Wednesday, September 9^th, 2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Dear Friends,
 
1. When is the last time you read King’s letter from the Birmingham, AL, jail? Note the link below and give it a slow, thoughtful read. When he describes well-meaning white people who want to go slow, he’s talking about me. That’s how I would have reacted to Dr. King back then. I hope it is not how I would react now. Consider joining our White Fragility study group beginning next week. Phone the church office to reserve your slot.
 
2.  Tonight our Wednesday Zoom at 7:00 p.m. will explore a Mission Theme. Join us for conversation and celebration. 
 
3. The school year has begun. I lost some emails, including some of yours. You wrote brief stories about memorable teachers. Here’s one from Diane Mortensen:
 
Miss Hall, was my sixth-grade teacher. She was not friendly and laughter didn’t happen in the classroom.  She seemed very old, even older than my parents, probably almost fifty!

She required us to memorize poetry, to listen to classical music and identify the sounds of individual musical instruments.  We had to identify birds and flowers and study details of geography and Greek history. I can still recite the names of the 72 counties in Wisconsin.

I didn’t know then that she would be the teacher I would most appreciate in my adult life. I didn’t know she was teaching me to widen my horizons, to appreciate fine arts and to persevere in difficult situations.
  
I wish I could tell her that now.
 
News: 
Midweek Gathering TONIGHT 7 pm
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. “LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL” 

Martin Luther King’s 1963 letter from prison addresses the urgency for civil rights, and the betrayal of white liberal Christian friends who named support for integration, but did not speak up or act in the struggle for justice.
 
Humor (Hard times need godly laughter): 
 
A couple more brilliant jokes from Bill Gamble:

A group of dyslexic Agnostics were sitting around discussing the existence of dog.

And

In 1984, South Africa was awash with jokes about a man named van de Merve.

So van de Merve arrived at a large fancy house to do some repair work.  
The owner said to him: “The Jarra-wood floors have just been polished, 
and may be slippery.”

To which van de Merve replied: “Not to worry.  I’ve got me spikes on.”

And (last one)
 
Van der Merwe was watching the British Lions test match at Loftus in Pretoria. The stadium was packed – of course – and there was only one available seat, next to – you guessed it; Van der Merwe.
 
“Is that seat taken?” asked the neighbour.
 
“Yes, it is for my wife”, replies Van der Merwe.
 
“Why isn’t she here?” he asked.
 
“She died”, said Van der Merwe.
 
“So, you didn’t give the ticket to one of your friends?” asked the neighbour.
 
“They’ve all gone to the funeral”, said Van der Merwe.
 
Good Word:
1 John 4:7-8              
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

Let us pray:
A prayer for the morning: O God—help us, help us, help us.
A prayer for the evening: O God—thank you, thank you, thank you.
 
(Anne Lamotte)
 
Much, much love to you all.
 
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church