The Reformed Church of New Paltz

92 Huguenot Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
ph: 845-255-6340
ReformedChurchofNewPaltz@verizon.net

Pastor's Page

Dear Friends in Christ,

Welcome to The Reformed Church of New Paltz where our doors are open wide to everyone, and our hearts shut to no one seeking to find a safe place for spiritual life, growth and fellowship.

What visitors usually notice first about The Reformed Church of New Paltz is the the tender presence of God in our worship gatherings. These times are marked with joyful worship, warm fellowship and relevant teachings from His Word - a combination that touches the heart and lifts the soul.

A closer look will prove that you are surrounded by people just like you - people that are filled with hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, strengths and weaknesses. The common thread being that we all are committed to growing stronger and wiser through it all. Together we are working to become like the church we believe Jesus wants us to be. Our goal is to provide an atmosphere of loving acceptance, where people can grow spiritually through vibrant worship, honest friendships, a caring fellowship, constant prayer and compassionate concern for the world.

So whether you are a spiritual seeker just beginning your walk toward God, or a committed believer continuing your walk with Him, you can find a home at The Reformed Church of New Paltz.

Please join us as we commit our lives in prayer, lift our hearts in worship and extend our hands to serve in His name.

God Bless You,

The Rev. Howard Major

Messages from Howard

9/22/12: A Modern Parable

I recently read a N.Y. Times obit for Mannu Lasliwal, "Jeweler for the Elite", who died on August 23. According to Times, "Mr. Kasliwal's baubles were collected by European royals. Itialian designers, Arab sheiks, interenational society queens and the merely moneyed..." (Nicole Kidman too).

Apparently "Mr. Kasliwal reveled in sleuth work, pursuing great stones at international salesrooms and gem fairs as well as in the now depleted treasuries of princely families...

Once, in pursuit of an old gem from the mines of Golconda, he drove through the deeply potholed roads of the impoverished state of Bihar, risking automotive disastor and highway robber... When at last he arrived and the palm sized gem was produced from a dirty old cloth, it was a dull disappointment. 'It looked like a hunk of glass, " Mr. Kasliwal said.

Experience and instinct guided him to take the diamond outdoors, where by the rays of the setting sun, the subtly faceted old stone revealed itself."

"That is why people shouldn't hide their jewels away in vaults or save them for special occasions," he said. Having been freed from the grasp of the earth, he explained, "gems only come alive in the light."

As Jesus said, "Don't hide your light under a bushel." More than once he also warned us not to judge by first impressions. And finally, isn't it true that we too only come alive in the light of Christ?

Why Reformed?

Howard's Poem of the Week

"Our church is not static stone or brick but the living, breathing Body of Christ that is ever changing and ever growing."

- Reverend Howard B Major III

www.reformedchurchofnewpaltz.org

92 Huguenot Street
New Paltz, NY 12561
ph: 845-255-6340
ReformedChurchofNewPaltz@verizon.net