tree remains relatively the same as a seed, sapling, or as a fully mature tree.

There is no particular order to our values, nor is it a closed list. We are still looking to identify any values that aren’t covered by these first five. I also attempted to put our values into “secular english”, so that non/un/de-church people will understand (at least in part) what we value.

Below is my (Fr. Ryan’s) third homily (sermon) on “Being A Witness.”:

Sermon – 10-7-12 – Values – Story

Values: Towards Active Participation

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Over the course of five worship services, St. George’s is looking under the microscope to see what our DNA is and will remain to be. When we name our values we aren’t just posting a list of “ideals”, but the primal ingredients of what we are already about at our conception. The DNA of a tree remains relatively the same as a seed, sapling, or as a fully mature tree.

There is no particular order to our values, nor is it a closed list. We are still looking to identify any values that aren’t covered by these first five. I also attempted to put our values into “secular english”, so that non/un/de-church people will understand (at least in part) what we value.

Below is my (Fr. Ryan’s) second homily (sermon) on “Active Participation.”

Sermon 9-23-12 Values – Partipation

4-22-12 – “Mark Series: The Never Ending Story”

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This past Sunday we continued in our sermon series from the Gospel of Mark. At the conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, we find the 11 remaining apostles struggling to believe the accounts about Jesus being raised from the dead. We followed the narrative that Mark gives us of Jesus’ life: the original setting of Jesus’ ministry, the conflict Jesus faced, the climax of Mark’s narrative, and finally the resolution we find in Mark 16:

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

(Mark 16:9-14 ESV)

Below is Fr. Ryan’s sermon from Mark 16:

4-22-12 – The Neverending Story

 

Tending the Flame this Winter

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To St. George’s Church and friends,

Greetings and blessings in the name of the one and only all-sufficient savior, the most unique personality ever to born of a woman, the king of kings, the lord of lords, the great I-AM, the one who loved us and saved us, the one who defeated death and pillaged the grave, the one who desires intimacy with his people (THAT’S YOU and ME), the one who is head of his body the church, the one who has conquered the devil and his minions, the one who knows your name, the one who sits on the throne of all authority and dominion, and has a name above all names… yes indeed, it is in the mighty name of Jesus Christ I greet you! 


During the winter season (especially in NE Ohio) I think of hibernation and the anticipation of new life. The trees, grass and vegetation go dormant. The sun is constantly obscured by thick clouds (seriously how can it be this dark at 3:30 PM). Snow blankets the Ohio landscape as the cold and sterile wind of winter moves unimpeded across the land. But, there is a rhythm of life that is unique to the winter months… and it is fitting for the season we find ourselves in as a church plant.

The winter for us will be a season of examination, exploration, contemplation, and renewal for mission. It will be marked by:

  • praying and fasting
  • processing through together what we learned from the first few months of our public and private gatherings
  • asking the Lord for greater vision and favor in Medina
  • ultimately we will continue to mature in our relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other (learning to be disciples of Jesus on mission).

The logic of this season is to further grow our “core team” both numerically (we need more folks to plant successfully) but also to grow in maturity (to become more like the Jesus we confess). Therefore, this winter we will continue to gather once or twice a month for public worship, meet in homes for prayer and ministry, gather together to grow in the faith (still finalizing what curriculum/bible study we will use), and learn together what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ as we participate in the mission of God (making disciples) in Medina County!

Here are some tentative dates for 2012: 

  • Thur, Jan 26 – 7-8PM - Prayer & Ministry time (Kocak’s House)
  • Sat, Jan 28 – 6PM -  Worship Service (Harvest Presbyterian Church)
  • Tue, Feb 7 – 7-8PM - Prayer & Ministry Time (Kocak’s House)
  • Sat, Feb 11, 6PM - Worship Service (Harvest Presbyterian)
  • Tue, Feb 21 – 7-8PM - Prayer & Ministry Time (Kocak’s House)
  • Sat, Feb 25, 9 AM – 2 PM – ** The Gospel-Centered Leader (Harvest Presbyterian), $15/person scholarships available
  • March 13-15th – SynergyEDGE Learning Community (Rivertree Church in Massillon) – email Fr Ryan (plantmedina@gmail.com) if interested in attending.
  • Sat, April 21, 7:30AM- 4:30 PM - The Big Day of Serving Event Medina - Sign up on website.
  • Fri-Sat, May 18-19 – Mission Trip to Athens Ohio to stay and work with Good Works Inc. – more info to come.
  • Mondays at 2:30 PM - Confirmation Class - McDonald’s on Rt 3

There will be more details coming out soon about the course/bible study offerings for the winter months (We’re looking at either using NT Wright’s Simply Christian, Alpha, or Christianity Explored). All are great means of grace to grow deeper in our knowledge (heart & mind) of being in Christ

Also keep visiting the blog for updates and news about new programs, gatherings, and mission opportunities at St. George’s Church.

As always, I am here to serve you.I am available for prayer, getting together to hang out, and spiritual direction (“uh, Pastor what do I do about ____”  kind of stuff). Please do not hesitate to contact me to meet up. I am here to serve.

In Christ,

Ryan+

12/31/11 – “Seeing in the Waters of Baptism”

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On January first every year, Christians celebrate the day in which our Lord and Savior was circumcised and given his name “Jesus”. During Christmas Day services we hear about the titles given to the child from the lips of meek shepherds: “messiah”, “savior”, “Lord.” But it is on Holy Name Sunday, the first day of the new year, in which the child is given the name to match the titles. It is into this name, Jesus (meaning Jehovah (the LORD) saves) that we are baptized, that we are nourished, that we hope, that we live and move and have our being.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Listen to the sermon here:
12-31-11 – Sermon – Seeing in the Waters of Baptism*

It was fitting that we celebrated this church holiday with the baptism of Devyn Piotrowski and thus began the new year by remembering the promises of being baptized in Christ.

Listen to the baptism here:
12-31-11 – Devyn’s Baptism

*You can also subscribe to sermons on iTunes

Christmas Eve Sermon: Living the Nativity

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Scripture Readings:

  • Old Testament: Isaiah 9:2-7
  • New Testament: Titus 2:11-14
  • Gospel: Luke 2:1-20

The themes of the Advent sermons revolved around activity. First there was the sermon entitled “active waiting” crafted from the parable of Mark 13:32-37. Next came a sermon entitled “active remembering” that looked at the narrative of scripture from Genesis to Revelation and how we incarnate the story.

Those two streams of “waiting” and “memory” flowed together in this sermon delivered on Christmas Eve as we looked at the Nativity anew.

12-24-11- Living the Nativity

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a]Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.