Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-11-19
Thursday November 19th, 2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
An Essay from Nancy Whitford
One of my favorite songs is “Look for the Silver Lining.” In truth, I consider it my personal theme song. It reminds me of how we should always look on the bright side – always see the glass more than half full, and never see it half empty.
We all know that clouds do appear in the sky throughout our lives. That’s why we need to see the blue sky above us. My grandmother always said that even when there were dark, thunderstorm clouds in the sky, there was always a patch of blue. She called it enough to make a sailor a pair of pants. This always made me laugh, but I came to realize that it was her way of telling me that no matter what happens there is always a reason to be optimistic.
That optimism comes from faith. The blue sky is God’s promise to us for a better life ahead. But while we’re here, that optimism tells me that we have to do all we can to spread a message of goodness and kindness, and always remind ourselves, our family, our friends and everyone we come in contact with that there is indeed a silver lining ahead.
Look for the silver lining
When ere a cloud appears in the blue
Remember somewhere the sun is shining
And so the right thing to do is make it shine for you.
A heart full of joy and gladness
Will always banish sadness and strife
So always look for the silver lining
And try to find the sunny side of life.
Words by Buddy De Silva
Music by Jerome Kern
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John Milton—Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.
News
Sunday in the Park for this week Sunday, November 22, is CANCELLED due to new Covid restrictions…the weather also does not look that great. Have a great weekend and a good Thanksgiving!!!
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Our book study on White Fragility concluded this fall. One of the things we agreed we could “do” to build a less racist world is to share great books that dealt directly or indirectly with race with our children. Don Pippin pulled these titles together for us to consider. Books make great gifts to our kids and grandkids. The authors that are starred have several books published and almost anything by them would be good. What children’s books do you recommend? Let me know, and I’ll publish the titles here. (New titles are at the bottom of the list.)
PRIMARY:
The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander*
Holes in the Sky by Patricia Polacco*
The Old Truck by Jarrett Phumphrey
Goggles by Ezra Jack Keats*
The Girl with a Mind for Math: the Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca*
PRE-ADOLESCENT
The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
Rebound by Kwame Alexander*
As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds*
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson*
JUVENILE
Words with Wings (20 works of art paired with poems by African Americans)
GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Port Chicago 50: disaster, mutiny and the fight for civil rights by Steve Sheinken
Black Panther/Shuri
March, (3 volumes) by John Lewis
BOOKS THAT MATT WOULD ADD:
The Twenty-Third Psalm by Tim Ladwig
The Lord’s Prayer by Tim Ladwig
For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World by Michael W. Water
White Flour by David LaMotte
Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie
Always Room For One More by Nonnie Hogrogian
Making Friends by Fred Rogers
Who Counts? by Levine/Sasso
Down the Road by Alice Schertle
Let It Shine by Asley Bryan
BOOKS THAT CAROL PENKA, OUR CHURCH LIBRARIAN, WOULD ADD:
Class Act by Jerry Craft
New Kid by Jerry Craft
BOOKS THAT ANITA MCLEOD WOULD ADD:
All because you matter by Tami Charles
Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
God bless this child by Billie Holliday
When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz
The Old African by Julius Lester/Jerry Pinkney
Circle Unbroken by Margot Raven
More Than Anything Else by Marie Breadby
Moses by Boston Weatherford
Of thee I sing by Barak O’bama by Loren Long
A Chair for my Mother by Vera Williams
If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold
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Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter):
A woman was teaching a writing lesson and asked the children to think if they had one thing to trade, what would they trade it for. Following what she had learned in my class, she was having her students tell their thoughts before they wrote to get feedback from their writing groups. One little girl loves unicorns, so she would trade her Barbie for 100 unicorns. Not to be outdone, a little boy next to her wanted to trade his bicycle for 1,000 motorcycles. The third child said, “I’d like to trade 2020 for ANYTHING!”
The wisdom of children. No wonder Jesus said, “Bring the little ones to me… .”
Nancy MacGregor
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Good Word:
Psalm 118:29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever.
Let us pray:
We ask, Holy God, that you not
only hear our prayer, but that
you help us to pray, that we
might learn to pray
more and more
as Jesus
might.
AMEN
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An Apache Blessing (from Betty Hollister):
May the sun bring you new energy by day
May the moon softly restore you by night
May the rain wash away your worries
May the breeze blow new strength into your being
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty
All the days of your life.
Much, much love to you all.
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
