Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2021-05-28
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Friends,
You might want to keep this word in mind for this Sunday’s sermon: In Latin, non sequitur means “it does not follow.” The phrase was borrowed into English in the 1500s by people who made a formal study of logic. For them it meant a conclusion that does not follow from the statements that lead to it. But we now use non sequitur for any kind of statement that seems to come out of the blue. The Latin verb sequi (“to follow”) has actually led the way for a number of English words. A sequel follows the original novel, film, or television show. Someone obsequious follows another about, flattering and fawning. And an action is often followed by its consequence.
Think Nicodemus.
Think Jesus’ answers.
Non sequitur.
* * *
Here’s a poem from a nurse in the Philippines in WWII written for the war dead. Lyrics adapted by John Gorka.
“Let Them In”
Let them in, Peter,
They are very tired
Give them couches where the angels sleep
And light those fires
Let them wake whole again
To brand new dawns
Fired with the sun
Not wartime’s bloody guns
May their peace be deep
Remember where the broken bodies lie
God knows how young they were
To have to die
God knows how young they were to have to die
Give them things they like
Let them make some noise
Give roadhouse bands, not golden harps
To these our boys
And let them love, Peter
Cause they’ve had no time
They should have trees and bird songs
And hills to climb
The taste of summer in a ripened pear
And girls sweet as meadow winds
With flowing hair
Tell them how they are missed
And say not to fear
It’s gonna be alright
With us down here
Let them in, Peter
* * *
Isaiah 2:4 And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
* * *
See you in worship on Sunday.
9:00 on-line FirstPres.Live
and
10:15 in-person, no reservations required. Wear your mask.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
matt@firstpres.church
* * *
Listen. The video dawns slowly. (David Wilcox version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Listen again, and close your eyes. (John Gorka live)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
And a long-weekend bonus, Natalie Merchant’s
NPR Small Desk Concert. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
* * *
From your Nurture Team — Linda Sandquist was the first correct guesser this week! She correctly identified last week’s photo of Diane Mortensen.
Here’s this week’s photo.
Visit http://fb.com/groups/
Please join in the fun! We are running VERY LOW on photos, so 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@firstpres.church.
