The Evangel. The First Presbyterian Church

Transcription

1 The Evangel The First Presbyterian Church JANUARY 2019

2 You Are What You Love You Are What You Eat everyone has heard that phrase. Most of us probably recognize the truth in it, even if we don t always follow it. It s based on the old G.I.G.O. principle Garbage In, Garbage Out! But is it really true? Can we really boil down the essence of who we are to what we eat? Are we merely biological organisms, and is our biology determined simply by what we consume? I don t really think so. In the Church, we often operate on the principle You Are What You Think, or You Are What You Believe meaning that if we just give people the right information, then we can form them into disciples of Jesus. Simply teaching people the right things to believe, therefore, would be enough to make them into Christians. The problem with that, though, is that all too often, we can know all the right information, and still make disastrously wrong choices. We can know all the right information, and still be heathens. I ve wrestled with this a lot in my life. Besides my own struggle with holiness, I have looked on with sadness when people I know and love have made terribly un-holy choices, even though they know all the right things. Recently, though, with the help of some good books, I have come to realize that the phrase that really makes sense is You Are What You Love. Our desires, our passions, the people and things we hold most dear that s what really makes us who we are! And this explains why we can know all the right things for example, all the right principles for eating a balanced diet low in fat, high in fruits and vegetables and yet, still fill up on foods that are exactly the opposite! Why do we do that? Well, because we have a love problem we love eating the bad-for-you foods more than we love taking care of our bodies! We love the pleasure in the moment more than we love the payout in the long run. So, as followers of Jesus Christ, how do we adjust our loves so that we are who God wants us to be? Because of course, our first love should be Jesus Christ. He Himself taught us that the first and greatest commandment is You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, (Matthew 22:37, ESV) and that the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39, ESV). James K. A. Smith, in his book actually titled You Are What You Love teaches that it is habits, liturgies, and repetition that shape our loves. 1 Think about all the habits and traditions people go through when it comes to football: time is set aside each weekend or each Monday night to watch the game. For many, there are special outfits to wear jerseys, hats, or even face paint. There are special foods to prepare or to order (pizza, wings, etc.) There are songs to sing, cheers to cheer, and for some, even dances to dance. (The Ickey Shuffle comes to mind.) These repeated habits and liturgies all nurture a love for football in people and keeps them coming back indeed, for many, football is their religion, and The Game or The Team is their god!

3 All this suggests that if we truly want to be Christians, then we need to attend to the habits, the liturgies, the repeated behaviors which form us into people who love God above all else. Just as children are trained through imitation and repetition, so must we be trained and it is worship and the spiritual disciplines which help to train us. As Smith writes: The practices of Christian worship train our love they are practice for the coming kingdom, habituating us as citizens of the kingdom of God. 2 In other words, we learn to love God by practicing that love by worshiping, by reading Scripture and pondering what it says, pondering what it means about who God is, pondering what that means for our lives and above all, by doing these things regularly, habitually. This isn t glamorous stuff; you won t find it in any slick, pre-packaged gimmicks at the local Christian bookstore. But if we stick with it, our loves change. And of course, we are what we love! A new year is upon us and you know what that means: New Year s Resolutions! For 2019, will you perhaps resolve to train your loves to be more godly? Will you resolve to attend worship every week? Will you resolve to begin coming to Sunday School or Bible Study every week? Will you resolve to read through the Bible in 2019, or to start visiting a shut-in each week? Will you do something to get closer to Jesus this year? For He is worthy and His love for us is steadfast and eternal! Hallelujah! To Him alone be the glory! In Christ s Love, Joshua 1See James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit. (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2016). 2Smith, 25. Father, Always grant me character Father, Always That is grant greater me than character my gifts, That And is humility greater than my gifts, And That humility is greater than my influence. Amen. That is greater than my influence. Amen.

4 & With the Pastor Coffee and Tea With the Pastor returns! After a brief hiatus, we will again be meeting at the Coffee Peddlar (112 Harrison Avenue in downtown Harrison) for fellowship, discussion, and delicious caffeinated beverages! Bring those questions you ve always wanted to ask about the Bible, about your faith, or pretty much anything else. We will meet on Wednesday, January 9 from 2-4 pm though, of course, you can come and go as you please during that time. All are welcome! See you there! There will be HEALING PRAYER in the chapel after the 10:45 service on January 27th. All who wish to receive anointing, the laying on of hands and prayers for healing are welcome. Heart to Heart returns from hiatus on January 10th! Twelve Women of the Bible, Life Changing Stories for Women of Today. We meet on Thursdays at 9:30am in the YC Room. Join us as we study the Bible, pray for each other, enjoy fellowship and encourage one another in our spiritual journey. All women of the church are welcome! Any questions should be directed to Deanna Jones, Debbie Menninger, or Linda Hellmann. There will be a Congregational Meeting after the 10:45 worship service on Sunday, January 20. During this meeting, we will elect the 2019 Nominating Committee, receive the 2019 budget, receive the 2018 Annual Report, and if need be, elect new church officers. All active members are encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Clerk of Session, Doug Jones. It s the End of the World as we know it! (But we feel fine!) Due to popular demand, we will continue in a study of one of the most challenging books of the Bible: Revelation! Come join us at the Pastor s Bible Study as we see the meaning of this book: that though the end of the world is coming, still we have Good News: God is going to triumph, and in Him, so will we! We meet on Monday nights at 7pm in the Conference Room. All are welcome! Pray with your friends in the Chapel, on Monday evenings at 6:30 PM. God hears all prayer. We pray aloud; we pray without speaking; we read short prayers; we compose them ourselves. If you have any questions, please call Fred Burkey at telephone

5 Women s Association News Reminder: Women s Association is having a special meeting on Thursday, January 10 in the 4th/5th grade classroom at noon. Bring your lunch and a drink. We are discussing pre-planning for the Sauerkraut Luncheon. Wait!!! Did someone say SAUERKRAUT LUNCHEON??!! Yep, it is time to start thinking about what pie you are going to bake and/or how you can help out in the kitchen, dining room or carry out on Tuesday, February 19!! The annual Women s Association Sauerkraut Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, February 19 from 11:00-1:00 with carryout available. We will need lots of help with pies and baked goods and on the big day, cutting pies, helping in the dining area, and the kitchen. Please contact June Merten with pre-donations and volunteer availability. Tea Time News STOP!!! Before you stow away your Christmas stuff, is there anything you do not want to keep? This includes décor, cards, linens, and dishes. The Women s Association needs your donation for the July 27 Christmas Tea. See Sherry Caito if you have questions. Epiphany, the 12th Day of Christmas, in which we remember the coming of the Magi to worship at the manger, comes on Sunday, January 6 this year. Be sure to join us as we give thanks to God for the coming of the Light of the World! Our annual Necrology service, in which we remember those from our number who entered the Church Triumphant in 2018, will be held on Sunday, January 13, All are welcome! Come join us as we give thanks to God for the gift of resurrection hope through Jesus Christ! Inquirer Class begins January 6 in the Parlor near the church office. The Inquirer class is a 3 week class that explores what it is to be Presbyterian and the inner workings of Harrison Presbyterian church. All are invited to join Doug Jones in the Parlor each Sunday at 9:30am on January 6, 13 and 20! There is no obligation, just a great time to explore and fellowship. We appreciate all of your prayers, support, food, and visits during Bobbie s health struggles and on her recent passing. We are so grateful to be a part of such a caring and loving congregation. In Christ s Love Bob Clark & Family

6 January s 12 Months of Giving Campaign January s collection will be for West Cincinnati Presbyterian. They have asked for children's winter gloves and school supplies (spiral notebooks, filler paper, pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, colored pencils, markers, highlighters, glue, etc.) REMEMBER, Christine Luca is willing to do your shopping for you. Just let her know. November Giving Update: Thanks to your generosity, we were able to donate all these items to Reach- Out Pregnancy: wipes-26(1632), pacifiers-25, bottle brush-1, bottles-31, diaper ointment-4, baby wash 16, baby lotion-2, formula-8, diapers-22 (1216). ROP was very grateful for our delivery! Thank you, thank you, thank you! We cannot express enough how thankful we are for the support of our congregation for all of the 2018 Missions projects! You have supported: Ryan & Maggie, 12 Months of Giving, Buckhorn, Christ s Loving Hands, the chili cookoff, the food pantry, and so much more! We are so grateful for all that you do for Missions! ~The Missions Committee TWO CENTS A MEAL COLLECTION IS January 13 Please look for the gold pots at both entrances to the sanctuary to place your monthly donations. If you are not able to make it to a service, please feel free to mail your donation to the church. It goes to a good cause of helping feed the hungry. As always, thanks for your generous donations. ~ The Mission Committee Our free community meal, called Bountiful Hearts, continues on the first Saturday of every month. Our next meal will be on Saturday, January 5, from 11am 1pm here at our church. We need lots of volunteers to help make this event a success! Be sure to sign up on the sheets in Faith Hall if you wish to bake, to serve, to clean up, or to deliver carry-out meals! Also, remember your 2-cents-a-meal money goes to pay for the cost of the food! Thank you for your support! 2019 GIVING LABELS If you have not already done so, please pick up your 2019 Giving Labels in Faith Hall. Please make sure you check your number as it may have changed from If you have questions or need a set of labels, please contact Jeff Gibbs.

7 With the Pastor January is a great time to start work on a church committee! In January, elders elect new committee leadership, which often means a fresh vision for these workhorses of our church. (Truly, it s in the committees that the vast majority of our mission work gets done!) If you have been wanting to get more involved in our church s work, why not prayerfully consider joining a committee? All are welcome! See Joshua or a Session member for more details. The Deacons will be hosting the Session for food and fellowship on Tuesday, January 15 at 6pm. All active elders and deacons (as well as elders and deacons who rolled off at the end of 2018) are invited to attend! See Lisa Steuver if you have any questions. The Church Office will be closed for the New Year s holiday on January 1, We won!! Grand Marshall s Award for Best Float!! A huge THANK YOU to all who participated in the Christmas Parade. A special thank you to Jeff Sindiong and Wayne Brown for all their help and work on our float. A great time was had by all! Thank you to Deanna Jones and the Outreach Committee for all their work and time on making this event a great success! Give Thanks for our Blessings: All the coins and checks have been counted from the Blessing Cans. Because of your OVERFLOWING KINDNESS, Matthew 25 Ministries will receive a check from us in the amount of $1, to assist in the hurricane relief efforts. A huge THANK YOU to the congregation for this contribution. We hope you had fun counting the wonderful blessings you have and enjoyed reading the Bible verses. P.S. Outreach would love to have cans returned to recycle for next year!

8 Look for Worship and Sunday School cancellations and delays at the following TV channels & websites. You can also check the Church s Facebook page for updates. WCPO Channel 9 WKRC Channel 12 WXIX Channel 19 JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 4 Foster Harris 5 Jo-Jean Kleinfeld, Evan Kessler 7 Belinda Moul 10 T.J. Snape 11 Lou Rozmarynowski 12 Shirley Fury 16 Phyllis Wolf, Elizabeth Landfried 17 Chris Hellmann 20 Jim Trabel 25 Louanna Smith 26 Raymond Loos 27 Millie Koehler, Marcia Merse 28 Jerry Francis, Mike Green 31 Greg Bybee, Sandra McCauley LIVESTREAM Note change Our livestream provider has changed and the old UStream link you may have saved, will not work. Please go to and click on the LiveStream viewer to join us on the web live for our 10:45am service. JANUARY FELLOWSHIP TABLE Jan 6 Carol Vassil Jan 13 Lana Bybee Jan 20 Barb Wolf Birthday Sunday January 28 Shirley Fury Amy Green Mindy Sindiong Did you miss one of Dr. Long s sermons? You can catch up by watching it on YouTube! Just enter First Presbyterian Church of Harrison, OH in the YouTube search bar to find our very own channel. More than a year s worth of sermons are posted there for your edification. Enjoy! A special THANKS to all who sent cards, baked goodies, or gave us gifts during the Christmas season! We truly appreciate your kindness and generosity! In Christ s Love - Joshua & Sandra

9 The Souper Bowl returns! The Super Bowl will be held on Sunday, February 3 this year and yet again, we are asking you to make this not Super Bowl Sunday, but Souper Bowl Sunday! Each person who comes to worship is asked to bring a can of soup (or several cans, even!) for Christ s Loving Hands. Last year we collected 166 cans of soup let s see if we can beat that this year! Thanks for your help! The presbytery meets on Saturday, February 16 at 9am at Westwood-First Presbyterian Church in Westwood. If you are interested in attending, please contact the church office. The pastor will be on study leave from Monday, February 18 through Sunday, February 24 in Tulsa, OK. If you have a pastoral care need during this time, please contact the church office, and Sandra will put you in touch with a local pastor. There will be no Bible Study on February 18, and no 8:30 service on February 24. A perfect man would never act from a sense of duty.duty is only a substitute for love, like a crutch which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times, but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs can do the journey on their own. - C.S. Lewis

10 Our Shut-Ins Pauline Zimmerman Theresa Johnson Ginny Thiele Jane Poland Evelyn Stutzman Nora Montgomery Jeanette Rae Juanita Lacy Anale VanWagenen Specific Prayer Needs Deb Menninger: for her son s health; Stephanie Trabel: for her aunt s health; Jim & Ellen Puckett: for her sister s health; Ryan & Maggie Warmuth: for their work in Asia, and her brother s health; Carol Vassil: for her Grandson, Paul James Francis s, safety as he serves in the military; West Cincinnati Presbytery: Our January Love Thy Neighbor Missions agency; Isaac Willman: recovering from ear surgery; Mike Dirr: for his sister s health; Joan & Raymond Loos: for their granddaughter, Claire, as she recovers from surgery For Health Need Virginia Steelman Gene Steelman Marilyn Rueger Louanna Smith Bennie Pierson Raymond Loos Bill Snape, Sr. June Merten Carol Barnes Carter Jones Jo Kleinfeld Earl Dwelly Shirley Fury Ron Fury Dale Bates Bill Bates PRAYER CHAIN CALLS: The Prayer Chain is a group of people who are committed to praying daily for those requesting prayer. This ministry is administered through our Board of Deacons. If you have a prayer request, please contact Linda Hellmann during the day or Phyllis Wolfram during the evening. For two weeks, the people on the chain will pray daily for the person or situation requested.

11 Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday Bulletin Deadlines: Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m. February Evangel: January 21, 12pm Send all bulletin items to Sandra at office@harrisonpresbyterian.com, call the office ( ) or drop by the office.

12 First Presbyterian Church 115 S. Vine St. Harrison, OH Pastor: Dr. Joshua Long Church Phone number: Church Pastor Website: OUR CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT First Presbyterian Church of Harrison, Ohio is growing in faith by building stronger relationships with God and community through prayer and worship. The reading and understanding of God s Word strengthens our commitment to share the Good News of Jesus Christ through love and service to our neighbor so that all may experience God s grace.