THE LINK. ALTAVISTA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH September 1, Our vision, our hearts, and our doors are always open THE PASTOR S PAGE

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1 THE LINK ALTAVISTA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH September 1, 2017 THE PASTOR S Altavista Presbyterian Church Worship Service & Children s Church 10:00 am Children s Nursery 10:00 am PAGE Our vision, our hearts, and our doors are always open In Paul s letter to the Romans 8:2, the Apostle tells us, For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Some may read this and think we are free to do whatever we want. Reader, that is lawlessness. The Spirit of God is not a spirit of lawlessness. The most important title of the Holy Spirit is Holy. God s Spirit is set apart from sin and lawlessness. Therefore, the people of God who are in communion with the Spirit are to be holy. Holiness comes to us only by the Holy Spirit. There is not an ounce of self-righteousness in mortal man that would allow him to become holy on his own. The Spirit of Christ, Paul tells us, must dwell within us before we can be sanctified. If a person has an indwelling of the Spirit and yet also dwells in fallen flesh, then tension arises in the Christian. For this reason, Paul says we must put to death the old self and the old way of doing things. When the Holy Spirit regenerates us, we can no longer take pleasure in sinning. The Apostle teaches that each of us sins and falls short of God s glory, but that does not give regenerated Christians the license to pursue sinning. Rather, it is the Christian s responsibility to pursue holiness and Christlikeness, because we are adopted children of God. Children, especially teenagers, often need reminding that their actions reflect on their parents. Today s culture says to do whatever we want and to ignore the implications. What many of us forget is that we are a connected society, and what we do or leave undone affects the community. As heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, Christians are subject to the reputation of God the Father and should reflect the goodness and glory of God. This is hard work for fallen people; just ask your pastor. Thankfully, though, we have a Helper. As Paul illustrates, the Holy Spirit creates in us a need to put to death the old self. It is inappropriate for the Christian to live and revel in the ways before regeneration. That way was a way of sin and separation from God, therefore, we need to put away those old ways and desires. The Christian has the very cross of Christ whereupon she may place her sins. Sin no longer reigns over the Christian, but Christ. The Holy Spirit creates in us the responsibility to put to death the old self. We, that is the individual Christian, you and me, have to do it, we have to put to death the old self. We do this in

2 obedience to God and in response to God s graciousness towards. Christ was nailed to the cross so that we may be able to nail our sins there, too, therefore we must do it. The Holy Spirit creates in us the desire to do it. We must desire to be like Christ, to live like Christ, love like Christ, and serve like Christ. The Spirit puts within us the yearning to be like Christ because in Christ the Christian has a sense of who she is and who she is to be. 2 Rev. Eduardo Soto, Jr. (434) , office (434) , mobile AltaPres.org Facebook Altavista Presbyterian Church Session highlights August 27, 2017 meeting Elder Kelly debernard reported on the August 19, 2017 Presbytery meeting which was held at Farmville PC. Reviewed the June & July, 2017 Treasurer s Reports. Approved minutes of the June 16, 2017 Stated meeting as presented. Joys & concerns of the congregation were identified. Moderator Ed prayed for those listed & to close the meeting. July-2017 YTD Pledges 10,433 70,699 Non-Pledges 1, , Plate Offering Total Expenses 11, ,559.86b

3 3 THE GARDEN A Garden is a lovesome thing, God wot! Rose plot, Fringed pool, Ferned grot, The veriest school of Peace; and yet the fool contends that God is not Not God! in Gardens! when the eve is cool? Nay, but I have a sign: Tis very sure God walks in mine. Thomas Edward Brown In Thomas Edward Brown s garden, God may stroll through a peaceful plot, but in the garden I know, He strides through an exuberant riot. The garden I speak of belongs to my daughter. It is a lush tangle of vegetables and flowers, some familiar and others not. One of the familiar vegetables is kale, but hers has a twist. It s a heirloom variety called dinosaur kale, so named because the leaves are rough and bumpy, reminding you of what dinosaur skin may have looked like. According to its history, Thomas Jefferson brought it from Italy to plant at Monticello. It s tough and chewy, as you d expect dinosaur skin to be, but it cooks up well in a pot. Tell your children they re having dinosaur for supper, and they may gobble it up. Depending on the season, the garden has a mass of flowers. First come the daffodils, snowdrops and tulips, then poppies in pink, white and gold. Roses and irises come next, then the stately foxgloves, taller than a man. I had planned to take an armful of foxgloves to the local nursing home, but changed my mind when I found that all parts of the plant are poisonous. Indeed, digitalis is derived from this plant. One of my favorite flowering plants in my daughter s garden is bee balm, which has a red or purple many-pedaled blossom. Known also as Oswego tea, it is a part of our American history. The Indians made a beverage

4 4 from the leaves, and the colonists used it as a substitute for tea when they lost access to English teas after the Boston Tea Party. And then we have the lilies, of which the most glorious are the Star Gazers. In case you re not familiar with them, they are tall, fragrant lilies with fuchsiacolored petals that are banded in white. They are aptly named, because they look upward as if gazing at the stars. When they bloom, I m reminded of the verse in Mathew 6: 28-29: even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But, as my daughter knows, a garden is a lot of work. Take weeding, for example. She does it piece-meal, not like the method described in the parable about the wheat and the tares. Both plants were allowed to grow together until harvest time, and then the tares were bundled and burned. And pests? We don t have locusts descending on us as they did in the land of Egypt, but we do have today s equivalent deer. My daughter fenced her garden to keep them out, but she left a gap at the bottom of the wire for smaller creatures to wander in. Baby rabbits, wrens, and turtles don t eat all that much. One of the creatures apparently stood on its hind legs to take tiny, triangular bites of a tomato, leaving only the top half on its stem. My daughter said they were box turtle bites, but how can a turtle stretch that far? As far as harvesting goes, I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Galations 6:7, although he wasn t referring to gardening results: Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. When my daughter brings in a bucketful of green beans for me to freeze I include verse 9: Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. I m referring to her abundance of beans: green, pole, purple, bush, and especially to the gita beans. Gitas are about the thickness of your little finger and grow up to two feet long. You can feed a friend on three. Note: God wot means God knows. M. Liebchen

5 5 As you know Les and Mary Woodie have moved to Lynchburg. Les & Mary Woodie 107 Saint David Drive Lynchburg, VA Many, many thanks to our church family for your prayers, call, visits, cards, delicious foods and love shown during Al s recent surgery. We feel so blessed to be surround by God s love as shown by APC. Al and Jeannie Home Phone: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is in touch with presbyteries affected areas of Texas to offer assistance. We are standing by with resources and National Response Team members ready to deploy upon invitation and when it is safe to do so. For those who wish to support PDA's emergency response and recovery efforts, gifts can be designated to DR Harvey. We need your help. Please give generously. If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) PO Box Pittsburgh, PA, You may also call us Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), at and donate by phone. For updates, please go to pda.pcusa.org. Please join us in praying for courage for those who are suffering; wisdom and diligence among agencies and individuals assessing damage and directing relief efforts; and for generosity to flow as powerfully as rivers and streams, as we respond to the deep human needs left in the wake of the storm. Rev. Dr. Laurie Ann Kraus Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

6 6 Happening This Month! Prayer Fellowship September 13 th and 27 th The Prayer Fellowship is meeting every Second and Fourth Wednesday in the Pastor s Study at 9:30 AM. All are welcome to join us in prayers for our church, community, nation, and the world. If you have any prayer requests for the Fellowship, please contact the main office. Youth Group September 10 th and 24 th The Youth Group is meeting every Second and Fourth Sunday in the Youth Room at 5:00 PM. All youth between Sixth and Twelfth grades are welcome. Pastor Ed will lead discussion with the LIVE Jesus-Centered Life curriculum. The Youth will be treated to a meal and fellowship throughout the evening. Coffee Hour September 24 th All are welcome to a Coffee Hour before worship on Fourth Sundays. There will be light refreshments and pastries in the Fellowship Hall starting at 9:00 AM. Please swing by for a time of fellowship and then join us for Worship at 10:00 AM. Bible Studies September 5 th, 7 th, 19 th, and 21 st Two Bible Studies are starting this month! On First and Third Tuesdays, the BYOD: Bring Your Own Dinner Bible Study will meet at 6:30 PM in the Downstairs Classroom. Bring your favorite fast food or leftovers and join us for a variety of topics. On First and Third Thursdays, the Morning Bible Study will meet at 10:00 AM in the Downstairs Classroom. This study is exactly the same as the evening study, so don t worry about missing anything. For our first lesson, Pastor Ed will introduce the doctrine of atonement and survey the different theories from across many denominations. For the second lesson, Pastor Ed will dive more deeply into the traditional Reformed perspective of the atonement. Come prepared with questions! Getting a step ahead: Read Leviticus chapter 16 and Romans chapters 2 & 3. On Sunday September 10, we will have our Koinonia Luncheon immediately following worship, to honor the Seases and Woodies for their many years of service at APC, please bring a dish to share

7 7 MONTH of SEPTEMBER Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday AM Worship/ Communion/ Children s Church 4 Office Closed for Labor Day 5 12 Noon -Men s Lunch Taste of Italy 6:30 PM Bible Study in Adult SS Room :30 PM -Second Helping Lunch 5 PM Ministry Beyond Committee church 7 10 AM Bible Study in Adult SS Room. 6 PM Worship Committee Mtg PM Ministry Within church AM-Worship/ Children s Church Koinonia Luncheon after Worship 5 PM Youth Group Church 11 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH 12 10:30 AM Women s church 6 PM Christian Ed Church 13 9:30 AM Prayer Church 11-12:30 PM -Second Helping Lunch 5:30 PM Property Church AM Worship/ Children s Church 1:00 PM Session Church 18 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH Noon -Men s Lunch -El Cazador 6:30 PM Bible Study in Adult SS Room 20 9:30 AM APC Serves Lynchburg Daily Bread 11-12:30 PM APC Serves - Second Helping Lunch AM Bible Study in Adult SS Room PM DAWN Board Mtg.- Adult SS 24 9 AM Coffee Hour in FH 10 AM - Worship/ Children s Church 5PM Youth Group Church 25 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH October Link Deadline :30 AM Prayer Church 11-12:30 PM -Second Helping Lunch

8 8 Scriptures & Sermons for September September 3 rd 22 nd Sunday in Ordinary Time First Scripture Lesson Exodus 3:1-8 Second Scripture Lesson Exodus 3:9-15 Sermon God s Promise September 10 th 23 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time First Scripture Lesson Exodus 12:1-6 Second Scripture Lesson Exodus 12:7-13 Sermon God s Precept September 17 th 24 th Sunday in Ordinary Time First Scripture Lesson Exodus 14:19-25 Second Scripture Lesson Exodus 14:26-31 Sermon God s Protection In the lead up to Reformation Sunday (Oct. 29), Pastor Ed will teach a sermon series on the Five Solae of the Reformation September 24 th 25 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Old Testament Lesson Nehemiah 8:1-8 New Testament Lesson 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Five Solae of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura

9 9 MISSION POSSIBLE Ø Where and how are you involved in mission? Ø Where and how would you like to be involved in mission? Come one, come all, to share and learn about mission next door and around the world! Two opportunities: A simple supper will be provided by the POP Mission Committee. Registration is NOT required, but it would be helpful to know if you plan to participate. Please contact Denise Pillow, Hunger Action Advocate/Mission Staff Resource at denisepillow@gmail.com / or Kathy Carpenter, Mission Committee Chair at olekack@gmail.com with questions. Registration is NOT required, but it would be helpful to know if you plan to participate. The church is called to be Christ s faithful evangelist going into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all he has commanded; demonstrating by the love of its members for one another and by the quality of its common life the new reality in Christ; sharing in worship, fellowship, and nurture, practicing a deepened life of prayer and service under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; participating in God s activity in the world through its life for others by healing and reconciling and binding up wounds, ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless, engaging in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger and injustice, giving itself and its substance to the service of those who suffer, sharing with Christ in the establishing of his just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world. The Church is called to undertake this mission even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ. From the Presbyterian Church (USA) s Book of Order

10 10 Congratulations SEPTEMBER Birthdays Anniversaries 1 Al & Jeannie Smith 4 Keegan debernard, John Roark, IV Dennis & Linda Janiak John & Denise Tucker 15 Karen Blaesing 20 Les Woodie 22 Carolyn Lees Jeffrey & Samantha Janiak 25 John Larkin Altavista Presbyterian P O Box 126 Altavista, VA Recipient Address City, ST Zip