Wednesday, February 24, 2010
An E-Note from the Pastor.....
Dear Members and Friends of First Pres,
Last Sunday, we looked at the second of the eight Beatitudes- “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (You can read it and all my other sermons for the past three years by just clicking the “sermons” button on our church’s homepage at <1stpresby.org>.) I spoke how the capacity to mourn deeply is not only a sign of our humanness, but becomes the avenue by which God’s comforting and healing grace encounters us.
In the Adult Study Class, Jean Seeland led a group of twenty of us in a wonderful discussion on the nature of forgiveness. This is a new six-week class and it meets every Sunday at 8:45 a.m. in Calvin Hall.
This past Monday, Lynn McDowell began a Beth Moore Bible Study in Calvin Hall from 9-11 a.m. It is part of a video series. If you have questions, you can contact Lynn at 235-2048.
Today, we began the noon Lenten Luncheons in Calvin Hall. A light meal was served followed by a short lesson on “the Last Supper” from “The Last 24 Hours in the Life of Christ” led by Jan Schwab. Next week, I will be leading the study on “Jesus in Gethsemane.”
This Sunday, I am preaching on the third Beatitude: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” This is actually the most difficult of all the Beatitudes to process as we inhabit a culture that rewards just the opposite- strength and self-assertion. And yet, as it was the attitude that Christ took as he faced his enemies and the cross, it remains for us the only sure prescription for successfully overcoming our own struggles today.
In the Afternoon, at 2:30 p.m., Jan Schwab is taking the church youth bowling at Cadillac Lanes.
At 2:30 p.m., Dr. Thomas Reed will give a pre-concert talk and at 3:00 p.m., he (on organ) and Dr. Tina Su (French Horn) will present a concert of 20th century music in the church sanctuary to inspire the beginning of our Lenten journey. A reception in Calvin Hall will follow.
For Your Information: The funeral for Brent Koleno, 42 year-old son of Jim Koleno, will be held at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday at Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in Waverly (352-1187). He was cremated and there will be no visitation. Please keep the Koleno family in your prayers.
May God be with you this week,
Pastor Dave
Prayer Joys, Concerns, and Updates:
The people of Haiti in light of the terrible earthquake that has resulted in overwhelming loss of life; Don Meade, recovering in Florida after his recent hospitalization, and Ruth Meade; Matt Fernau, who is recovering slowly from recent surgery on his feet; Gale Quirk, who continues to recuperate after her recent surgery in Iowa City; Betty Gann, rehabilitating at home for a stroke she had last fall; Lonnie Barker, recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
“BE WITH THEM IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED,
AND KEEP THEM IN OUR LOVING CARE.”