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| 7 Marietta Avenue - Mount Joy, PA 17552 717-653-5888 |
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| OUR PASTOR
 The Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Joy is the Rev. Dr. Robert S. Burns. His wife's name is Shirley, and she works at the Children's Home in the Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, PA.
They have two children, Heather Burns Fisher and Jonathan Burns, and two grandchildren, Jay Benjamin Fisher and Joseph Robert Fisher.
Rev. Burns was graduated from Houghton College with a B. A. degree. He received a B. D. and D.Min from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA and a Th. M. degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Pittsburgh, PA.
He was ordained by the Philadelphia Presbytery, Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
He completed a two year program in Spiritual Direction/Formation from Oasis Ministries. He is an active counselor in Spiritual Direction and now serves on the Oasis Board of Directors. He is a member of the Donegal Area Rotary Club and was President 2001-2003. He is active in the Mount Joy Ministerium and is a member of the Presbytery of Donegal where he serves on the Committee On Ministry.
Rev. Burns believes that the primary purpose of the Church is mission, evangelism, fellowship, worship, social action, and the teaching of God's Word found in the Bible. His sermons are based on the Scripture with a concern for events and issues as they affect the lives of people today. He believes we are called to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and to help the poor, the hungry, and those in need.
Rev, Burns always welcomes new people to join our fellowship and would be glad to talk with anyone about the mission of our caring, friendly congregation.
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LENT, A TIME FOR REVIVAL
We began the Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010 with a special service at 7:00 pm in our sanctuary. Ash Wednesday got its name from the custom of putting ashes on a person's head as a sign of penitence, repentance, and dedication to God. It is a time that recalls Genesis 3:19, "Remember, mortals, that you are dust, and unto dust shall you return." We believe that without God we are of little value and purpose. As we come in humility to Christ, we are raised from ashes to new life. My Dad would put ashes on his garden to fertilize the ground so it would become more fruitful. The Lenten Season reminds us again that Christ has given His life for us on the cross that we might have abundant life, even eternal life.
Over the years I have become convinced more and more that Lent is a very helpful time in our spiritual journey. It is a 40-day retreat for Christians to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For many years Lent was a period of abstinence and fasting that included prayers and charitable works. People would give up candy, certain foods, smoking or bad habits. Certainly penitential works are very important during Lent. But Christian believers should be careful not to become overly involved in the penitence itself without making a spiritual sacrifice. The season of Lent is all about the meaning of sacrifice, dedication, meditation to increase our awareness of Christ's presence with us.
May I suggest something to you? During Lent it is very helpful to spend some special time in fasting, prayer and Bible reading. I like to choose an event in Scripture that helps me focus upon the cross for this 40-day period. And I recommend that you might do the same thing. My text this year in Luke 23:26 tells the story of Simon of Cyrene who was visiting Jerusalem and was made to carry the cross for Jesus. It is a reminder to us that today we are called by Jesus "to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him." May God richly bless your life during this Lenten Season. See you in church!
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