TIDINGS CLIFTON FORGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 TIDINGS CLIFTON FORGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH September Church St., Clifton Forge, VA www. Cliftonforgepresbyterianchurch.com ************************************************************************************************** EVENTS Every Sunday Morning Every Monday 6:30 pm Nettie Paul Room Walk Through the Bible 9:30 Sunday School for all ages 10:30 Coffee Fellowship Every Tuesday 11:00 Nursery Opens 7:00 pm Boy Scouts 11:00 Worship Every Wed. Morning 6:30 am Men s Prayer Dairy Queen Deadline for October Tidings information is September 19, ****************************************************************************************** From the PASTOR ****************************************************************************************** PRESENCE (Bible Readings: Psalm 22; Mark 15: 33-39) If you listen closely enough to the laments of Scripture you will always hear an echo, like the sound of a voice bounding from the walls of a vast, empty cathedral. The echo is caused by the emptiness that only comes from a perceived absence of God s presence. If you have ever performed musically, you can attest to the fact that this echo can have a beautiful effect on the music. It is the same with the song of our lives, even the songs of lament. What torments Job most are not his losses, not even the physical pain he experiences, but the fact that God s presence seems to be absent. In the end Job s troubles are solved not by getting his possessions back, nor the children he lost. In the end, Job gets God back. The hopeless echo of his lament disappears as God comes dangerously and unbelievably close. Fill me with joy in your presence, David exults in Psalm 16:11. But there is a darker side to the issue of God s presence that intersects precisely with lament. This is when God s presence seems to be impossibly absent. The abject hopelessness of the psalmist echoes throughout the laments: Do not cast me from your presence (Psalm 51:11). Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalm 10:1). God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees (Psalm 10:11). Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me? (Psalm 88:14) Jeremiah can only understand the destruction of Jerusalem as a result of being abandoned by God. How else could the enemy have defeated them except for the fact that the Lord had withdrawn his right hand? (Lamentations 2:3). Only when God looks at, wake up, remembers, becomes present once more with His people will Israel be restored. His presence is everything. It is always the ultimate answer. The deepest experience of this absence of presence was felt by the One who took upon Himself the sin of the world. All that was light, all that was life was gone, he fled, had looked away. At this darkest of all moments, Jesus laments, Why have you forsaken me? In one way or another it is the theme of all lament. It is the confused cry of all who struggle to live in a fallen world where God s perceived absence is the real heart of the battle. It is the opposite of the retreat of denial. Lament is a battle cry! 1

2 Rarely do we ask in prayer for what we really need. We usually think a solution will suffice, some sort of answer to our problems. We learn from lament that nothing less than the restored presence of God will ever satisfy our souls. It is only through lament that we discover how vast the impossible emptiness can feel. Reflect 1. Have you ever felt that God was truly absent? How did you respond? 2. What would it be like if you stopped praying for the things you need, and instead prayed only for God s presence? Could you do it? Grace & Peace, Pastor Paul *********************************************************************************** SCOTT HILL Stella Campbell GOLDEN LIVING CENTER Charlotte Dillon VA. VETERANS CARE CENTER Charles Hall AT HOME UPDATE FROM SNOOPER Snooper Sez. We all had a good time this summer!! It was great! Snooper, Bob & Ginny McDowell Kathleen McMillion Leolyn Conner The Church Mouse ***************************************************************************************** 5 The Mission of the Good has asked if we would pray for the children listed here: Their names are Jamie Tracy age 14, Susie Westby age 13, Whitney Garbutt age 11, Kiyla Logan age 10, Denzel Garbutt age 9, Ashanti O Brien age 7, Stephanie Logan age 2. Please pray for these children and if you can write them via (Listed). Thank you for your prayers. Mango Creek, Independence Village Stann Creek District Belize, Central America. - goodshepherdbelize@sfs.com *********************************************************************************************************************** Survey for Rebecca Young Please fill out the online survey for Rebecca at Facebook: Rebecca Young Indonesia, PCUSA Mission Co-worker rebecca.young@pcusa.org Presbyterian Women Invites the congregation to attend the luncheon, installation of officers and the awarding of the Life Membership Pin on Sunday September 7th following Church services. Chicken and drinks will be furnished but we will need you to help us by bringing side dishes and desserts. Circle Will meet on Tuesday September 9th at 2:00 pm in the youth room. Our lesson will be Gods Abiding Presence finishing our study of Exodus and Deuteronomy. The 26 Annual Gathering of Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of the Peaks: Saturday September 27, 9: 30 am 2:00 pm. First Presbyterian Church, 1215 Virginia Episcopal School Road, Lynchburg. Registration will the theme for this year is PW Making Missions Matter. More information is on the Church bulletin boards. Thank you Thank you everyone who has given can tabs to re recycled. There s a collection box in The Coffee Room & Barbara James will take them to Glen Perry at Mountain Regional Hospice. He takes them to the Ronald McDonald House in Roanoke. Thank you all. Iris (Muffin) Morris Address Woodland RD., Covington, VA

3 The following people were called out for intercessory prayer in August 2014 Deanne Helmintoller, Jessica & Alex Chromczak, Travis Knighton, Eddie Smith, Peggy Knick, Norman & Barbara Rice, Leolyn Conner, Steve Houtz, Catherine Gillespie, Arlene Linkenhoker, Ray Crawford, Caldwell, Kayley Elmore, Shane Ballard, Roy Kanode, Elwood Deisher s Mother, Mary Boucher, Evan Groves, Debbie Berberette, Harmie Miller Family, Mike Higgins, Simmons Family, Crawford Family, Bergy Family, Lawhorn Family Mcallister Family, Karen Porter Family. Richard Hall, Emilee, Steve, Anna, Jonya Tinker, Muffin Morris, Peggy Mead. Dana Burt, Richard Deeds, Ronnie Page, Amy Panebianco, Steve McCormack, Family of Cindy Morgan s Sister-In-Law, Family of J.W. Persinger, CFPC PRAYER CHAIN Sandi Smith Cindy Brokaw Martha Bryan Rene Clark Virginia Harlow Barbara James Sandra Porter Loretha Stinespring If you have need for prayer, please contact one of the members listed. **************************************************************************************** Meals on Wheels Meals on wheels, (lunchtime) 11:30 12:00 Jesus said feed my sheep. Please consider this and contact the Church Office THANK YOU!! Debbie & Anthony Darcus & Amanda Tomasek & Deanne Helmintoller for volunteering your time to Meals- on - Wheels August 4 8 th... ************************************************************************************************** Clifton Forge Food Pantry Whether you said a prayer, gave food, clothing or household items, or monetary gifts, we at the Clifton Forge Food Pantry would like to say thank you. For the month of July we served 405 individuals representing 1,159 family members. Without your help this wouldn t have been possible. We are still collecting food items here at the Church. We especially need peanut butter and canned soups. ************************************************************************************************************ Clothing Closet CLIFTON FORGE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2014 CLOTHING CLOSET REPORT April May - June People Served 75 Pieces Given Out 710 Shoes 24 pairs Socks 20 pairs Underwear 18 Coats 8 Extras: 210 Dishes, pots and pans, belts, purses, glasses, hats, toys, games, baskets, 18 bags of clothing given to the Goodwill: Average 30 pound bags. Sweaters to local nursing homes. Big Thank You to our dedicated workers. Kathy Helms, Tina Persinger, William Deisher, Micky McMillion Call for emergencies. 3

4 Bereavement Boxes Mission/Witness Committee is in need of the following items: Paper towels, napkins, face tissues, toilet tissue, tinfoil, dishwashing liquid, cling wrap, styrofoam bowls, small & large plates, cold and hot cups, mixed plastic tableware & trash bags. Thank you for any help you can give. End of Kroger Cares Program Kroger has just informed us that they are changing the way they help tax exempt groups raise money. They will be starting a similar program in about 6 weeks which they feel will be more straightforward than this one for both them and us. (The new one will not require us to use a separate card to enter cash first and then pay for our groceries). I just want to notify everyone not to enter cash into your Kroger gift card anymore as it will not result in a bonus to the Church any longer, but will just act like a normal gift card. Your cards will continue to be good for the cash you have put in them, so just spend them out (the Church has already received the bonus credit). You will be notified later how to enter the new program, assuming we again qualify. You individually will be asked to join the program by Kroger and from that time anytime you make a purchase and show your Kroger Plus card, it will automatically credit the Church with the normal credit towards our bonus. Steel Drums Concert: September 28 The Steel Drums are coming to the Amphitheater again the 4th Sunday in September. Tell all your friends, we need the support. This will be an expanded program - - adding brass instruments to the drums. This will be an attempt to make this more like a party than just sitting and listening to Caribbean music on drums. Some possibilities are still up in the air and we hope to make it much more exciting than in the past. One may be to make Island Food available before and afterwards as late lunch or early supper. This will be more expensive than in the past, but we will again not charge admission, but rely on a love offering to cover the expenses - - so we really need more attendance. I think the intended program will be very exciting! 4

5 Happy Anniversary 9/5 Carl & Jennie Brinkley 9/15 David & Judy Hawes 9/17 Lewis & Peggy Brinkley Happy Birthday 9/1 Kathleen McMillion 9/2 Carol Jones 9/11 Peggy Knick 9/13 Andrew Boothe 9/16 Brenda Siple & Jeff Bartley 9/19 Robert Brown 9/20 Chris Tomasek 9/21 Willard L. Camp & Dorothy Bartley 9/22 Andy Reynolds 9/24 Dustin Jones 9/25 Frances Wolfe 9/27 Richard Davis, Catherine Dew & Cassie Glass 9/28 Maggie Campbell & Kimberly Perry. Nursery Volunteers September 7 Brenda Bartocci September 14 Virginia Harlow September 21 Chris Fisher September 28 Brenda Bartocci Greeters September 7 Robert & Cecille McDowell September 14 Gordie & Barbara James September 21 Jenny Brinkley & Richard Colvin September 28 Betty Anderson & Jenny Harlow 5

6 Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church ASSET ACCOUNTS CHECKING NAME BALANCE Operating Account Sona Bank $15, TOTAL $15, Savings/Investment COMPANY New Covenant Fund Peaks Presbytery $225, Certificate of Deposit Sona Bank $5, CFPC Pastor's Escrow Sona Bank $8, Presbyterian Foundation (Gilmer Fund) Mutual Fund Restricted $11, TOTAL $251, LIABILITIES Payroll Liabilities (tax) State Tax $32.00 Payroll Liabilities (tax) Federal Tax/SSI Tax $ Total $ NET ORDINARY INCOME/LOSS Net Ordinary gain for the month of January thru June 2014 $8, BUDGET INFORMATION TOTAL INCOME/EXPENSE JANUARY THRU JUNE 2014 REGULAR COLLECTIONS 2014 Income $65, Expense $56, Net Income $8, Notes: 1. Church Mutual Insurance Premium due in September will cost the net profit Federal taxes paid monthly/ State Taxes paid quarterly 3. July 2014 Report 6

7 September Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Cluster Luncheon 12:30 3 M.P.B. 6:30 am Choir 7:00 4 EAMA 9: Community Movie Night 6:00 7Communion Luncheon Fall Kick off 5:30 7:00 14 Youth Groups 5:30 6: Men of Mission 8:00 am Women s Circle Youth Room 2:00 pm 10 M.P.B. 6:30 am Clothing Closet 9:00am - 12:30 Choir 7: M.P.B. 6:30 am Choir 7: Session Meeting 21 Youth Groups 5:30 6:30 28 Youth Groups 5:30 6:30 Steel Drums 4:00p.m M.P.B. 6:30 am Clothing Closet 9:00am - 12:30 Choir 7:

8 YOUTH GROUP SCHEDULE JUNIOR YOUTH GROUP 5:30 6:30 p.m. Grades k-5 Junior Youth Group will regular time. Last Sunday in the month we will have Movie nite!! YOUTH GROUP 5:30 6:30 Grades 6-12 Youth will regular time. for fun and fellowship!! Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church 544 Church Street Clifton Forge VA TIDINGS TO: September 8