Tidings. First Presbyterian Church OUR TRUE POWER SOURCE

Transcription

1 First Presbyterian Church Tidings 910 N WASHINGTON AVE LIVINGSTON, TX PHONE: (936) FAX: (936) FPCLIVTX@LIVINGSTON.NET WEBSITE: OUR TRUE POWER SOURCE The story is told of someone who plugged a power strip into itself and then couldn t understand why the system wouldn t turn on! We get a kick out of such tales, yet how oen do we try to power our own lives? We frequently think we need to be the source of our own strength, joy, peace, energy and wisdom. Jesus doesn t teach us to find life within ourselves or in any human being or earthly circumstance, object or EASTER IS ETERNAL If Easter means anything to modern man, it means that eternal truth is eternal. You may nail it to the tree, wrap it up in grave clothes and seal it in a tomb. But truth crushed to earth shall rise again. Truth does not perish. It cannot be destroyed. It may be distorted. It has been silenced temporarily. It has been compelled to carry its cross to Calvary s brow but with an inevitable certainty, aer every Black Friday dawns truth s Easter morn. Donald H. Tippet philosophy. Rather, calling himself the good shepherd, Jesus says, I have come that [my sheep] may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). We don t access that abundant life by plugging into ourselves. Instead, Jesus invites us to plug into his power and joy, peace, hope, truth through prayer and Scripture, worship and service, fellowship with other Chris9ans and the beauty of God s world. Church Events Apr 1 st - Easter Sunday Communion Service, 10 a.m.; One Great Hour of Sharing Special Offering; Easter Kid Zone Event, 10 a.m. Apr 2 nd Mission Committee Meeting, 11 a.m. Apr 4 th Worship Committee Meeting, 10 a.m. Apr 8 th Fellowship Luncheon after the Service Apr 9 th PW Circle, 1:30 p.m. Apr 12 th Session Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Apr 20 th Tidings articles due Apr 21 st Community Wide Garage Sale, 8 a.m. Apr 23 rd Women s Sewing Project, 9 a.m. Apr 28 th Men s Breakfast Meeting, 8:30 a.m. Apr 29 th Christian Education Meeting after the Service

2 March 30; Easter Sunday, 10 a.m. on April 1. There will be no service on Maundy Thursday or sunrise service on Easter Sunday. Your Worship Committee met on Wednesday, March 7, with seven members a>ending. Most of our 9me was spent pu?ng finishing touches on the following, significant worship services: Palm Sunday, 10 a.m. on March 25; Good Friday, 5 p.m. on We reviewed the Worship Commi>ee sec9on of the Manual of Opera9ons. Addi9ons, dele9ons and changes were made and submi>ed to the Administra9on Committee which will then request Session approval at its April mee9ng. 9on, What can be done to enhance and make more meaningful the Sunday worship services? We pose this ques9on to each of you and any feedback would be most appreciated. Our next mee9ng is scheduled for Wednesday, April 4, at 10 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Each of you is invited to a>end. -Jay Walrath, Worship Chair At each of our mee9ngs we address the ques- Raise Your Voice! With happy voices ringing, thy children, Lord, appear, their joyous praises bringing in anthems sweet and clear. For skies of golden splendor, for azure rolling sea, for blossoms sweet and tender, O Lord, we worship thee. William Tarrant Why We Need Easter No one is exempt from tragedy or disappointment even God was not exempt. Jesus offered no immunity, no way out of the unfairness, but rather a way through it to the other side. Just as Good Friday demolished the ins9nc9ve belief that this life is supposed to be fair, Easter Sunday followed with its startling clue to the riddle of the universe. Out of the darkness, a bright light shone. The cross of Christ may have overcome evil, but it did not overcome unfairness. For that, Easter is required, a bright clue that someday God will restore all physical reality to its proper place. Philip Yancey, Disappointment With God Community Garage Sale: Saturday, April 21st Open at 8 a.m. close about 2 p.m. Begin saving your dona9ons Bring items to church a er the April 8th luncheon We will accept clothing on hangers plus all else Proceeds benefit Hechos Dos ministry in Guatemala +Christian Symbol+ Phoenix According to ancient legend, the phoenix lived for 500 to 1,400 years (depending on the version of the myth), at which 9me it would set its nest ablaze and be consumed in the flames. A er three days the bird would be reborn and was said to repeat this cycle, rising from the ashes again and again. Early Chris9ans saw in the phoenix a symbol of Jesus resurrec9on and of eternal life. 2

3 You Have A Problem? That s Good Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God -Philippians 4:6 How in the world could a problem ever be good? What could be posi9ve about any problem? Well the 9tle does not say that a problem is good. It implies that one s awareness of the problem is good. In one sense, the awareness of the problem is good because to be oblivious to the problem could be dangerous. To be totally unaware of a bad 9re on your car, or that there is ice on the road ahead, or a tree across the road around the next bend, in fact, can be deadly. Ignorance or blindness to any problem can be devasta9ng. Many people try to avoid facing real problems by denial, blame or excuses. Once we face our problems head on, we are able, with God s help, to do something about it. The emphasis is God s help. Remember He alone is the Master of the impossible and can always do what you and I cannot. By reliance on Him and having the courage to share the problem with others, amazing things can take place. The fact is that there will be problems that face us each day if we are willing to expand our understanding that problems are not always nega9ve. For example, one might be faced with the problem of winning the lo>ery. If you don t think that can be a problem, just ask anyone who has won a significant sum in that way. Three posi9ve outcomes result from both nega9ve and posi9ve problems: 1) you are aware that it exists and you now can address it; 2) you can put in God s hands with prayer and thanksgiving; and 3) you will experience, first hand, how powerful and crea9ve God is in solving the problem. So, do you have a problem? That s good! Blessings, Pastor Joe MacDonald When My Life is Over by Tommy Fluker When my life is over and I am laid to rest How will the ledger read Shall it say I ve done my best Cared for others and done for those in need When words were needed to soothe What did I have to say Did I stand in the way or did I move Did I give help or look the other way Did I stay away too long from my Lord Or did I come back in 9me Did I quit when 9mes were hard Was my love ac9ve or was it benign Did I see the world s beauty And stop to smell the flowers Did I step up to do my duty And witness all God s powers Did I wipe away my children s tears And hold them close to me Give them all my love to s9ll their fears Light the dark that they may see Did I hurt others or wish them ill Keep up with friends and wish them well Cajole my family against their will Hold steady when through life s journey sail Did I honor my parents before they were gone Go see them as o I could Keep in touch on the telephone Remember all the sacrifices for my good When the last page is turned and the ledger closed What will the verdict be I pray to God that I ve been chose And His love ever shines on me 3

4 Property Committee We have had a busy month on the property: 1. The janitor s closet in the Act. Bldg. had low voltage to the lights. Andries Electric was hired to deaden the line and run a new line to lights. 2. Cleaned the handrails in front of the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. Painted the Sanctuary rail and began pain9ng F.H. rail. 3. Fer9lized lawn. property 4. Replaced ballast in three light fixtures in the F.H. 5. Lost water flow to the Act. Bldg. main bathroom. Hired John s Plumbing to remove plugged galvanized piping and repair bad valves and tees in the Pastor s bathroom, and a bad valve on the 2nd-floor water heater. A 39-year- Music Program Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord, For it is fitting to praise Him. -Psalm 33:1 Have you (or your family or grandchildren) ever wanted to sing a solo, play an instrument, play an organ or piano solo, read a poem or even sing your favorite hymn without a long term commitment to the choir? Then this summer is for you. This summer, while the choir takes its much needed break, there is a place for you. We can even include the story of your favorite hymn or solo. Just check with the office ( ) or me ( ) for open dates in June, July and August. Rejoice, Karlene Barker Music Program Director Thank You for Your Prayers Thanks to my church family for your prayers, cards, and for being there for me during this difficult 9me. I am very blessed for all you have done for me. Thanks again. old hot water heater for the main bathroom was also replaced. 6. Lost flow to kitchen sink faucet in Act. Bldg. Cleaned out the in-line filter. 7. The men s restroom in the Act. Bldg. had a bad water valve; replaced it with a new one. 8. Repaired toilet roll holder in women s restroom in the F.H. that had been pulled out of the wall. The iris planted last fall by the Act. Bldg. is beginning to bloom. Just a reminder: if you see problems, there are maintenance forms that can be filled out and turned in to the office, at which point they will be looked at and taken care of. It is our privilege as a commi>ee to take care of God s house and property, and to be a witness to our love for God. -Glenn Drumm, Property Chair Audio-Visual Department We want to thank Paul Laverty and Robin Sessums for making it possible to have our services on our church website, (funerals, weddings, bap9sms, etc. will not be shown on the website). Note: Copies of these events on DVD can be requested by families. We also want to thank our sound booth workers for the 9me and work that goes into making the recordings of the services for each Sunday and other special services and events. If you want to see a certain Sunday service, there are DVDs on the bookcase in the Narthex. You may also request one made to keep. We welcome anyone who is looking for a way to serve the church to think about working in the sound booth. -Glenn Drumm, Chair Love, Jo Pavey 4

5 Mission Update The first Sunday of April, not a fool s day, is our special offering for the One Great Hour of Sharing. Dona9ons sent to our General Assembly are used for three programs: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Hunger Relief, and Selfdevelopment of People. This is one way we share Christ s love to make our world a be>er place to live in. Did you know that our adult Sunday school class has for years been taking up collec9ons and dona9ng them to two of our local agencies which we as a congrega9on help support? The two agencies are: GODTEL and the Center of Hope. Did you know that the Center of Hope now has a storage room to collect dona9ons to be used by the Beckers in Guatemala? You can take things to them, or if brought to the church, our esteemed Glenn Drumm delivers them. He also helps deliver your food dona9ons; the Mission Commi>ee thanks him. Rela9ve to the Beckers and their Hechos Dos ministry, the women of our church are going to have a sewing event in the Fellowship Hall on April 23rd, star9ng at about 9 a.m. Look for more details to come. Have you heard? Another Community Wide Garage Sale is coming. Yes, we will hold this in the FH on Sat., April 21st, star9ng at 8 a.m., and ending about 2 p.m. Thus, items are needed from you (or many of you); please begin saving things to donate (we will accept clothing on hangers and all else), and deliver to the church aer our luncheon on the 8th. Funds earned from this effort will go to Hechos Dos, as will most items le over. We are also going to ask that some of you help with this year s Rise Up event on May 5th; again, we hope to help paint the fence at the Tolls ranch, so if interested let Pastor Joe or Ron/ Margie know you can help. We hope to also do a special clean-up project at a church member s home some9me this month; more details to come. Mission next meets on April 2nd at 11 a.m.; Anyone may a>end. -Chuck Davidson, Mission Chair SEW---- Ready for the date? April 23rd, 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall This project was put together aer listening to Keith and Maria Becker speak at the Church in January. They were called to Guatemala as missionaries, and that involves educa9on and help with the younger children. Aer we learned that in Guatemala educa9on is not free and most children do not a>end school aer 2nd grade due to the cost, we came up with an idea that can help. Since the Beckers have stepped up to try and help with the con9nua9on of educa9on, they could use our help with the cost of school supplies and cra items for these kids. Since March, there has been a container and a back pack in the Narthex to start the collec9on of school supplies and cra items for those young children. In April, we are having another sewing day in the church Fellowship Hall to make and decorate bags that can be filled with the collected supplies, making it easier to be given to the children at school. Our date is April 23rd. Anyone is invited to come and help us make and decorate the bags, or just come and keep us company. Not all the work will be done on sewing machines, so please come help sew on bu>ons, sort supplies, and pack these bags. It will be a fun day of fellowship, and lunch will be provided. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for anyone who wants to join us that day so we can have a count for lunch. List of school needs from Maria: Crayons - colored pencils - washable markers #2 pencils and ballpoint pens Erasers Glue s9cks Blunt-9pped scissors Construc9on paper Wide-ruled notebooks or paper Tissues Matchbox cars and small dolls or stuffed animals The Beckers also do outreach with the children using small dolls and Match Box cars, which we are collec9ng to send with their next container going to Guatemala at the end of April. Money from the Garage Sale on April 21st will be used to get Spanish Children s Bibles. For any ques9ons, please contact Beverly Davidson, Pam MacDonald, or Bonnie Laverty. -Beverly Davidson 5

6 Billy & Kellie Preston, 04/09 Jerry & Rosalind Wiedman, 04/23 Mark & Jane Nye, 04/29 Joe MacDonald, 04/04 Joan Fluker, 04/09 Aleai Galloway, 04/10 Larry Ke>erling, 04/11 Elena Walrath, 04/11 Karen Palmer, 04/12 Joyce Houck, 04/14 Stephanie McCreight, 04/14 Fred Durham, 04/23 Debra Dawson, 04/30 Bonnie Laverty, 04/30 Donna Swanson, 04/30 FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE I hope all of you enjoyed the pork tenderloin we had at our last Fellowship meal. The Fellowship Commi>ee met on March 25th aer the service to plan our future Fellowship meals. Watch the announcements in the bulle9n for upcoming mee9ng dates. We are open and enjoy any ideas. If you have sugges9ons for a par9cular dish or menu, please contact me or someone on the commi>ee. -Jo Pavey, Fellowship Chair Our Sunday Services Adult Bible Study 9:00 a.m. Worship -10:00 a.m. Children s Celebra9on (for children ages 5 & older) 10:00 a.m. Nursery available for children ages infant through 4 6