Parson to Person: 17 Years of Letters to My Church Family

By James W. McCormack

These letters reflect a pastor’s heart for his church family as well as his thoughts as he leads that church through times of great change. Jim McCormack wrote monthly as part of the church newsletter from April 1992 to June 2009. The newly formed church had relocated. Some people had left. New ones were arriving. There was concern over the best use of funds and the best ways to worship. And there were mission trips, both globally and locally. Jim shares the joys and tragedies of the congregation—baptisms, illnesses, deaths, even a murder. And as his retirement approaches, he reflects on his own life—the death of parents, children leaving the nest, the births of grandchildren. These letters paint a picture of what was going on in the 90s and early 2000s in the world, the country, the mission field and the church as well as in the day-to-day lives of Jim and his church members. You will find in this book a steadfast commitment—to love the people of God, to bring new people to Christ and to bring salt and light to a world in need of God. – Pam O’Brien, former parishioner, Church of the Cross

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Feb 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781977262974

James W. McCormack

The cross was designed and installed by church member, Lee Faulkner.  Its symbolism is instructive. The black is a reminder of the despair caused by sin and death without God.  The red points to the life-blood of Jesus shed for us.  The angles on the cross beam are the hands of Christ, one reaching down to us and the other reaching up to God.  The stainless steel speaks of the pure light and love of God reflected in the cross of Christ.

Book preview

Parson to Person

17 Years of Letters to My Church Family

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2023 James W. McCormack

v3.0

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Cover and Interior Images © 2023 James W. McCormack. All rights reserved - used with permission.

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PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Author

Foreword

April 1992

May 1992

July/August 1992

September 1992

October 1992

November 1992

December 1992

January 1993

February 1993

April 1993

May 1993

June 1993

July-August 1993

September 1993

November 1993

December 1993

January 1994

February 1994

March 1994

May 1994

June 1994

July/August 1994

October 1994

November 1994

December 1994

January 1995

March 1995

April 1995

May 1995

June 1995

July/August 1995

September 1995

November 1995

January 1996

February 1996

March 1996

April 1996

May 1996

July/August 1996

September 1996

October 1996

November 1996

December 1996

January 1997

February 1997

March 1997

April 1997

May 1997

June 1997

July/August 1997

September 1997

October 1997

February 1998

March 1998

April 1998

May 1998

June 1998

July/August 1998

October 1998

November 1998

December 1998

January 1999

February 1999

March 1999

April 1999

May 1999

June 1999

July/August- 1999

September 1999

October 1999

November 1999

December 1999

January 2000

February 2000

March 2000

April 2000

May 2000

June 2000

July/August 2000

September 2000

October 2000

November 2000

December 2000

January 2001

February 2001

March 2001

April 2001

May 2001

June 2001

July/August 2001

September 2001

October 2011

November 2001

December 2001

January 2002

February 2002

March 2002

April 2002

May 2002

June 2002

July/August 2002

September 2002

October 2002

November 2002

December 2002

January 2003

February 2003

March 2003

April 2003

May 2003

June 2003

July/August 2003

September 2003

October 2003

November 2003

December 2003

January 2004

February 2004

March 2004

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July & August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

February 2005

March 2005

April 2005

May 2005

July/August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

November 2005

December 2005

January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July/August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July and August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

A Few After Thoughts

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PASTOR JIM, AS most call him, is the husband of Jule (married 54 years) and father of two daughters (Jennifer and Janelle), grandfather of three (Chelsey, Brianna, and Jamie, aka Lloyd), and currently tries to keep up with a very lively Sheltie named Zoom.

He was educated at Penn State (Bachelor of Arts), Princeton Seminary (Master of Divinity), and Columbia Seminary (Doctor of Ministry). An intern year in Syracuse, N.Y., and a post graduate Fellowship in Tübingen, Germany, significantly broadened and enriched his world view. He started a Habitat for Humanity Chapter in Erie, PA, a CROP Walk, and was very involved in Koinonia and Kairos (spiritual renewal events for those on the street and those behind bars).

He volunteered as well with Living Waters for the World in the Dominican Republic, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, International Leadership Academy in Belarus, plus work camps and mission trips which took him to many places in the U.S.A., Hungary, and South Korea.

He pastored three Presbyterian USA churches, one in New Castle, PA (Shenango) and two in Erie, PA (Westminster and Church of the Cross) during his 37 years of ministry. These Parson to Person letters were written when the new church development began in 1992 and ended with his retirement, 17 years later, in 2009.

He spends the winter months in The Villages, FL, enjoys reading, golf, time with family and friends, and continues with various mission related projects.

FOREWORD

A QUICK WORD before you read these thoughts (perhaps one monthly letter at a time), which were expressed to the faithful folks of Church of the Cross from its beginning in the spring of 1992 to my retirement 17 years later in June of 2009.

My wife, Jule, and a few friends suggested that the ideas expressed in these Parson to Person letters would be a legacy for our children, and grandchildren, as well as trigger some enjoyable memories for the folks who were in the church during those years. They express much of what I believe concerning The Bible, theology, worship and living the Christian life. These letters contain some of the church story with its concerns about worship styles, some of my personal journey with births, weddings, and deaths. They are interwoven with analogies drawn from literature and the news, all meant to encourage faith.

I discovered there were several letters missing when going back to the old newsletters. I also edited out most of the facts and figures related to the construction of the initial two buildings planned for this 18-acre site. The new church had sprung out of a decision of some 430 active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church to relocate to a larger space. We had outgrown the building and parking areas and were land locked. Thus, a decision was finally made to start a new church, which we voted on and named Church of the Cross, on March 29, 1992. A new church rather than relocating was needed because a somewhat smaller yet equally active group of members of Westminster did not want to relocate. This made the move bittersweet since I had led that congregation for almost 14 years.

It is my hope that any who read these brief letters will find some inspiration for living a life pleasing to the God of creation, who amazingly came among us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

Special thanks to those who helped with the editing of these pages—Pam O’Brien , Sue Tibbits, and my wife, Jule.

(The cover photograph, taken by Jule McCormack, is the cross located on the property of Church of the Cross in Fairview. PA.)

APRIL 1992

NEARLY 500 PEOPLE crammed into the sanctuary last Sunday afternoon to be a part of the historic moment when Church of the Cross was officially formed. It was a beautiful service. The message from Tom Johnston, Synod Executive, was a memorable challenge to set new standards and new ways to minister. The celebration afterwards was equally exciting. (If you weren’t there, ask someone to tell you Jack O’Brien’s story!) Thanks be to God for this marvelous opportunity to begin a new church.

Every once in a while we see a light of truth, shining as a bright star against the dark night sky. From the churches of eastern Europe comes such a truth. The communist governments, said Johnston, were convinced that if churches were deprived of everything but worship, if all they could do was pray to a God who didn’t exist, then they would wither and die.

As we note the demise of communism and the survival of the church, The Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky comments, American Christians are challenged to understand that it is in worship that the church finds the energy for all of its life and work.

Worship is the heart of the church! The Worship Team (meets weekly and is open to anyone whenever they can attend) has been considering worship for Church of the Cross.

Here are goals for worship they consider vital:

be a window to the heart of God;

be understandable to a non-church person;

be alive to and controlled by the Spirit, in Presbyterian worship that blends familiar and fresh ideas;

be participatory not a performance;

be affirming and accepting of all;

be instructive and inspire people to live and serve the Lord!

I look forward to sharing with you in the worship life of COTC while we wait for the buildings to be built. It is now that we will experience the truth that the church is not the building, but the people!

MAY 1992

BY THE TIME you receive this, construction of our new facility should be underway. As I said to the congregation gathered at Millcreek Intermediate High School’s Little Theatre on Easter, Worshiping in this place is a real reminder that the church is not a building; the church is people who join to worship God and seek to live as disciples of Christ. It was certainly exciting to see that large auditorium (seats about 900) some two-thirds full! Even though we won’t have a place to call our own for about a year, the activity of the church (you and me) will go on in new and creative ways. It will be an exciting year of transition. Along with all the other staff, I am extremely grateful for what has to be a high level of sacrificial giving that many are making in order to make the beginning of this unique new church a reality. We will have lots of adjustments to make in the temporary facilities and the new facilities, with new programs, new people, and all the new possibilities these circumstances will create. I think God has prepared us for this time. You have shown remarkable love and patience these past months, and it is precisely such qualities that we will continue to need now that we are launched as Church of the Cross.

I was reminded of an important lesson for us after seeing The City of Joy. The movie, based on life among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India, was a touching, thought-provoking film. After seeing it, I learned from my wife, who had read the book, that the heart and soul of the story was left out! The real story of The City of Joy centers around the work of a Polish priest who comes to live among these people. But there was not one mention of this priest nor any reference to the Christian faith in the entire film! Incredible!

How empty that movie actually was without its central message. How empty our lives become without Christ at the center. And how empty Church of the Cross would be if we let ourselves get so busy building a building, so involved with programs and activities, that we omit the reason we are doing all of this, which is to communicate the life-transforming love and joy of Christ to our community and our world.

JULY/AUGUST 1992

I CANNOT SAY from personal experience that the eye of a hurricane is calm, but I can say that as strong winds began to blow in my life in recent weeks, God placed my family in the peaceful eye of those storms. For those who might not have heard, in the last week of May, as we were moving out of Westminster, Jule was told she needed a biopsy (which required an hour in the operating room). The only people we knew who had her condition had received unfavorable reports.

This last year has taught us a great deal about patience. The move from Westminster, which had been our church home for 13½ years, suddenly was no longer a concern as we contemplated the possibilities related to Jule’s condition. Then on the night of our last day at Westminster, another wind of possible change began to blow, as we were given an opportunity to sell our house and move to a home close to where Church of the Cross is being built.

There is a great deal to learn in the waiting rooms of life. And learn we did. The news about Jule, which came a short time ago was good—no malignancy! The burden we had been carrying was gone, but it had been bearable because we were not carrying it alone. God had worked through your prayers and tangible expressions of concern. Praise be to God, and thank you from the depths of our hearts.

During this month, committees and small groups have been meeting and planning. Using Story Boarding (a brainstorming technique developed by Walt Disney), we have been filled to overflowing with wonderful ideas. I am very excited about what the Lord has in store for us, as we seek to worship and be a witness in a new place and in new ways to God’s amazing love, uniquely revealed in Jesus.

So much has changed already. I know change is never easy. I suspect change is the Divine plow cutting through our hardened souls, to make them ready to bear a great harvest. Most of us have to fight fear of change. In 1829, Martin Van Buren, then governor of New York, wrote to President Andrew Jackson, entreating him to stop the spread of a new form of transportation known as railroads. He said, As you may well know, Mr. President, railroad carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour...The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed. God has called us to an adventure. As long as we stay close to the One who changes not, we will remain secure and be able to rejoice as The Holy Spirit blows amazing, grace-filled changes in our lives.

SEPTEMBER 1992

HOW SWIFTLY TIME flies! On the same day in August, Jule and I said goodbye to our girls. Janelle flew off to Arizona, and Jennifer moved into an apartment within walking distance of her college classes. In a few more weeks we will be moving out of the home where our girls were raised from the ages of five and six. There has been much reflecting on the past, as we have been packing, and much thought about the future. Of course, we have shared with all of you the adjustments and anxieties that are part of starting a new church.

I read a story that might be beneficial for us as we press on.

Gregory Piatigorsky tells of the time he was invited to meet the famous cellist, Pablo Casals. Gregor had always hoped to meet and hear him play, but instead, Mr. Casals asked Gregor to play. Nervous and uncertain, Gregor said he stumbled through Beethoven’s D-Major Sonata. Bravo! Bravo! Wonderful! Casals applauded. Next Casals asked to hear the Schumann Cello Concerto. I never played worse, Gregor said. Casals then asked for Bach. Gregor obliged with a performance matching the others. Splendid! Magnifique! said Casals, embracing him. Gregor left the housed bewildered and confused. He had played badly. He asked himself, Why did he, the master, have to praise and embrace me? When Gregor next met Casals a few years later, he confessed his bewilderment about the undeserved praise. Casals reacted with sudden anger. Listen! He then played a phrase from the Beethoven sonata. Didn’t you play this fingering! Ah, your playing was novel to me...it was good...and here, didn’t you attack that passage with up-bow like this? He demonstrated. And on Casals continued, emphasizing all he liked from what Gregor had done. And for the rest, he said passionately, leave it to the ignorant and stupid who judge by counting only the faults. I can be grateful, and so must you be, for even one note, one wonderful phrase.

It is easy to focus on faults. We all make them, and I have played my share of sour notes as a husband, a father, a son, a friend, a pastor. Yet how wonderful to be able to see what is good and beautiful in others and not to focus on the faults!"

We need that kind of love and patience more than ever. With that approach most of the faults we so easily spot, somehow disappear.

I have a renewed love and appreciation for you, for all you are sacrificing and doing in this symphony of church-building we are composing and playing together.

OCTOBER 1992

WE ARE NOW moved into our new home. It is close enough to the new church that we can see the crane lifting steel from our kitchen window! We are very grateful to those who helped us move. As I walked through our former home, emptied of all its contents, my mind flooded with memories of the 14 years we spent there, and my heart filled with tears. Jule and l are grateful to have lived in one place while our two girls went through elementary and high school.

That crane (17 stories high) will have the structure of the educational building almost done by the time you read this. The second building (where we will most likely worship at first) will soon be pressing its strong silhouette against the horizon. It is exciting to watch the construction. But let us not forget that the church being built within each of us, especially during this time, is of more significance for the Kingdom of God than the building being constructed!

It occurred to me the other day, when we still had not heard when the steel would arrive and patience was wearing thin, that there will be many times like this in the months and years ahead. In fact, life is filled with frustrations, and our own foibles seem to intensify at such times. All that reminds us again and again of the need to have faith in the Lord. As we follow God’s leading, most often we find ourselves on a winding road (which prevents us from seeing far ahead!); thus, we can travel with peace and joy only as we keep faith (trust) in the Lord.

In addition to that, we need to ask God to help us be flexible. This journey will be hardest on those who have trouble hanging loose and being understanding of the inconveniences that result from not having our own facilities. (We are grateful that the generosity of the folks at Grace Baptist, who have opened their doors for our music programs every week—no charge! Also, Asbury Methodist and Wayside Presbyterian have given us the use of their facilities for Sunday evening programs coming up this Fall. Even when we move to 5901 Millfair, those buildings will not be totally completed, but hopefully by then we will be so adept at being flexible that nothing will throw us!

More than that, we will need fortitude. Our journey is more like a marathon than a 100-yard dash. What we are building now will serve the Lord far into the 21st century. Fortitude comes from God, who creates a fortress within us from which we receive His strength and courage to keep focused on the goal (seeking first God’s kingdom).

NOVEMBER 1992

AS I WRITE, the sun is shining, and the temperature is warm enough to make me think about hitting a few golf