Midweek Newsletter: Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023.
NARTHEX NEWS
Weekly
Edition
“That
we might be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,
IN THIS ISSUE:
Music
Notes: p.1
Reminders
& Celebrations: p.1
Weekly Devotional
Prayer Room
CONTACT INFO:
Gretel Magnuson, administrative assistant for First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon:gretel@lebanonfpc.org
Lori
Rowe,
OFFICE HOURS:
For
Pastor Je:
For
church office:
Music notes:
Hickory Dickory
Dalendar.
The mouse checked
his calendar.
There were no
more rehearsals until May 11th.
Hickory Dickory Dalendar.
Reminders: No liturgist
signed-up for May. So we have no liturgist yet for this coming Sunday! Elder of
the month: Dennis Brannon. No one signed up to bring treats. So there will be
no treats this Sunday after service. It is Communion Sunday this week.
Old MacDonald went to church.
Hello and Good morning!
At his church he met some greeters.
Hello and Good morning!
Who said, “Welcome! Thank you for coming!”
Old MacDonald went to church. Hello and
Good morning!
Old MacDonald went to church. Hello and
Good morning!
After service he had coffee and treats.
Hello and Good morning!
And he said, “Yum, this is good! Thank
you!”
Old MacDonald went to church. Hello and
Good morning!
Celebrations: Congratulations! We celebrate with you! Know that we love you
Live & Learn: Live & Learn,
Saturday May 6th, Church Library, Lunch TBDW (to be determined weekly)
and Bible Study, Luke ch.8
Sunday School: The Sunday School experience during Lent went very well. April 30th was the last day. Thank you to those who participated. If you enjoyed the experience, please make sure and share that with your Sunday School teacher!
Time for Tea: Previously known as “Connections”, this group is a time for ladies to gather to enjoy each other’s company, encourage one another, and perhaps have a cup of tea and a treat. The next meeting will be on May 9th. Time for Tea will meet every second Tuesday of the month. Treats will be provided at the next meeting. It would be appreciated if you are able to contact Gretel in the office and let her know you plan to come. We are also reading a book, by J.M.Barry, called The Little Minister. You are welcome to read along with us, but that is purely optional. We may swap thoughts on the book when we gather. We hope to see you there! If you have ideas or suggestions for the group, please contact Gretel and let her know. Input is appreciated!
Faith Circle: Faith Circle is beginning a new Bible study at 1:30pm on May 10th. They will meet the second Wednesday of each month from now until October, usually in the Church Library. Some of the attenders have been part of the circle for years, some not very long at all – but the length of time doesn’t matter, as long as one has an interest in what it means to follow Jesus and learn more of His Word. If you are a lady participating in this congregation, you are invited to attend a meeting and see if it may interest you. The study this year will be from Twelve Women of the Bible, by several authors. You won’t need a book for the first meeting, just please bring your Bible. We hope to see you on the 10th! For more information please call Phyllis Duff, (765)482-1485.
Sunday for Life:
Graduates: FPC will be honoring graduates on May 21st. Are you or someone you know in our
community celebrating a graduation this spring? We are
aware of three local graduates,
from Lebanon High School: Oliver Hutcheson, Sam Piper,
and Evan Whipkey. As extended family of FPC, we recognize college graduate Ted
Deem and high school graduate Andy Deem, sons of Gretel Magnuson. If there is
someone we are missing, please let us know. Thank you!
PPM Update: We are getting closer to the Finish Line for the 2022-23 school year. As the teacher would say, “We can almost see the checkered flag!”
This
week, I am asking prayers for our families and PPM children. We have so many
families that struggle financially, emotionally and physically, as well as
struggle to reach out and ask for help. Currently we have a family whose
dad is in pre-deployment training, another family going
through custody battles. Families going through divorce, and deaths.
Our families bring their children to PPM because, even though they may
have a church home( many do not), they find comfort in knowing that
their children are in a place of God and surrounded by teachers who
love and care for them. I am asked many times during tours, do you let the
kids pray? Even for families who do not pray at home, this is
something they want their kids to learn.
This
morning, I had a message from a parent that their daughter ( PPM student)
has just been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This family has
just found out this diagnosis and is still trying to understand, comprehend and
come to terms with what all this means for their little one and family. Though
they haven't even explained this to the child or sibling, and even immediate
family, they reached out to PPM because they knew we as a staff and the church
would pray for them during this time. As Pastor Je said a few weeks ago during
PPM Sunday, the "M" in PPM stands for Ministry. This program
and church is a true Ministry to our families and community. Our families
celebrate the happiness in their lives as well as the sadness.
Please keep this family ( they have asked to stay anonymous for now) and all our PPM families in your prayers. We are truly blessed to be the children of God, Lori.
Weekly Devotional: What Shines at Night?
“The Lord
is my light . . .” Psalm 27:1
There is a
lighthouse at the end of the pier. During the day, the sun shines. What shines
at night? The light in the lighthouse. We can expect the light to come on as
dusk falls. The tower is well kept. The harbor is busy. The light will come on.
We may not be there to see the light come on, but we know it will. We don’t
need to stand on the beach all day, waiting for dusk to fall to test if our
expectation is correct. We believe it. We believe in the name of the tower:
“lighthouse.”
Is it the same in our
lives? Do we see the Lighthouse at the end of our pier? Do we believe in The
Light of the world? During our day, the sun may shine. What shines in our
night? Do we expect the Light to come on as dusk falls? Our harbor is busy.
There is always something going on in our lives. Is the tower well kept? Do we
care about our relationship with You? Do we make it a priority to tend to that
relationship? We may have pleasant days at the beach, times in our lives when
things are going smoothly. Do we believe in the Light of the world during those
calm times? Or do we trust in the sun - the world around us, our environment,
or ourselves?
When we see that Light shining from the tower in the dark of night, it leaves an indelible imprint in our minds. Our faith in the lighthouse is strengthened when we see it shine at night. Therefore, we must also experience the night.
Prayer Room: Here at FPC, prayer is important to us. Are you interested in joining the prayer chain? Would you like to learn more about the role of prayer in our lives? Please contact Phyllis Duff, Prayer Coordinator, at (765)482-1485/ raduff2@att.net
I pray, O God, that You would
shine Your light in the dark of night. I pray that we would expect to see that
Light. I pray that whether it be day, dusk, or night, that we will have
complete confidence in the Light. Thank You for shining in our lives. Thank You
for always being on call. Your Light is always ready for the night. Thank You
that darkness never takes You by surprise. Man-made lighthouses will falter. Their
equipment will give out without proper maintenance and attention. You will
never falter. Your Light will always shine bright. The light shines brightest
when the night is darkest. Hallelujah. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
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