Midweek: Wednesday, September 28th, 2022

 


 

MIDWEEK: 9/28/22


In this issue:                 

  •          Reminders
  •          Pastor Je’s Installation                                      
  •          Pictorial Church Directory                     
  •          Music Notes
  •          Choir Room Clean-Up
  •          License Plate

  •          Celebrations
  •          PPM Prayer & News Update
  •          Little Dresses For Africa
  •          Live and Learn with us on Saturdays!
  •          P.R.A.Y.E.R. R.E.Q.U.E.S.T.






“. . . that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” Romans 1:12

   



Reminders: The liturgist for October is Bess Wilkes. The elder of the month for October is Allen Woods, however this Sunday the elder will be Amy Morrison. This coming Sunday’s Greeters are John and Arlene Quinn. This Sunday’s after-service-treat will be provided by Lisa Erwin. For the month of October we have treats lined up but only have greeters for October 2nd. If you are available and interested in being a greeter October 9, 16, 23, or 30, please contact Gretel in the office or fill out the sheet when you are in the building. Whether you’re here to greet or to share a treat, the real treat we enjoy is you!   Would you like a printed copy of the sermon series 101? Contact the church office.

Pastor Je’s Installation: October 9th  Pastor Je will be installed by the Presbytery of Wabash Valley for First Presbyterian Church. The service will take place at the church at 4pm. Reverend Luke Choi will be here from Cleveland, Ohio, to preach. Several other clergy members will also be present, including Alan Griffin.  Please come commemorate this special day with us.


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: Choir rehearsal: Thursday at 7pm in the sanctuary

Presbyterian Ringers: Rehearsals will begin in October. 

Choir Room Clean-Up: Choir members, please plan to come October 8th at 10 am to help clean up the choir room. This will involve moving some items to the basement, as well as sorting through and filing music. Many hands make light work – so the process may take no more than 1 or 2 hours. (If you are participating in the Saturday Bible Study and More – you should be able to make it to the Bible study and possibly also to lunch.)



License Plate: Would you like a First Presbyterian Church license plate

on your car? In Indiana we can have decorative plates on the front of our
vehicles. Pastor Je will be making plates for FPC. They will cost $18.
They are aluminum plates with scratch protection coating. Contact the church
office if you would like one.

 


 


“Congratulations to you! We celebrate with you! Know that we love you, and God loves you too!”   Happy birthday to: Benjamin Piper on Saturday October 1st!

 



PPM Prayer and News Update: Psalm 23 encouarges that the Lord is our Shepherd. One of the things a shepherd does is lead the sheep. The teachers daily lead their children through the hallways to and from the classrooms. The teachers are patient, diligent, observant, consistent, kind and instructive as they guide their charges where they need to go. The Lord does the same with us. Please pray with me that the Lord would lead the teachers and staff at PPM as they lead the children. May we remember that we are not only the sheep of his pasture but also the God’s children. May we know the peace that such a position provides.

News update:  PPM is gearing up for a pizza night with parents in October. Would you like to be a reader for a preschool class? Please contact Gretel in the church office or Lori Rowe in the PPM office (765)482-8198. lorir@lebanonfpc.org


Little Dresses for Africa:  There is a box in the church library in which you can put fabric or outfits for LDFA. There are also patterns available to use for sewing clothes for the children; they are attached to the poster-board sign leaning behind the box. These resources will remain available for you for the duration of this project. Donations are accepted and encouraged to assist in purchasing fabric, t-shirts, and other sewing supplies. Please make checks out to the church, with “LDFA donation” added to the memo line. Questions? Contact Debbie Crouse at (224)622-6383, or Gretel in the office. You can access the LDFA website at:  littledressesforafrica.com  

Live and Learn with us on Saturdays! Beginning this Saturday, October1st, we will be offering an opportunity to live and learn together, through a time of physical and mental exercise, lunch, and Bible study. Pastor Je will lead a senior exercise class at 10:30. This will be done sitting in chairs. The time will also include a brain teaser, a lunch, and a Bible study. We will aim for lunch around 11:30 and the Bible study around 12:30. You are welcome and invited to participate in the entire event or just one or two of the activities, according to what works best for you.  Please let us know if you wish to join us and what you will join us for. We would like to have a head count for lunch and Gretel needs to know how many books to order for her Bible study. Pastor Je and Gretel will trade off every other week with Bible study, beginning this Saturday with Pastor Je and the next Saturday with Gretel. Gretel’s study will be in the book of Psalms, from the study series Bringing the Bible to Life. The book is entitled Psalms, the Cries of the Faithful. The cost per book will be between $6.49 and $6.99, depending on the number of books ordered. Studying the psalms is an opportunity to Praise, Surrender to, Adore, Love, Meditate on and Share supplications with the Lord. We would like to share this experience with you as we live and learn and grow together. Contact Gretel in the office with your interest. For participation this Saturday, please let her know by Friday noon. 


P.R.A.Y.E.R. R.E.Q.U.E.S.T. You may have noticed extra prayer cards around in the building. They are always in the pews, but are now also on the table by the bulletins when you enter the sanctuary, as well as on the table in the lobby by the stairs. There is a sign with them, inviting anyone to share prayer requests. The cards are also available for your own personal use – should you wish to take a few and write down the requests of friends that come your way. Sometimes it is nice to have written reminders for all the things that fill our brains each day. It’s easy to lose track of files in the brain’s filing system; prayer cards may be one practical way to keep track of your prayers.

The invitation to use the prayer cards has an acrostic poem of sorts, spelling out “prayer request”:

Pause (or praise), Reflect, Adore, Yield, Extol, Remember. Request (or release), Entreat, Question, Unite, Enjoy, Surrender, Thank. Recently, I found myself repeating that little poem to myself throughout each day. It served as an immediate reminder of how to pray and where to set my mind when I pray. It was an immediate reminder to me of the variety of prayers I can lift to the Lord, as well as the varied content that can be included in my prayers. Let’s take some time over the next little while to consider that poem and the blessings available to us in prayer. This is by no means an exhaustive list. I think that just as scripture is the living Word of God, so to prayer is a living and active way we connect with God. His Spirit moves and breathes through scripture and moves and breathes through prayer as well.



Instead of starting at the beginning of the word, however, I’d like to jump into the middle: with Y: yield. Have you ever heard the phrase “failure to yield” in reference to yourself? Have you ever experienced a time in your life when you failed to yield to the Lord’s leading? Did the Lord place a restraining hand on you and you pushed past it? Did He whisper direction to you and you chose to ignore it? Did He impress something upon your heart and you argued with Him about it? These are just a few of the ways we can choose not to yield to the Lord. The Lord is patient and kind and gracious. His mercies are never failing. Great is His faithfulness. Still, however, there are consequences for the choices we make. When we fail to yield, we will encounter an obstacle. Or the GPS will reroute us. Or we will miss our turn altogether. There are yellow lights on stoplights, urging caution because the red light is coming. There are yellow yield signs along the road, reminding us to pause and look carefully before continuing. Perhaps we would be wise to consider the need to yield to the Lord as a yellow light: there is a red light coming and we best heed God’s words right now. Or perhaps the Lord’s leading to yield is as a road sign, and we need to pause and look carefully before continuing. Pause and take a breath. Pause and catch up with ourselves. Look at His Word. Look to His people. Will you seek the Lord in prayer with me in an attitude of that yellow sign? Will you yield to Him with me?

 


Interested in joining the prayer chain? Contact Phyllis Duff at (765)482-1485/ raduff2@att.net.

Dear Heavenly Father, Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father . . . As thou hast been thou forever wilt be. . . . Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have need thy hand hath provided. Thank You for Your Faithfulness, Lord, unto me. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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