Author: Pastor 139

In 2009, Rev. James Hodsden came to Ardmore Presbyterian Church to serve as our pastor. At the time, there were discussions with the Pastor Nominating Committee that after seven years Pastor James would receive a three-month sabbatical. A sabbatical for a pastor is not vacation or a time to produce a book or a thesis. Instead, it is a time for renewal and reformation. It’s a time to reconnect with God.
Gratefully, the church has received a grant from the Lilly Foundation to make this sabbatical possible. Pastor James has taken the theme of Reformation for this sabbatical. He will be traveling abroad to visit Reformation sites in Europe and to participate in an archaeological dig in Israel. What does reformation mean for us today? This all begins after Easter, April 16, 2017
What happens at Ardmore Presbyterian Church while Pastor James is gone?
The church’s life will certainly continue in the three months that Pastor James is gone. We will be celebrating Pentecost, the Wind-Up of the program year, and Vacation Bible School. We have a capable staff who will be making sure that nothing is left undone.
We also will be getting some help from some outside sources. Rev. Mike Pulsifer served at APC as the interim pastor before Pastor James’ arrival in 2009. He will be coming to help the church in all the administrative tasks that need to be done. He will be serving as our elder statesman, keeping a steady hand on the helm.
Who will be doing pastoral care when Pastor James is on sabbatical?
The church has a capable lay visitation ministry, and the deacons will provide caring ministries for APC. Beyond that, we are asking for some help from a familiar face. Rev. Sturgis Poorman has served APC as a parish associate for years. Not only has he been the manager of the church’s softball team. He has also been involved in visitation and mission. Pastor Sturge will be handling all the pastoral care needs as they arise in Pastor James’ absence.
Who will be preaching while Pastor James is away?
Rev. Poorman and Rev. Pulsifer will be helping lead worship during the sabbatical, but they aren’t the only ones. Leaders and members of the congregation will also be preaching from the pulpit. Considering our theme of Reformation, we will be employing the “priesthood of all believers.” We will be hearing the witness of Scripture through our friends and neighbors. Rev. Graham Robinson who has taught preaching in seminaries will be coaching our members. He will help them bring their best to God.

This devotional was written for the 300th anniversary of the Philadelphia Presbytery.  The gospel reading for March 17, 2017, is John 5:30-47.

There is an old story about the theologian who is asked for a proof of God’s existence. The theologian says, “I don’t have a proof, but I do know a lady in Connecticut.” In other words, there may not be a mathematic proof with absolute certainty, but there are witnesses, people who are in relationship to God.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus does not give a proof of who he is. In fact, he says, “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” (John 5:31). Instead, Jesus suggests that he can only be known in relationship—to the witnesses of John the Baptist, of the Hebrew Scriptures, and most importantly of God. We cannot isolate Jesus like an element in a laboratory experiment. Instead, we must consider the patterns of relationship.

The life of faith is never done alone. It’s never just me and Jesus. Instead, we encounter Jesus in relationship to the Scriptures, the Sacraments, the Church and the world. Today we celebrate the evangelist and pastor, Patrick of Ireland. We should read his famous prayer as embracing those relationships, not escaping.

“…Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me…”

On Christmas Day 2008, our family packed the last of our things and left Texas to come to Philadelphia. I became the pastor of the Ardmore Presbyterian Church on the heels of this congregation’s centennial. I was and am excited to become a part of APC’s next century. I knew that my time here would be challenging, but I also knew that this congregation was willing to be supportive of their pastor. When I came, the church offered me a three-month sabbatical after serving seven years. They knew that after a season, it is necessary for a pastor to reflect, to rest and to retool for the next series of challenges. I am grateful for that foresight.
Last year, APC applied for a grant from the Lilly Foundation to provide resources to make my upcoming sabbatical fruitful for both me and the church. The Lilly Foundation saw what we are doing here, and they wanted to affirm our ministry together. We received a full grant, and I will be taking my sabbatical in 2017. I will be out of the pulpit following Easter until Sunday, July 23. During that time, our family will be traveling Europe during the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Also, I will have an opportunity to participate in an archaeological dig in Israel.
When I am gone, the church will function normally. I am currently working with the session and other pastors to ensure that worship, pastoral and administrative duties will all be covered. We have great volunteers and a great staff. I have every confidence that the church will be fine in my absence.
There are many more details to come. My prayer is that 2017 will be a transformative year for all of us.
Grace & Peace,

James Hodsden

Every four years, presidential candidates from the political parties prance and preen before the voters in primary politics. Invariably, these efforts seem to collide with the church’s calendar. Many followers of Jesus are now observing the season of Lent. At the same time, Christians are examining themselves, seeking repentance and humility, the airwaves are filled with men and women claiming to be the best hope for America.

If you have been paying attention, you probably noticed that every candidate is unhappy with the status quo. In that way, they seem to match the mood of the electorate. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. There is a sense of anxiety and unease about the state of our union. I have had several conversations with people, and I am hearing that we are afraid. We are afraid that terrorists will attack again. We are afraid that the economy will continue to falter. We are afraid that the nation has failed the next generation. The details change from person to person, party to party, but there is a sense that we have lost our way.

We are looking for a hero, and the politicians are eager to play the part. We want to take back our country, to start a revolution or to make America great again. Vote for this candidate or another, and all your dreams will come true. Unfortunately, we soon learn that no one can match the rhetoric and the high expectations.

I would never dissuade someone from participating in the political process, and I do believe that elections have consequences. People of faith should be politically active. Nonetheless, as Christians, we have a Messiah. Let’s stop looking for another.
When Jesus faced the kingdoms of this world, they sought to destroy him. They nailed him to a cross. Jesus stood for justice and righteousness, and the religious leaders and the Roman authorities killed him. However, that was the limit of their power. They couldn’t do worse.

By rising from the dead, Jesus demonstrated that the authorities of this world are impotent. God’s kingdom is triumphant. Politics can only accomplish so much. Our challenges may be real, but we don’t need to be afraid. The resurrection gives us the confidence to overcome our problems without demagoguery or demonization. We are less concerned with winning than seeking the truth or serving our neighbor. Easter rescues us from false messiahs.

It’s a reminder that we desperately need.

In Christ,

James Hodsden

In this day and age, our families are strewn around the world. Getting everyone physically together in one place is challenging. As a result, when it happens, it’s a big deal. There will be tears, laughter, hugs, and kisses. And the family will share stories.

Some of those stories will be new. The young couple announces that they are going to have a baby. Some of the stories will be old. Great-Grandfather facing hardship immigrated to this country. Some of the stories might be funny. There was that time when dad sang to mom in front of the whole restaurant. Some of the stories might be sad. Our aunt was incredibly brave as she faced Alzheimer’s.

Stories are important. They embody meaning and purpose for us. They help us find our place in the world. If you want to know what is important to a person, listen to the stories that he or she tell.

As part of God’s family, we also have stories. In fact, one could argue that the Christian faith itself is simply a story. God created a world that was good. God intended for us to live in relationship with him and with each other. Sadly something went wrong. Nonetheless, God did not allow our rebellion to change his love for us. Instead, God pursued us. When the time was right, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to redeem us. Our lives are now dedicated to God living out the love and joy that he intended.

As Christians, we declare that the Bible is our only rule of faith and life. It describes our obligations to God. It teaches us morality and ethics. However, the Bible does more. We are invited into God’s story. When civil rights leaders echoed Moses declaring, “Let my people go,” they were accepting that invitation. When a missionary responds personally to Jesus’ words, “Go and preach to all creation,” she is accepting the invitation. When we respond to the prophets by “seeking the peace of the city,” we are accepting the invitation.

This year, I want to invite you into a deeper relationship with the Bible. There will be a number of opportunities to explore God’s story. The choir will be sharing it through Handel’s Messiah. Our Spiritual Enrichment Retreat will take us into the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. Through a variety of small groups, we will be exploring how we can make God’s story our own.

It all starts with Homecoming on September 13, 2015. As we gather the family, let us share our stories together.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor James

In high school, I discovered a passion for mathematics. I was never thrilled with simple computation. Arithmetic bored me. However, starting with geometry I fell in love with mathematical proofs. Starting with simple truths and universal principles, I derived airtight, logical arguments about the way angles, circles and parabolas behaved. I found power, truth and even beauty in logical arguments. There was great satisfaction to reach the end of a geometric proof, “quod erat demonstrandum.”

Perhaps, the reason mathematics was attractive was because the rest of the world seemed so confusing and chaotic. There were universal principles, but the application had much to be desired. People were fickle and life didn’t carry the elegance of mathematics. So I pursued mathematics. I have a bachelor’s degree in it, and even today, I take satisfaction in wrestling with a mathematical problem to discover its secrets.

However, along the way, I discovered that there is more to life than math. Logical, abstract reasoning is powerful, but it isn’t the only way to explore the world. There is beauty in the symmetry and rationality of a well-kept garden, but there is also form and beauty in the chaotic life of the forest. Mathematics was never the problem, but it was how I applied it.

This realization opened new worlds to me. As a college student, I began to wrestle with God and with faith. For the longest time, I was resistant to God’s call. God, for me, was about proof and doubt. I brought my tools of logic and rationality and attempted to make God fit my categories. I searched for universal principles, but the abstractions that I created were a poor substitute for God. I read the Bible, but found the world there was wild and chaotic. It was much like the real world, and I certainly wasn’t satisfied with that.

There are times when you venture out into a lake. The water is cloudy and murky. You step out, and your toes don’t seem to touch the bottom. However, somehow something is holding you up. I had questions, doubts, and concerns about the faith, but somehow the faith still held me up. I discovered that God loved me, and in Jesus Christ love became real, more real than anything I ever experienced.

Pursuing faith was less like following a geometry proof. Instead, it was like following a friend. There remain times of doubt, confusion, and even anger. However, the overwhelming experience is one of comfort, confidence and love. I still struggle with the faith or the Scriptures, but now my hermeneutic is trust. We cry out like the man asking Jesus to heal his son, “I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor James

In the liturgical calendar, the Sunday after Pentecost is known as Trinity Sunday (May 31). On that Sunday, the Church celebrates the Trinity — God as three persons, yet God being one. Although the word, “trinity,” does not appear anywhere in Scripture, the doctrine has been essential to the Christian faith. Jesus himself commands his disciples to use the formula, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” in baptisms (Matthew 28:19). As a result, as we reflect on the beginnings of our life in Christ, we should be drawn to examine the relationship of these three persons.

We should acknowledge that the Trinity has always been controversial. Early Church history can be seen as a catalogue of the various heresies against the doctrine. Explaining how 1+1+1=1 has caused people a number of headaches. Enlightenment thinkers such as Emmanuel Kant and Thomas Jefferson have rejected the Trinity outright. Even some Christians have wondered, “What’s the big deal?”

As I learned about the Trinity in seminary, the debate bored me. We spent most of our time pondering the mathematical equation. However, I did not grasp its implications for our faith until I went on a mission trip to Senegal. On the streets of the West African city of Dakar, I observed a friendly conversation between a Muslim and a Christian. As the older, robed Muslim sipped tea, he challenged the Christian saying, “We say that God is one. It is the heart of our faith.” The Christian countered, “How do you know God?” The Muslim responded, “In creation . . . we see the Creator in the land, sea, and sky.” The Christian responded, “We believe that we see God in the face of Jesus Christ. And I have a personal relationship with this Jesus because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.” In this description, we have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is by no means an exhaustive definition of the Trinity. However, it does honor a faith that sustained the Church since its beginning.