May 2022
May is already here! Another PW year is coming to a close. It has been an honor to serve this group as Moderator these past two years. Even though we faced Pandemic challenges, we pulled together and never stopped our mission of Service to others. I thank each of you for your dedication to Presbyterian Women on all levels. With your ongoing support of this group, there is no limit to the effect we will have on the greater good. I wish each of you a wonderful Summer and hope to see you next year in PW’s. To God be the glory!
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corner:
May 2022 – Capping off the year!
This has been a year of studying the women whom Matthew named in Jesus’ genealogy. Obviously, that’s not all the women in his ancestral line. Every man listed had a mom. We just don’t know most of their names. Matthew didn’t include some whose names we do know.
Why did Matthew list the ones he did? We can only speculate on the reasons. Possibly it’s because they were unique; mostly not Jewish women who were already “in the family”, so to speak. They were either outsiders or women who came into the line in an unusual way. Some were Gentile, who was supposed to be excluded by Law. God brought them in any way. All were sinners, as we are. They probably weren’t much different in that respect from all the unnamed women in the lineage. The men, too, were sinners. If we read the Old Testament, we find that most of the kings in Jesus’ ancestry were very poor excuses for kings and the other men weren’t any better.
What can we glean from this? Jesus came from his throne on high to join an ordinary family of human sinners, although he was totally different and free of sin. He emphasized that he came to save sinners and he did. He was also very interested in and respectful of women. As a young child, he probably heard the stories of these women and might have thought about some of them when he was healing or forgiving women during his ministry.
I want to add another woman to the mix: Sarah, wife of Abraham and mother of Israel. God had tried to re-set the world of wicked humans a couple of times already, but Satan was just too active, and the people weren’t ready to change. This time, God determined to create a new line of people who would be the light of his gospel for the rest of the world. He chose Abraham and Sarah, a random couple, to be the beginning of this line. Sarah believed in the unknown voice Abraham said he heard and cooperated as they transitioned from wealthy city dwellers to nomads along with their family and their servants.
Although Sarah wasn’t present when God made his promises to Abraham, she believed them except for one. God repeatedly promised that their descendants would be more than the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the earth. How could she believe that when it hadn’t happened by the time she was in her 80s? She made a mistake that changed the course of history when she forced her maid, Hagar, to become a wife to Abraham and they had a son, Ishmael. This drove a wedge between Sarah and Hagar to the point that Sarah threw Hagar out of the household. God, however, found her and brought her back, which probably caused many uncomfortable situations between them.
The time finally came, when Sarah was 90 years old, that God gave them a son, Isaac, through which Jesus’ ancestral line was carried on. New Testament writers call Sarah a model wife and a mother of faith.
Moving down several generations, we come to Tamar, who probably had no choice about who she married. She ended up w/ Abraham’s great-great-grandson who turned out to be a low-life if ever there was one. He was so wicked that God caused him to die an early death, leaving Tamar a widow w/ no children. The Law said his brother was to marry her so as to give the dead husband an heir. Son #2 was unhappy w/ the idea of sharing the inheritance, so he died, too, leaving Tamar w/ more childless shame. Judah, his father, through whom God planned for Jesus’ lineage to come, was totally disinterested in giving the 3rd son to Tamar or even acknowledging her shame. Years passed during which she was acutely aware that she was supposed to marry into that family and produce an heir. She finally resorted to disguising herself as a prostitute and tricking Judah in order to produce a pregnancy that yielded twin boys. Without her, God would have found a way, but he chose her courage as the way to continue Jesus’ ancestral line.
Some generations on, it was time for the Israelites to finally enter the Promised Land. Joshua, the leader, sent 2 spies to check out the land before they entered. The men entered the town as unobtrusively as possible and went to see a prostitute, thinking it wouldn’t arouse suspicion, but it did.
Rahab, the prostitute, declared that she’d heard from travelers about the God of the Israelites, and she believed. She hid the men when the townspeople came looking for them and then sent them out with their promise that she and her family would be saved during the invasion. She hung a scarlet cord in her window so they would be able to find her. It must have been difficult for her and her family to wait through those days when the Israelites were marching around the city but wait they did. As a result, they were the only ones saved and brought into the Israelites’ camp.
Rahab was clearly a Gentile outsider, but on her marriage to Salmon, she was accepted as an Israelite. This was unusual because God had decreed that non-Jews shouldn’t be married to the Jews because they would probably lead them to idolatry. Rahab had probably once believed in idols, but not now. She was clearly a believer in the One True God.
Rahab became the mother-in-law of the next woman we studied, Ruth, also a Gentile but from the enemy country of Moab. Ruth was also an idolater but married into the family of Naomi, a practicing Jew living in Moab. Naomi’s witness must have had quite an effect on her. After both of Naomi’s sons died, Naomi asked the daughters-in-law to go back to their own families, but Ruth modeled the outrageous love of God when she declared that she would always be with Naomi as part of her family and would always worship her God.
The women walked from Moab to Israel where Ruth, from an enemy race, didn’t expect to be accepted at all. However, she earned a good reputation by working hard and caring for Naomi, which gained the respect of a wealthy landowner who just happened to be in the line of Jesus’ ancestors, Boaz. Boaz was willing to take a Gentile woman from an enemy country as his wife based on what he knew of both Ruth and Naomi. Their child is carried on the line through both Naomi and Boaz. Ruth was King David’s grandmother.
Finally, we get to Bathsheba, the wife of one of David’s best generals, a Gentile. She was indiscrete in bathing in public and David was sinful in both not being at the front with his men, and in watching her bathing. That resulted in his taking her into his bed. When she became pregnant, he tried several cover-ups which ultimately resulted in the murder of her husband. David married Bathsheba but the child in question died. Later, Solomon, who became the wealthiest and most powerful king Israel ever had, was born to them followed by other children. Bathsheba became a good wife and mother, but this was the beginning of the downfall of King David’s reign.
Finally, we studied Mary, the mother of Jesus, a poor, illiterate, Jewish teenager, who was willing and courageous when an angel told her that she would bear God’s son. She understood the risks of the pregnancy of a single, betrothed girl, but was willing to obey. She bore the child in a cave w/ only Joseph to assist her and raised him in a way that pleased God. When he became an adult, she often attended his events or traveled with him. As part of the group of women who were the last disciples at the cross, she grieved silently as she watched his torture and crucifixion. Then, in the first group to witness the resurrection, she rejoiced. She was often integral to the work of the early church, showing how far she had come.
So, what have we learned from this unlikely mix of women? Think about it and formulate your own answers. They don’t have to match mine. For me, first, they are all ordinary women, who at first glance, had little reason to expect to become ancestors of Jesus. This should give us hope as ordinary women that we are also important to God and have unique talents to share. Finally, women can be and are a lot more courageous than they are often given credit for.
Extra verses:
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name (Luke 1:46-49)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(Galatians 3:28).
Message from Meg:
Please mark your calendars for the 14th of May, for the Spring Workshops presented by the C. T. of the
Grace Presbytery P.W. it will be at First Presbyterian in Tyler with lots of fellowship and interesting information
about the 2022/2023 Bible Study about Keeping Sabbath, there will be workshops for Officers, Moderator,
Treasurer, and Mission. We will enjoy being with P.W. from across the Presbytery and gain much knowledge
about what other groups are doing, and how they have survived this pandemic. We will have lunch with them,
and visit many displays from PCAHS, Evergreen, etc.
Paula has included the flyer about the Synod Women’s Gathering in New Orleans coming up in July, this is
the opportunity to meet even more P.W. from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and of course Texas. The writer
The Bible Study will lead a workshop on Keeping Sabbath, and we will have the opportunity to ask her questions
etc. Also, I have been assured there will be plenty of free time to explore New Orleans, with at least one guided
tour of the Garden District, as that is where this event takes place. Also, scholarships are available to help cover
the costs of the event. Gather a group together and carpool, enjoying the fellowship on the way.
In His Service,
Meg
Also from Meg, we are looking forward to the next two years’ PW studies:
2022/2023 Study: Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight
2023/2024 Study: Sacred Encounters: The Power and Presence of Jesus Christ in Luke-Acts.
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Don’t forget!!! May 14th is the Spring Workshop at First Presbyterian Church in Tyler. We are hoping to get a group together and go to represent FPC Mesquite within the larger group of Grace Presbytery. The Grace Coordinating Team met on our campus in February and has some wonderful plans for this Presbytery-wide event. If you are interested in attending, please contact Paula or Meg for more information.
Also attached is a flyer on the PW Synod Gathering this July in New Orleans, LA. This looks like an outstanding event with fun, fellowship, and a little learning, too! If interested, please see Meg for more information.
Mission Update:
It’s not too early to start thinking about Mission Projects for next year. If you have any ideas, please share them with Barbara Follansbee.
Many of you remember Dianne Pennington, the representative from PCHAS that spoke at the joint dinner meeting in April. She has asked for our participation in a project for the single moms of the Waxahachie PCHAS campus. We are providing small potted plants, decorated plant stakes, and nametags for table décor at a dinner she is hosting for single moms. Morning Circle will pot the plants on Tuesday, May 3rd and Dianne will stop by the church to get them. She was extremely appreciative of all our efforts. Just another example of what a blessing it is to be a blessing to others!
| Share your servant’s heart with others…. Pray for all summer camps and conferences, that they will bless their attendees with fun and fellowship, while also strengthening their faith journey. Pray that all those in leadership positions are led by God to be an example to the campers who are so excited to be involved. |
Dates to Remember:
May 3- Morning (9:30 am) and Evening (7:00 pm) Circles gather at FPC
May 8- Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast 9:30-10:30 and Confirmation (11:00 service)
May 10- 10:00 am- Coordinating Teams (outgoing and incoming) meet at FPC for a planning session for next year
May 14- Church Garage Sale 7:00am-3:00pm
May 30- Memorial Day– THANK YOU, VETERANS!!!
Monthly Care Teams:
May- Paula Kusewitt and Dr. Carol Stephenson
June- Paula Kusewitt and Jan Fort
DON’T FORGET…..
THE CHALLENGE continues! We are still collecting canned goods and non-perishable items for Sharing Life. All donations can be dropped off at church and will be tallied each month.
A Treasured Tidbit….
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small.
All things wise and wonderful, our Lord God made them all.”
-“All Things Bright and Beautiful,” The Hymnbook, #456
“The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.”
-St. Theresa of Lisieux
“All that I ever am and hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.”
-Abraham Lincoln
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!
