Midweek 10/26/22
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Reminders
- Baptism this Sunday
- Pictorial Church
Directory
- Music Notes
- Fluctuating Fall Temps . . .
- License Plate
- Celebrations
- PPM Update
- Little Dresses For
Africa
- Mischief on Meridian
- Christmas in October?
- Live and Learn with us on Saturdays!
- P.R.A.Y.E.R. R.E.Q.U.E.S.T.: A for Adore
- Poet’s Corner & Quotable Quotes
“. . . that we may be mutually
encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:12
Reminders: This Sunday’s
after-service-treat will be provided by Teresa Brannon. We welcome as greeter for
this Sunday Margi McConnaha. We have a greeter for November 6th, but
no one else in November. We have treats-folks signed up until Thanksgiving and
then those spots are blank as well. You might be thinking about if there is a
way you are willing to help out in either spot the next couple months. Whether
you’re here to greet or to share a treat, the real treat we enjoy is you!
Baptism this Sunday: This Sunday is the baptism Luna
Jayne Nunley, daughter of Echo (Ragsdale) Nunley and Ryan Nunley. This is a
wonderful opportunity to celebrate together as the body of Christ, sharing the
love of Christ with Luna and her parents. We hope you can be present for this
baptism during the Sunday service.
Pictorial Church Directory: FPC is preparing for the
publication of a new pictorial church directory. Pastor Je is taking pictures
before and after services. You may also submit your own photo if you prefer.
Please send it to Gretel in the office.
Music Notes: Presbyterian
Ringers: Thursday at 6pm,
Sanctuary.
Chancel
Choir: Rehearsal Thursday at 7pm, Sanctuary.
Mischief
on Meridian: We are participating on Saturday, the 29th,
with Lebanon downtown events, called “Mischief on Meridian”. This is a great
opportunity to lend a helping hand and friendly face to our local community.
Donations of individually wrapped candy are appreciated. Some of you have
already shared and we thank you. Please drop off at the church before that Saturday.
Would you like to help pass out candy to those who stop by on Saturday the 29th?
Contact Pastor Je or Gretel in the office before Friday the 28th if
you are interested.
Fluctuating Fall
Temps . . . Due to Mother Nature constantly changing her
mind, we have had a hard time regulating the temperature in the
sanctuary. We are on it and will be doing a better job of providing a
comfortable sanctuary for worship. Thank you for your flexibility and patience.
License Plate: License plates are now in. Extra were ordered just
in case you wanted one and didn’t place an
order in time. The cost is $17.52 per plate. Contact the church office with any
questions.
“Congratulations to you! We celebrate with you! Know that we love you, and God loves you
too!” Happy birthday to: Bruce McConnell, 10/27; Mary
Beth Pauley, 10/28; Carolyn Dunham, 11/2; Hank Walters, 11/04. Happy
Anniversary to Pamela and Ken Dies, 11/3.
PPM Update: PPM will be on fall
break October 24th through October 28th.
Little
Dresses for Africa: We
will continue to collect materials for LDFA throughout the extent of the
current sewing project. You can contact Debbie Crouse at (224)622-6383, or
Gretel in the office with any questions. You can access the LDFA website
at: littledressesforafrica.com
Christmas
in October? Not quite. But Christmas Flowers are available for orders! We have the chance to
support our local high school band program and enjoy beautiful season plants
and flowers at the same time. But you need to think fast. Only two Sundays left
to consider this option! This is the option we would like to pursue for
poinsettias for our sanctuary this Christmas season.
The
Lebanon High School band is selling Christmas plants and flowers. There are a
number of lovely choices, poinsettias being among the options. You can leave
your order with the church office - we will collect all orders and turn them in
together. Checks for orders should be
made out to “Lebanon Music Boosters” for exact cost. Prices and order options
are on a sheet on the bulletin board across from the office. Please take a
look! If you wish to share the
poinsettias with the church, they will be available to grace our sanctuary by
Dec. 11th. You could then take the poinsettias home after the
Christmas service. You are free to just use them at home as well. (The church
would only use the poinsettias but there are other things you can order.)
Sunday November 6th will be the last Sunday to place your
order through the church. Later that week we will turn them in to LHS. We have
someone who will pick up the orders for us and bring them to the church when
they come in. Again, there is a form posted on the bulletin board in the
hallway which shows the options and their prices. Poinsettias are $16 and
offered in red, white, ice crystal, pink, and marble. You can also contact
Gretel in the office.
Live
and Learn with us on Saturdays: Good time being had by all! This coming
Saturday, the 29th, the Bible study will be a discussion with Pastor
Je. Every discussion/study time is fun and informative. We encourage you to
stop by. Senior exercise is at 10:30, lunch to follow (usually around 11:30-11:45).
Study/discussion follows lunch, at approximately 12:30-12:45.
P.R.A.Y.E.R. R.E.Q.U.E.S.T. We
are continuing our consideration of the acrostic poem.
Pause Reflect Adore Yield
Extol Remember
Request/Release Entreat
Question Unite Enjoy Surrender Thank
Prayer can be so much more
than bringing to God our requests. We have been taking time over the last few
weeks to consider prayer and just a few of its facets. Prayer is a well of
great depth. Were we to spend our whole lives contemplating it and
participating in it, we would not reach the bottom of this well. However, what
time we do spend can lend to us refreshment, as when taking a drink from a
clear, cool well on a hot day.
As we pause to pray, we
surrender our time, ourselves, and our cares to our Heavenly Father. By
surrendering, we are yielding to Him. We are giving Him the right of way in our
lives. When we pray, we can take time to reflect on who God is and what He has
done in our lives. This alone can lead us to a place of praise. Indeed, it is
entirely appropriate to have times of prayer when the entire act of prayer is
praise. Many Psalms, prayers and songs composed from a place of honesty and
authenticity, present just such a focus on praise. Our hearts may at times feel
full to bursting with wonder and awe of our God. Another way to describe this
is adoration. A in “P.R.A.Y.E.R.” can stand for “adore”.
One way to consider the
posture of adoration is that of opening a door. When we adore the Lord, we open
a door to the Lord. We invite Him in by the very act of loving Him and
worshipping Him. Jesus’ greatest act of love was to sacrifice His life for us
on the cross. This is just one reason to adore Him and to open a door to Him to
come into our lives.
Typically, we consider the word
“adore” as describing loving admiration and devotion. This is indeed one
definition and, as we have just considered, an important definition to use in
connection with our relationship to Jesus Christ. “Adore” also means to
worship. Synonyms of the word include “revel” and “savor” as well as “relish”
and “love”. The origins of the word “adore” tie it directly to our acrostic
poem of “P.R.A.Y.E.R. R.E.Q.U.E.S.T.”. The word “adore” goes back to the Latin
word “adorare”, which means to plead with, appeal to, approach as a worshipper,
to treat with reverence, to admire. The Latin word “adorare” is a combination
of “ad” and the word “orare”. The word “orare” means to pray to, to beseech.
Therefore, when we adore the Lord in our time of prayer, we are indeed praying
to Him. We are beseeching Him. At the same time, we are coming to Him as one
who worships Him. We can bring to Him a grocery list or prayer requests and
leave it with Him, as if calling in an order to a grocery store and planning to
pick it up later. However, there is little to no adoration there. It is as if we
are opening the door to receive a delivery person. Should we, can we, approach
the Lord with a sense of expectation? Certainly! But should we approach Him the
same as we do a delivery person? I don’t think so. However, we can open the
door and stand to the side, making room for Him to enter. We can open the door
with warmth and depth of emotion. In fact, we may have so much feeling for Him
that we cannot wait for Him to enter, and so we meet Him in the doorway and
embrace Him.
How will you adore your
Savior today, He who gave all and promises to remain by your side? How will you
adore Your Father today, He who gave His Beloved Son in order to bring you
close? How will you adore the Holy Spirit today, He who is Counselor and
Comforter to you, opening your eyes and ears to know and understand the Father’s
ways and words?
O God, as my tears of adoration fall, so do my
knees, hear my voice call:
I call to You with words too few to express how
much I worship You.
I have not breath enough to sing all the glory
and praise I wish to bring.
Were my arms to stretch from east to west there
is yet too little breadth and depth
To match Your wondrous love for me, but what
little I have I do bring: I adore You, Lord.
Poet’s Corner: I
admit I am quite a fan of poetry. Not that I am acquainted with a great many
poets, but I do have a few favorites. I also appreciate a good quote. Though
quotes are not always strictly “poetry”, if they fall within the category of
thought-provoking-prose I consider them poetry enough. I thought it might be fun to add a bit of
whimsical flare to our newsworthy midweek-newsletter and throw-in once in a while
some poetry, maybe a quote. Today I have a poem from Robert Frost very
appropriately entitled “October”. I will also share a quote with you from
Oswald Chambers (found nestled in my latest reading of one of Jan Karon’s
Mitford novels.)
October
by Robert Frost
O hushed October morning mild,/ Thy leaves have
ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be mild,/ Should waste
them all.
The crows above the forest call;/ Tomorrow they
may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,/ Begin the hours
of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief./ Hearts not
averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know./ Release one
leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;/ One from our
trees, one far away.
Retard the sun with gentle mist;/ Enchant the
land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!/ For the grapes’ sake, if they were
all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,/
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost –
For grapes’ sake along the wall.
Quotable quotes: “At times God puts us through the discipline
of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark,
and we are put into the shadow of God’s hand until we learn to hear Him . . .
Watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth
shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with
God? Then remain quiet . . . When you are in the dark, listen, and God will
give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.”
~ Oswald Chambers
Interested
in joining the
prayer chain? Contact
Phyllis Duff at (765)482-1485/
raduff2@att.net.
Dear
Heavenly Father, As it is still pastor appreciation month, we continue to lift
before You Pastor Je. We lift before You now the shepherd You have placed over
this flock. As a Shepherd You lead us, O God. Lead this one, Pastor Je Lee. As
our Shepherd, You make us lie down in green pastures and You lead us beside
still waters. Bring Pastor Je rest and refreshment, Lord. You are the One who
restores our soul. You are the One who leads us on paths of righteousness and
through dark valleys. Restore Pastor Je, lead him, and sustain him. May he know
Your rod and staff as his comfort and his protection. You prepare a table
before us in the presence of our enemies – You do not just provide in the easy
times, the smooth times, the passive times. You are there providing right in
front of our enemies, in the very midst of conflict or trial. You anoint our
heads with oil, blessing us and showing to all that we belong to You. Bless Je.
We ask You to provide for his needs and beyond his needs in the very midst of
difficulty. Encourage him that You have anointed him as Your own and You have
called him out to serve. He will dwell with You all the days of his life. Fill
his cup, Lord, as he lifts it up to You. May he never run dry. May he hear You,
see You, feel You, and know You working in him and alongside him in his
ministry to this congregation and this community. Thank You and bless You, Lord
God, for being such a good Shepherd to us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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