Weekday Email to Members and Friends — 2020-12-10
Thursday December 10th, 2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Tell me about your Christmas memories. I’d like to share them here. These stories will bless us.
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A Beautiful Christmas Memory
by Jane Alsberg
As a child, Christmas was a small family event. We were not many as my father was an only child and his parents died before I got to know them. My mother had only one sibling, a brother, and his family lived on the east coast so we hardly ever saw them. Therefore Christmas morning was just our family. Later we would travel an hour or so south to my maternal grandparent’s farm – it was truly an “over the river and through the woods” trip as my grandparents lived right on the Kankakee River. And I so remember the excitement upon arriving to the “Norman Rockwell” beauty of their small farm at Christmas. My grandparents raised geese and so we had not only turkey, but goose for dinner and grandma always made the best pies!
Unlike today’s extended anticipation of Christmas for children with “The Elf on the Shelf” to keep them ever mindful of the coming celebration while curbing their “naughtier” excitement, our Christmas didn’t begin until December 22 when we put up our tree. That was my birthday and we celebrated it Christmas style. My two brothers and I got to help decorate the tree and I remember so well the careful placing of the tinsel – one strand at a time. It had to be perfect! But what a gorgeous tree and we couldn’t wait for the presents to be placed under its boughs.
One December 24th when we were all quite small, I remember the three of us just couldn’t get to sleep. So in the final hours of that Christmas Eve, my mother gathered us together, sat on my bed, and with the most gentle heavenly voice she told us the Christmas story of The Seven Miracles of Gubbio and The Eighth. This is a parable written by Le Père Bruckberger, a Dominician and was first published in 1947, with the title Le Loup de Gubbio. (The Wolf of Gubbio)
It begins: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. I Cor. XIII, 2.
As a small child I listened with wonder as the ferocious wolf was calmed by St Francis of Assisi and made with him a pact to never again harm another creature of God. In return he was granted seven miracles. After several miracles of biblical proportion, and out of the goodness of his heart, he used one of his miracles to transform a deformed and hideously ugly child into a very beautiful girl, only to be used by her to perform miracles for her vanity. With only one miracle left, he put himself in peril to save the town from a conquering army. He was severely injured, but managed to gain their victory without using that last miracle. But the town assumed he had used his last miracle and so they abandoned him. In fact they thought, once a wolf, always a wolf, and they became afraid of him. In a moment of jealous weakness, the wolf killed a dog that was loved by the vain girl to whom he had devoted his reformed life. Immediately he regretted it and assuming he lost his last miracle due to this infraction, invoked St. Francis in his heart for mercy and protection. He was too weak to flee and the townspeople were now out to kill him. And with his last miracle he was transported to the forest. He hated at the people of the town, but on Christmas Eve when he heard the church bells of Gubbio, he snuck into the church and hid under the manger to be a part of the holy celebration of the birth of Jesus.
*At the moment of communion, he saw all the faithful rise and go to the holy table…The faithful, after communicating, returned to pass again before him…Each time a faithful, carrying the Body of Christ that he had just received, passed before the manger, the Wolf could not but adore the majesty of the Presence and all his pain melted deliciously in his heart and in his being. It appeared to him that his wolfly soul too participated in this communion. He benefited, he also, from this Devine Presence…and his old savage heart resisted no more and broke from an overflowing of sweet serenity.
After the mass, the children found the wolf and saw that his mouth was filled with honey.
*They cried, again a miracle! But if it was a miracle it was but the effect of Charity, sovereign, all powerful, and very precious Charity.
I stayed awake for the entire telling of this story, but drifted off to sleep right after – perhaps another miracle of God’s doing. As an adult, I like to read the story each Christmas, and though I didn’t tear up as a child – it was just all wonder and excitement – I do tear up every time I re-read it.
Christmas is a miracle.
(* words taken from the English translation)
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Daily Advent Devotion Wednesday Jude 17-22
Whenever there is a “but” in Scripture, pay special attention.
The “but” represents a pivot that points to how disciples of
Jesus Christ are to behave in the midst of challenging times.
Here we read that Christians are to keep ourselves in the
love of God as we wait for our Lord’s mercy. What might it
look like to keep ourselves in God’s love today? This week?
This month?
God of grace, while the headlines tell of turmoil and acrimony,
we who follow Jesus Christ are told by your living word to
keep ourselves in your love, to wait for our Lord’s mercy and to
be merciful to others. We know that your love is not theoretical
but embodied and tangible. The mercy of Jesus Christ saves
and transforms, perhaps especially during times of trial and
pain. Make us instruments of this love and mercy, even now,
especially now. Amen.
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News
TODAY! Our Sanctuary will be open for private prayer today,
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TODAY! ESL Café Time
What? This is a monthly café time on Zoom for the students to see their friends and tutors from all of the classes. It’s a chance for them to practice English and interact with Americans who are not their tutor. We will split into small groups so that we can discuss and catch up. First Pres members are invited to join us for the ESL Program’s time of fellowship. Bring your favorite hot drink and a snack to café time.
When? Second Thursday of every month at 10 AM. The first one is TODAY at 10 AM.
Email esl@firstpres.church for the link.
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Does the Advent Journey of 2020 in ISOLATION have you confused, apathetic, hungry for the spirit?
Are you stuck somewhere on the journey to Bethlehem or still uncertain if you want to “go” this year?
Looking for inspiration?
Join us for our Wednesday Zoom Vespers, December 16, as the Rev. Dave Bauer encourages us to dig a little deeper and navigate that journey to the birth.
Join the fellowship as Dave helps us:
1. Compare the different approaches each Gospel writer takes to Advent. We’ll notice:
-unexpected pregnancies of the old and the young, angels making announcements, a mute father
-an abundance of “begatting”
-a voice calling in the wilderness
-Word becoming Flesh
—all ending up in the same place??? No wonder you may be confused.
2. Take a quick journey back to see what effect our Protestant Reformation leaders (i.e. Calvin, Zwingli) had on how we celebrate Christmas.
3. Can Christmas traditions turn into idolatry? Examine our Brief Statement of Faith (printed in our new church hymnal).
We invite you to listen, learn, share, reflect, challenge, discuss, explore. You can even ask, “Are we there yet?”
Let’s just take this part of the “trip” together and see where we go and what we learn along the way.
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.
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Seeking a personal aide
I am a widow in my mid-nineties, living alone in the home I have been in for over 65 years. I am ambulatory with a walker and have no dementia, but I am increasingly concerned about falling. I am hard of hearing and have issues with high blood pressure.
I am seeking a non-smoking woman to aid me in normal daily activities including personal care (such as showering and toileting), meal preparation, running errands occasionally, and helping me with other matters which may arise.
The woman may be of any age and background but someone with similar prior experience and perhaps a background or interest in nursing would be preferred.
I am very particular about how my kitchen and house are kept and my aide must be willing to accept my directions in this regard.
Ideally, my aide would have a flexible approach toward hours but generally be able to spend two or three hours a day with me five or six days a week and also be able to spend an occasional night at my home if needed.
Please be in touch with Pastor Matt if you are curious about this posting. And thank you in advance for praying for this ministry opportunity.
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Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter):
What did the Hamburger family name their daughter? Patty.
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Good Word:
Psalm 126:5-6a
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
LET US PRAY:
Our prayer today is a whole “Lessons and Carols” service offered by Austin College singers and musicians. As you remember, their chaplain John Williams spoke at First Pres last year in worship, Sunday school, and Sunday afternoon with his “Activators.”
Holy God, help us to celebrate with glad heart, through whatever pain that plagues us. We praise you that your light shines brighter than our dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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Much, much love to you all.
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
