Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-07-13
Monday July 13, 2020
A daily e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
“Death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, to cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the squares.” Jeremiah 9:21
The Corona Virus is not going away. I thought it would just evaporate with summer heat. By now I thought this past winter-into-spring would feel like a faraway dream. Fall would be a blank canvas. Fall still is a blank canvas but the need to social distance and wear a mask leave me feeling like I only get to use one color on that blank canvas.
My mom used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” She probably stole that from my tennis coach, who said it to us a lot during winter strength training. In the summer and fall, Coach Mann was the defensive line coach for the mighty Hampton (Virginia) Crabbers, always a contender for triple-A state competition. The origin of that phrase may be a coach from a Texas football field, says Wikipedia.
If there’s anything true about this admonition, then I think the definition of the word ‘tough’ bears teasing out. In my experience, the toughest people are often the most tender. And ‘tough’ people speak the language of grace. Paul puts it this way to the church at Galatia: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control” (Galatians 5:22). That’s as good a definition of ‘tough’ as one can find anywhere. We need exactly that kind of ‘fruit.’
Yes, death has come up to our windows, and it is likely the playgrounds will be cordoned off again to keep children from spreading the virus. But the ‘toughest’ among us are already making a way for the rest of us to follow.
Thank God.
Take on Race:
It’s your turn. Given Ian Evensen’s powerful essay on what he has learned about racism (on Thursday), what have you been learning? Tells us.
News:
Our internet was out Sunday due to storm damage in the neighborhood. If you weren’t able to tune into worship in the morning, you can tune in anytime. Eric Corbin preached a good sermon. Find it here: https://www.facebook.
And at:
https://www.firstpres.church/
Humor: (Serious times call for re-creation, joy, and humor.)
(From Mary Gritten’s son-in-law. Her daughter chose a funny guy!)
- Why does a chicken coop only have two doors? Because if it had four doors it would be a chicken sedan.
- Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road? It didn’t have the guts.
- What did the mathematician say when her parrot flew away? Polygon.
- What did the mathematical acorn say after it grew up? Geometry! (Gee, I’m a tree!)
(And these chestnuts from Gary Peterson:)
- Two pickles fell out of the jar onto the floor. What did one say to the other? Dill with it!
- Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7, 8, 9
Men’s Bible Study 8 am
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.
International Friends Dinner Meeting 7 pm
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.
Since Judi’s photo was guessed so quickly and so many times, we’re releasing a new challenge early.
Visit http://fb.com/groups/
Please join in the fun! We would like you to select a photo from your younger years (grade school, high school or early adulthood). Photos need not be professional. Candid shots are welcome. Please send your photos to photos@
Good Word:
Genesis 28:10-19a
10Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place — and I did not know it!”17And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19aHe called that place Bethel
Let us pray:
(from Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
PEACE to you all,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
[1] Surely the Spirit of the Lord is in this place. There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place and I know that it’s the Spirit of the LORD.
[2] Fear? Why not awe, wonder, joy?
