Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-11-27
Friday November 27th, 2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
Happy (?) Shopping Friday
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
A litany of detachment:
All the centuries before me:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All the nations of the earth:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All kings, generals, and governors:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All the wars, plagues, and tragedies:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All human achievements by individuals and groups:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All sickness, sin, and error:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All our identities, roles, and titles:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All hurts, grudges, and memories of offense:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All enslavement, abuse, and torture:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All disease, afflictions, and lifetime wounds:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All rejections, abandonments, and betrayals:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All human glory, fame, money, and reputation:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All comforts, luxuries, and pleasures:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All ideas, information, and ideology:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All image, appearance, and privacy:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All our superiority, self-assuredness, and expertise:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All human rights, ambitions, and fairness:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
All personal power, self-will, and self-control:
Gone, gone, entirely gone!
Holy God,
your Son emptied himself in the service of others,
setting for us a daring example.
Jesus’ love of and trust in You
compels us to love and trust with hope.
The power of your Holy Spirit assures
us where nothing else can.
Help us let go of things that
weigh us down and hold us back,
that we might serve you fully
with energy,
intelligence,
imagination,
and loving-kindness.
AMEN.
* * *
Pay attention to God’s activity in the world around you. Be amazed. Tell somebody.
See you on Sunday, FirstPres.Live
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
864.386.9138
* * *
PHOTO Challenge!
From your Nurture Team — Last week, there was a “photo finish.” Carol Ann Green‘s guess by email came in at 8:27 AM. Linda Sandquist‘s guess by Facebook comment came in at 8:28 AM. Both correctly guessed Mary Lou Bauer in the photo.
Here’s this week’s photo, our first couple.
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@
* * *
A mellow offering from Ben Rector
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Much, much love to you all.
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
