Good News First Presbyterian Church April 2018 Where Every Member is a Missionary (985) 643-0871 www.fpcslidell.org
Because of the strange quirk of the calendar this year, not only did Ash Wednesday fall on Valentine s Day, but Easter falls on April 1: April Fool s Day. It unclear where April Fool s Day originated, though the tradition of a day to play harmless pranks on other people appears fairly common throughout the world. The idea of playing jokes on people around the equinox in Europe seems to come from an ancient Roman feast of Hilaria, from which we derive hilarious. Some speculate that the origins of the day come from a calendar change in the 1560. Yet there are records attesting to the idea of Fools Day going back hundreds of years before. Ultimately, the origins of April Fool s Day are lost in time. However we have come by April Fool s Day, it has become a day many look forward to, for the various pranks played around the world. The most famous prank of modern times was the news broadcast about the Swiss Spaghetti-Tree Harvest by the BBC in England. Hundreds called in the next day asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees. As hilarious as that joke was, we, as Christians, have an even better joke: The Resurrection of Jesus. Early church theologians considered that The Devil thought he d won on Good Friday; God had the last laugh in raising Jesus from the dead forever. In 400 AD, John Chrysostom, in a famous Easter sermon, declared that in the resurrection Jesus stood before the Devil, laughing and mocking him. Martin Luther even maintained The best way to drive out the Devil, if he will not respond to Scripture, is to jeer and mock him, for that proud spirit cannot bear that. 2
And in the ancient church, the days following Easter were known as Days of Joy and Laughter where church members would play jokes on one another and drench one another with water, in remembrance of their baptisms. Newly baptized persons would even try to drench their pastor during those days of joy. This year, let us all celebrate April Fool s Day by remembering that Easter is the greatest April Fool s prank ever played. For in raising Christ from the dead, God has mocked and laughed at all the evil powers in this world and declared that joy, and laughter, and life shall reign forever as Christ is risen. Thanks be to God. Blessings & Peace Keith CONTENTS Pastor s Message 2-3 Church Happenings 4 Ministry News 5 The Missions Corner 6-7 Calendar 8-9 Worship Pages 10-11 Lectionary Readings 12 Christian Nuture 13 Coming Attractions 14-15 3
CHURCH HAPPENINGS Join us in the Fellowship Hall at FPC Wednesday, April 18 at 6 pm For our Monthly Fellowship Dinner Chef Jeff will prepare a delicious meal for us so all you need to bring is yourself and an appetite. Hope to see you there! 4
MINISTRY NEWS FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ELDERS Facilities and Finance George Dussor ( 18) Laurie Clark ( 19) Glen Carson ( 20) WMMCCE (Worship, Mission, Member Care, Christian Ed) Wilma Dickey ( 18) Jeff McDowell ( 19) Larry Gay ( 20) If you have any suggestions, announcements, or articles for our newsletter, please submit them to Pastor Keith or Dawn Dussor in the church office or email churchoffice@i-55.com 5
THE MISSIONS CORNER Continue the ministry of Jesus Christ! Help Feed the Hungry Saturday, April 7, 2018 9 a.m. till Noon. Mount Olive Feeding Ministry Community Christian Concern & Miramon Center (CCC) offers emergency basic need to families in Slidell, Pearl River & transitional men's facility. CCC is at 2515 Carey St., Slidell, LA 70458 Ph # 985-646-0357 We, at FPC, support the local CCC by contributing funds, food, and McDonald gift cards monthly. If you have non-perishable food items to bring, place it in one of the blue bins in either of the church foyers. We will deliver to CCC. If your contribution is monetary, note CCC or McDonalds gift card on your check or envelope. Thanks for all those who continue to contribute to this worthy cause! 6
THE MISSIONS CORNER One Great Hour of Sharing Every year, on Easter, churches across the country contribute to a special offering, One Great Hour of Sharing. Begun after World War II, it continues to help those in need around the world. In the PC(USA), our contributions are split between the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Self Development of People (SDOP), and the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PHP). Throughout March special moments for mission will let us know how we can help share Christ s love with others. Please consider giving generously to this important offering. One Great Shower of Herring Yes, it s almost that time again! It s almost time to get ready for the One Great Shower of Herring! Each year our church supplies fish collection boxes and a giving calendar to help children understand the needs of others in the world and involve them in the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Well I say: Don t we all consider ourselves children of God? Of course we do. That s why I encourage every family to take a fish box home and follow the calendar, or put their loose change, or however else they want to fill them up. We ll collect them the week after Easter in a special One Great Shower 7
WORSHIP PAGES Join us here at FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH on Sunday, April 1st at 10:15 am to celebrate our Risen Lord! 10
WORSHIP PAGES Happy Birthday To: Mary Priebe April 3 Amy Ko April 9 Dawn Dussor April 11 Chao-Chao Ko April 23 Wilma Dickey April 26 Responders Schedule for April Apr 1 Dawn Dussor Apr 8 Wilma Dickey Apr 15 D Loye Swift Apr 22 Jeff McDowell Apr 29 Dawn Dussor Greeters: Richard Dickey and Magda Angle Snack Preparation: JoAnne Gay Communion Prep: Margie Wood Worship Prep: Sue Cartmill 11
LECTIONARY READINGS 12 April 1 Easter! Acts 10: 34-43 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 Mark 16: 1-8 Sermon: 1 John 1: 1 2:2 John 20: 1-18 An Easter Sermon for the Ages April 8 John 20: 19-31 Sermon: Jesus Keeps Coming to Them April 15 Acts 3: 12-19 1 John 3: 1-7 Luke 24: 36b 48 Sermon: Fearing Easter April 22 Shepherd Sunday Acts 4: 5-12 1 John 3: 16-24 John 10: 11-18 Sermon: The Sheep of Other Flocks April 29 Acts 8: 26-40 1 John 4: 7-21 John 15: 1-8 Sermon: Pruning Bold indicates preliminary sermon title and principle scriptural passages.
CHRISTIAN NURTURE *Margie Barrineau (Cindy Thiele s Mother) Recovering from Mini Stroke James Mitchell (friend of Dussor s) Various Troubles Brian Parker & Karen Kruebbe (fly. of Dussor s) Various Troubles Michael Wilcox (Son of Sue s friend Pat) Cancer Barbara Toups (Sue s Son-In-Law s Sister) undergoing cancer treatment Paula Gunn at home JoAnn Stringer recovering at home Danny Holley health concerns Harry Babirad (Shirley s brother-in-law) - cancer Mitchel Glasgow (Marsha Carson s brother) - cancer Shirley Sharpe health concerns Rudy Duckworth at home Florine Lott health concerns Vivian Huntington health concerns Ed & Charleen Kruebbe (Dawn Dussor s Parents) health concerns Alan Simmons (friend of Dussor s) - cancer Jaimee Hipps (friend of Dussor s) - cancer Jay Charbonnet (friend of Dussor s) kidney dialysis Elwin Washburn (Brother of Vivian Huntington) Parkinson s Muriel Martin at home Our Veterans, Our Military, Our First Responders, & Diplomatic Persons - Serving around the world * Indicates new person or change in condition If you know of a person who should be added to or kept on the prayer list, please let the office know. 13
COMING ATTRACTIONS Sunday, May 13th, is Mother s Day. Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. The modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. St Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine. Monday, May 28th, is Memorial Day. Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. 14
COMING ATTRACTIONS Come and Celebrate Pentecost with us on Sunday, 20 May 2018 at 10:15 am The Christian holiday of Pentecost, which is celebrated on the seventh Sunday (50 days) after Easter, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1 31). Donations made to the PC(USA) Pentecost Offering help Young Adult Volunteers (YAV) Ministries With Youth and Children At Risk. Please consider contributing to this very special offering so we can share the love of Christ with others. We will collect for this offering now through May 20th. Simply note Pentecost on your check or envelope. Thanks! 15
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1041 NINTH STREET SLIDELL, LA 70458 Service Times: Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Worship 10:15 a.m. 16