Midweek Newsletter: Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024.

 

NARTHEX NEWS

WEEKLY EDITION

January 3, 2024

 FROM THE NEWS DESK

OF

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

LEBANON, INDIANA

128 E. Main St. ~ Lebanon, IN 46052~ (765)482-5959

https://www.lebanonfpc.org ~ office@lebanonfpc.org

 

In the midweek newsletter this week:

~ Reminders

~ Congregational Meeting Jan. 7th

~ BYOB Jan. 12th

~ Celebrations

~ For Your Musical Enjoyment

~ Weekly Devotional

~ Prayer Room

Reminders:

Live & Learn: Live & Learn will resume Saturday the 13^th, meeting at 11:30 in the church library, lunch included.

Liturgist: for January is Bess Wilkes.

Elder: for January is Amy Morrison

Epiphany is this Sunday! Guiding stars will be shared – come and see what your word for the year will be! 

Communion Sunday is this Sunday.

Congregational Meeting this Sunday:

There is a Congregational Meeting called for this Sunday following the service. Please plan to attend. We look forward to your presence.

BYOB: next Friday, January 12^th. Bring Your Own Burger will meet in the church library next Friday, the 12^th, at 11:30. It’s a fun time to just be together. Bring your lunch and yourselves and we’ll be happy to see you.

Celebrations: Happy celebrations to a really great crew. We love each one of you. We hope your year is exciting and new, and that you remember God loves you!

Happy Birthday to: John Morton, Jan. 2^nd; Leeza Finch, Jan. 9^th!

For Your Musical Enjoyment!

All of the 2023 Christmas Music at FPC is now available from the Church’s Website, using the link below:

First Presbyterian Church, Lebanon, IN - Christmas 2023 (lebanonfpc.org)

A total of 20 different musical numbers or other videos are available on that page, including the Madrigals on December 10, Sam Piper’s stunning piano postlude on December 17, 3 numbers from Christmas Eve including the O Holy Night duet by Craig Reynolds and Les Goodnight, Kendra’s bell tour-de-force on December 3, a video of our 11 Advent paintings set to the music of Angels from the Realms of Glory, a video remembrance of those who left us in 2022 and 2023, several numbers by our now retired organist Bud Hunter, and many more.

Weekly Devotional:  Rain from Heaven (or from the floor above)

There is an account in the Bible of a time when Elijah called down rain from heaven. The text says, “he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees” and prayed with confidence and boldness. Before he even prayed for it, he declared “there is the sound of the abundance of rain.” (1 Kings 18:41,42) And indeed, as Elijah knew it would, it rained. “Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.” (1 Kings 18:45) In the New Testament, in the book of James, believers are encouraged to pray: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16) Elijah and his prayer for rain is sited as an example of earnest and effective prayer.

Now, I confess I did not pray for rain. I did not bow to the ground and put my face between my knees asking for rain from heaven (or rain from anywhere else, for that matter). I also did not declare to anyone that “there is the sound of the abundance of rain.” However, I did inform appropriate people that “there is the sound of dripping” (in my office). I do pray. I enjoy praying. And I do recognize that God sometimes answers unspoken prayer requests. He also, apparently, enjoys sharing surprises – since He seems to surprise us regularly with one thing or another.

Today, my surprise was rain . . . rain in my office. Yes, you read that correctly – it is, as I write this, raining in my office – at my desk, to be precise. The printer is dry. Neal’s desk area is dry. Pastor Je’s office is dry – It’s just my desk where the rain cloud decided to descend. So, you can just call me Eeyore! When I came in to work today, this is what I found: “Now it happened in the meantime that the ceiling became black with condensation build-up, and there was a heavy release of pressure onto the office desk and surrounding materials.” Answer to fervent, earnest prayer? Not so much. Surprise? Yes, I would say a bit of a surprise. Answer to an unspoken prayer request? That is not a prayer I remember praying! As I said before, our Heavenly Father does like to surprise us.

What surprises has God brought into your life today? This year? Did you start the new year with a rain cloud? (Localized or not!) Have you been praying fervently and earnestly for something? (Even if it wasn’t for rain inside the building.) Sometimes God answers prayer in the most perplexing of ways. Sometimes He just brings gifts. Will you join me in thanking God for His gifts, no matter how we qualify them? Will you join me in beginning this new year with prayer? Perhaps this will be called “The Year of Prayer.”

Prayer Room:

Prayer is important to the body of First Presbyterian Church. 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.

Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank You for knowing what we need before we know it. Thank You for providing beyond our needs so that we are abundantly and beautifully cared for. We praise You for Your creativity, originality, brilliance, perfect timing, and foresight. You can see how one step will lead, far down the line, to a most important and momentous conclusion. May You be praised for being our Sovereign Creator, gracious and faithful Lord, and all merciful Father. We also thank You for Your patience with each of us as we accept and process the gifts You give. Please grant us strength to persevere and endure with grace that which is yet before us. We strive to live to honor You and bring glory to Your name. Hallelujah, even the rocks will cry out – so great are You deserving of praise, honor, and glory! Amen and Amen.

 

Happy New Year To You All!