JANUARY 2022
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe we are starting 2022 already. My parents always said that the years fly by as you get older, and now I totally understand what they meant. With this new year comes hope for health, peace and many blessings among all of us and those we love. May we look forward to new experiences and happy memories to come, with the assurance that God is by our side every step of the way! Happy, safe and healthy 2022 to all of you!
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corner:
Carol’s Corner, January, 2022. The story of Ruth, continued.
Last month, we met Ruth, a young widow from Moab, an enemy country of Israel (and God). When her mother-in-law, Naomi, wanted to walk home to Israel to find food, Ruth renounced everything in her life and pledged herself to Naomi and her God, Yahweh. Ruth expected to always be a rejected outsider in Israel, but she was courageously sticking with Naomi anyway, demonstrating “Hesed” or magnificent loving kindness.
Once in Israel, they were still destitute, so Ruth worked hard, gleaning in the fields, to provide them with enough to eat. God led her to the fields of Boaz, who happened to be a godly kinsman of Naomi. By the end of the 6 weeks of harvest, Naomi had a plan. She realized, even though Boaz apparently didn’t, that he was the head of the family and could be a kinsman-Redeemer for both her and Ruth.
Boaz had noticed Ruth but apparently didn’t think he was marriage material. He needed a little prodding. Naomi made a plan which was bold, but not immoral. Ruth would be bathed, perfumed, and beautiful, far different from when she was in the fields. On the last night of harvest, after the men had a great festival on the threshing floor, she would make her move.
The threshing floor was a flattened earth circle, about 50 feet in diameter, where the men threshed the grain and separated it from the chaff (hulls). After they finished work that last night and celebrated, they slept in a ring around the floor so that no one would steal the grain. It was very dark. Any flame could have ignited the grain.
Ruth waited until they slept and then courageously tiptoed among them until she found Boaz. Following Naomi’s instructions, she lifted the corner of his cloak (used as a blanket) and crept in beside his feet. This was an acceptable way for a woman to claim a man when there was no one to negotiate the marriage. When Boaz realized she was there, he was deliriously happy. Of course, he would cover her with his cloak and redeem her! He would purchase Naomi’s land and marry Ruth in a levitrate marriage so as to prevent her dead husband’s name from being wiped out.
There was a problem though. He knew of a man who was technically a closer relative and who should have the right of first refusal. Before dawn the next morning, he sent Ruth away and as soon as he could, he went home and dressed in his best robes.
He hurried to the town gate. This is where the town elders held court or served as witnesses or whatever was needed. It was so central in the town that he knew if he waited, the relative would eventually show up, which he did. Then they got down to business.
Boaz stuck to his plan. He mentioned Naomi and that her land had been sold when her husband was penniless. Now, she wanted it back but had no money. The relative could buy (redeem) it for her as Kinsman-Redeemer. That sounded good to the relative. He was happy to do it for Naomi even though he would have to support her, an aging widow with no children. Eventually, the land would be his.
“But, wait, there’s more,” said Boaz. “A Moabite woman, Ruth, comes with this land. If you take the land, the law says you must also marry her in order to carry on her dead husband’s name and produce a child to be his heir.” Now, the relative had 2nd thoughts. Perhaps he was already married, or worried because the land he bought would be inherited by Ruth’s child instead of his children, or whatever. “No, I won’t do it. You can have it all. I’m walking away.”
That was just what Boaz wanted. They sealed the bargain by the relative giving Boaz his sandal as was customary. The man limped away w/ only one sandal on his feet.
As townspeople were rushing to tell Naomi and Ruth what had happened, Boaz was proclaiming to everyone around that they were witnesses: the land would now be his (and Naomi’s) and Ruth would be his wife. In the marriage transaction, Ruth also became an adopted Israelite.
When Ruth and Naomi arrived, there were congratulations all around and blessings from the elders and the townspeople. Ruth was no longer a Moabite or a destitute widow. Naomi would also always be taken care of and she would have her land back.
It wasn’t long before a baby boy, Obed, was born. This is the only occasion found in the Bible that the women of the town named the baby. His name means “servant” or “obedient” or “worshiper”, all terms which will, centuries later describe Christ. Their blessings related Ruth to other Old Testament mothers: Leah, Rachel, and Tamar, mother of Perez. Ruth was one of the group now, although she had been a very unlikely candidate for Jesus’ ancestor. Eventually, she became the grandmother of David.
The genealogy at the end of the chapter is the only place in the Old Testament where Christ is linked directly to David. We saw last month that this story is also the place where Bethlehem, which would eventually become the birthplace of Christ, is introduced. Centuries later, and 600 years before Christ, when the Israelites were being pummeled by the Babylonians, the prophet, Micah, makes a startling, nearly incomprehensible promise. A Savior would come out of one of the smallest, weakest cities in the land.
Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.”
The story of Ruth is included in the Bible for many reasons, two of which were just mentioned. It also is the place where the lavish loving kindness of God (Hesed) and the term, “go’el”, or “Kinsman-Redeemer (God and Christ)” are visualized for the people of the time and for us.
Extra Verses:
The Hebrew Bible places the Book of Ruth right after Proverbs because Ruth is believed to be the illustration of Proverbs 31: 10-31, “The Wife of Noble Character”. Read this passage and compare the entire description with what we now know of Ruth. We can never live up to the description, but we can do our best as Christians.
Proverbs 29b-31:
“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
Message from Meg:
I trust all are well and survived the Christmas calorie avalanche.
I received a thank you Christmas card from the Itasca Children’s Home and
Services for the over $400.00 in gift cards we gave at our Christmas
Gathering at my home in December. I will post it to the P.W. Bulletin
Board.
Also, winter is the best time to make plans for all the offerings by P.W. at
the local, Presbytery, and Synod levels this summer. On the Presbytery
level, we as planning Spring Workshops in May at First Presbyterian Belton and then
at First Presbyterian Tyler, we will have Officer training, along with a fun craft, and lots
of Mission ideas and displays, along with Great Fellowship and information. Not to forget
the overview of the 2022/2023 Horizons Bible Study on Finding Sabbath.
At the Synod level, the Synod wide Gathering will be in New Orleans this Summer,
where there will be an overview of the 2022/2023 Bible Study by the author, along with
workshops on various topics of interest to P.W. There will be scholarships available
on many levels, and the Law School at Loyola will be opened for us to stay in their
dorms for 2 nights at least for $50.00 each night, and the Women from St. Charles Avenue,
will bring us breakfast each morning. Meals for other times will be at St. Charles Avenue
Presbyterian Church, where we will study, pray, fellowship and enjoy being P.W.’s together.
Check out future posts on Paula’s newsletter in future months. I continue to pray for
all my Sisters in Christ and their families, may we continue to grow in wisdom in knowledge
of Christ and be known for our Love.
In His Name,
Meg GarverHamilton
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Hard to believe, but we are about halfway through our year in Presbyterian Women. It’s not too early to start thinking of Mission Ideas and Projects for next year. Please share any ideas with any member of our Coordinating Team!
Mission Update:
Happy New Year to all of you.
Our project for January is to fill and deliver Hope in a Box to the Hope Supply Company in Dallas.
I’m thinking if we can get a total of 25 filled boxes that would make a nice donation. I’ve attached a copy of their request for supplies to be put in the box.
I’m waiting to hear from Hope Supply to verify the delivery date of Tuesday, Jan 18th is good for them. If so, let’s leave FPC at 10:00. We will need drivers, depending on how many can go.
After delivery, let’s do lunch. Any suggestions as to where will be appreciated.
If you have boxes that are already stuffed, please bring them to the Jan meeting. We have some donated supplies to put in boxes, so if you can stay after the meeting, we can assemble those supplies into plastic shoe boxes.
Thank you all for your help, and may God bless you and yours in 2022.
Barbara
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. Pray for the leadership of our church, both Deacons and Session, along with our church staff. Pray that they will first be led by God, and then lead us in the way He would have us to go in 2022.
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Dates to Remember
Sunday School continues! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting until Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately. All are hoping that the construction is finished soon and we can enjoy clean, updated, DRY classrooms!
January 2- Sunday School at 9:45, ONE worship service at 11:00 (Ordination and Installation of Officers)
January 4- 9:30- PW Morning Circle, 7:00- PW Evening Circle
January 9- back to TWO Worship services with Sunday School at 9:45, Communion at both services
January 12- Service of Healing and Wholeness at 6:30
January 15- Officer Training 9:00-12:00
January 18- PW meet at church at 10:00 to deliver to Hope Supply Co. with lunch afterwards
Monthly Care Teams:
January- Susan Farmer and Susan Scholl
February- Diane Beal and Ann Smith
DON’T FORGET…..
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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.
It’s not too late to purchase a guide for this year’s PW Study! The cost is $11.00- please contact Jan Fort if you’re interested. Paula is happy to make any home deliveries if necessary!
A Treasured Tidbit….
“To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24, Sacred Holidays by Becky Kiser
“God of the coming years, through paths unknown, We follow Thee.
When we are strong, Lord leave us not alone; Our refuge be.
Be Thou for us in life our Daily Bread,
Our heart’s true Home when all our years have sped.“
-“God of Our Life, Through All the Circling Years,” The Hymnbook, #108
What snack should you never eat on New Year’s Eve?
–FIREcrackers!
Where did the math teacher hang out on New Year’s Eve?
–Times Square!
Happy New Year!
DECEMBER 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Advent is upon us! Every season has its own special meaning and beauty, but it seems that this Advent, in particular, brings a magnified sense of hope to us all. What a gift God gave to us when He gave His son- the miracle of Christmas gives each one of us the hope of a better tomorrow. Each one of you blesses others each and every day by your example, your prayers, your love, and your friendship. I wish you and yours a blessed Advent season- May you share this precious time with those you love the most.
Love to you all!
Paula
December 7th Circle Meetings Announcements:
Morning Circle- We will meet at 9:30 in the Sanctuary of FPC. We have decided to bring a new, unwrapped toy for a child or a gift for a teenager at Sharing Life. They will be dropped off after our meeting. We will not have our typical potluck meal this year- but don’t be surprised if there is a little bit of Christmas Cheer included in our meeting!
Evening Circle- you will be meeting at Meg’s home, 7:00 pm, and bringing Walmart gift cards for the children of the Itasca PCHAS campus, so that they can do some shopping on their own. More information can be found in Meg’s column below.
We are looking forward to gathering together- all are welcome to attend one or both of these festive gatherings!
Carol’s Corner:
Carol’s Corner, Ruth, Chapters 1 and 2
As we read the book of Ruth, which is about ordinary women, we will see that it’s most importantly about God’s grace even though God is never mentioned, and about love and loyalty even though these are not clearly labeled.
The story is about a family who lived in the time of the Book of Judges, about 1100 years before Christ, give or take. The Israelites had been led out of slavery in Egypt, spent 40 years wandering in the desert, and were then led into the Promised Land, “the land of milk and honey”, by Joshua. For the duration of his life, about 40 years, they managed to obey God and life was peaceful. Unfortunately, they didn’t spend that time teaching their children to worship and obey God. As a result, after Joshua died, the land descended into sin and idolatry. It was a terrible, brutal time, broken only occasionally by the rise of judges who tried to lead them to do right, but it never worked.
Finally, when God could stand it no more, He sent a famine to reduce the Israelites to a point that they would call on Him. The land became a stark contrast to the “land of milk and honey” or to the previous town of Bethlehem, which was known as the “city of bread” because it furnished so much of the grain for the country. There was no more bread, and the people were starving. This, by the way, is the first mention of Bethlehem in the Bible.
There were some believers left, including the family of this story who lived in Bethlehem. There were probably others who were faithful as well. This family was headed by Elimelech, who along with his wife, Naomi, had 2 young sons. Elimelech’s name meant “my God is King” but he was so desperate that he felt that he had to take it on himself to save his family rather than relying on his King. He and his family left their home and traveled to the land of Moab, which was the country next door, instead of calling on God. Going to Moab was against God’s rules and was considered to be a great sin. It just wasn’t done. The trip was representative of Elimelech’s spiritual slide.
If we thought the people of Israel were misbehaving, the people of Moab were much, much worse. Besides their idol worship and child sacrifice, they had treated the Israelites badly in the desert and enticed them to participate in their abhorrent practices. It was so bad that Moses declared that no one from Moab could ever enter the worship places of the Israelites. Never! They were generally barred from Israel as well.
Even though Moab wasn’t a land of plenty, Elimelech thought there might be enough food to sustain them. As the years passed, he died, leaving his wife, Naomi, to raise her sons. They grew to marrying age (probably late teens) and married local girls. Naomi must have been feeling really desperate to allow that since it was directly against the Lord’s orders.
After they had been in Moab for about 10 years total, the sons died. Now, Naomi and her daughters-in-law were three widows together without a man to protect or provide for them. They were miserable, hungry, and desperate.
Like the Prodigal Son, Naomi came to her senses and realized she was in the wrong place, both physically and spiritually. She heard that God was again blessing Israel with food, so she decided to travel (walk) back to Bethlehem. Apparently, since they were a family unit, Naomi took the young woman with her on the journey.
After she had walked for several hours or a day, Naomi realized she was taking the girls to a land where they would be viewed as enemy outsiders. There would be no possibility of marriage or children and they would still be destitute. She told the girls how much she had grown to love them and asked them to go home and try to reunite with their families, their culture, their gods; and to hopefully gain husbands. She was using the ancient concept of Hesed….” may God give you Hesed” or “full, deep kindness and take care of you.” This concept is a recurring theme of the chapter.
After some debate and weeping, one of the young women, Orpah, made the logical choice and went home. The other, Ruth, refused. She declared her love for Naomi and gave one of the beautiful statements of love that’s ever been made. Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Naomi’s life must have been a powerful witness to Ruth. She was vowing to shatter the national and cultural gap between them, that they would journey together, live together, and become one family, even to the point of being buried together. She would give up her pagan gods and worship Naomi’s God. This was a giant leap of faith in every respect. She finished up with a curse on herself if she should ever break her pledge. She wasn’t ignorant of the fact that she would be considered an enemy outsider and unwelcome in Israel, but she loved Naomi enough to change her life completely and accept any hardship that came with the decision. She would never be able to go back to Moab.
They walked until they came to Naomi’s old hometown of Bethlehem. She and her husband had been prominent community members and landowners, so people knew who she was. Their arrival started the gossip rolling and people rushed to see her. Instead of the delightful old Naomi, they found a woman who was broken and bitter and even renamed herself as Mara (“bitter”). She said that she felt like a victim, that God was out to get her. Shocking! They hardly noticed her traveling companion, whose identity at that point was limited to “the person who accompanied Naomi.”
Once there, the women had no one to provide for them. Naomi was dependent on Ruth so she took on the lowest and most difficult thing that she could do during the harvest season: go into the fields to glean. Back in Leviticus, God had ordered that landowners leave grain around the edges of the fields and not go back to pick up dropped grain, so that poor people could do the back-breaking work of picking up the dropped grain or threshing it off the stalks. The work would provide food during the harvest season and a little to store for later.
The next morning, Ruth summoned her courage, went to a field, and asked the overseer for permission to glean. Even though she was obviously a foreigner, he gave permission. Then he watched as she worked and worked. He was impressed.
Later on, the field’s owner, Boaz, came to visit. He inquired as to who she was and when the overseer discussed what a great worker she was, he realized that he had heard about his relative (probably aunt or cousin) bringing home a young woman from Moab. He might have been impressed by her work ethic, or the fact that she was caring for Naomi, or felt some obligation because she was a very distant relative, or just because God’s grace was leading. He went out of his way, which was quite unusual in the land where everyone had forgotten to behave themselves. He made her welcome, asked her to share their lunch and to help herself to the worker’s water. He ordered his workers to leave her alone and not to harm her. He asked her to stay with his workers for the rest of the harvest season which would be several weeks and made sure she had extra grain to take home.
Naomi was overjoyed when she saw how much grain that Ruth brought home that day. She was even happier when Ruth told her in whose field she had been. Naomi told Ruth of the family relationship and assured her that Boaz was known to be a godly man. Naomi said that Ruth should continue to work in his fields. Meanwhile, the wheels in her head were turning….Boaz was a bachelor, a kinsman….perhaps .he could be the one who saved them both……
Stay tuned for the rest of the story next month.
Message from Meg:
We are in the Advent Season and are preparing ourselves and our homes for the much
awaited for birth of the Savior. There is much to be done, BUT, we must remember that the Babe that we are getting ready to celebrate is the reason for our Joy and Hope.
It is with much pleasure that I share with you the good news, the Presbyterian Women of Grace Presbytery shared with Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services, Synod of the Sun Gathering coming in July 2022, and the Haiti Education Foundation the results of the giving of the P.W. in the Churches in the Presbytery that kept their commitment to the larger Church and made it possible to give PCHS $5000.00, Set up scholarship funds to help send 20 women to the Synod Gathering in 2022 ($2300.00) and then sent $2700.00 to help support 35 schools in the mountains of southern Haiti to educate the girls, who otherwise are in danger of the sex trafficking trade. This is just an example of the kind of mission work P.W. all over this country take part in each and every year. The need is great, and we do our best to fill holes when and where we can.
I pray that each one of you is able to be part of the Bible Study this year 2021/2022 about the women in Jesus’s lineage. There are some very interesting and determined gals that showed the love of God to their neighbors, and a lot of them were not even good Hebrew women. This Spring there are plans in the works to have our Spring Workshops with Officer training, Mission information, and a fun craft, along with an overview of the 2022/2023 Bible Study, I do hope you will
watch this space for more information and plan on attending one of them, they will be in Tyler and Belton in May.
The Evening Circle will have a Christmas gathering at 2022 Shady Oaks Circle, Terrell, TX., 75160 on the 7th of December at 7:00 P.M., where we will gather the gift cards to be given the PCHAS in Itasca for the kids to do some shopping on their own. We will share Christmas stories and remind ourselves of all the blessings we have. All are welcome.
Please remember that you are a Beloved Child of God, and a Sister to Jesus, as God adopted you when you made your confession of faith. He and a lot of others are praying for and with you, and I am one of them.
Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Mary Sullivan fell recently and is temporarily at Edgewood Nursing Home here in Mesquite for some rehabilitation. We will send updates as received, but right now cards, prayers, and texts will be appreciated. She would love to hear from you!
Mary Sullivan (972) 288-8800 catladysully@gmail.com
Edgewood Nursing Home
1101 Windbell Lane
Mesquite, TX 75149
Mission Update:
We continue to participate in the Hygiene/Birthday Boxes of Hope Project. We will continue to collect these through our January 4th meeting. We will plan a field trip to drop off our filled Boxes of Hope later that month. Please call Barbara Follansbee if you have any questions!
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. Send a Christmas Card to a member of the L.I.F.E. Youth group that you haven’t seen at church in a while. Be a “Secret Santa!” Leave a handwritten card, Christmas treat or just do a simple favor for a neighbor in need. |
Dates to Remember
Sunday School continues! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting until Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School, and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately. All are hoping that the construction is finished soon and we can enjoy clean, updated, DRY classrooms!
December 5- Communion at both services
2nd Sunday of Advent: PEACE
December 7- Morning and Evening Circle meetings
December 12- 3rd Sunday of Advent: LOVE
5:00- Children’s Christmas Pageant
December 19- 4th Sunday of Advent: JOY
December 24th– Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at 5:00 and 7:00
December 26- 9:45- Sunday School,
11:00- ONE WORSHIP SERVICE
*The church office will have abbreviated hours from Dec 27 through Dec 31, so please call first to take care of any church business you may have
Monthly Care Teams:
December- Sarah Kitchens and Beverlee Witty
January- Susan Farmer and Susan Scholl
DON’T FORGET…..
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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.
It’s not too late to purchase a guide for this year’s PW Study! The cost is $11.00- please contact Jan Fort if you’re interested. Paula is happy to make any home deliveries if necessary!
A Treasured Tidbit…
“For unto us a child is born, to us, a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
- Isaiah 9:6
“Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, For His bed a cattle stall;
Oxen lowing, Little knowing, Christ the Babe is Lord of All.
Swift are winging Angels singing, Noels ringing,
Tidings bringing: Christ the Babe is Lord of all.”
- The Hymnbook, # 164
“Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”
- The Polar Expres
“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
-It’s A Wonderful Life
What did one Christmas Tree say to the other?
Lighten up!
Merry Christmas!
NOVEMBER 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
November is already upon us, which means the holidays will be here soon. In ways this year has been similar to last, with the Pandemic still in place and issues still at hand that go with it. I have to believe that this will end at some point, but it’s not within my realm of understanding to know when. What I do know without a doubt, is that God has never left our side. He is constant, He is present, He is worthy to be praised. People might be on different sides of issues and there may still be conflicts, but we know God is bigger than all of us and will see us through these tough times. Reflect on your many blessings this Thanksgiving and know that before all of them, God is the greatest.
Happy Thanksgiving-
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corne r:
November 2021, “Rahab”
Our series on Bible women, specifically the ancestors of Jesus, continues this month with a study of Rahab. Many of us have heard of her, how she was a prostitute in Jericho at the time when Joshua and the band of Hebrews were ready to conquer it as the Promised Land. Did you know that she was considered to be one of the 4 most beautiful women in the land? That probably didn’t get her any respect from the other women, nor did her profession.
Moses had sent spies into Jericho 40 years before. Most found it to be a good and fruitful land, but they were afraid of the people who lived there. Only 2 spies believed God when He promised that they could conquer the land. The Hebrews mutinied and as a result, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert while that generation died off, their children grew up, and only the 2 believing spies and Moses remained. Moses got to look over at the land from a mountaintop and then he died.
Now, Joshua, one of the original spies, is in charge. He sends 2 spies to check out the large walled city, but they will report only to him. It’s no challenge to get into the city…just walk in through the gates with all the other daily visitors.
However, there’s a problem. The people of Jericho have been hearing about the band of Israelites for years from travelers. They know the entire history from the time God led them out of Egypt, across the Red Sea on dry land, fought their battles for them, fed them, and all about the Promised Land, the very land where they live right now. They are on high alert, and they are frightened. They believe their city is secure, but they aren’t taking any chances.
From outside, the city does look secure. There are 2 massive walls, about 15 feet, apart with huge gates that can be securely closed for protection. The walls are connected by frequent crossbeams of heavy timber on which are built houses, watchtowers, and shelters from which archers can shoot their arrows at any enemy who approaches. The houses are probably the low-rent district as the wealthy would have had nice houses in the center of town.
One of those houses was occupied by Rahab, a prostitute. She wouldn’t have stood out in the pagan city, although she probably wasn’t respected by the “elite”. There were lots of prostitutes, both the garden-variety kind like her and the more elite shrine prostitutes. At any rate, she had a good business and supported her family who lived elsewhere. Since many men came to her door, a few more shouldn’t have stood out.
When the 2 spies had swam the river and walked to the city, they were able to get a quick look-around before they were spotted. Where to hide? There was one type of place where men could go and be received even though they were strangers: a prostitute’s house. Possibly they asked around and were referred to Rahab.
Even that wasn’t safe. Rahab opened her door and quickly understood that these weren’t her usual customers. Just as they were having a quiet conversation and developing trust, there was a pounding on the door. The king’s men were hard on the trail of the 2 men. They had been directed to Rahab.
She thought fast, sending the men out through her window and onto her roof. This may not have been the first time she hid customers that way: from angry wives, or political figures who were hiding, and the like.
The king’s men stormed in, aggressively searching her house. “Where are they?”, they demanded. “We know they came here”.
Rahab looked as innocent as she could. It probably wasn’t the first time she had lied for her customers. “Yes, 2 strange men did stop by, but they didn’t stay. I think they said they were leaving the city. If you hurry, you might be able to catch up with them.”
The king’s men quickly left and gathered a search party to pursue the men wherever they might have gone. Meanwhile, Rahab peeked out of her window to see where the men were and found them hiding under the flax she was drying on her roof. Apparently she had a side business in flax which would then be woven into cloth.
The men came in and quietly, they and Rahab got to know each other. She revealed that yes, she had heard all about the Hebrews and what their God had done for them and she believed it. This god was far different than the pagan gods of Jericho who were just statuettes and no more. She declared firmly that Yahweh was the real God. All she asked was that she and her family be saved when the Hebrews came as she knew they would. The agreed that her house would be marked by a crimson cord, possibly one of her decorative belts, hanging out of her window, She had a rope, possibly from letting other customers escape, which she lowered from the window so the spies could leave, hide for a few days, and then report to Joshua.
What would happen? She didn’t know, but she had to act as if everything was normal for quite a while. It must have been quite a nail-biter! After Joshua was given positive news and made the decision to move, he asked the people to bathe and consecrate themselves and get ready to travel. When all was ready, they lined up behind the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant.
What now? The river was at flood stage. How would they cross? Rahab held her breath and watched from her window as the priests dipped their toes into the river and it dried up and stayed dry until everyone had crossed. She had now seen a miracle for herself which strengthened her belief.
Maybe the people of Jericho expected them that day, but it didn’t happen. They waited and watched as thousands of Hebrew people camped in the 5-mile wide plain between the river and the city. They celebrated Pentecost and ate the food that they found in the gardens and farms which surrounded the city. When they were able to eat “real food”, the manna and quail that they had eaten for so many years came no more. The food must have tasted wonderful, with children often running back to a garden for a strawberry or a grape.
Besides celebrating Pentecost, the men were circumcised, something that hadn’t been done while they were in the desert. Then there was a waiting period while they healed. Rahab wondered, “when is something going to happen?” She had gathered her non-believing family in her small house and they were getting restless.
Then, early one morning, the people lined up behind the priests and it was deadly quiet. She watched as they marched around the city once and then went back to their tents. How strange! Then it happened again and again. What was going on, anyway?
Then, on the 7th day, they marched 7 times, which took all day, the trumpets sounded, and the walls began to shake and crumble. It felt like her house was going to fall. Would she be left there in the rubble? Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and 2 familiar faces appeared. They led her family out through the noise and the fighting and the debris to the Hebrew camp where they found that tents were prepared for them.
We don’t know if her family ultimately trusted God, but we know that Rahab’s trust and her actions were greatly honored by God. She married one of the spies and eventually became the mother-in-law of Ruth and the great-grandmother of David. Farther down, she would be one of Jesus’ grandmothers.
Rahab was honored by Matthew when he included her as one of the few women in Jesus’ family tree. Although the scriptures always refer to her as a prostitute in order to show the change that came via the grace of God, she was no longer a prostitute but an honored and respected woman.
She’s also honored as one of only two women in the list of saints in Hebrews 11 and in James, where he discusses the fact that works come out of real faith.
Separate scriptures for this edition:
Hebrews 11: a list of some of the saints of faith, pointing out that these people firmly believed although they didn’t see God’s promises fulfilled before they died. They didn’t even have Christ and His message to lean on. Regardless, God has something better for all of us in our heavenly future.
- Rahab was a sinner, just like us and just like all the pagan inhabitants of Jericho, but by God’s grace, she was washed clean and became one of the saints of God.
Hebrews 11: 6, 13, 31
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
After a discussion of other saints and martyrs, the writer concludes with:
Hebrews 11: 39, 40
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,
40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
James discusses the relationship of faith and works and of righteousness, using Rahab as one of his examples.
James 2: 17, 18, 22, 24-26
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
22 You see that (Abraham’s) faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did (being willing to sacrifice his son).
24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Isaiah 1:18; the foreshadowing of the crimson cord to the blood of Christ which cleanses us from our sins.
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
Musical Connection: “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” by a women’s chorus
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Please let Paula know if you have not received the emailed copy of your PW Yearbook for 2021-2022. These were emailed out before the Kickoff meeting on August 24th.
Details for the upcoming December PW Circle meetings will be finalized at the Circle meetings on November 2nd. Since things might have to be done a little differently this year, an email with information will be sent out when finalized. Morning and Evening circles might have different ideas- both will be included so you can be prepared to attend the one (or both!) meeting(s) of your choice!!
Mission Update:
We continue to participate in the Hygiene/Birthday Boxes of Hope Project. Attached with this same email you will find the flyer that explains details about each box, including what to include for various ages of children. We will continue to collect these items through our January 4th meeting. We will plan a field trip to drop off our filled Boxes of Hope later that month. Please call Barbara Follansbee if you have any questions!
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. Thank the people who have encouraged you. On Thanksgiving Day, say a prayer thanking God for our church and all who love it as we do.
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Dates to Remember
Sunday School continues into the Fall! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting later this Fall in hopes that the Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School, and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately.
Nov 2nd: PW Circles meet in the Sanctuary of FPC: Morning Circle at 9:30, Evening Circle at 7:00 pm
Nov 6th: Formerly known as The Women’s Retreat Christmas Bazaar, we will have an “Outside Marketplace” from 8:00 am – 2:30 pm. It will be held outside in the North Parking Lot.
Nov 7th: Communion at both services, 8:45 and 11:00
Nov. 21st: Men’s Council Thanksgiving Dinner at 6:00 pm
Options: Individual Prepackaged Dinners from Boston Market or prepared meal as usual. Call Charles Hammer or Nick Scholl for details.
Nov. 25th: Church Offices Closed
Nov. 26th: Church Offices Closed
Monthly Care Teams:
November- Sue Luce and Lynda Ward
December- Sarah Kitchens and Beverlee Witty
DON’T FORGET…..
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED for both services- 8:45 and 11:00
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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.
It’s not too late to purchase a guide for this year’s PW Study! The cost is $11.00- please contact Jan Fort if you’re interested. Paula is happy to make any home deliveries if necessary!
A Treasured Tidbit….
“…..Even so, Lord quickly come to Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin;
There forever purified, In Thy presence to abide:
Come, with all Thine angels, come, raise the glorious harvest home.”
“Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” by Henry Alford
The Hymnbook, 1952, #525
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”
-Charles Dickens
What’s a running turkey called?
-FAST FOOD!
Why was the Thanksgiving soup so expensive?
-Because it had 24 carrots!
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Holly!
Holly who?
Holly-days like Thanksgiving are wonderful!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
October 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Happy Fall! You can tell the change is coming…. We have had our first cool front and schedules are getting busier by the week. Football is back, Fall recipes are becoming popular, mums are everywhere, leaves will begin to change colors, and pumpkin spice has made its long awaited comeback. Take some time this season to notice all the gorgeous, colorful blessings all around us. It just reaffirms what we know- are God is an awesome God whose works are worthy to be praised!
Love to each of you!
Paula
Due to some Crossroads Classroom furniture being moved to temporarily accommodate Sunday School, both Morning and Evening Circles will need to meet in the Sanctuary for the time being. We can re-evaluate monthly hostess responsibilities as well as our meeting location at a later date.
Carol’s Corner:
“Tamar”
This year, we are studying a few of Jesus’ grandmothers, unlikely women who were listed by Matthew in Jesus’ family tree. It’s unique that there are any women listed here. There are several family trees listed at critical points in the Old Testament and not one daughter of Israel was mentioned in any of them. Every one of those men had a wife and every child had a mom. Not only that, no child was considered to be Jewish unless his/her mother was Jewish so women were important. Now, in Matthew, we suddenly find 4 non-Jewish women listed in the family tree. They will become Jesus’ grandmothers, and far from corrupting the family tree, each has something to contribute.
Like everyone everywhere, these women were sinners, some more than others, although sin is sin. They were Gentiles and foreigners, reminding us that although we are Gentiles, foreigners, and sinners, Christ came for us also. The women in question were recipients of God’s grace just as we are. Matthew proved that Jesus was the expected Messiah but at no time did he say it was in spite of his non-Jewish ancestors.
This month, we are studying Tamar, daughter-in-law of Judah. She is always referred to in this way because both David and his son, Absalom honored her by naming their daughters after her. That’s amazing when we know her story.
We begin with the story of Joseph, whose older brothers were jealous of him because he was his father’s favorite. After the oldest, Ruben, committed serious sexual sin, Jacob, their father, removed him as heir and named Joseph instead. That’s what the fancy coat of many colors was all about…it was the coat of someone who didn’t/wouldn’t have to work. That really got under the brothers’ skin.
When Jacob asked Joseph to go to a remote area to check on the brothers who were tending sheep, they saw him when he was far off and decided to kill him. Ruben was compassionate enough to get him to throw Joseph into a cistern so he might try to rescue him later. While young Joseph was in the cistern screaming and pleading for his life, the brothers sat down and had a leisurely lunch, probably with food that Joseph had brought for them. They were likely mocking him all the while. Joseph quickly learned that none of them cared about him if he didn’t know it already.
As luck would have it, although it wasn’t just luck, a caravan came along and Judah, the 4th son, encouraged them to sell Joseph into slavery. They might as well make a little money. After Joseph was tied behind the camels for the walk to Egypt, they dipped his coat into goat’s blood and then told their father he was dead. They kept up that charade for 22 years even as their father grieved terribly.
Judah must have felt some guilt, for he soon moved away to Canaanite territory and married a Canaanite woman, which was another sin. They had 3 sons, the first two of which were extremely evil. We don’t know about the younger 3rd son. Judah “got” a Canaanite woman, Tamar, as a wife for the oldest son, Er. She didn’t have a choice. Her father made the deal and probably got a dowry. We don’t know how long she was married, but her life must have been totally miserable. Er was so evil that God cut his life short.
The practice, both in ancient societies and in the Mosaic Law, was that if a husband dies and he has brothers, the brother must marry the wife and produce a son who would then carry on the name, care for his mother, and most importantly, inherit. If that wasn’t done, the man essentially became extinct. Since Er was the oldest, he or his son would have been entitled to twice as much of the total inheritance than the 2 younger brothers.
After Er’s death, Judah did the right thing and told Onan, the 2nd son, to marry Tamar and do his duty. Onan, on the other hand, wanted all the inheritance and had no intention of splitting it with a grubby baby, so he only pretended to be a husband to Tamar. That would have made her sad and embarrassed that she wasn’t pregnant, although no one in the household noticed. In addition to being evil, Onan was flouting the God-given laws, so God ended his life also.
Now, Tamar had been widowed twice and Judah, the father-in-law, was at least partly convinced that Tamar was responsible. He wasn’t giving her his youngest son, Selah, who wasn’t quite of age yet. She might kill him too. Judah also didn’t want Tamar in his house although that’s where she should legally have stayed. He sent her home to her father’s house where, at least for several years, she became just another unwanted mouth to feed.
It was an unhappy existence to live as a widow whose life was still controlled by Judah. She couldn’t marry again and no choices about her life. Basically, nobody wanted her. As the years passed, Tamar knew the young son would have grown up. She figured out that Judah had no intention of following God’s Law to give her another husband. She knew her duty to her dead husband, miserable though he was.
Tamar heard that Judah’s wife had died. A few months later, she heard that Judah was going to attend the annual sheep-shearing festival. The men who went to such festivals were pagan and acted that way while their wives stayed home. There was a lot of celebratory interaction with the shrine prostitutes. By disguising herself as a prostitute, Tamar wouldn’t have stood out in the crowd.
She shed her widow’s clothes and dressed in a colorful prostitute’s outfit. It was traditional for the shrine prostitutes to veil themselves heavily so the men could pretend they were having intercourse with the goddesses themselves. Tamar made sure her veil was heavy and secure.
She sat on the road where she knew Judah would pass. Sure enough, he noticed her and immediately propositioned her. She was a shrewd bargainer. “What will you pay?” she asked. He offered a goat, but of course, he didn’t have one with him. “I’ll have it delivered to you in a few days.”
“That’s fine,” said Tamar, “but I need some kind of pledge that you will actually pay.” He was so eager that she had no difficulty getting his personally carved cane, his personal seal with which he signed documents and the cord on which he carried the seal. In short, she had his ID and his credit card as his pledge.
After their tryst, Tamar went home and changed back into widow’s clothes. In effect, she disappeared. When Judah sent someone to find the prostitute and deliver the goat, he couldn’t find her. Judah didn’t want the search to become public because it would have been embarrassing so he let it go and probably had a new seal and cane made.
In a few months, word was all over town that the widow Tamar was pregnant. Judah was quite angry. He still “owned” Tamar! He ordered her to be burned, which was probably the most severe of the possible punishments for adultery, totally ignoring the fact that he’d had sex with a prostitute. There was a clear double standard, but it didn’t matter. He had the right to kill her if he wanted to.
As Tamar was being dragged out to be burned, she produced the cane, seal, and cord, shouting that the owner of these was the father of her child. Judah nearly had a heart attack. They are unique and they were his. Everyone knew what they looked like and knew they were his. He was appalled that his tryst had become public. He had sinned against Tamar. To his credit, he acknowledged his guilt and stated that Tamar was a more righteous person than he was.
According to the Law, the family line could legally be carried on by the father if there were no sons involved so legally Judah could produce a son to replace Er. Judah took Tamar back into his house, although I don’t know how comfortable that was for her. She eventually gave birth to twin boys, thus providing a legal heir for each of her dead husbands. Perez, the older one, became the ancestor of Jesus.
Extra scriptures
Our lesson is about Tamar, but I think it’s important to hear the surprising follow-up on her father-in-law, Judah.
Judah is an example of God’s plan going forward despite the fallible human beings he has to work with. We find Judah again in Genesis 49:8-12. Jacob, Judah’s father, speaks to each of his 12 sons prior to his death. The first 3 got passed over because their sins were much worse than those of Judah, the 4th son. He will be the heir and the one who is the one to carry the family line from Abraham through David to Jesus. Jacob also refers to Judah as a lion which we will see again in Revelation with Christ as the Lion of Judah. Specific promises and prophesies of Christ begin right there in Genesis. Because of length, I have omitted some verses, but you can check out the entire passages if you like.
Genesis 49:
9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah;
you return from the prey, my son….
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[c]
until he to whom it belongs[d] shall come
and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
11 He will tether his donkey to a vine,
his colt to the choicest branch;
he will wash his garments in wine,
his robes in the blood of grapes.
Later, a prophet is telling King Hezekiah what God says is going to happen. After all the sins of the people, God’s plan is still going forward. Part of the passage says:
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah
will take root below and bear fruit above. (2 Kings 19:30)
Still later, around 800 years before Christ’s birth, Isaiah is prophesying to the people telling them that if they don’t repent and change their ways, the Assyrians are coming to overrun them because of their sin (idolatry). In the middle of the warnings is mixed wonderful, specific passages about God’s promise of a Messiah. The line of David is specifically tied to Christ.
Isaiah 9:
…..in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned…..
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 11:
- 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lordwill rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord…..
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner (refuge, signal pole, conqueror, victor) for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Finally, in Revelation 5, John is weeping because an angel is holding a sacred scroll, but no one is worthy to open it.
5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
So, God’s plan will be completed through the tribe of Judah.
Message from Meg:
Fall is in the air today and it is my hope that it will be with us for a while. I plan to enjoy each day of this beautiful weather with the sunshine and great breezes that stir the leaves that are changing color and sound so good.
I got information that there are red and hunter green P.W. aprons available from Louisville for $18.00 each plus shipping (PWR 12421 and PWR 12422.)
Also, the Bible study resource for the first two lessons of the current study is available via PDF with an e-mail to carissa.herold@pcusa.org.
The pcusa.org is a valuable e-mail. It is good one to have just add a slash and pw to it and you get access to all sorts of great information and resources. The September/October Horizons will have a recap of this Summers Online Gathering Event, I suggest that you check it out and find out all sorts of great information.
Please keep our sisters and brothers that live in harm’s way in your prayers, along with the folks that are working so hard to provide respite for them and get them in a good place. At the same time please know that you are being prayed for by the C.T. for P.W. at Grace Presbytery and at the National level along with the Synod of the Sun.
We are part of an amazing group of committed women that work together to make this world a better place.
In His Service,
Meg Garver Hamilton
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Please let Paula know if you have not received the emailed copy of your PW Yearbook for 2021-2022. These were emailed out before the Kickoff meeting on August 24th.
Thanks to Sue Bohmer for the beautiful Installation Service in September. Our slate of Officers for 2021-2022 is motivated and encouraged to be a support during the year ahead. We pray that our group can grow not only in membership, but in our service to spread the love of Christ as well.
Mission Update:
From Barbara:
We sent out about 58 invitations to our October meetings. If you received one of these invitations, we hope that you will be our guest at Morning or Evening Circle- or both if you choose! Also, we are asking the Morning Circle ladies to stay after the meeting to complete our Sanitation Workers Project. All who are interested, please bring double sided tape.
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. Send a card to a church member or family that you haven’t seen in a while. Pray for our church staff and let them know how much we appreciate them!
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Dates to Remember
Sunday School is in full swing! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting later this Fall in hopes that the Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately.
October 2nd– Addressing Mesquite- for information, contact Eric Schwartz
October 3rd- Communion at both services, 8:45 and 11:00
October 3rd– CHURCH PICNIC at Sunnyvale Park, 4:30pm. Our first Fellowship Event in 20 months! Reservations were needed for dinner, which will be in the form of a “box lunch.” We are asked to make a monetary donation to cover the cost of whatever you would’ve made to bring to the picnic if it had been potluck style.
October 5th- Morning Circle (9:30am) and Evening Circle (7:00pm) meetings
October 10th– Blood Drive
October 10th– There is a Called Congregational Meeting at 10:45 am in the Sanctuary before the 11:00 service. This is to handle a property matter and hear the report from the Officer Nominating Committee.
October 23rd– Garage Sale at FPC
October 30th– Fall Festival, North Parking Lot, 1:00-3:00 pm.
Looking ahead: Formerly known as The Women’s Retreat Christmas Bazaar, we will have an “Outside Marketplace” on Saturday, November 6th from 8:00 am – 2:30 pm. It will be held outside in the North Parking Lot.
Monthly Care Teams:
October- Barbara Follansbee and Ann Kyle
November- Sue Luce and Lynda Ward
DON’T FORGET…..
RESERVATIONS AND MASKS REQUIRED for both services- 8:45 and 11:00
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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.
It’s not too late to purchase a guide for this year’s PW Study! The cost is $11.00- please contact Jan Fort if you’re interested. Paula is happy to make any home deliveries if necessary!
A Treasured Tidbit….
“Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart, as if working for the Lord.”
–Colossians 3:23
“If what you haven’t done in a while is what you miss, do it again and feel God’s presence.”
–Dr. E. Jones Doughton
“For the beauty of the Earth, For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.”
Hymn #2, The Hymnbook
How do you fix a broken pumpkin?
………..With a pumpkin patch!
September 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
I can’t believe it’s already September! We had a great turnout at our kickoff meeting on August 24th, with a wonderful introduction to our study and lots of things to look forward to this year. I pray we can meet regularly and serve in new and exciting ways. As I said at the meeting, let’s try to invite those around us who might not yet be active in PW’s- you never know what meaningful and lasting relationships can grow when you’re the one who plants the seed of friendship. September is a month of new beginnings and routines- I can’t wait to get our year started!
Love to each of you!
Paula
Due to some Crossroads Classroom furniture being moved to temporarily accommodate Sunday School, both Morning and Evening Circles will need to meet in the Sanctuary for the time being. We can re-evaluate monthly hostess responsibilities as well as our meeting location at a later date.
Carol’s Corner:
Carol’s Corner, September, 2021
As you know by now, this year we are focusing on a few of the women in Jesus’ family tree. We might have expected that all of Jesus’ ancestors would started out as fine, upstanding Jewish people, but that isn’t the case, as we will learn. Maybe we expect that of those in our own family trees as well, but if you go back far enough, you might find a scoundrel somewhere, not to mention the fact that we are all sinners saved by grace.
Our family trees began with Adam and Eve and later with Noah and Mrs. Noah. Throughout history, there have been many failures and restarts and a wide variety of different people, good, bad, and indifferent.
In fact, the Old Testament pattern seems to have been one continuous cycle: God tells His people how to behave and respect Him. They manage it for only a little while before they fall off that wagon and become terrible sinners, especially with regard to idolatry, which rears its ugly head repeatedly. God hates what they are doing and warns them repeatedly through the prophets that if they don’t clean up their act, punishment is ahead. They ignore the warnings and are punished in some way: losing a battle or a war, being dragged off, etc. Finally, when they are desperate enough to call on God for help, He hears them and rescues them. Then the cycle begins again. That’s the way some of us have lived our own lives. Hopefully, we learned from our mistakes, repented, and, unlike the Israelites, didn’t continue to make the same mistakes again.
Why did the Holy Spirit lead Matthew and Luke to particularly include the women we will be studying: Ruth, Tamar, Bathsheba, and Rahab, in the genealogy lists for Jesus? For every one of those men listed, there was a woman, after all. Perhaps they’re included in order to make the point that God isn’t looking for perfect people or those who are just like us (or the Israelites in their case). If He were looking for perfect people, nobody would make the grade! Instead, we’ll see that these women, plus Mary, the mother of Jesus, are interesting and courageous people who did the unexpected when it needed to be done.
When you look through the Bible, you probably won’t notice many women at first glance. The ancient society was a patriarchal one, in which most women were busy contributing to family survival and helping them thrive if possible. This doesn’t mean they weren’t important. They were. Their stories, for the most part, just weren’t told.
Although the contributions of women down through the ages have been marginalized and often forgotten, they have been contributing. Paul, in particular, shows us women who were friends, co-workers, teachers, and even a minister! He even mentions a woman, Junia, who, along with her husband, was in prison with him. There were major women leaders through the Bible times as well, no doubt many more than are recorded in the scriptures or by the historians.
A book by Dzubinski and Stasson, Women in the Mission of the Church, provides a lot of interesting information about women in the church after the first century. It explains that although women were very important in propelling the mission of the church forward from the time of Jesus, the Greco-Roman views and expectations of them dogged them at every turn, causing their efforts and recognition of them to be curtailed in subsequent centuries.
For example, the Greek language, like Spanish, had feminine and masculine endings for words. There were simply no feminine words for courage or virtue. Those were masculine words. That, along with the views of the ancient philosophers, led to the notion that men were the model human beings and that the best a woman might do was to have a characteristic or two that made them a little like a man! The fact that church leaders of the times didn’t read Hebrew very well may have led them to misinterpret some of the comments in the scriptures; and not recognize women’s strengths and contributions.
These notions and the culture itself led to the curtailment of women leaders after the first century. Where women had been evangelists and teachers and probably served communion in their home churches, the male leadership began to write church documents which specified that only men could do those things. Women’s leadership made the church vulnerable to attack by the Romans, who said that women were intellectually inferior to men and more likely to be deceived. There was also the problem of differentiating Christians from the pagan world around them where many women had high leadership positions. However, the ways men made fun of the church and persecuted women shows that women were valuable Christian leaders. A Roman governor named Pliny wrote that he tortured “2 female slaves who were called deaconesses” because he wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with women in the church. This is an acknowledgment both that women were valuable workers and that social status didn’t govern their standing in the church. Women were also among the many courageous Christian martyrs. The culture of the time focused on women being submissive and obeying their fathers and husbands. To the Romans, for a woman to pledge to obey Jesus even if it meant going against father or husband was simply unfathomable and unacceptable.
It was during the early centuries AD and maybe earlier that 3 women’s orders originated: the widows, the virgins, and the deaconesses. Each had different qualifications and not everyone was accepted. For example, just being a widow wasn’t enough. A widow had to be over 60 years old, have raised children, and have a long record of faithfulness and Christian service, among other things. Once accepted or appointed, the widows then assumed a pastoral or ministerial role in return for a small stipend from the church. Perhaps Dorcas (or Tabitha) was a member of such a group. Dorcas is only one of a few women in the scripture who is called a disciple, so we know she was a devout follower of Jesus, not to mention her proliferation of good works. When she saw the many needs around her, she used her talent generously. Her resurrection, one of the few reported in the New Testament, was the occasion for many to come to belief in God.
Another early widow who fit these criteria although the group probably didn’t exist then, was Anna, the elderly widowed prophetess to whom the Holy Spirit pointed the infant, Jesus. This was a source of joy to her and the occasion for her to subsequently tell everyone she could who He was. She was widowed at a very young age, maybe before 20, and like most other widows, apparently had no means of safety or support for the rest of her long life. Her service to God by living in the temple and engaging in constant worship and prayer would have gained enough donations to ensure minimal survival as well as provided valuable service.
We could go on about our Christian foremothers who were faithful to God and who paved the way for us. There are so many to thank and many more whom we will never know. We are so fortunate to have full access to God and the opportunity to worship and serve as we please.
Scriptures:
Acts 9: 36-42:
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
Psalm 121:1-2: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Message from Meg:
Here we go again with the Zoom Meetings for P.W. at the Presbytery Level. It will be on the 16th of October starting at 10:00 A.M. we will look and accept the budget for 2022, elect and install the officers, and then Julie Adkins will share words of wisdom from our 2021/2022 Bible Study, that will get us through these times of uncertainty. Also, there will be information about possible Mission Opportunities. Our own Pat Kim will be installed as a Cluster Leader, and I will finally be installed as Moderator, having done the job for over a year with no installation last year being the reason.
With the bad storms making a mess of the Gulf region etc, along with the fires and floods, and the situation in the Middle East we have so many opportunities for service and PRAYER. Hygiene kits are much needed along with clean up kits etc.
Here is the information needed to hook up with the Zoom Meeting mentioned above.
https://us02web.zoom.us/i/6076454444? pwd=NFY1aXRwQmpObORTRmdJcGVJVkxpQT09.
Meeting I.D. 607 645 4444
Passcode 903 886
Looking forward to seeing many of you at Church, Circle Meetings and then on Zoom.
My prayers continue daily for all of you, take care, and have a great day, this side of the daisies.
Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
Please let Paula know if you have not received the emailed copy of your PW Yearbook for 2021-2022. These were emailed out before the Kickoff meeting on August 24th.
Mission Update:
We donated some school supply items and a monetary offering to Black Elementary and Agnew Middle School this year. This will surely combine with the Mission Committee and be a blessing to both our neighborhood schools. Thanks to you all!
A note from Barbara:
Thank you for your suggestions for our Mission Projects for the new year. Two very worthwhile projects were suggested.
Hope Supply Company supplies diapers, school supplies and necessary items for the underserved kids in North Texas. We will be supplying them with a monetary donation and a supply of “Hope in a Box”. These are boxes stuffed with hygiene items, or baby items, or Birthday boxes that are filled with small b-day gifts. Thank you, Debra Ford, for bringing this organization to our attention.
Sue Bohmer suggested “Salute the Kids”. This non-profit organization offers camping experiences to military families. There is no charge at all for the campers and their families. The families do have to provide their own transportation and sleeping bags. The camps provide a chance for families to bond before deployment, or after, or during. Many families come with one parent. Depending on the camps, the kids are provided with lots of outdoor activities, good food, some counseling, horseback riding, zip lining, climbing walls. All the participants enjoy being outdoors and having fun. In order to be totally transparent, Salute the Kids was founded by my daughter, Sommer Houser.
Your Mission Committee is looking forward to our missions this year. Coming soon will be our monthly mission projects.
Peace and Blessings,
Barbara
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. *Pray for the Safety Team of FPC. *Pray for all those in Louisiana and around the US affected by Hurricane Ida, as well as all healthcare workers, first responders and others who are assisting others who are assisting them.
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Dates to Remember:
Service times have returned to 8:45 and 11:00.
RESERVATIONS ARE STILL REQUIRED FOR BOTH SERVICES to ensure social distancing for your safety.
Summer Sunday School is in full swing! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting later this Fall in hopes that the Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately.
September 5th– Communion at both services, 8:45 and 11:00
September 6th– Labor Day
September 7th– Morning Circle- 9:30 am, Evening Circle- 7:00 pm
*Morning Circle, Carol has asked that we bring a picture of a female ancestor who means something to you, bring a story to tell, or bring a copy of our family tree if there is one.
Looking ahead to October 3rd: World Communion Sunday! We hope to have our annual Church Picnic and Vesper Service at Sunnyvale Park. We will do things a little differently this year instead of doing a potluck-style meal. Look for reminders and information to come!!
Monthly Care Teams:
September- Hope Sheppard and Martha Sheppard-Mahaffey
October- Barbara Follansbee and Ann Kyle
DON’T FORGET…..
RESERVATIONS AND MASKS REQUIRED for both services- 8:45 and 11:00
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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….
“Ask God to fill you with faith- faith in Him, faith in His promises, faith in His ways.”
100 Days to Brave: Devotions for Unlocking Your Most Courageous Self, Annie Downs
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole and calms the troubled breast.
‘Tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest.”
“How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds,” The Hymnbook, #130
What is a scarecrow’s favorite fruit??? STRAW-berries!
AUGUST 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Summer is coming to a close! I hope this finds you rested, relaxed, and ready for an exciting Fall ahead. For many of us, life is creeping back to a semi-normal pace, especially if you are getting ready for back-to-school events and schedules. We will have our Annual Kick-off meeting in August, regrettably without the Salad Supper due to Covid and Wilbanks Hall being under construction. We’re hoping that we will meet (in person!) in September for Bible Study and Fellowship as Morning and Evening Circles. Please encourage others to attend a Circle Meeting each month- it’s a wonderful opportunity to get others engaged in our group and its mission to spread the love of God! Dr. Carol explains more in her column below, but our 2021-2022 study seems to be an outstanding one. Let’s pray we can gather, study God’s word, and make a difference in this world! It’s going to be a wonderful year in PW’s!!
Love to each of you!
Paula
NEWSFLASH!!!!!
Due to Wilbanks Hall construction and the Covid Delta variant becoming more prevalent, the Coordinating Team has decided not to have the Salad Supper portion of the Annual Kick-off Meeting on August 24th. We will, however, still have a presentation in the Sanctuary at 7:00pm. Dr. Carol will introduce our study for this year, we will do Installation of Officers, and discuss plans for the upcoming 2021-2022 year in PW’s. We will join the FPC Mission Committee in supporting Florence Black Elementary School this year. You can give your monetary donation to the church office if preferred, but we will also take up a collection at the meeting. Our study guides What My Grandmothers Taught Me have been ordered and should be available for purchase at $11.00 each. We would love for all ladies of the church to join us- you ALL are invited and encouraged to attend!
Carol’s Corner:
August, 2021
When you were a child, did someone tell you stories of your family, your ancestors? Perhaps there was a box of photos as well if you were lucky. I heard some stories, but wish I knew many more. Maybe someone in your family has worked on a family tree and you have heard stories about a few of the people who populate it. Or maybe you have just looked at it and wondered.
Family trees were very important to the ancient Jews. They weren’t the only ones. If you watch “Finding Your Roots”, they sometimes find Oriental or Jewish family trees going back for centuries. Family trees were important in the way people organized their lives and relationships. For the ancient Jews, family trees were critical. Knowing what family/tribe you were from which established what land you were entitled to, how you organized relationships with others, the outcome of some legal claims, sometimes even your profession. (If you were a Levite, that was a priestly tribe. Your work was related in some way to the temple or to religious life.) No matter where they wandered or how bad the situation was, the Jews held onto those family trees, which at first would have been passed on by oral tradition, memorized, and later written down. They had a great many stories of the ancestors to share with their children, which, in turn, would have helped them to figure who they were and how they fit into society. (Many stories were just plain interesting and exciting!) I have a book containing Jesus’ family tree which I will share with you. You’ll see that it’s very detailed except for the time of the Babylonian exile, but even after that, they were able to pick up where they left off.
Our series of lessons this year comes from that family tree. It’s about Jesus’ mother and ancestral grandmothers, the stories they have to tell, and the lessons we can learn from them. Too often our Bible lessons focus on men and what they accomplished (or didn’t), but this year, we will focus on a few Biblical women.
We know that overall, God instructed the ancient Jews not to marry outside of their own cultural/religious group. This was for several reasons: first of all, they lived in an extremely sinful world, the most abhorrent to God of which was idolatry. God knew that if the new marriage partner worshipped idols instead of Himself, it wouldn’t be long until the whole family were idolaters. He really hated this! God was also trying to preserve a pure line of heritage for Jesus. It’s amazing that this could be accomplished over many centuries. Jesus’ family tree is reasonably complete, though there are some skipped generations, which was common at the time. For instance, the kings who are listed in the books of Kings and Chronicles were not listed again in the family tree. Often, major figures are used to divide periods of history.
When we read Jesus’ family tree in Matthew 1, our eyes often glaze over at the list of names, many of which seem unpronounceable, and about which we know nothing. One thing we can notice is that they are mostly the names of men…not a surprise. However, there are some surprises nestled in those verses: the names of a few women, some of whom were not even Jewish. How did they get there? Why did they get there?
From ancient times, except in a few matriarchal societies, women were considered inferior; they couldn’t inherit or sign contracts or anything like that. They definitely wouldn’t be considered as carrying on the line and be primary on the family tree. Amazingly, that continued in our country until after the Civil War! I recently heard a presentation about Abigail Adams which brought that out. A famous quote of hers to her husband, John Adams, was “remember the ladies”. I always thought that, as he was going off to Washington, she wanted him to give women voting rights. It was a lot more basic than that. She wanted to be a person.
Women were the possessions of their fathers until they married and became the possessions of their husbands. They had no civil rights. If the man was a wife-beater or wanted to hire her out to his neighbors for money (for him), he had that right. She had no right to her children or decision making about them. She couldn’t inherit, sign contracts, or possess money in her own name. If her father left money or property to her as the only heir, her husband got it. Often, only the boys were well educated. This changed only after the Civil War, when women had been left at home to manage land and servants and slaves and children, handle finances, and the like. When the men came home, they found wives who had a very different attitude. They were willing to push for the rights that they proved they could handle and didn’t want to give up.
I think of the Bible women in that context and marvel at what some of them accomplished through their belief, their loyalty, their grit and courage, and the like. This year, we will study only a few of the amazing women of the Bible…Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Why them? Because they are listed by Matthew in Jesus’ family tree. All but Mary are of questionable character or are just at the bottom of society, as was Ruth, a widow and a foreigner.
Why did Matthew begin his book with the family tree anyway? To us, it doesn’t seem all that important to the story that unfolds in the rest of the book. It’s there because Matthew was primarily writing to the Jews and he needed to establish Jesus as one of them, a Jew, just like they were. Their ancestry was linked with God’s covenants with Israel. They were expecting a Messiah, a Jew. The term, “Son of David”, often used, links Jesus with his heritage within Israel, the chosen people. “Son of Abraham” affirmed the beginning of the family and reminded them that the whole was to be blessed through this family. Matthew shows that Jesus is the rightful heir to the covenant promises which are linked to David and Abraham. In short, Matthew proves that Jesus was who he said he was.
Just as we wouldn’t be who we are if we had different parents, grandparents, and ancestors, to the Jews, Jesus wouldn’t be who he said he was if he didn’t come straight down through the Jewish line. The non-Jewish women who are listed in that line did become believers, if they weren’t, and contributed positive characteristics that were passed on to their descendants. These women are all listed on our quilt which someday will be back in the Fellowship Hall. Notice how many women there are and perhaps learn about a couple of them.
Please get a copy of the study book when you can and, if possible, read the month’s lesson before you come to the meeting. We can’t wait to see you again. It’s going to be an interesting year.
Message from Meg:
Well, school starts soon, and we are gearing up for Fall and Winter activities. The Bible Study from Matthew is a good one that walks us through some of the women in Jesus’s genealogy. There are some interesting women there. Let’s gather and find out just who they are. The Bible Moderator at the Presbytery level is available to get us started if we need her, Julie has preached for us before and is a great teacher.
October 16, 2021, is on your calendars I hope, that is the day of the Fall Gathering of Presbyterian Women in Grace Presbytery. We will gather at the Children’s Home in Itasca for the meeting and lunch, there will be a special gift for all the women who register for this in person (masks optional) event in the life of all of us P.W. We are looking into making our Gatherings and Spring Workshops available on Zoom. Stay tuned for more on that. Please continue your financial support of P.W., here in Mesquite, as well as at the Presbytery level, Synod of the Sun, and Church Wide. Good work is being done in our name.
Remember You are Loved and prayed for by many people all over the world, while you are praying for them.
In His Service,
Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
The new PW Yearbook for 2021-2022 is currently being updated and will be emailed in the next few weeks. If you would like a paper copy, please let Paula know.
Mission Update:
We are continuing to pursue new opportunities for Mission. If you have any ideas that you’d be willing to share, please pass them along to Barbara Follansbee. She is looking into several new ways to serve.
We will join the Mission Committee in supporting Florence Black Elementary School this year. You can give your donation to the church office- there will also be a collection taken at our Kick-off Meeting on August 24th.
Just passing this along…. Grace Presbytery has information on helping the people of Lake Charles, LA as they recoup from numerous severe storms and prepare for Hurricane Season. There is an opportunity to make monetary donations or gift cards. If you’d like further information on this, let me know and I will forward the email.
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Share your servant’s heart with others…. August Individual Mission: Pray for all teachers, students, administrators, school boards and school personnel as they begin the schoolyear. May they have a safe, healthy, exciting year ahead, full of opportunities and achievements they never dreamed possible.
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Dates to Remember
Service times have returned to 8:45 and 11:00. RESERVATIONS ARE STILL REQUIRED FOR BOTH SERVICES to ensure social distancing for your safety.
Summer Sunday School is in full swing! Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are waiting to begin meeting later this Fall in hopes that the Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to meet but have been relocated into the main building. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately.
August 1- Communion at both services, 8:45 qnd 11:00
August 5– PW Churchwide Virtual Gathering- stay tuned to email for details
August 4,5,6– VBS for all ages! The Youth are working at Sharing Life each morning, and evening classes will be held from 7:00-8:30 pm. Please enter through the same door for temperature checks just as we do on Sunday mornings, then children and adults will be directed where to go.
August 8– “Blessing of the Backpacks” Sunday
August 24– PW Kick-Off Meeting in the Sanctuary, 7:00 pm- There should be study guides available for purchase at $11.00 each. Also, we are joining the Mission Committee to give a monetary donation to Black Elementary, and contributions will be collected if you choose to participate.
Monthly Care Teams:
August- Linda Fricke and Patti Kim
September- Hope Sheppard and Martha Sheppard-Mahaffey
DON’T FORGET….
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED for both services – 8:45 and 11:00
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. The efforts by all involved continue to be a blessing for all of us- and they are much appreciated!
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.
Please join us at the meeting on August 24th to kick off our year! 7:00pm in the Sanctuary!!!
A Treasured Tidbit….
“God gave us His Spirit. And the Spirit doesn’t make us weak and fearful. Instead, the Spirit gives us power and love.”
- 2 Timothy 1:7
“O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my guide.”
“O Jesus, I Have Promised,” The Hymnbook, #307
The Sunday School teacher asks, “Now, Jimmy, tell me honestly- do you say your prayers before eating?” “No ma’am,” says little Jimmy, “my mom’s a great cook!”
July 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Well, Summer is here! As we celebrate this Independence Day, let us remember the many blessings and freedoms we have in this country. Others around the world are in situations without the freedom to Worship our Awesome God- and we are able to study the Scriptures, listen to God’s words to us, and then apply our understandings to our daily lives through prayer and service. We are a blessed nation, no doubt. As we watch fireworks and hear firecrackers on this Fourth of July, may our “attitudes of gratitude” be fired up and ready to serve God and all His children in the days ahead.
Love to you all! Paula
Carol’s Corner: Lamentations for Today
The conclusion of our series for last year was the wonderful hope of heaven for all believers. It is wonderful. However, I have discovered a small book that contends that there is an even more exciting promise: that of our resurrection to be with Jesus.
“Longing for His Appearing” by Derek Prince was one of those great finds on the Mardel sale rack. It shows what we haven’t noticed about Paul’s writings: that he spent a lot of time on the glories of the promised resurrection and very little on heaven, though he certainly looked forward to going there.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 was written at the end of Paul’s life. When he was saying farewell to Timothy, he stated that he had been poured out as a sacrificial drink offering for Christ, that he had fought the good fight, and finished his assignments. Then he says, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord…will give to me on That Day…and also to all who have loved his appearing.” He was in a Roman prison, cold, damp, and alone, but he wasn’t complaining. He wasn’t dreading his execution; rather he was looking forward to what would come next. The crown would come at the time of his resurrection to be with Christ.
His phrase “all who have loved his appearing” is important. Are we truly in love with the idea of the next appearing of Jesus? Do we think about it much? Are we a little fearful of it and of the judgment? Bottom line: will I qualify for the crown because I’ve lived my life staying in close touch with Christ and excited about His next appearing? If you carefully read Paul’s writings, you see that he and the early church were expecting Christ’s coming to happen momentarily; they were excited about the prospect and living for it. Now, maybe Christians are not so engaged. In Titus 2:13, Paul describes “looking for blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” It’s our great promise and hope.
Of all the reasons we have to be excited about what’s to come, the most momentous event, according to Paul, is our resurrection. This will be the consummation of our salvation and the occasion of our receiving our resurrected bodies as we meet Christ on our way to heaven. It will happen at the moment of Christ’s appearing in his glory. Paul says, in Philippians 3:8-11: “I count all things loss for the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord…if, by any means, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection….that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” The key phrase: “if, by any means…” ‘Whatever it, takes, God,’ he was saying, ‘I’m willing to do so that I can share the resurrection with you.’ No matter the cost or the obstacles… this would point him to his final destination of heaven.
The resurrection event itself will be spectacular. Colossians 3:3-4: “For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” Paul wants us to clearly understand what he is role-modeling: right now, “Christ is my life” and he is focused on that regardless of the obstacles. The world may not appreciate believers now, but people are going to be stunned when we appear with Christ in our glorious, resurrected bodies.
Jesus, too, spoke more about resurrection than heaven. John 6:39-40: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day…that everyone who…believes in Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day.” Raising up or resurrection is the climax; it’s the spectacular event that’s coming. Most of us focus on getting to heaven without realizing the great event that will happen on the way. Revelation describes the universe as in an uproar of excitement as the bride makes herself ready for the big event.
If we aren’t excited about the coming of Christ, there is a problem. We can’t just work emotions or excitement up on our own; the attitude is the work of the Spirit. However, don’t focus on emotion but clear belief. Just as in receiving Christ, we teach, “faith-fact-feeling.” The most important thing is belief, not emotion. If you seem to be dull on the matter, though, it’s time to pray for the Spirit’s help.
When Christ returns, besides cataclysmic earthly events such as earthquakes, there will be the sound of trumpets and the voice of the archangel Gabriel announcing what’s to come. “The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together…” via a great release of divine power as we are resurrected and brought up to meet the Lord.
The words, “caught up”, translate as something like “snatched”. In the Bible, we see an example when Philip had taught and baptized the Ethiopian and was then “snatched away” (Acts 8:39). It will be a sudden, forceful grab, without warning, as we are taken “to meet the Lord in the air”. (Acts 1:9). After this dramatic climax of history, there will be no more separation between believers and God.
The book continues with a long discussion on how we should live now as we wait. The world is turning away from Christ and from godly values at a spectacular rate. Living as a Christian is not only not the norm or often not easy; in many places is dangerous to the point of death. Yet, only those who are true to Christ and anticipate his coming will be resurrected to live with Him eternally.
The book of Matthew finishes with some signs that the resurrection is near: in Matt. 24, Jesus lists false messiahs, false prophets, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, increasing lawlessness, and lack of love among God’s people. We can see those now, can’t we? When the disciples ask, “what will be the sign”, he answers in v. 14: “the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come”. About half of the world has still not heard the gospel. Witnessing to others and supporting the missionaries who are working to do so are our current assignments. While many churches are busy with lots of activities, not all are focused on spreading the word to the nations. Satan is active in thwarting the effort at every opportunity.
The second condition about which we are generally unaware, is the restoration of Israel, which Satan is also actively opposing. Romans 11:25: “for I do not desire brethren, that you should be ignorant…or that blindness…has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” God is speaking of the rejection of Israel because of their rejection of Him. But notice the word, “until”. God’s judgment on his people, Israel, is not permanent. Romans 11:26: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.’” Israel will be reconciled to God and saved. Recall that the kingdom was offered to them first and they refused, but they are still God’s chosen people.
Christians are charged with doing something for Israel: Isaiah 40:1-3 “Comfort, yes, comfort my people, says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for her sins. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Their suffering is to come to an end and they are to be restored. There are a variety of ways to provide comfort, including the scriptures, the work of missionaries (there are some in the country), and others.
Isaiah 40:7-8 continues, “The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it. Surely the people are grass, but the Word of God stands forever.” Everything material, for both Jews and Gentiles, will pass away, but in the midst of all that, the one pillar that stands unchanged is the Word of God. This should provide comfort to both Gentiles and Jews….the promises of the Word.
So, as you read Paul’s letters in the future, be alert to his many references to “the resurrection” and how few references there are to heaven. As you read the Old Testament, in particular, be alert to the promises to God’s chosen people as well as the rest of us. Right now, the world is in a mess but it won’t always be so. In the meantime, we should focus not only on the promises but on staying close to God through his Word and prayer….and getting excited about what lies ahead!
Closing Prayer (from Derek Prince)
“Lord Jesus Christ, I believe You are coming in glory. I believe this is the blessed hope before me. But Lord, that hope has become rather dim in my thinking and low in my priorities. I have given too much attention to other concerns. Lord, please forgive me, release me from any bondage, and make the reality of your coming vivid to me.
Help me, Lord, to make proper preparation…that I may be ready for anything that is coming on earth, and that I may one day stand resurrected by you, the Son of Man. I long to see you in your glory and be transformed to your likeness. Amen”
Music: “The King is Coming” by Bill, Gloria, and Danny Gaither. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBNhNffsNMo
Message from Meg:
This time last month, it was cool and WET, now it is HOT and humid. But we are still Beloved Children of God, and servants of Our Savior. With all the natural disasters going on in this world, the need for Clean Up Buckets by Church World Service/PDA is up. Check out the Presbyterian Women of Grace Presbyteries Facebook page. Always a need for prayer for those of us that do that best. The new Bible Study guides are out, and I saw that the large print edition is now available. We go back to a more normal Worship form this month, an 8:45 Worship and an 11:00 Worship, hope to see more of you and your smiling faces. Masks will be a suggestion, encouraged if not vaccinated. Sunday School might be coming back, Thank You Jesus! I do encourage each one of you to pray for Kindness, Compassion, Humility, Meekness and Patience this month and always. We are chosen by God and adopted by Him to be Sisters to Christ Jesus. Please rid yourselves of any prejudices you may have, I’m working hard on that one, I need to be the Face of God to anyone who looks at me. How can I be if I let my bad feelings about another one of God’s chosen get in the way of valuing them and He does? OK I came off my soap box and want to let you know you are Loved and Cared about by so many.
Have a Cool July!
In His Service,
Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
The Coordinating Team for 2021-2022 met and we continue to make plans for next year. Watch your email for reminders and dates to remember.
The new PW Yearbook for 2021-2022 is currently being updated and will be emailed in the next months. If you would like a paper copy, please let Paula know.
Mission Update:
Please continue to share ideas for missions with Barbara Follansbee. We’ve had some great ideas so far and plans are rolling along!
Dates to Remember:
Carol has asked to include this interesting article piece from Christianity Today. It’s well worth your time. It reinforces what we already know- God does hear our prayers!
Courage, reliance on God during extreme hardship
We all have our ups and downs, times when our strength and faith are tested, etc. For US residents, that’s normal and there’s no reason to feel that our faith will be tested as it often is for women in other parts of the world. A Christianity Today article about the girls who were captured from their school several years ago by Boko Haran describes the courage that God helps women of faith sustain, even though those involved were very young women. It’s a sobering read and hopefully will assist us to be more aware and to pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world even as we thank God for sustaining these girls. We can think of the arrests, beatings, trials, and executions of the early Christians as we read and hopefully understand them better. The book being reviewed in the article is “Bring Back Our Girls” by Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson
Dates to Remember
The Session voted on and approved the recommendations of the Back to Church Task Force at our Joint Officers Meeting in June. We are beginning our soft start back to normal and will be returning to two Worship services starting July 4. Service times return to 8:45 and 11:00. RESERVATIONS ARE STILL REQUIRED FOR BOTH SERVICES to ensure social distancing for your safety.
At this point, we are looking toward Sunday School beginning on July 4th. Please call or email Renee to request reservations for attending a Sunday School class. Some classes are choosing to wait and hope to begin meeting later this Fall in hopes that the Wilbanks Hall Building will be completed. Others have decided to gather, but will be relocated to other classrooms since the Wilbanks Hall Building has been declared unusable by our insurance company until further notice. If your class is choosing not to meet, you are still welcome to join any adult class that is meeting. However, there will be an occupancy limit on each classroom being used for Sunday School and reservations are needed so that classes can be placed appropriately.
July 4- Communion at both services, 8:45 and 11:00
July 6- 7:00pm- Evening Circle is meeting at Joe’s Pizza, 308 S. Galloway, Mesquite
All are invited for some delicious food and fun fellowship!
August 5- PW Churchwide Virtual Gathering- stay tuned to email for details
Monthly Care Teams:
July- Anita Campbell and Martha Sheppard-Mahaffey
August- Linda Fricke and Patti Kim
DON’T FORGET…..
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED for both services- 8:45 and 11:00
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. These efforts by all involved have certainly been a blessing to us during this last year- and they are much appreciated!
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….
“O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.
For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain!
America, America, God shed His grace on thee…
And crown thy good with brotherhood- from sea to shining sea.”
Samuel A. Ward, 1882: The Hymnbook, # 510
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
-Galations 6:9
After finishing a jigsaw puzzle, the man told his neighbor: “I finished this puzzle in just three weeks!”
The neighbor said, “Well, that’s pretty good!”
The man said, “You bet it is…. The box said two to four years!”
The Official Baldknobbers Joke Book, 1999
June 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
Another schoolyear has passed by! We have closed another PW year, as well, and concluded a wonderful study on Laments. Thanks to Carol, we have all had the opportunity to continue our study using her column throughout the time we could not meet in person. I hope you all will find time to relax this summer and reconnect with God through reflection, prayer, meditation, or just taking time for yourself. With prayer and planning, hopefully we will gather this August and set the tone for a new, exciting year in PW’s! Happy Summer!
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corner: Lamentations for Today
Through the past 9 months, we have been studying “Biblical lament”. Little did the author of the study realize that the year we used it would be one of stress, isolation, and change for everyone. The topic choice must have been Spirit-led. If you haven’t read all of the lessons in your book, it’s not too late to do so. If you need a book, we have more available.
The topic is important because as Christians, we have not only generally not been taught how to lament but haven’t been given permission or the tools to do so, even though no one gets through life without periods of stress, fear, despair, and concern for what’s happening to them personally and in the world around them. We haven’t understood where clear-eyed naming of our individual, collective, and national problems can take us. Beyond saying, “help!”, “what can I do?” and/or volunteering or contributing funds or whatever, we should share our fears or concerns with God in lament. God wants us to talk to Him. He’s not afraid of the crying out, the expressions of worry, fear, etc.
Going beyond the personal, there’s a lot in the nation and the world to be concerned about right now. You have only to watch the evening news to become concerned about those who are victimized, the words and actions of our leaders/legislators, etc. Our founders would likely not recognize us.
We don’t need to pray beautiful prayers to express our fear and concern….just cry out or speak to God in normal words and phrases. When we need help to pray, we can turn to the Biblical laments (Psalms is a good choice) and pray through them. Even though we aren’t David hiding in terror from Saul or the like, his crying out to God can help us to express our own concerns.
In praying the Psalms or other laments, we notice that not only does the writer cry out for specific help, but he expresses trust in God….trust that God hears him, that God cares, and trust that God will help him when the time is right. Trust then gives him hope so that most of the laments end on a high note with praise to God for deliverance even though it hasn’t happened yet. The writer believes and trusts that God will care for him.
Currently, our nation and the world seem to be in quite a mess. Injustice is all around us…it seems to be getting worse. It’s clear that the world operates under a different set of rules from God’s rules. We wonder what current events mean as we see ungodliness all around us. We don’t know why things are the way they are but God does. He is still in His heaven and he is still allowing world events to work out for his purpose. Later, if not sooner, we will see God’s judgment play out. God is faithful to his promises and his covenant. His integrity stands far above that of any human. He sees and He cares.
We can pray about the situation but we don’t need to worry. We can and should act appropriately….write our legislators, register voters, contribute to food banks, etc., but ultimately our hope comes from the fact that we know that God is with us, will care for us, and we have a certain hope of one day living in paradise with Him. Dr, Paul Metzger, in his introduction to the book, Prophetic Lament, states that “we should have one finger in the ancient Scriptures, another in the daily newspaper and another touching the heart, all the while pointing to Jesus Christ.” He says we often stop short of getting to the heart of Christ as we read and pray or of allowing the Spirit to teach us and lament with us even though we accept responsibility for our own sin and express gratitude for the blessings we have received. We should try to go deeper in our relationship with God.
A short book of lament that is a great topic for study and reflection is Lamentations. It was probably written by the prophet, Jeremiah, in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction by Babylon. The Israelites had considered themselves to be special and that that their city/nation would be protected as a result. Instead, they suffered terribly even before the city fell. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city, cutting it off completely. He didn’t immediately storm the city but instead waited patiently for the people to starve to death and many of them did just that.
Does the description of feeling special and protected seem like a familiar description of America today? Are we really special? Do we deserve protection any more than any other nation? What ungodliness and evil we see here and around the world! How can the evil which is active in today’s world be understood? Look at the example of Lamentations. The city people had suffered greatly both from starvation and then from the brutality of the soldiers who overran them. It was a time of darkness and despair. The prophet’s words of despair are pulled together in Hebrew poetry as a way to speak the unspeakable. It’s not just a record of a dark period of history, but faces head-on some of the most difficult issues God’s people will ever consider—problems that are contemporary today. How can a loving God allow his people to suffer like this? How can he allow such horrendous acts to occur? How can He allow people and nations to oppress one another? How can God allow Satan to be so active in the world? How can we trust that God’s still in charge when things look so ungodly? Echoing through Lamentations, which is written in the aftermath of terrible judgment for the people’s evil, is the trust that God’s anger won’t last forever; that He is faithful to those who trust in Him. Every day is an opportunity for them/us to experience God’s love and mercy if they look for it. Hope is not lost; it is in Christ.
To paraphrase from the book of Lamentations: (italics mine; numbers are citations in Lamentations. The situation is terrible but trust in God shines through).
“Many and terrible were the crimes that her (Israel’s) leaders, the ones who should be the most righteous of all, committed…never had leaders wandered blindly, polluted by the blood they spilled.”(4:14) (That didn’t excuse the sins of the people! They looked for other nations/people to save them, rather than looking to God, but no rescue came.) “The joy from our hearts is utterly gone”. (5:15)
“Right and true is the eternal one. I (we) am in the wrong; I (we) have rebelled against His law”(1:18) .…”grieving, my soul thinks back; ….I remember and wait for hope…How enduring is God’s loyal love; the Eternal has inexhaustible compassion; …your faithfulness, God, is as broad as the day…have courage, for the Eternal is all that I need. My soul boasts, ‘hope in God; just wait.’” (2:20-24) “Kindness prevails; …the greatness of God’s loyal love wins out. Keeping us down is not the desire or way of God’s heart.” (2:32-33).
“Let’s search our thoughts and ways and return to the Eternal.Let’s lift up to God in heaven our hearts along with our hands in praise and supplication.” (2:40-41). “Lord, you’ve been my champion. You saved my life (you’ve paid the price to save me) (2:58) “You, Eternal One…will abide and rule forever…Weare sorry and have suffered for it, Eternal One, take us back again that we may be restored to You and You to us.” (5:19-21)
The words of Lamentations can be a model for today. Even though we, personally, haven’t committed the sins of our leaders and so many others, we are sinners and also responsible even though we may be deeply touched by the victimization of so many people in so many ways. Can we personally fix it? No.
The heart of Lamentations shows that although the pain and despair are deep and lasting, God won’t turn his back on the world; He is still here. We have every reason to lament about today’s situations and ask God to rebuild us as a Christian nation and a godly world. Even when that seems like a remote possibility, there is reason to hope. Hope can draw us closer to God. Whether we improve as a nation or not, the pain for believers won’t last forever because of God’s deep, eternal mercy for His people. Christ has paid the price for us. Regardless of what happens, God’s children will eventually be safe and secure.
Exploring further:
To explore more specifics about world situations, we can go beyond TV, newspapers, and social media by subscribing to such websites as PCUSA US Weekly News, Presbyterian Mission.org, the Presbyterian Women website, or Voice of the Martyrs, or Barnabas Aid or any of a number of other reputable sites. Being informed enables us to pray more specifically and to act as appropriate.
As an example of thinking about lament for the world can be found in a brief article in Presbyterian Mission.org by Mike Ferguson who reports on pastor and author, Dr. Emmanuel Katongole, a Theology professor at University of Notre Dame. Dr. Katongole knows a lot about racial strife, being the son of a Hutu mother and Tutsi father. Although Americans are conditioned to remain proudly optimistic, he is calling on our churches to lament. Congregational lament, he believes, can expose secrets and needs in our community and the world, allow us to name our brokenness, and remember our destiny as God’s children. Lament allows us to shed some of that proverbial American optimism and notice what’s broken, who’s suffering, what needs to be done, and what we as Christians could do. He wishes that the church would become leaders in lament. To him, one role of the church is to pay attention to and name what’s broken and then find ways to take action, either individually or collectively in small or large groups. This could be as small as regular prayer or one-on-one ministry to church-wide and community-wide action to address identified problems.
Dr. Katongole refers to Maison Shalom International, which was started by a woman who survived a 1993 genocide in Burundi and found herself with 25 orphans to care for. Since then, the organization she founded has served over 47,000 orphans with care, education, vocational training, etc. In 2015, her work landed the founder, Maggie Barankitse, in exile in Rwanda, where she is continuing to serve orphans. We can’t all accomplish this much and we aren’t under this much duress, but we can look around at the needs of our community and the world and do something…pray, donate, whatever. You can read about Maison Shalom International on their website.
Musical Lament
The music selection for today is a beautiful rendition of an old spiritual lament: “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”, sung by Marilyn Horne, which can be found on You Tube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il0Iv6yiHpw
Message from Meg:
It is wet, again, the ground is soft and not good to walk on right now, but the sun is trying to peek through the clouds here, SOOOOOOOOOOO we have something to look forward to.
If you missed this past P.W. Spring Workshop via Zoom, you missed a great overview of the Horizons Bible Study: “What My Grandmothers Taught Me,” about the genealogy of Jesus. Julie Adkins, (the Rev. Dr.) did a great presentation, and I am eager to start the new study come September. Also, the workshop for Officers gave out good information that will be useful for officers of any P.W. group. It was also mentioned about the in person Gathering is being planned for October, 2021 with good fellowship, speaker, information about the budget, election of officers along with their installation, with displays by some great Mission people, so bring your friends and spending money to get started on your Christmas shopping, and there will be a gift for each of you from the C.T. of Grace Presbyterian Women for your support through this covid time. Please continue to pray for all the Missionaries, teachers and medical personnel that the P.C. (USA) continues to support.
The ladies of the Evening Circle will continue to have their Food and Fellowship gatherings this summer. The first one will be the second Tuesday of June (8th) at Joes Pasta and Pizza just down the street from the Church, all women are invited for this time to natter and nosh. Please consider joining us.
I pray you will have a Great Day and Week, this side of the daisies.
In His Service. Meg Garver-Hamilton
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
The Coordinating Team for 2021-2022 met and we are making plans for next year. Watch your email for reminders and dates to remember.
The new PW Yearbook for 2021-2022 is currently being updated and will be emailed in the next months. If you’d like a paper copy, please let Paula know.
Mission Update:
Please continue to share ideas for missions with Barbara Follansbee. We’ve had some great ideas so far and plans are rolling along!
| Share your servant’s heart with others….. June Individual Mission: Pray for all those who are suffering with a mental health challenge. Also, pray for their families, caretakers, and those in the medical profession who treat them. |
Dates to remember:
All church-wide events canceled through June. The Session will continue to hear recommendations of the Back to Church Task Force at our joint officer meeting in June. There is hope of a “soft start” coming this Summer, so please be in prayer for our Task Force, our Session, and our congregation as we try to move forward in a way that is comfortable and safe for us all.
June 6- Communion at all three services: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00
June 14- Flag Day
Monthly Care Teams:
June-Jan Fort and Paula Kusewitt
July- Anita Campbell and Martha Sheppard-Mahaffey
DON’T FORGET…..
Through June, service times remain the same: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00- RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. These efforts by all involved have certainly been a blessing to us during this last year- and they are much appreciated!
Stay tuned for emails with updates from Session meetings. The Task Force is trying to stay as updated and informed as possible. Please be in prayer for everyone making decisions for our congregation during this Pandemic. This has not been an easy span of time for anyone, and people in our church family may be hurting physically, mentally, emotionally or a combination of all. We are hoping for a safe, slow start back to some kind of normal as soon as possible.
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….
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
“My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”
Edward Mote, 1834, The Hymnbook, #368
There is no turning back nor standing still; we must go forward, into the future, generation after generation toward the accomplishment of the ends that have been set for the human race.
-Laura Ingalls Wilder
What kind of lights did Noah have on the Ark?
-Floodlights!
May 2021
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
May…. A month of many celebrations and looking forward to summer! We are wrapping up another year in PW’s, and it has been a year unlike any other! We have continued to be an active group, even without meeting in person. Our pledges will continue to make an impact far beyond our own church walls, and we learned ways to keep in touch, focus on our blessings, and still support each other. I pray that through relaxation this summer you can find some rejuvenation and hope, and that with time, all the worries and anxieties of this past year will be replaced with reconnections and a new appreciation for each other. It has been an honor to serve as Moderator this year, and I am looking forward to next year’s opportunities for service. I am planning to continue the PW Press throughout the summer months to keep us all connected, so make sure to check your email! Finally, to all Mothers and those who are seen as such, thank you for the impact you make every day. You are treasured, you are loved, and your influence will be remembered forever. Happy Mother’s Day!
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corner: Chapter 9 Study: Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament by P. Lynn Miller
Carol’s Corner: Lesson 9, “The End of Lament”
Scriptures: Isaiah 2:2-3; Isaiah 25:6-10, Rev. 21: 1-8
We have come to the end of a year of lessons in which we have been introduced to the idea of lament. We found that there is a lot of it in the Bible, just as in our own lives. We learned that it’s OK to share struggles and even cry out to God for help when we need to do that. We can be assured that God hears us, weeps with us, and will answer in his own time in the way that is right for us, whether the answer is exactly what we requested or it’s not what we asked for or expected. We can trust God that He’s there and will be with us, regardless of what happens. That should give hope.
Today, we are not talking about lament, but the end of it, which will only happen when Christ comes again. We have a positive promise that it will happen and that believers will have a ticket to heaven at that time, with our sins blotted out by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Heaven is a fantastic place to think about although if you are like me, you sometimes have a difficult time picturing yourself there and even picturing yourself fitting in. We will all fit in, as brothers and sisters of Christ, God’s heirs. Our scriptures today are a tiny bit of the many descriptions of heaven which are in the Bible. These descriptions ere probably placed there in order to provide hope when the going is rough, whether it’s hundreds of years before Christ or today. It’s almost too good to believe, but we will all be there someday.
Read Isaiah 2:2-3, which was written hundreds of years before Christ was born. God’s plan, however, was developed before the world was made. Some of it was revealed bit by bit for thousands of years. Neither the prophets nor the listeners fully understood the messages, but they became more clear after Christ’s ministry. Now, our knowledge can be distilled into the creeds: “Christ died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.” The message is that God will prevail. God wins. We will be a redeemed people will be living in heaven alongside God. What a concept! What a promise!
The Isaiah 2 verses begin with the term, “the Last Days”, which is analogues to our term, “End Times.” I used to think the end times were far in the future and didn’t understand when the apostles used it in the New Testament. Actually, though, we are living in the end times. There were several great periods in history, which corresponded closely to prophecy. As a result, the Jews had a relatively good idea of when the Messiah would come. Now, we are in the last days, which began with the resurrection and Pentecost. The timeline is uncertain (2000 years and counting). Only God knows the timing. It’s our job to anticipate and be ready. We know neither the day nor the hour when Christ will come.
Until then, we must live our best lives in a world made imperfect by sin. It will never be in a state of peace and perfection until Christ returns and the present course of history comes to an end. Mark 13:7-8 tells us not to be alarmed about wars, unrest, nations fighting with each other. The one thing that we do know is that the plan will not be finished until there is successful preaching to all nations. (Mark 13:10)
The “highest mountain” in verse 2 does not refer to a physical mountain but to the establishment of the kingdom of God in what will become the new heaven. These verses, written so long ago, also discuss “the nations”. At a time when Israel thought it was God’s exclusive favorite child, the prophet tells them that others will also be included as residents of heaven. There, God will be teaching us even more about his love, grace, and peace. Eternity may not be long enough to learn it all.
Read Isaiah 25: 6-10. Throughout scripture, the salvation of a lost soul is met with celebration (think prodigal son). When we all get to heaven, there will be a huge celebration, a feast.
We are told that God will destroy the shroud of sin, the veil of darkness. How? Christ has triumphed over death and now will finish the job forever. Whatever grief each person has experienced will be banished as though it never existed; problems, sorrow, and shame will be gone forever. God will personally wipe away the tears of believers and we will enter a land of endless joy. This promise provided hope for those who were enduring and even suffering both in the distant past and in the present, where Christians are still enduring persecution and shame. Believers will rejoice in the fact their trust in the Lord has been rewarded with salvation. We are not waiting in vain. The cross points straight to heaven, while the unrepentant, who are represented in these verses by the nation of Moab, will be judged and trampled down. Satan’s hold will be broken forever. This is why, when we are tempted to give it all up, Paul tells us to: “be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for our labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (I Cor. 15:58) In the end, God wins.
God sent one last message about heaven through the apostle John when he was an old man living in exile on an island as punishment for his faith. How exciting it must have been for him to get a glimpse of heaven. Read Revelation 21:1-7.
There will come a time when earthly history, God’s plan is completed. Christ has promised to come again the same way that he left, (the Transfiguration) and we are promised that there will be a Holy City where we will dwell with God in perfect peace. We won’t be flying up to the clouds, though. The Holy City will descend to totally transform the earth, with God sitting on His throne on a mountain in the New Jerusalem, which will now be the central focal point of the transformed heaven and earth. It’s not even a remade earth; Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away. (Luke 21:33). Centuries before, the psalmist also said it: only God will endure without changing. (Ps 102:25-27)
We tend to ignore the phrase, “there is no sea”, but this was really important to John’s contemporaries. To their mind, the sea was a metaphor for evil and for separation from God, as well as for the opponents of God, including Satan. This quick phrase tells us that evil will have no place in heaven. (Isaiah 57:20, Psalm 89:9), Revelation 13:1, Revelation 20:13).
John used the most striking, beautiful analogy he could think of in order to describe the city as it came down: “the city is arrayed as a bride.” When else in her entire life, does the average woman look better than when she is a bride? Psalm 45 describes the royal bride of the era as “glorious”, with clothing woven with gold and wearing robes of many colors. Now, John saw a city that was beautiful beyond his wildest dreams and he had no other words to describe it.
Then John was startled by a very loud voice proclaiming that God would now dwell with men (and women), that he will closely be our God, and death, sorrow, pain, etc. will pass away, that is, it will be as if these things never happened. We will be in a perfect community with God and other believers, something that hasn’t happened since Eve ate the apple. In heaven God will be able to fulfill his original desire: to live in close fellowship with men and women, and we will be His people.
Although it will be a community of righteousness, it won’t be boring. The most exciting thing is that we will see God and worship him perpetually. Besides worship and singing, however, it will be a lively place with people serving God, (Rev. 22:3) interacting and socializing with God, Jesus, the saints, and each other, enjoying special interests and all kinds of activity. But….there will be no death, pain, mourning, or anything related to evil. The emphasis is on God comforting and being present with the people.
John was so taken by what he saw that he had to be commanded to write his observations down. The reason he saw this was so he could bring the message and the hope of heaven to all believers. God made it clear that He will keep his promises and we can hope for heaven.
In that heaven, those who are thirsty will be drinking from the River of Life which flows from the throne of God. This water is plentiful and free to believers and residents of the new heaven, a gift of God’s grace.
Finally, God reminded all of us that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of all things. He IS the end and the beginning of the new life in Heaven. The act of making everything new is the consummation of God’s work of renewal and redemption which continues in our present time, and which will continue until Christ comes. We have already been given new hearts and are being renewed as we wait for that day ( 2 Corinthians 4:16, 5:17) when God’s plan will have been accomplished on earth and in heaven.
So what should we do now? We know that we are living in the End Times and that only God knows what will happen and when. C.S. Lewis writes that rather than focusing on the sequence of events, we should live our lives in active, holy waiting, living the best lives for Him that we can do. “Each day is a sacred gift at the nexus of time and eternity…we should receive it as a gift. It’s our chance to choose the right side….it won’t last forever. We must take it or leave it.”
So even though our lives aren’t always pleasant or easy and we have good reason to take our laments to God and call out for help, we can live with the sure knowledge that there are eternal better days ahead. God will not forget those who love Him but will be there for them.
I have enjoyed sharing this year’s study with you. Thanks for taking the journey with me.
Message from Meg:
Ladies, I trust all are comparatively well and enjoying the sun when it gets a chance to poke through the clouds. So many plants are showing signs of survival and it is good to see. I know my roses are going gang busters, the petals got blown around on Friday afternoon during the hail we had here, but they are still so pretty and smell sooooooo good.
Please plan on joining the P.W. Spring Zoom overview of the 2021/2022 Bible Study — What My Grandmothers Taught Me. This is from the Book of Matthew and goes over the female side of Jesus. There will also be some Officer Training, Moderators, Treasurers and Historians. Good information and good people working to give us all good information to help us be Good Servants.
So, please log into Zoom on the 15th of May at 10:00 A.M. the meeting I.D. is 841 4454 9278 and the pass code is 685755. The first 45 minutes will be Rev. Dr., Julie Adkins giving us the overview and then others including myself will help with Officer Training.
The C.T. of the Grace Presbyterian Women are also a Fall Gathering IN PERSON come October when we pray we will be safe to gather and hug each other and vote on the Budget, and elect officers and hear from Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services and what exciting things are happening there. It will be at the Presbyterian Church in Itasca and we will have a tour of the Children’s home there. Also information about Mission projects and a chance to get some Christmas shopping done. Please mark your Calendars for this great opportunity to meet and greet other Women who value the work of their Sisters in Mission. October 9th is the day. I will be driving there if anyone would like to ride with me.
Please continue to keep your pledges to P.W. up to date, we are doing well, but the demand for help is great, and we do make a difference, so keep it up. Also please attend the Circle of choice, Morning is first Tuesday each Month at 9:30 except June, July and August, Evening is that same day but at 7:00 P.M. Please consider visiting and joining these learning opportunities.
In His Service, Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
We would love to have you join the Morning or Evening Circles! Both groups are meeting face-to-face on May 4th. The Morning Circle will meet at 9:30 in the Sanctuary, masked and socially distanced, for some fellowship and study. The Evening Circle is meeting at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary as well, following the same guidelines.
Our slate of officers was approved for 2021-2022, and all will remain the same, with the exception of Treasurer, who will now be Jan Fort. We appreciate Jan’s excitement and enthusiasm, and we thank Sue Luce for her dedicated leadership and efforts to keep us on track while she served as Treasurer! You both are a blessing to us!
We are going to meet soon to get plans in place for next year. Stay tuned to emails for information and reminders.
Mission Update:
| Share your servant’s heart with others….. May Individual Mission: Sing a hymn out loud every day this month! (Sing loud…. No one will hear you!) |
Dates to remember:
All church-wide events canceled through May and June. The Session will continue to hear recommendations of the Back to Church Task Force at our joint officer meetings. Please watch for email updates.
May 2- Communion at all three services
May 4- Morning Circle meeting in the Sanctuary, 9:30 am Evening Circle meeting in the Sanctuary, 7:00 pm
May 9- Mother’s Day; We will also be honoring Pete Allen for his 50 years of service as Church Treasurer. There will be caravans traveling to Pete’s house for a “Drive-by Salute” after each worship service. If you are so inclined, you can drop a card for Pete by the Welcome Center until May 9th.
May 16- Senior Sunday
May 23- All services will have a Memorial Day focus
May 30- Guest Preacher: Craig Kreuger
May 31- Church office closed in observance of Memorial Day
Monthly Care Teams:
May- Dr. Carol Stephenson and Paula Kusewitt
June-Jan Fort and Paula Kusewitt
DON’T FORGET…
Church services in person: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00- RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. These efforts by all involved have certainly been a blessing to us during this last year- and they are much appreciated!
Study books are still available for purchase. They can be delivered to your home or picked up in the church office. If interested, contact Sue Luce or Paula Kusewitt. Stay tuned for emails with updates from Session meetings. The Task Force is trying to stay as updated and informed as possible. Please be in prayer for everyone making decisions for our congregation during this Pandemic.
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…
“While she knew she might still face hard times and painful emotions, she committed to working at being happy. She recognized that it takes as much effort to be miserable as it does to be content and decided to make sure her focus and her faith remained fixed on God’s goodness.” Dudley Delffs, The Faith of Dolly Parton
“Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is darkness, only light,
and where there’s sadness, ever joy.”
“Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”
Prayer of St. Francis, Glory To God Hymnal, #753
“A mother’s love is like an island in life’s ocean vast and wide-
A peaceful, quiet shelter from the restless, rising tide.
A mother’s love is like a beacon burning bright with faith and prayer,
And through the changing scenes of life, we find a haven there.
For a mother’s love is fashioned after God’s enduring love-
It is endless and unfailing like the love of Him above.”
-Helen Steiner Rice
Do you know what time of day Adam was born?
A little before Eve!
A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”
Newsletter for Presbyterian Women of FPC Mesquite
April 2021
Happy Spring! With a few blooms on the trees, the birds singing their songs, and gardens beginning to sprout, I thank God for the promise of things to come. We might be starting to see the light at the end of the Pandemic tunnel, and for that we are cautiously aware and eternally grateful to our Father in Heaven. This month those who feel comfortable will begin to meet in person with our Morning and Evening Circles for the first time in more than a year. Throughout that time, we have supported our church, our community, our families, and one another during emotional and sometimes difficult circumstances. Praise God for all those in the medical profession, for essential workers, first responders, teachers, for those that continue to offer help and support on the front lines, and for anyone who offered assistance to others during this time. The world is a better place because we came together in ways we never imagined we’d have to do. Kindness was shown, mercy was given, and people extended a helping hand to each other. And, as a body of believers, we are a better people for doing so.
Love to you all! Paula
Carol’s Corner: Chapter 8 Study: Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament by P. Lynn Miller
Scriptures: Hosea 11:1-9, Luke 19:41-44, Matt 23:37-39, (Luke 13:34-35), Luke 22:39-44, Matt. 26:38, Romans 8:38-39
Our series so far has centered on laments throughout the Bible by numerous Biblical characters such as David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Laments, as we have learned, are prayers, people crying out to God, often in extreme distress and very emotionally. We learned that being emotional and crying out to God is quite OK. God wants us to share our needs with Him and depend on him for guidance, comfort, and help. Most of the laments end with a statement of trust that eventually God will take care of the situation, although we know that the answer won’t always be “yes” or exactly what we had in mind. Even Daniel’s friends, before they were thrown into the fiery furnace, said they believed God would save them, but if He didn’t, they would follow Him anyway.
Today, we see something different: God is lamenting. He actually shares His own thoughts and feelings with us. In the passage from Hosea, we see Him exasperated with the way the people are behaving: mixing idolatry with their temple worship, congratulating themselves for achieving a stable economy, and being as corrupt as can be. God knew when He created people that they would turn out to be sinners instead of the friends and companions that He wanted. He created us anyway. Imagine that! Because of that, from before creation, a way out was created: a Savior who would sacrifice Himself willingly to pay the price for our sin. The price was non-negotiable. It had to be paid. The question was how. In the Hosea passage, about 800 years before Christ was born and before Israel and Judah were exiled, God is looking at man as a parent and is upset. Read the Hosea passage out loud, with feeling, and see God as the exasperated parent. It doesn’t take much imagination, does it? God had had it! He was going to have to punish them even though he loved them and didn’t want to. Even though punishment was coming, He had promised many times that He wouldn’t wipe them out completely and He didn’t. But he did punish them severely. From this, we can see that God is watching…He is still in charge, even though He gave us free will to make as much of a mess of our lives and our world as we want to. He is saddened when that happens. There is also mercy for those who choose to be his children….we will be spared from the eternal punishment, although it may not look like we are winning in this life.
Moving on to the other passages, we see Jesus (God) lamenting. We think of him as strong and confident and mostly in control but at the end of his life, both his human and his God characteristics were in full view. Read the passage from Luke 19. Jesus had just ridden down the mountainside into the city on a donkey just as David did before his coronation centuries before. The people were expecting Him. The prophets had given them an approximate date. They thought he would be a military leader who would save them from the Romans rather than seeing him as Savior, God’s son. The celebration, even if wrong-headed, was joyous and wonderful. So much so that the Pharisees complained that the crowd was just too rowdy and Jesus should settle them down. Instead, he said the celebration was right and that if the people didn’t celebrate, the stones would cry out. But then, Jesus laments and weeps over the city. He is sad because the people could have had His peace. Now it’s hidden from them. Without the recognition of Him as Savior, there is nothing Jesus can do for them. Judgment is coming instead. In less than 40 years, the city would be destroyed once again, not to mention the final judgment still to come. Jesus loved them in spite of themselves and He loved the city, so He wept.
Read the Matthew 23 passage. Jesus continues to express his grief in lament. He longs to be the loving parent, to gather the people to them and protect them just as a mother bird protects her chicks by gathering them under her wings in times of bad weather or danger. He expresses his sadness that they weren’t willing to accept him but instead, in a few days, would be shouting, “Crucify Him!”
Read the Luke 22 passage. Although Jesus agreed before the beginning of time to be the sacrificial lamb for our sins, he was still man as still as God. He knew how awful the suffering and humiliation would be. He just didn’t think He could go through it. He certainly didn’t want to. He expressed to the disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matt. 26:38). Have we ever realized how difficult it was for the human Christ to endure both the suffering and the isolation from God in order to save us? He threw himself on the ground and prayed, “if you can, God, don’t make me go through this”. The stress was so severe that He was sweating drops of blood. He was in anguish. Then he remembered his agreement as well as His love for his people and continued, “not my will but yours….I’ll do it”. At that time, angels came to minister to Him and strengthen Him before God withdrew from Him for the ordeal to come.
We can see that Jesus understands what it is like to experience sorrow so heavy that it feels like it’s pressing the life out of you. He know what it’s llike to wrestle with God’s plans for your life. He demonstrates that God isn’t obligated to say “yes” to all of our prayers but it’s definitely OK to share our feelings and laments with Him.
The Father said “no” to Jesus so that he could say “yes” to you and me for all eternity. Jesus drank the cup of wrath to the dregs so that you and I can drink from the cup of salvation forever in the greater Garden to come.
So we return to having permission from God to lament. He cares. He hears. He is not going to think less of us or throw us out of the kingdom because we are suffering and ask for help. Paul assures us of this in Romans8:38-39. When we are His children, nothing can separate us from the love and care of God.
As you finish reading this, I encourage you to go to Gloria Gaither’s blog. (She’s a songwriter who gave us many familiar Christian songs). She is meditating on what Jesus was thinking about before and on the cross. I’d never thought about it this way before. It’s pretty profound. The website also includes a beautiful song which expresses the same thoughts of Christ. You can find it at:
https://www.lovesongtomylife.com/blog/then-he-bowed-his-head-and-died
(This blog is worth your time if you add your name to its list).
Happy Easter a little late. I hope we can all re-think it in terms of God’s laments over us.
Message from Meg:
My Dear Sisters in Christ.
We begin a new phase in our lives as P.W. We will gather for Bible Study, not online, You Tube or Zoom,
but in person, masks will be in place, but we will get to be in each other’s company. I do hope you have not
forgotten your pledge to support P.W. financially. The work of providing for workshops, Mission and providing
materials for the work that P.W. does so well has continued. I must tell you again that we, at First Presby., Mesquite
have been able to send our quarterly pledge to the Presbytery’s P.W. to enable the printing of the Innovator news
magazine and set up the Zoom overview of the New (2021/2022) Bible Study in May. Thank You All for your continued support of the work of P.W. both here in Mesquite and the world. Please let me hear from you about your First time together for Fellowship and Study.
In His Service, Meg.
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
We would love to have you join the Morning or Evening Circles! Both groups are meeting face-to-face on April 6th. The Morning Circle will meet at 9:30 in the Sanctuary, masked and socially distanced, for some fellowship and study. The Evening Circle is meeting at 7:00 pm at Joe’s Pizza and Pasta, 308 S. Galloway Ave., Mesquite, TX 75149. We have missed gathering and are looking forward to reconnecting!
Budget update: We were able to meet our budget and give to all groups, meeting our commitments to them as planned. God has blessed us with much- and we are able to share it with others. Praise be to God!
Mission Update:
| Share your servant’s heart with others….. April Individual Mission: Thank a nurse, doctor, dentist or caregiver with a card or small gift. Additionally, please pray for those we know whose homes have been damaged and whose lives have been turned upside down during the Winter storm. |
Dates to Remember:
All church-wide events canceled through April and May. The Session will continue to hear recommendations of the Back to Church Task Force at our joint officer meetings. Please watch for email updates.
April 1- Maundy Thursday Services at 7:00 pm. Reservations required.
April 2- Good Friday Services at 7:00 pm. Reservations required.
April 4- Easter Sunday Services as scheduled: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00- Reservations required.
April 5- Church office closed
April 6- PW Circles meet: Morning at 9:30 in the Sanctuary, Evening at 7:00 pm, Joe’s Pizza and Pasta, 308 S. Galloway Ave., Mesquite, 75149
April 25- Youth Sunday
Monthly Care Teams:
April- Terri Bragg and Joy Samuels
May- Reeny Almas and Dr. Carol Stephenson
DON’T FORGET . . .
If you are planning to attend one of our Circle meetings on Tuesday, April 6th, please bring your least coin offering that you have saved during this last year. We will collect them during the meeting!
Church services in person: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00- RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included. These efforts by all involved have certainly been a blessing to us during this last year- and they are much appreciated!
Study books are still available for purchase. They can be delivered to your home or picked up in the church office. If interested, contact Sue Luce or Paula Kusewitt.
Stay tuned for emails with updates from Session meetings. The Task Force is trying to stay as updated and informed as possible. Please be in prayer for everyone making decisions for our congregation during this Pandemic.
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. We had 178 items for March… let’s see if we can top that in April!
A Treasured Tidbit . . .
“What a relief it is to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the smile of God.”
Genesis 33:10 NLT
“Thine is the glory, Risen, conquering Son; Endless is the victory Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away, Kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Thine is the glory, Risen, conquering Son; Endless is the victory Thou oe’r death hast won!”
Edmond Budry, 1884 The Hymnbook, #209
“Every Sunday should be Easter Sunday!” Tom Wilbanks
What is the Easter Bunny’s favorite kind of jewelry? 14-carrot gold!
March 2021
We’ve almost made it to Spring! As I reflect back on the last year, there have been changes in all aspects of life. I know we’ve all been challenged by change in some way or another. We have had to adjust to changes at work, making adjustments in daily activities, family activities, our health or the health of those we love, school, Worship, etc. God’s divine mercy and grace is a constant to all of us even when our worlds change so fast we feel like we can’t keep up. Whether it’s a Pandemic, snowstorm like any other, busted pipes, water damage, no power, God’s love is never changing. That itself is a comfort to lean on during this Lenten season. I pray that we each one will grow closer to God and strengthen our walk with Him as we look toward the promise of Easter.
Love to you all!
Paula
Carol’s Corner: Chapter 7 Study: Into the Light: Finding Hope Through Prayers of Lament by P. Lynn Miller
Lesson 7: The Lament of Creation
Scriptures: Isaiah 24:4-6, 8, 19 and Romans 8:19-23
This lesson is about the lament of creation, which God spoke into being. The Bible says that the earth was created for God’s pleasure and that man was to enjoy and care for it. In turn, it would provide for man’s needs and enjoyment. “God saw that it was good.”
Although the Isaiah scripture describes the devastation of Jerusalem when God finally punished it for the long-term sins of the people, the overall intent is the judgment of all creation. The sins of its inhabitants are what has harmed creation all along. We spoiled it!
When Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden because of sin, God said the land would have thorns and require effort to till it and make a living. Abel’s death left a further curse. Beyond that, the sin of humans has continued to spoil God’s creation, not just Jerusalem or Palestine, but the world in general. The Bible records cyclical judgments and devastations through much of history. They didn’t stop just because the Bible was completed. They have occurred and will continue to occur until the time of the final judgment. These judgments apply to all, not just the Jews. We should look for God’s hand somewhere in each of them, whether we want to or not.
We haven’t made much progress since Isaiah wrote so long ago. We as humans continue to do everything possible to spoil the beautiful world God gave us. We litter. Vast swaths of the earth are eroded by drought, devastated by war, spoiled by plastic and trash, oil and gas drilling, hunting and fishing of endangered species, pollution, and the release of methane, CO2, and other gases that are ruining our world. The world that we (collectively) are leaving for our children and grandchildren is not the same as ours was or the original world God created. We were able to chase butterflies, see fireflies, walk into a glacier (if we wanted to), see polar bears on their ice floes, fish in rivers where there was no plastic or trash on the shore, etc. As Christians, what is our personal responsibility? No one can do it all but everyone can do something. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have vastly different experiences unless we behave responsibly and support responsible legislation for climate and environmental protection.
Isaiah 24 begins with “BEHOLD!” (or a similar term, depending on your translation) that tells us “the Lord has spoken. These were/are words of certainty even though they were spoken about 100 years before the event (the Babylonian conquering of Jerusalem). The same is true for today: if the Lord says it, it will happen. Jerusalem was destroyed in God’s time; the earth will also be shaken off its foundation in God’s time.
Prior to Jerusalem’s fall, the Israelites had come to see themselves as a special people who deserved their great city rather than recognizing that everything they had and accomplished was by the grace of God. We tend to be the same way today; believing we are entitled. We aren’t. Creation is a gift to be cherished and cared for. We have responsibilities. The earth is broken and judgment awaits.
While the Isaiah passage focuses on the prophecy and certainty of judgment on creation, in Romans, the apostle Paul poetically provides glorious hope by visualizing the new earth that is to come. It is certain that the day will come when the earth is broken apart and replaced. Nature is waiting and longing for that liberation from the decay that’s been caused by human sin. If the earth can hope to become a new heavenly earth, how much more can we be excited about the prospect of gaining new heavenly bodies? Paul describes the eager expectation of glory for both humankind and creation. The struggles, groaning, cries for help will become insignificant when we get to that point.
Paul points out that we have 2 intercessors who are watching over us and listening to our cries. The phrase, “in accordance with God’s will” is assurance that those cries will be heard and there will be intercessory prayer by both the Holy Spirit and by Christ. They are with us and care for us in our imperfect world. We must be patient and wait until the power of sin and death is overcome by God and we move into our mansions on the new, heavenly earth.
Message from Meg: What a Month February was, is putting it mildly. Much damage and lots of cleaning up going on and will go on for months. But there are so many people pitching in to help with, time, talents and money, along with prayer. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is on the ground with volunteers cleaning, fixing and feeding where necessary. They will be there for the long haul. Also P. W. has called off the Churchwide Gathering that was to happen in August. There will be a Zoom Business meeting and I will be the voting rep., along with Bettina Zvanut from Grace Presbytery. I will let you all know what happens when I have the results of our deliberations. Still looking forward to the day when we can gather for Prayer, Bible Study and Fellowship. If the numbers of active cases of Covid go down, like they are now, it may be soon. I know many of us are praying for just this to happen. BUT don’t forget the Zoom Workshops in May presented by the Coordinating Team from the Presbytery, there will be an overview of this next year (2021/2022) Bible Study along with Officer Training for Moderators, Treasurers and Mission Coordinators. All are welcome to join us, so you too can know what is going on in the life of P.W. I trust you are all continuing to follow the current Bible Study and to keep the prayers and thoughts of comfort and healing going up and out. May this month of March find us stronger and looking forward to a Great Easter Celebration. In His Service, Meg
Notes from the Coordinating Team:
We would love to have you join the Morning or Evening Circles! The Morning Circle has decided as a group to not meet in person right now. After the next update from the Session and Back to Church Task Force, we will make a decision based on current recommendations. For further information on Evening Circle meeting details, please contact Jan Sloan.
Additionally, we would like to remind everyone to turn in their pledge for this year if you have not already done so. We would like to budget our pledges as planned, and right now we are a little short of reaching our goal. With pledges from everyone, we can help those who are planning on our commitments.
Mission Update:
Thank you for your participation in our Valentine Project! We delivered 221 (WOW!) Valentine cards to the residents and staff of Mesquite Village Centre. They were overjoyed with our caring expressions of love and friendship. Thank you for spreading kindness and making their day a little brighter. They were very appreciative of all our efforts.
Dates to remember:
All church-wide events canceled through March and April. The Session will continue to hear recommendations of the Back to Church Task Force at our joint officer meetings. Please watch for email updates.
March 7- Communion at all three services
March 20- Tentative Church Work Day
March 21- Blood Drive in North Parking Lot
March 28- Palm Sunday
During the month of March- The CE Committee is collecting monetary donations to be put toward Easter goodies for a “Reverse Easter Event” (drive-by parade) for the children on Palm Sunday
Monthly Care Teams
March- Sue Bohmer and Meg Garver-Hamilton
April- Terri Bragg and Joy Samuels
Share your servant’s heart with others…..
March Individual Mission:
Bring canned goods or non-perishable items for the food pantry. All donations are given to Sharing Life Community Outreach. This will be counted as part of the church-wide challenge!
Additionally, please pray for those we know whose homes have been damaged and whose lives have been turned upside down during the recent storm.
DON’T FORGET…..
Collect your least coin offering each month- We will put it all together when we meet again
Church services in person: 8:30, 9:45, 11:00- RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
Services are still being recorded for YouTube: Watch for an email every Sunday afternoon with a link included
Study books are still available for purchase. They can be delivered to your home or picked up in the church office. If interested, contact Sue Luce or Paula Kusewitt.
Stay tuned for emails with updates from Session meetings. The Task Force is trying to stay as updated and informed as possible. Please be in prayer for everyone making decisions for our congregation during this Pandemic.
Lament for March:
A Prayer:
Father, we want to come to you, but sometimes we are too ashamed of who we are and what we have done. Our sins have robbed creation of its glory as well as our ability to enjoy it in the way that was intended. Millions are unable to find subsistence and safety within your creation. We thank you for the hope of a new creation and new bodies in the future. For now, help us to seriously consider the situations that surround us and rely on your guidance to act responsibly to care for the earth, ourselves and each other. In Jesus name, Amen.
A Treasured Tidbit…..
“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.”
-Isaac Watts, 1707: Glory To God Hymnal, #223
Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you; all things are passing, God never changes.
-Saint Teresa of Avila
“Be gentle with yourself. Think less and feel more.
Be as happy as you can. You only have this moment.”
-Dan Millman
