In this week’s episode Pastor Mark recalls the communion celebration he experienced on the Sea of Galilee on his recent trip to the Holy Land and what our communion-ware says about our image of Jesus and his teachings.
Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #48
December 5, 2022
Indiana Jones and Holy Communion
My favorite of all the Indiana Jones movies is “The Last Crusade.” This movie features both Sean Connery as well as Harrison Ford. In this movie the two are seeking “The Holy Grail” which is said to be the chalice that Jesus used during the Last Supper. This movie is a fictional tail that has the chalice guarded by a society of warriors who have been protecting it since the last supper. Drinking from this chalice restores health and liquid poured from it even heals bullet wounds. In this movie, Indiana Jones must pick the correct chalice from a line of dozens if not hundreds of chalices. Most are heavily ornamented with jewels and are made of precious metals. Jones, makes the correct selection, picking the most humble and ordinary chalice. It was, after all, the drinking cup of a carpenter, not of a wealthy man or human royalty.
It startles me that Hollywood in this movie seemed to understand Holy Communion better than many churches do. Churches that I have been a part of use tend to use very ornate communion ware, quite unlike and detached from common dishes. My home church used sterling silver, stored in special jeweler bags and polished before each communion service. Most communion sets I have seen would probably be better fits at Downton Abbey than at a supper celebrated at Jesus’ Last Supper. It seems that we forget the humility of Jesus.
During my trip to the Holy Land I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked to loan one of my souvenir purchases for use during our service of Holy Communion. This purchase, to no one’s surprise, was a coffee mug from a Palestinian store. My coffee mug was used as a communion chalice on a boat on the Sea of Galilee!
At first it seemed strange to have my coffee mug used in such a way, but once the communion service began, somehow it seemed right. Jesus used ordinary dishes at the Last Supper and we were using an ordinary coffee mug, far more humble than the usual Holy Communion dishes. I felt that perhaps we were closer to the real Last Supper than many Communion services that I have participated in.
If there is one thing that Jesus encouraged in his disciples, it was humility. He was God becoming human but a human who was ordinary, not extraordinary by human standards. It is in the humble and ordinary that we really find Jesus, not in the fancy or spectacular. I hope that we remember this during communion and every other aspect of life. The more humble we are, the closer we get to Jesus.
As an epilogue to this story, I wondered if I could ever drink coffee out of my mug after it was used for Holy Communion. Somehow, using it for coffee seemed sacrilegious. When I tried it with coffee suddenly my memory was pulled back to the Sea of Galilee and I re-experienced the joy of that Holy Communion. I’m glad that my mug was used in that way. It was a communion that I bet I will never forget.
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#HolyLand #SeaofGalilee
#HolyCommunion #Humility
Our daily devotional is a re-post with permission from Words Of Hope. Come view our website at www.clintonave.org.
The Guest Who Never Leaves
Read: Revelation 3:14-22
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. (v. 20)
Even the most congenial host would be dismayed at the thought of a guest who never left! But what if the guest is Jesus Christ himself? And what if he desires close and personal fellowship with us? He is truly the guest we want to stay with us forever!
Christ’s words to the church of Laodicea were not easy ones for the believers there to hear. He reproved them for being “lukewarm” in their response towards him (v. 16). They were spiritually self-satisfied, and did not even realize their true state of being “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (v. 17). Even as he reproved these believers, Jesus invited them to a closer, more intimate relationship. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (v. 20). While this verse is often used to invite unbelievers to repentance, it is actually a verse addressed to believers. Jesus is ready for us to show him hospitality!
We have seen how hospitality was practiced in both the Old and New Testaments and how it’s expected of God’s people. We extend it to both friends and enemies in obedience to God. Hospitality advances the gospel in numerous ways and will be rewarded someday as Christ shows his hospitality to us. Finally, we have the joy of being hospitable to Jesus himself as we open our hearts to him. —Laura N. Sweet
As you pray, think of your own response to the call for hospitality.
PastorMarkCast
In this week’s episode Pastor Mark discusses his recent trip to the Holy Land and the distrust and divisions that he observed existing between Israelis and Palestinians.
Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.
Go to this link to hear the podcast:
https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/711869/
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #47
November 28, 2022
Tears For The Holy Land
I have recently arrived back from the trip of a lifetime. I took a continuing education journey with other members of the Reformed Church in America to the Holy Land. It has been years since I felt the spiritual high that I felt while I walked through the places where Jesus walked.
In the midst of historical sights I also learned a bit about how Israeli Jews and Palestinians interact and the fear that each group has and the distrust that is apparent between the two groups. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem have special license plates. They are taxed but not allowed to vote. Palestinians living in occupied zones live under martial law and are answerable for their behavior in Military, not civilian courts. They also need permits to leave the occupied zones through check points around the security wall.
Israeli Jews are fearful because they are descendants of those who survived the holocaust of Europe and because of the Palestinian militias that sought to keep them from relocating to Palestine beginning in the late 1800’s and continuing today. Terror attacks by Palestinians have done nothing to relieve the fear that these Jews live with.
Palestinians in the occupied lands live under the daily threat of being arrested and brought to military courts. Their movements and their water supplies are controlled by Israel. They fear overnight incursions into their homes by heavily armed Israeli soldiers. Often these entries happen at two or three in the morning. They also fear that their transportation and work permits might get cancelled and their ability to earn a livelihood will end.
While I was in the Holy Land, all was peaceful. We interacted with both Palestinian and Jew. We traveled through Israel as well as areas in the occupied West Bank. I was grateful that all was peaceful despite at times feeling the tension between the two groups. I was shocked when three days after my return two bombs exploded near Jerusalem, killing and maiming Abraham’s sons and daughters.
It saddens me that these two groups, all descendants of Abraham, have so much to fear from one another. As our season of Advent begins, followed by the Christmas Season, I will be praying more fervently that peace might finally come to this troubled land and all of Abraham’s descendants can learn to respect and love one another and even seek the prosperity of all.
This Advent and Christmas season please pray for peace in the Holy Land. It breaks my heart that people live in such fear and I believe that Abraham, and the God of Abraham, cry when Abraham’s descendants treat each other so badly.
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#HolyLand #Peace
#Israel #Palestine
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #46
November 21, 2022
Thanksgiving: The Fruit of the Spirit
Thanksgiving is just a few day away. I always love the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have some long-standing traditions every Thanksgiving. On the day before Thanksgiving our congregation hosts a Thanksgiving Dinner for those who have no families to share a celebratory dinner with.
On Thanksgiving day, of course, I have to watch “The March of the Wooden Soldiers” followed by the Macy’s parade. A magnificent dinner with family and friends follows that and what follows is great time of socializing with those I care about most. Perhaps, amid the socializing, I will get to watch a little football also.
What are your traditions? Do you celebrate dinner with the family followed by a few football games? Do you look forward to watching the Westminster Dog Show after dinner and begin watching Hallmark Christmas movies?
No matter what your traditions are for this holiday, I hope and pray that at your Thanksgiving table, and after the table is cleared, that you will not just eat the fruits of your feast but also take on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Not everyone knows what these are so here are a list of them. I hope that you will pray to receive this fruit and will begin to practice them each and every day.
Love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, gentleness and self-control.
It is good that we have Thanksgiving to celebrate the prosperity that God gives to us. Better than physical wealth and prosperity is the gift that God gives us with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Such fruit gives us a Spiritual resilience that can carry us through the most difficult at times and can even improve our relationships with others. Which is better to have wealth but poor relationships or great relationships and more modest material blessings? I think that better relationships are far better than wealth.
As we are on the verge of Advent, Christmas, and the new year, I ask that we all pray for the fruit of the spirit and exercising that fruit. Such practices will go a long way to giving us a blessed holiday season and a peace-filled new year. A full Thanksgiving table is wonderful but a soul filled with the Spirit fruit is even better.
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#Thankgiving #Abudance
#FruitoftheSpirit #GiftsoftheSpirit
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #45
November 14, 2022
Working Together
I have been intrigued by Amish culture for decades. I first heard about them in grammar school but never saw them or met them until I was in the eighth grade. Our eighth grade field trip was to Lancaster. After living in Jersey City, seeing the large farms, undeveloped property and the style of Amish dress, most of us thought that we had landed on another planet. Since this trip, I have read a bit about the Amish history and culture and have made a few return trips to Lancaster. I am intrigued by the culture.
Recently on Facebook I viewed a video that once more ignited my admiration of the Amish. In this video a structure which might be a small barn or perhaps it is a large shed, was being moved intact to another location. According to the caption, three hundred Amish men were moving this structure. They worked together and used all their strength to accomplish this. It shows how great works can be completed when everyone is working together for a common goal. I wish that the non-Amish world would learn this lesson
This past Tuesday we went to the polls and voted for and against various members of elected office. Some people were pleased with the results while others greatly disappointed by the various election outcomes. It is my hope and prayer that those elected, despite party affiliation, will work together in unity and not be adversaries because of prideful egos. I hope that they will work together for the common good of the citizens and not be motivated by self-interest.
If those elected to office can’t or won’t work together for the common good, I can’t help but wonder if we who can vote are not the ones to blame. How many of us actually vote? How many of us as a reflex vote by party without any creative thinking? Are we voting for those with extreme positions rather than moderate candidates who can best work with those of other parties. Are we to blame for our divisions? Perhaps it is time that we make the election changes that are required to get us working together, much like the Amish do. Maybe the lives of ordinary citizens would be improved by this.
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#Amish #WorkingTogether
#Elections #Voting
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #44
November 7, 2022
Halloween Outreach
Years ago I was told that “Halloween is a Satanic holiday, and no real Christian would celebrate it.”
I was a little curious about this statement when I first heard it. I had enjoyed Halloween my whole life. Since I could remember I went trick or treating around the neighborhood. Often I collected money for UNICEF. These UNICEF boxes were supplied by my Sunday school. Would Satan really approve of my collecting money for impoverished children?
Over the years I met “Christian” people who claimed that the only proper way to celebrate was to dress in costumes of Bible Characters. No other costumes were considered acceptable.
A week ago, I happened to think of these opinions that I have heard over the years as I stood with my wife Pam at the Bergenfield Trunk or Treat party. We greeted thousands of children, gave out candy (about 5,000 pieces) and handed out fliers advertising our advent/Christmas programs. A number of parents expressed interest in our fliers and asked about our congregation and we had several wonderful conversations.
After the event was finished and I returned home to throw away the empty candy bags, I prayed for those people I spoke to about our congregation. I prayed that I would hear from them and that they would come and worship with us.
Halloween 2022 got us Christians out of our building to meet thousands of people.
Halloween 2022 gave us the opportunity to make thousands of children smile.
Halloween 2022 gave us the opportunity to invite thousands of people to our congregation.
If this is really a Satanic Holiday, Satan certainly had a bad day. My only concern is that it took a holiday to get us out of our building to talk to our neighbors. I wonder why we don’t do it more often. Maybe we ought to get out and meet more people more often.
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#Halloween #TrunkOrTreat
#Evangelism #BlessingChildren
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
PastorMarkCast
In this week’s episode Pastor Mark discusses the shortness of life and how life can change in a split second and ask what would we want our last words, thoughts and actions to be.
Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.
https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/677059/
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog #43
October 31, 2022
Life can change in a second
More than twenty years ago I heard the shocking news that a great friend, mentor and minister in the Albany area suddenly collapsed while jogging. He had died instantly of a burst aneurism. It had burst in a split second.
Not look after my mentor died, my mother-in-law was out for her daily walk. As she aged she was conscious of her blood pressure. She took daily walks of one mile and was diligent about taking her blood pressure medication. While walking she suddenly collapsed, the victim of a major stroke. She lived a number years after that but was permanently paralyzed on her left side. She went from mobile to paralyzed in a split second.
Almost three years ago my sister had just dressed for work when she suddenly collapsed and died of a massive heart attack. She died instantly. Her death came also in a split second.
Two weeks ago I was speaking to one of my elders on the phone. Without warning, her speech changed and she said that something was wrong. After the ambulance took her to the hospital it was determined that she had a brain tumor and would require surgery. She is undergoing post-surgical treatment now. In a split second her voice changed from normal to slurry. What a different a second can make.
A week ago a tragedy happened to a young man in a town a few miles from ours. He commuted to New York City every day where he worked as a stagehand for the Metropolitan Opera. He was twenty years old. His backpack got caught in the subway door and he was dragged to his death. His life ended and his family’s world changed in a single second.
Why am I recording all these tragic stories? Because I am reminded that life is fragile and life is short. I suspect that if we all keep this in mind we would all behave better, be kinder to one another, and even our thoughts would be more gentle. Would we want our last action, our last words or our last thought to be our final ones?
We don’t know how many years or days we have left in our lives. We don’t know if our deaths will be sudden, or if they will come after lengthy illnesses. Nobody but God knows the length of our days. We have no control over that. We can control how we live our years. Will our lives bless others and please God or will we think, act, and speak in ways that harm others and disrespect God?
Life can change or end in a second. How well will we be living at our end?
#ReformedChurchInAmerica #PastorMarkAuthor
#BergenCounty #BergenfieldNJ
#Tragedy #SuddenDeath
#ChristianLiving #FaithfulLiving
To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/
Pastor Mark Author 