Blog: June 2020

Hi Goshen Families, We are so looking forward to seeing you soon! Hopefully for many of you we'll see you at church next Sunday! Today I want to encourage you with a thought from God's Word... In John 6:16-21 the disciples found themselves in a precarious position. They were in a boat, tired, three miles from shore, and fearful. Then in the midst of despair, Jesus came walking on the water - an amazing sign of His control over the elements. But even greater are the words He said to the frightened disciples, "It is I, do not be afraid." ...

Our journey together through the “Valley of Coronavirus” has confronted us with many changes.  We’ve all felt the impact—a major impact—in our jobs, schools, shopping, travel, friendships, and of course in our church life.  In-person encounters have relocated, for the most part, into virtual connections (I’d never heard of Zoom before March of this year!).  And as we’ve been swept along in the swift current of so much change, we’ve been adapting and learning—and reeling.  I won’t belabor the point, but suffice it to say that we’ve basically ...

Happy Father's Day! Thank you, dads, for your leadership, support, and love for your families. We are grateful for you! Here are some ideas for your family time together for church on Sunday: A link to the worksheet on our lesson - Jesus healed a man who was lame: https://sharesync.serverdata.net/us/s/ffJ3YPmrbnMPaeOZLK0pM6003d1554 Check your email for a link to the video of the lesson. Some wording that you can use for the lesson with your kids: Located in the city of Jerusalem, the pool of Bethesda was a place many believed to ...

As we anticipate returning to in-person worship services at Goshen in the near future (potentially in July… not sure yet… we’ll keep you posted…), let me say a few words to help us form a shared mindset about regathering.  It’s important to think over not just the practical “what” questions about reopening, but also some heart-searching “how” questions:  How can we focus our attitudes and expectations on the honor of Christ, the encouragement of one another, and the effectiveness of our witness? But before I go further, let me link to the ...

Dear Goshen Families, I had the opportunity to go on a drive in Lancaster County recently where sheep, cattle and horses abound! The reason they're in the pasture land is because there is an abundance of grass and a good supply of water nearby. I think that's what David was envisioning when he wrote Psalm 23. As a matter of fact he just may have been looking at one while he was writing that very familiar Psalm! It made me wonder why it is we are so drawn to that Psalm and teach it to our children when they are young. I came to the ...

Last week I participated in the “March for Peace, Justice & Humanity” in West Chester co-hosted by the Mayor, the Chester County Sheriff’s office, and the West Chester NAACP.  Some 5,000 people marched peacefully from Borough Hall to the Historic Courthouse, where several speakers shared their perspectives and issued a “call to action for justice and humanity for all.” I was glad to be among the participants.  By assembling in this way, we were affirming that all people are endowed “with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are ...

Thanks Goshen family for stocking the Food Pantry so bountifully these past couple of weeks.  About 20 of us have loved meeting new friends from the community and hearing their stories during the two free Food Pantries we’ve hosted.  We’ve been able to assist almost 50 families in these tough times.  Here is a sampling of our new friends and their stories: a woman who worked in a nursing home; had to quit her job so that her husband, with fragile health, wouldn’t get the coronavirus 7 women from a nonprofit residential facility for ...

When asked which is the “great commandment” in the Law, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). Notice:  **Jesus doesn’t hesitate to say that there’s a command that towers over all others, and that stands at the very center of a genuine relationship with God.  **Vertical ...

Dear Goshen Families, This past week I was thinking about people in the Bible who were change makers. A few names immediately came to mind - Job, Noah, Isaiah, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Esther, Mary. In each case they had to be willing to be changed before they became change makers by His design and grace. In some cases it took a long painful time. With others it took literally minutes. But with all it took: A willing spirit A God-seeking heart A converted mind A drive to know God intimately A commitment to follow God's leading no ...