Ongoing Response to COVID-19
Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-04-16
Thursday April 16th 2020
A Weekday Emailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
A lyric for you. The tune is “Be Thou My Vision.” Forgive me if I’ve shared this already.
All Present, All Future, All Past
tune: Slane, Irish folk tune
A gift in progress to our
Music Director Joe Grant
First Presbyterian Church, Champaign, Illinois
Gracious Creator, the world’s in your hands
mountains and forests, all waters, all land
stars in their courses, all galaxies vast
all life, all present, all future, all past
Tempest, pandemic—a world in dismay
humble and anxious, we turn toward your face
prayers in the nighttime, prayers in the day
seeking your mercy, your peace, and your grace
We rest in the myst’ry—the world’s in your care
great whale and microbe, our children so fair
trusting your promise to love to the last
all life, all present, all future, all past
News:
Your Session meets tonight (Thursday). Please pray for us.
Covid Grant from PDA: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program of the PCUSA awarded First Pres a $5,000 grant (via the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois) to be split between our mission partners at The Refugee Center an CU at Home.
CU-BetterTogether . . . Is a new community group (United Way, Community Foundation, YMCA, and local churches) coming together to fight hunger and give hope to area public school families in need. Ask Rachel Matthews for more info.Want to help? If you are between 18- and 60-years-old, you can, here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044EAEA822ABFA7-cubetter
Good Word:
John 20:19-31
19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.
20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”
22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”
24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”
But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”
27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”
28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”
29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”
30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.
Let us pray:
God of ages,
in your sight nations rise and fall,
and pass through times of peril.
Now when our land is troubled,
be near to judge and save.
May leaders be led by your wisdom;
may they search your will and see it clearly.
If we have turned from your way,
help us to reverse our ways and repent.
Give us your light and your truth to guide us; through Jesus Christ,
who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen.
Much love to you all.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
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Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-04-15
Wednesday April 15th 2020
A Weekday Emailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Some of our hymns are undergirded by rich stories. Such is the case with Horatio G. Spafford’s “It Is Well with My Soul.” It’s the stuff of legend. Here are the highpoints, borrowed from Ace Collins, Stories Behind the Hymns that Inspire America (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003).
In 1871 attorney and businessman Spafford wrote to some of his friends that he felt that he was “sitting on top of the world.” He had a loving wife, four beautiful daughters, a profitable business empire, and a successful law practice.
The Great Chicago fire reduced his real estate holdings to ashes.
Spafford arranged for an extended family trip to Europe, sending his wife a daughters ahead. In the middle of the ocean the Ville De Havre strayed into the path of a British ship. In twelve minutes, 226 people drowned. Spafford’s wife survived. His daughters did not.
Spafford booked the first ship bound for England. As he was sitting out on the deck, the ship’s captain approached him and said, “Mr. Spafford, we are approaching the spot where your daughters now rest.” Instead of being grief-stricken as he had thought he would be, Spafford said that a peace came over him and that he felt the girls’ spirit around him.
His poem poured out:
When peace, like a river,
attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea-billows roll;
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
When the Spaffords returned to Chicago, songwriter Phillip Bliss wrote a tune for Spafford’s lyric.
Click here for a Nashville version of this song:
https://www.wsmv.com/video/
News:
In case yofu missed them yesterday, here are MISSION notes: firstpres.church/HoM20200414
The Illinois Conference of Churches meet today via Zoom. Pray for us.
Your Session meets tomorrow (Thursday). Pray for them.
Good Word:
Romans 8, selected verses:
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let us pray
For me, be it Christ/
be it Christ hence to live/
If Jordan above me shall roll/
No pang shall be mine/
for in death as in life/
Thou wilt whisper/
Thy peace to my soul.
Much love to you all.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
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Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-04-14
Tuesday April 14th 2020
A Weekday Emailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Mark Schoeffmann, chair of our church Finance Committee, asks a very good question in this note to us. Thank you, Mark:
What will you do with your stimulus funds? You may have heard that the Federal Coronavirus Economic Stimulus package includes economic impact payments to families earning all the way up to $198,000. Were you surprised to hear that you would be receiving a payment? Many of us who are not losing jobs or income due to the severe economic conditions being experienced across our country and the world, will be receiving some of these funds. The payments we receive provide us with an opportunity to help other families who could use these funds much more than we can.
One way to help these families is to donate whatever received from the stimulus package to the church and designate it for Missions. This will allow our mission team to provide more support to our local and world mission partners to help those suffering from this sudden economic downturn. The Finance Committee encourages you to consider how these “windfall” funds, that will show up in your bank account or mailbox soon, could be put to their best use. I think this is what being a “Matthew 25 Church” is all about.
Read the heart of Mission (attached, below) to see the feeding initiative to help feed Urbana-Champaign school children. Of all the money the church receives designated for “mission”, some will be directed here.
News:
Prayers: Sabrina Hwu is in Taiwan with father who has suffered a stroke. Roy Van Buskirk is ill with Leukemia.
Mission notes: Stay on top of what’s happening with our mission partners. firstpres.church/HoM20200414
On-line resources: I’m sure you’ve taken museum tours and discovered all sorts of interesting things on-line. I’ve caught some museum lectures. What have you found on-line? This came to me weeks ago from Kim File (who got them from daughter Anna, a NEW mother! Congrats!). Check it out:
Class Central: TONS of free online courses from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.
Brit + Co: All online arts/craft/self-help classes free through 3/31(use code SELFCARE at checkout)
The Arts
Museum + Art Gallery Tours: “Visit” famous museums and art galleries from around the world, powered by Google
The Metropolitan Opera: The Met is streaming online encore performances originally broadcast at movie theaters around the country.
Things to look for in master paintings of the Last Supper:
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/7-things-to-look-for-in-paintings-of-the-last-supper/
Many thanks for Easter:
From Diane Mortensen: The word “Thanks “ seems inadequate to covey the gratitude I feel for all of you who brought yesterday’s wonderful Easter service to me. From beginning to ending it was amazing and filled me with joy. I’m blessed beyond words.
From Charlene Bremer: Christ is risen indeed! Thank you for a wonderful meaningful service today. You have an extremely talented team to work with. God bless you all. Harry and I have been joining you and all the Champaign church for the services now for awhile. We may be far but you are in our hearts. Happy Easter! Be safe, be healthy, and keep the faith. Thanks be to God.
Andrea Bocelli is worth catching. From Nancy MacGregor: Don’t know if you heard this yesterday, but Andrea Bocelli sang in the Duomo in Milan on Sunday morning. If you have half an hour, and have not seen/heard the concert, you can find it at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huTUOek4LgU
Good Word:
Matthew 25:31-45
31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. 32 The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. 35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
41 Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God’s curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”
44 Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”
45 The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”
Let us pray
Just for today,
what does it matter,
O Lord,
if the future is dark?
To pray now for tomorrow
I am not able.
Keep my heart
only for today,
grant me your light—
just for today.
Amen.
[Teresa of Lisieux (1873–1897)]
Much love to you all.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
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Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-04-13
Monday April 13th 2020
A Weekday Emailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Jill Duffield is the editor of the Presbyterian Outlook. She’s a great writer filled with insight. Many of you have been reading her book during Lent. This is what she wrote last week about Easter:
This is a hard Easter. I will miss the swell of organs, the boisterousness of the brass instruments, the quiet simplicity of sunrise services and the rambunctiousness of children who’ve had too much sugar to sit still in church. I will not be with my extended family all dressed up for brunch, nor will I help the littlest ones of the congregation find some hidden eggs before the bigger ones scoop up all the chocolate. For far too many in our circles this Easter will be even harder as they grieve the death of those closest to them or fight for their lives on a ventilator. This is a hard Easter for people working in our hospitals, for leaders attempting to make wise decisions that impact others, for front line workers taking big risks for not much pay. This is an Easter when we know the sorrow and despondency of those women who went to the tomb that day because they had nowhere else to go and nothing else they could do.
This is an Easter when we need desperately to hear from heavenly messengers and the risen Christ: Do not be afraid.Jesus is risen. Jesus is here. He knows what it is to suffer and he will not let us be alone in our pain. The tomb is empty. The victory won, even in Galilee where there are sick still in need of healing, and those who are oppressed yearning for justice, and captives not yet free. Remember. Jesus says, remember. Remember what you’ve been told and taught. Remember what you have seen and experienced. Remember that all the worst you thought you knew got upended, overturned by the One who promised to be with you always, to the end of the age, the One who promised the peace that passes understanding, the One who tells us: Go and tell. Go and tell all those yet to hear the good news that Jesus is risen and resurrection cannot be stopped, by anything.
Thank you, Jill. That’ll preach!
News:
This note from Sam Haupt, our drummer for The Gathering:
Dear First Pres team, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to you guys for keeping our community informed and cared for during these surreal times. Whether you’re working behind the scenes, or I see you every Sunday, your work and compassion have not gone unnoticed. I truly hope we can resume our services soon!
Prayers: By now, most of you have heard that Sabrina Hwu left on Thursday for Taiwan for her father’s hospital bedside. He has suffered a stroke. A few days before, Sabrina enjoyed a video conference with him and her mom. All was well then. Pray for Sabrina and her parents. (And Wen-mei and kids.)
Our friend Roy: Roy Van Buskirk has been told he has a month to live with Leukemia. His spirits are good. He asks for prayer, and we will deliver prayer by the boatload. Lord, hear our prayer.
Rev. Fillpot: Jim and Kay Layman report that Rev. Dave Fillpott, former interim pastor at First Presbyterian (between Mal Nygren and Phil Reed), fell in his garden on Good Friday morning and died at the hospital. Prayers for his wife Judy. Her address is:
Judy Fillpott
16 Pine Meadow Drive
Asheville, NC 22804-2235
Humor (and we need it) from Tanya Deckert: Definition of irony: gas under two dollars a gallon and no place to go.
Good Word:
THE SCENES: John 20:1-18
ONE:
TWO: 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.
THREE: 11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
CLIMAX: 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).
DENOUEMENT/FINALE: 17Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.‘”
18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Let us pray
God of life,
there are days when the burdens we carry
are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down,
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies gray and threatening,
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.
Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life,
to your honor and glory. Amen.
(attrib. Augustine)
Much love to you all.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
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Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-04-10
Friday 10 April 2020
Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Today is “Good” Friday. We remember Jesus’ crucifixion. Our service is on-line at 7:00. The Methodists across the street will join us for part of the service. Check out firstpres.live for ways to log on.
Here’s a remembrance from last year’s service. It’s a little dark, but, hey, it’s Good Friday:
* * *
The service is over.
The congregation left in silence without benediction of choir-song and postlude, without their warmly coded small talk—What about this weather, eh? How’re the kids?
The dutifully departed steadied one another by holding hands, heads bowed, stepping gingerly down carpeted stairs, shuffling into bracing spring twilight that neither glows as brightly as we’d like this fickle time of year, nor lingers as long as we hope. Winter was brutal, and spring is awakening like an arthritic old man—with struggle.
We read what Mark wrote about you: perfumed hair, rebuked disciples, bread, wine, garden, their sleep, your prayer, that detestable kiss. Mark keeps it brief, nothing stretched out save those long arms of yours, and that whipped, derided body, and those forsaken prayers.
I could not look up from the pulpit as I read those jagged words, your loneliness crushing me most of all. I quivered with Peter, and want to blame him, the bastard, for what I wouldn’t have done, either, despite my righteous bluster.
The candles of the makeshift cross are long quenched. Pulpit, font, table hide, covered in repentant black cloth. Crowd, choir, guests, some stunned, all sobered, are gone—depleted as after an election lost.
Members of the worship committee straggle behind, close up the sound system at the back of the quiet sanctuary, collect discarded bulletins, double check the candles. Notre Dame’s ashes still smolder across the ocean.
Someone breaks the silence, whispers about the Easter paraments: “Shall we replace Lenten purple with Easter white tonight?” “Can we liberate the worship stations from the alien drapes?” “Can we move the cross out of the way, now, behind the piano, perhaps?” “Can we set the empty stands on the chancel for Sunday’s flowers?”
They want to erase this service, it seems, by cleaning it up, turning back the clock to a more ordered time.
But there is no way around this night, is there? We cannot give the centurion his due without your agony, and we wish we could. Like Peter, we wish we could save you the trouble, and we would be believers without cross and thorny crown, and you would still be Lord.
This darkened silence is playing tricks on us. We still hear our own voices in the crowd shouting, “Crucify.” We hear the pinging of those nails and your baritone prayers, the jeering, the cursing, the clicking dice, the heaving sound of your breathing, which is why we can’t keep silence. We whisper about décor, and what we mean to say is, “Can we turn back time? Can we get our chance to undo what our ancestors did? Can we redeem our own dark hearts?”
Vulture-like, they want to ready our space for Easter, vacuum something, polish some brass, water the lilies. Especially, they want to hide that smoldering, dark cross.
After your death, Lord, when did those women busy their hands, readying their burial spices to anoint your body after sabbath? Did they try whispering this night out of their heads, also? It’s time to let bygones be bygones. It’s best to get back to normal. Time, maybe, will make things right.
Can somebody, at least, turn up the lights?
(Matt Matthews)
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
* * *
No movie tonight. It’s Good Friday.
(See you on Easter: FirstPres.Live )
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