Florida Presbyterian Church

Florida Presbyterian Church This page is about the First Presbyterian Church of Florida, NY

05/31/2026

Safe Places
Message May 31
Text: 1 Timothy 6:

From the Pastor’s DeskSomething Old, Something NewThe Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married…as a ...
05/27/2026

From the Pastor’s Desk
Something Old, Something New

The Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married…as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will you God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:4-5

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed. Revelation 21:2

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. According to tradition, that’s what a bride should wear. I’ve been to a lot of weddings, but none of them impacted me as much as when my son Kevin got married. Of course it was my first time as mother of the groom so I was on a bit of an adrenaline high. But what affected me the most wasn’t the groom, it was the bride. I’ve known Melissa since she was three years old. Melissa and Kevin grew up in church together. They were high school sweethearts. They had their first date in their junior year, the Homecoming Dance. They were together from that moment on. By the time they had been together a few years, I was hoping for a wedding. Seven years after their first date, they got engaged. Then all the preparations for the wedding began. On the big day, Melissa and all the bridesmaids—there were a lot of them—went to get their hair done and their nails done to look beautiful for the wedding. When I got to the church that day, I saw my son in his tuxedo. He looked good. He had the same look I’ve seen in almost every groom—happy, excited, and kind of awkward. Then it was finally time for the ceremony. And something happened I never expected. When I saw Melissa in her wedding gown, I suddenly saw her as a new person. The girl I had known since she was three had a new identity. She was a beautiful young woman. She was my son’s wife. She was my daughter-in-law. Her dress identified her. She was the bride. There was something about that moment that gave me a whole new perspective on the relationship between God and God’s people. Both Old and New Testaments use marriage as a metaphor for being the people of God. Two parties, bound to each other in love, begin a new life together by exchanging solemn promises. The church is the bride of Christ. We are seen as new people. We have a new identity. We are clothed in robes of righteousness, which identify us. An encounter with Jesus changes everything. We take off what we thought was life and we put on Christ. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creature. Our lives are no longer our own. We are shaped by the love of Christ. The Holy Spirit mark us as belonging to God. From this day forward, life is different. The Lord delights in us, and rejoices over us. We are the bride. And not just on one special day, but every day. The next time the sight of a beautiful bride takes your breath away, remember that you are the bride of Christ.

From the Pastor’s DeskFreedom“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1Memorial Day is set aside fo...
05/20/2026

From the Pastor’s Desk
Freedom

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Galatians 5:1

Memorial Day is set aside for honoring those who died while serving their country. Patriotic hymns are sung, speeches are given, and the sound of “Taps” is heard in cemeteries. When I was much younger, it mostly meant a day off from school and the unofficial start of summer. Now that I am older, I understand more of its deeper significance. One of the hymns we sing is “America the Beautiful.” This hymn has a very personal meaning for me, which at the risk of talking too much about myself, I would like to share. In 1999 my oldest son joined the US Army. He was a reservist, which meant he served one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. He was a sort of weekend warrior. All that changed on September 11, 2001. I can still remember hearing the news of the destruction of the Twin Towers on the radio, and the terrible chill that engulfed me. This is war, I thought, and my son will be called to go. The following Sunday our church choir sang “America the Beautiful” during the service. About halfway through the first verse, a woman in the congregation rose to her feet. By the end of the verse, every person in the sanctuary was standing. How we held it together to finish the song I don’t know. To this day, when I think of that moment, there is a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. And yes, my son was called to active duty. He was gone for 16 months, 12 of those months in Iraq. No more weekend warrior; he was the real deal. There were times, while he was gone, that I wondered what I would do if he did not come home. When I struggled with that, I remembered that God also knows what it feels like to see a beloved son go into enemy territory. Freedom has a price. We have our liberties because men and women were willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom. Jesus, too, put his life on the line so that we could be spiritually free. To say that freedom isn’t free sounds like a bumper sticker cliché, but anyone who has served will tell you it is not. So will their families. My son came home safe; not every military mom can say that. I get teary-eyed over “America the Beautiful” because it reminds me of the cost of freedom. “The Old Rugged Cross” will bring tears for the same reason; it reminds me that Jesus paid the price to liberate me from sin. Whether we are talking about political freedom or spiritual freedom, it comes with a price, and thank God for those who were willing to pay it. Memorial Day: Remember and Honor.

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!

05/17/2026

A Church That Cares
Message May 17
Text: 1 Timothy 5

From the Pastor’s DeskOrdinary PeopleWe always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…because we have heard of y...
05/13/2026

From the Pastor’s Desk
Ordinary People

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus…and we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way… Colossians 1:3, 4, 10
…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received… Philippians 4:1

Today I have been thinking about ordinary people whose examples of faith have helped to shape my life. They are people who are not rich, or famous, or glamorous. They’ve never won medals for heroism, made major advances in science or medicine, traveled to space, painted a masterpiece or composed a symphony. They are ordinary people who have lived a life worthy of the Gospel. They were not perfect; they were in process. But they modeled what it looks like to live a Jesus-centered life. There are many of them, men and women, but these three are on my mind today. Dawn was the first person to tell me the good news of Jesus Christ. I was eight years old the first time she shared her faith with me. I responded immediately. Unfortunately, my response was, why did you have to bring that up? For the next ten years this woman of God prayed for me, until I came to know the Jesus she knew and loved. Over the years, I was frequently struck by her practical faith and the grace she displayed in every area of her life. She had four children, cared for her aging parents, ministered alongside her husband, and worked as a surgical nurse. She drew on God for strength every day, but it was never a showy display. Walking and talking with Jesus was a natural part of every day, every moment. She was a spiritual mother to me. I wanted to be like her. Mary was another ordinary person who was extraordinary in the kingdom of heaven. We were mothers of young children (4 each) when we met and went through many of the joys and trials of motherhood on parallel tracks. Mary was a gifted teacher. I sat in her adult Sunday School classes thinking “if only I could do that…” She is one of the people who encouraged me to step out in faith and try it. It was one of the first steps on my journey to seminary. Later, she taught me Greek. We loved to discuss theology. She inspired me by her lifelong love of learning and her heartfelt love of Jesus Christ. Linda was a fairly young woman when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her doctors only gave her a few months to live, but God had different plans. God gave her nearly two years. Her example of faith, grace, and courage in her circumstances stays with me. She took care of her family and served her church. She lived out the apostle Paul’s words “for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” She faced her immanent death and continued to live her life until God took her home. Each one of these women was an ordinary person who loved and served an extraordinary God in an extraordinary way. Each one is now a citizen of heaven, part of the great cloud of witnesses, a saint who has gone before us. And each one has left behind a legacy that I am thankful for, the example of a life worthy of the Gospel.

05/10/2026

Valuable Training
Message May 10
Text: 1 Timothy 4

Plant SaleSaturday May 9, 11-3Florida Presbyterian ChurchBeautiful selection!
05/07/2026

Plant Sale
Saturday May 9, 11-3
Florida Presbyterian Church
Beautiful selection!

From the Pastor’s DeskA Mother’s MemoryCan a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child sh...
05/06/2026

From the Pastor’s Desk
A Mother’s Memory

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands… Isaiah 48:15-16

The other day I was driving on a nearby road. As I came around a bend, I automatically slowed down. There is a pond on one side of the road that is a favorite nesting place for Canada geese. They also like to graze on the other side of the road. Sure enough, as I came around the bend, a goose waddled out onto the road, followed by a whole procession. First the adult goose, then six babies in a line, then a second adult bringing up the rear. I braked and watched them until they all reached the safety of the other side. I smiled as the little ones crossed the road under the watchful eye of the parents. And it brought back so many memories of when my own brood was young. I remembered the awe and wonder I felt the first time I held my newborn twins. I remember thinking, now what? I don’t know what I’m doing, times two! I remember the sleepless nights and the busy days. I remember the joy of firsts: first steps, first words, first birthday. I remember the transitions as we went from two children, to three, to four. The drooping dandelions held in a chubby fist and proffered with a shining face. The first day of school. And as time went on, the first girlfriend, the first prom. The school concerts and plays. Graduations. They are all in the past now, and I am content to be in a different season of life. I don’t want to go back to those days, but I cherish the memories. Even when your children are grown and have families of their own, you don’t stop being a mother. There is something about the bond between a mother and child that is unique. The Bible most often portrays God as Father when using a parent-child relationship to illustrate our relationship with God. But the prophet Isaiah includes a tender illustration of a nursing mother to show God’s compassionate, and passionate, love. Even if that mother forgets her child, God will never forget you. God says: “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Like a big heart-shaped tattoo with your name on it, right there in front where God will always see it. As if God could forget. And when the Risen Jesus appeared to his disciples and they doubted their own eyes, did he not invite them to see the marks on his palms, the nail-scars of divine redeeming love? Children need love to thrive, and God assures you that you always have his. God loves you tenderly and protectively, like a mother. God watches over you as you make your way on your life’s journey, going before you and behind you, like the watchful geese. God never forgets that you are his child.

This Saturday!
05/06/2026

This Saturday!

Mother's Day Plant SaleSaturday May 9, 11-3Florida Presbyterian ChurchGreat gift for Mom
05/05/2026

Mother's Day Plant Sale
Saturday May 9, 11-3
Florida Presbyterian Church
Great gift for Mom

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