Pine Island Pastor Musings

My Childhood Lunch Box "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"  (Proverbs 1:7).  Schools open next Tuesday!  Teachers are getting ready this week for students.  Parents and students have one last week of summer schedule and a holiday weekend.  Stores are ready and waiting for you.  Your church is, too!  I invite our students and teachers to bring your backpacks to worship at the Pine Island Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 9th.   Together, we will mark this new beginning with a prayer. When I was a student, on the first day of school my parents lined my brothers, sister and me up outside our home and took a photo.  We didn't have backpacks then.  We just carried our books and tablet.  We did carry our lunch to school in a lunch box.  We were anxious about who we would meet;  if we would make a friend;  if our friends made earlier would be there; to hear the stories of their summer adventu...

“Speaking the Truth in Love” 2 Samuel 11:26-13a      Ephesians 4:25-5:2 Sermon by John M. Best to the Pine Island Presbyterian Church Sunday, August 19, 2018 There is a backstory to this Hebrew Scripture text. Earlier in chapter 11  we’re told that in the spring of the year when kings go out to battle,   David sent Joab and his officers and all Israel, all the available men to battle the Ammonites.   They besieged the city Rabbah.  David, the great warrior remained home in Jerusalem .   One afternoon when he was walking about on the roof patio of the King’s house,  he noticed a woman bathing on her patio. She was very beautiful.   David sent a servant to inquire about the woman.   It was reported ‘ This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite .’  He sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.   She returned to her house.  She conceived; a...