Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-11-18
Wednesday November 18th, 2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Have you thought about my Christmas present yet? There’s nothing I need or want, for the record. No books, no neckties, not even a membership to a swimming pool.
You are getting a small donation made to our church and to DREAAM in your honor. Collectively, it’s a small, small gift. Not quite microscopic, but close. I’m encouraged knowing that we Christians espouse a mustard seed theology. God is able to do great things with small gifts, Amen? So, you are getting a small, small gift and a big prayer thanking God for the gift that is you.
I know it’s early to be thinking of Christmas gifts, but as Thanksgiving approaches, I think of all I’m thankful for, and those thoughts spin into how shall I show my gratitude? Gift-giving is one—but not the only—way.
I have to admit that I’m not good at gift-giving. I’m not even very good at saying “thank you”. I take people for granted, I’m ashamed to say. But at night when I squeeze shut my eyes your faces appear as I count my many blessings. So, thank you my home, my family, my church. You.
As we glide into a season of quarantined Thanksgiving, I invite you to count your blessings. Let people know you love them. Thank God.
If you are thinking about giving your beloved a book, here is a snap shot of one of my bookshelves to get your creative juices going. (See below.)
Angelou, Maya. The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. New York:
Random House, 1994. “The Caged Bird Sings” comes from this collection.
Appleton, George. The Oxford Book of Prayer. Oxford, NY: Oxford University, 1985.
The prayers of Reinhold Neibuhr, Saints Francis of Assisi and Patrick, and the
Breton fisherman’s prayer come from this full collection.
Anderson, Emily J. and Kendy L.M. Easley. Can We Talk? Conversations for Faith.
Louisville: Geneva Press, 1999.
Bell, Martin. The Way of The Wolf: The Gospel in New Images. New York: The
Seabury Press, 1968. The story “Barrington Bunny” comes from this collection.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison. Eberhard Bethge, ed. New York:
Collier Books, 1953.
Brown, Robert McAfee. “Dear Mackenzie: A Message to my Granddaughter” comes
from the pages of The Christian Century magazine, March 2, 1994.
Brown, William P. and McBride, Jr., S. Dean, eds. God Who Creates: Essays in Honor of
W. Sibley Towner. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. Karen Pidcock-Lester’s
sermon on Job 38-41 called “Earth Has No Sorrow That Earth Cannot Heal”
comes from this collection of sermons and exegetical essays.
Buechner, Frederick. Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC. New York, NY: Harper
Collins Publishers. 1973.
Curtis, C. Michael. God: Stories. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1998.
This book contains the stories “The Knife” by Brendan Gill and “A Christian
Education” by Elizabeth Spencer.
Gamble, Eugenia A. Bennet: Stories of Humor, Grace, and Hope. Louisville, Kentucky:
Bridge Resources. 1998.
Geibe, Nancy; Matthews, Matt; Straight, Hilta, eds. “Never Stop for Directions:
Traveling the Road of Life”. Dardanelle, Arkansas, 1995. This literary journal
contains John Williams’ essay “To Whom It May Concern.”
Hall, Donald. “A Part of the Landscape”. This essay first appeared in Yankee Magazine.
Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems. New York: Random House, 1959. “Gather Up” and
many other great poems are in the collection.
Keillor, Garrison, ed. Good Poems. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc, 2002. This
book includes Julia Kasdorf’s poem “What I Learned from My Mother.”
LaMotte, David. “New Lullaby”. S.S. Bathtub, Lower Dryad Music (LDM-9089).
Lindvall, Michael L. The Good News from North Haven: A Year in the Live of a Small
Town. New York, NY: Doubleday. 1991. “Christmas Baptism” comes from this
collection.
Lindvall, Michael, L. Leaving North Haven: The Further Adventures of a Small-Town
Pastor. New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company. 2002. His story
“Ultima Thule” comes from this collection.
Loder, Ted. Guerrillas of Grace Prayers for the Battle. San Diego, CA: LuraMedia. 1984.
Nishioka, Rodger. Rooted in Love: 52 Meditation and Stories for Youth Ministry
Leaders. Louisville, Kentucky: Bridge Resources. 1997.
Norris, Kathleen. Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith. New York, NY: Penguin
Putnam, Inc. 1998.
Ohler, Frederick. Better Than Nice and Other Unconventional Prayers. Louisville,
Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press. 1989.
Peck, Richard. A Long Way from Chicago. New York, NY: Penguin Group, Penguin
Putnam Books for Young Readers. 1998. His story “A One-Woman Crime
Wave” comes from this episodic novel.
Quoist, Michael. Prayers. Kansas City., MO.: Sheed & Ward. 1963.
The Theology and Worship Ministry Unit. Book of Common Worship. Louisville,
Kentucky: John Knox Press. 1993.
Wangerin, Walter, Jr. Ragman and Other Cries of Faith. New York, NY: Harper &
Row, Publishers, Inc. 1984. His confirmation letters to his sons Matthew and
Joseph appear in this collection of essays, stories, and worship liturgies.
Washington, James Melvin, ed. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and
Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. San Francisco: Harper, 1986. King’s “Eulogy
for the Martyred Children” comes from this collection.
Willson, Patrick J. “Sailing Home”. The Christian Century, February 2, 1994.
News
JOIN US TONIGHT November 18 for our mid-week, 7 pm Zoom session to discuss Gratitude in a Season of Isolation and Uncertainty. We will watch a TED talk by Brother David Steindl-Rast and discuss our parts in a Revolution of Gratitude. See how this Benedictine Monk could help us live into this threefold challenge: Pay Attention, Be Astonished, Tell Somebody.
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.
* * *
For Music Lovers in the coming weeks our Wednesday, Mid-Week Gathering will feature…
- Our pianist, Leslie Thomas, on Wednesday, November 25, at 7 pm.
- “Musical Christmas Treats and a Family Carol Sing” on Wednesday, December 23, at 7 pm.
* * *
Congrats to Dick Green, winner of a Carle Health Cornerstone Award. We love you Dick and Carol Ann!
https://vimeo.com/479098890/
* * *
Just in case you missed it, here’s a great song
by many of CU’s gigging singers.
Give it a close listen. Don’t just Let It Be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
* * *
Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter):
Planet humor: What did Mars say to Saturn? (Give me a ring sometime.)
Good Word:
NRS Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Spanish Romans 12:21
No seas vencido por el mal, sino vence con el bien el mal.
LET US PRAY:
Holy God,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
And,
forgive me for not saying it enough.
AMEN.
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
