Canonsburg UP Church 

“For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 1:31 Dear Friends, Each day at 1:45pm, my phone’s alarm goes off. It actually goes off several times each day 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm - reminders to take a moment and pray. But 1:45pm is a little different, it’s the moment I’m reminded of my wife, Bridgette. I take a second to lift her up in prayer and thank God for the gift she’s been as my wife for nearly 20 years! My alarm is from the

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12 Dear Friends, Did you know that today is World Kindness Day? Celebrated across the world to honor acts of kindness - random and otherwise. Flashmobs, concerts, kindness cards and more, highlight events that various countries do to raise awareness for these acts of kindness and encourage more of it. Personally, I love he

“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” - Deuteronomy 5:15 Dear Friends, Today marks the 18th anniversary of those tragic events that we will forever remember as 9/11. The images of the smoking towers in New York City, the Pentagon and a field in Central Pennsylvania do not go away. Brought up in casual conversation, virtually anyone alive at that time will recall with vivid de

"...serve one another humbly in love" - Galatians 5:13b Hello friends, Reverend Kephart told us on Sunday that there are three steps in growing our faith. Pay attention and be ready. Be mindful of what obedience looks like. Be obedient by following through and taking action. It’s easy to talk ourselves out of things the Holy Spirit is nudging us to do. I did it for a long time before I finally got talked into teaching Sunday School. I told myself I didn’t know enough, I was

“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” - Matthew 12:34b Dear Friends, Words matter, don’t they? Whether spoken in a classroom or on the playground, whether spoken in the meeting or around the water cooler, whether spoken in an auditorium in front of thousands or in the parking lot with just one person, whether posted in the newspaper, social media or just in a single card - words matter. When you receive a kind word, it matters. It fills you with gratitude and enc

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Dear Friends, It’s so great to be back in the saddle after a week away of resting, playing and checking in with my 5 best friends from seminary. It was our 12th annual gathering and it’s one of the most valuable things I do each year. I always come away both challenged and encouraged! I hope and pray that you have a friend or two who does that for you. Today, I

“Let all your things be done with charity.” - 1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV) Dear Friends, This past Sunday as we neared the end of our “Give Up Something Bad for Lent” series, we talked about God’s Kingdom of Grace and God’s Economy of Mercy - a much different way of living than the pettiness that pervades our current world. There’s one thing I wanted to add to this that there just wasn’t enough time to explore on Sunday morning - charity. Now, charity has come to mean something

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” - 1 Peter 2:9 Dear Friends, I really love it when an idea, theme or word shows up in multiple places within a short span - it helps me to pay attention, because more than likely, God is speaking! Well, here’s the latest one! During our study time on Monday night at Session, the idea focusin

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.” - Psalm 33:5 Dear Friends, This past Sunday was literally full, as we welcomed in 13 New Members, heard from our Cherub Choir, learned about our Ministry Teams and had our Cub Scout 1305 Pack and their parents with us as well! It was fitting, as we talked about the Fifth Day of Creation, where God created the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and knelt down, giving them a blessing