"Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” Isaiah 56:7
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June was a month of powerful sermons at the Park SDA Church.
June 1 - Pastor Greg Carlson
Sermon title: SDRAWKCAB (BACKWARDS)
Sometimes we get our theology backwards. Instead of working for the Lord, we should be allowing the Lord to work through us.
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June 8 - Pastor Greg Carlson
Sermon title: Christ's Commandments
Who wrote the 10 commandments? Most Biblical scholars say Jesus. While Christ walked the earth He gave additional commandments. Pastor Greg touched on three.
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June 15 - Elder Mark McDonald
Sermon title: Cast Out
If God is so good and perfect, why did he create a being so evil?
Why has this Evil been permitted to continue?
For the answer to these questions, and many others, listen to the audio sermon at the link above.
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June 22 - Mr. Dittu Abraham
Sermon title: Remember
Mr. Abraham is the President of Frontline Community Services. FCS is located in the greater Washington, DC area, and supports and provides services to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as the homeless. www.frontlinecs.org.
Mr. Abraham’s past experience also includes serving in the Adventist church in multiple capacities; as English teacher (at the Salisbury Park SDA Church in India), principal, legal counsel at the Southern Asia Division, Editor for the Southern Asia Tidings and Communications Director. At the General Conference World Headquarters, he was a member of the Communication Strategy Council (COMSTRAT). He is currently an Elder at the Takoma Park SDA Church.
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June 29 - Pastor Justin Kim
Sermon title: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Sabbath School
The sermon touched on topics such as: Sabbath School is the health indicator of a church. Global missions. The object of Sabbath School work should be the ingathering of souls. VBS and Sabbath School are intimately connected, etc.
Pastor Justin Kim is the Editor of Collegiate Quarterly and Assistant Director for the Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department at the General Conference. He served as a missionary, pastor, and director of the Public Campus Ministry Department in Michigan, and is co-founder of the GYC movement.
In addition to the engaging sermon, Pastor Kim also officiated an afternoon seminar on The Dynamics of a Powerful Sabbath School.
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Baptism of Kayla Garufi and Sharon Mathew
On June 22nd, Kayla and Sharon publicly affirmed their decision to follow Jesus. May God bless them as they embark on their lives of service to our Lord and Savior. Pictures courtesy of Deshirl Rankins.
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Master Guide Ceremony for Wesly Brouard and Sean Jackson
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On June 1st, Park SDA Elders Wesly Brouard and Sean Jackson completed Pathfinder Master Guide requirements at the Chesapeake Conference Level in Hagerstown, Maryland.
As Wesly says, "A Master Guide level in our youth ministry system means that you love working with young people so much that after being part of the club as a youth, you decide to join the youth leaders rank. You have learned so much from Biblical principles to preach, conduct Bible studies, explore nature and basic living skills. A Master Guide is so much more than just wearing a uniform, it is a clear and fervent testimony of a person's love for doing God’s work to empower our youth, and make them become soul winners at a young age. For me it was a long journey starting in my Native land in Haiti at the Maranatha church of God, Petit Goave, Haiti, and finished here in my adopted land-- Park SDA Church in Salisbury, Maryland. It was a worthy journey to learn and to strive to help young people not only stay in church, but becomes disciples of Jesus Christ at a young age. My goal is to continue to serve God here at Park by encouraging our youth to remain part of God’s plan for humanity, as we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ."
God bless Wesly and Sean in their service to Jesus as they lead our youth.
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Rojan Mathew - Graduation
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Congratulations to Rojan Mathew on his graduation from Parkside High School on June 1st.
Rojan is currently on a mission trip at the Chiriqui provinces in Panama, from June 29 - July 9th with one of our Chesapeake sister churches, New Hope SDA Church. Pictures courtesy of Deshirl Rankins.
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Cathreena Rose Jeysingh - Graduation
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Congratulations! " Reena" graduated on June 1st, from the Salisbury Christian School.
Reena has returned to India to pursue her degree in Pharmacology, and embark on a career as a pharmacist. We will miss her beautiful smile and sweet demeanor, but wish her all the best and God's blessings as she begins her new life. Pictures courtesy of Deshirl Rankins.
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Park Panther Kittens Win Silver Star Award!
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Elwina announced the Chesapeake Conference 2019 Silver Star Award for the Park Panther Kittens (Adventurers). Congratulations!!!
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Hannah's Journal
News from Hannah Wilson
Hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp
In June Hannah & Jerry (dad) Wilson, along with Ryan Haakerson, climbed to the base camp of Mt. Everest. They reached a height of 18,500 ft, where the oxygen is at 50 percent. Everest is a dangerous and formidable challenge, and we are praising God for their safe return. Here are some photos of their adventure:
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My Experience in Europe
by Moriah McDonald
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“Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God” -Romans 15:7
"This May I had the opportunity to go on a study tour with other students from Andrews University to see the sights and culture of Europe. The tour lasted roughly a month and successfully highlighted some of the major cities and attractions of Spain, Italy, and Greece. In Spain, we visited several cathedrals and ruins of ancient cities. We learned about the heavy presence of Catholicism in Europe and in Spain specifically, which sparked an interesting discussion among the students about how to grow the Adventist community there. Throughout our tour of Italy, we visited a few major cities like Venice and also explored the ruins of the famous Colosseum in Rome, where we toured the grounds where gladiators fought and the halls where nobility walked; the group was informed of the class differences present in Roman society. Finally, in Greece we saw the parliament house and the Acropolis of Athens, an ancient site home to the Parthenon. There we learned a little about the various gods and how their accompanying gifts and abilities were believed to interact with humans on earth.
As the tour progressed, I began to see several differences between American and European lifestyles which made themselves apparent through the culture of each country we visited. I’ve listed a few of these differences below.
One of the major differences between European and American culture which I observed in Spain was the contrast between how each culture schedules work and free time. While Americans are known for their work ethic and seemingly work tirelessly several days of the week, in a lot of cases from 9 to 5 P.M., Europeans work from morning until noon and take a break; the technical term by which they refer to this break is known as a “siesta.” Between 2 and 5 P.M., many of the stores, shops, and restaurants which were previously open and bustling with activity were closed down, and the streets were emptier. In several of the cities that we visited in Spain, shop owners would make most of their revenue by night, when the streets were always the most crowded.
A cultural difference that progressively became apparent in Italy was the quality of food. Obviously, Americans love Italian cuisine; we’ve developed entire food chains dedicated to serving pizza, and food brands boasting the highest quality pasta. However, in my opinion, they sadly don’t always live up to the authentic dishes that are served in Italy. The pizza and ice cream taste better, and I believe that the key to the deliciousness is to not overdo it. Put simply, simplicity is better. They’ve perfected the ratio between the ingredients, resulting in absolute ecstasy for the taste buds. American pizza and ice cream are greasy and too milky in contrast.
During the trip, one of the things that I noticed was how much customer service in Europe differed from customer service in America. For example, in Greece we visited several streets filled with a variety of shops, stores, and restaurants. For the duration of the hustle and bustle that I endured while searching for interesting souvenirs, I quickly noticed that shop owners and workers were very involved in my shopping experience. They astutely observed my interest in their items and were quick to mention the cheap price or show me other options. As shop owners would commonly place a few items outside of their shops, I often found myself being lured into the store by the owner to see other products available or to make a purchase. To put it bluntly, I was surprised by the amount of attention that sellers gave their customers.
Towards the end of the tour, I became homesick and was excited to come back home to America. However, I will carry my newfound knowledge of the differences of cultures that we all share. My trip to Europe has taught me to appreciate some aspects of my own culture and question if there can be room for improvement in others. I am grateful for the work ethic that Americans are notoriously known and shown to have, but I also have learned to value time to rest and prepare for the work itself, as Europeans do very well. In America I enjoy pizza from the box in all of its greasy glory and soft serve ice cream from McDonald's, however I have to admit that Europe’s simple way of making these iconic foods is quite amazing and underrated. And while I understand the urgency of shop owners to sell their products and create revenue in Europe, I value and prefer the brief welcome and occasional inquiries of employees in America when I shop.
This trip has taught me the importance of both learning about and accepting other cultures and peoples. Further, I’ve connected this experience with biblical principles and have learned that we can become united through our differences – and not because both Americans and Europeans eat pizza, however different it may taste – but because Christ accepts us all. Paul writes in Romans 15:7, “Therefore, receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the Glory of God.” We have Christ as the ultimate example of acceptance; Christ received us in all of our sinful nature, so we must receive one another. This may involve learning a thing or two about another and realizing the valuable qualities that differing cultures have. Overall, I am grateful to have had this experience to enrich my awareness of other cultures and societies and have learned that there are aspects of all cultures which can make us stop and think about our own."
Editor's note: The photos below are in alphabetical order instead of chronological.
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Grace and Jerry Wilson share pictures of their adventures at the 2019 Camp Meeting in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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Above pics
- Rojan Mathew, Adrian Valcin, Jerry Wilson.
- Jerry at the tents.
- Rojan, Jerry, Grace, and Adrian backpacking 30 miles from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia to Black Rock in Hagerstown, Maryland in one and a half days!
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Above: Far right picture is Black Rock on the Appalachian Trail.
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Jerry Wilson, former Park Interim Pastor David Berthiume, and recent Oakwood University Pastoral graduate, Adrian Valcin.
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Let us bring before the Lord our prayers of thanksgiving, petitions, and intercession. God is faithful in hearing the prayers of an obedient people. We gather together in unity and love, raising our voices before the throne of grace.
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