401 Elm Street

Chillicothe, MO  64601

(660)646-4009

The Pastor's Page

"As the deer pants for water, so I pant for you, O Lord." Psalm 42:1

Meet the Pastor...

 Reverend Molina hails from Paola, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1988. He attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary for one year and received his Master of Divinity from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. David has been a pastor for nine years. He was the Associate Pastor of Burnt Store Presbyterian Church in Punta Gorda, Florida before becoming the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chillicothe, Missouri where he has been since 2000.

 

 Pastor David and his lovely wife Jacqui have four wonderful children: Nathanael, Gabrielle, Anneliese, and Stephanie Joy (not pictured).

          I recognize that it is plenty warm already - and we are still
officially in spring - but I don’t really mind this year because I was
really tired of winter.  June does, of course, bring us summer on
Wednesday the 22nd.  And by then, I will do my best not to boo hoo
about it being hot.  Yet, the wonderful payoff is:  using the grill!
          June still brings us many things before and after summer
begins.  By the time you read this we will have celebrated the actual
day of Ascension of the Lord.  It is/was on Thursday the 2nd.  If you count from Easter, Ascension is 40 days after Jesus’ Resurrection.  On Sunday, June 5th, we will celebrate a combination of Ascension of the Lord and the 7th Sunday of Easter, which is the last Sunday of the season of Easter. 
          We may wonder why we even celebrate the Ascension and why it is important.  If we think about it’s implications we see why.  Here is the super short version:  The Ascension ranks up there with the Incarnation, the death of Jesus, the Resurrection of Jesus, and what Christ currently does and will do in heaven.  The Incarnation is the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life and work.  The death of Jesus brings the death and forgiveness of all our sins.  The Resurrection brings both Jesus’ Resurrection and the reality of our eternal life.  And, it also brings the victory over sin, death, and evil for us, the saints.  Then, Jesus appeared to His apostles and disciples over 40 days after His Resurrection.  Throughout this time He taught them. 
          The Ascension is important because it does several things.  1st, when Jesus appears He is in one place at one time.  In the Ascension, Jesus returns to the glory which He had before the creation of the world.  He is seated at the right hand of God - which is the position of honor and authority.  And in His return to heaven Jesus has once again taken on the independent exercise of the divine attributes, i.e. omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence.  2nd, Jesus now intercedes for us with God - He is our Mediator reuniting us with and restoring us to God.  We hear about Jesus’ heavenly actions especially when we hear one of our Assurances of Pardon which is from Scripture from Romans 8:34 &
II Corinthians 5:17.  It says:  Hear the Good News!  Who is in a position to condemn?  Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.  Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old life is gone; a new life has begun.  Friends, believe the Good News of the Gospel.  In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.  Praise be to God!  Amen.  The underlined words are what Jesus continues to do for us in heaven.  And 3rd, just as Jesus promised - He has not left us alone as orphans.  He sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us and be with us always.  Without Jesus’ Ascension, the Holy Spirit would not have been sent - and we would not have God living in us in the way only the Holy Spirit does.  I know those are big concepts in theology, but there the Ascension is in a nutshell - all-be-it in a very large nutshell.  I guess I could have simply said Jesus ascended so the Holy Spirit would come.  That’s a true nutshell.
          Ten days after Jesus’ Ascension is the Day of Pentecost, wherein the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the disciples and then remains with God’s people.  We will celebrate the Day of Pentecost on Sunday, June 12th.
          Tuesday, June 14th is Flag Day, and then Sunday, June 19th is both Trinity Sunday and Father’s Day.  We will celebrate the Trinity and honor our Fathers. 
          Then, Sunday, June 26th is the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  And, this begins 21 straight Sundays in Ordinary Time.  That will take us all the way through the summer, into the fall, and up to and including Sunday, November 13th - the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time.  Sunday, November 20th is Christ the King/Reign of Christ Sunday and following that, on Sunday, November 27th is the 1st Sunday of Advent.  Wow.  However, it will be awhile before we get there.  I remind us that Ordinary really is ordinal and relates to order in a series.  As has been my and our tradition, I plan on preaching through 1 or more books of the Bible as we move through Ordinary Time.  I have not been lead to what we will use this year.  If you have any suggestions please let me know.
          Finally, let me briefly address the change in some of our ordination standards.  The PC(USA) has approved changing the language regarding ordination.  This will allow the ordination of practicing homosexual persons - which was the goal.  However, what has also happened is that we now have no uniform ordination standards across the denomination.  What this specifically means for our individual church I don’t yet know.  I am reading and listening.  And, we, I am sure, will have many conversations and that is good.  If you wish to speak with me - please do.  Please pray for our church as we have entered a time of struggle as we continue to seek unity and purity.
          May God Bless You and Keep you.


In Christ,

David