PEWSLETTER
WEEKLY
First Presbyterian Church
Lincolnton NC
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Virtual branches waving; photo by Kathryn Cameron
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Join us for worship for Palm Sunday using
the link above to the liturgy recorded from our sanctuary.
Listen for Becky's Prelude, the
Call to Worship
;
a prayer of Adoration and Confession and join in the prayer with the following words:
God of courage and compassion,
we confess that we prefer the comfort of darkness to the light of your truth;
we follow our own ways rather than the path Jesus took. We do what is easy rather than what is right, assuring ourselves and each other we’ve made the right choice.
Forgive our fleeting enthusiasm for your purposes and our shallow commitment to put our faith into practice.
Forgive us, O God,
and help us pay attention to the costly choices Jesus made for us as he moved from his entering the city with shouts of Hosanna
t
oward the Cross. (Silent prayer) Amen.
Listen for a reading from Psalm 118 and Matthew 21:1-11.
This recording also includes Pastor Kathryn's briefest of sermons and prayers of the people.
Thanks to Kathy Robinson and Scott Smith for serving as liturgists. Jan Duncan recorded the service.
Here's the link to downloads from Illustrated Ministry:
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Our lay leadership continues even while our worship services are suspended. Elders will call each member household and friends.
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Our friends and family members both near and far;
Our neighbors in Lincolnton, in Lincoln county and in surrounding counties;
People in the "hot spots" of North Carolina, cities especially and rural folk;
People in our neighboring states of Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee;
People in New York and California and other places of dense population;
People in Italy and China, Guatemala and the 204 countries and territories around the world where the virus has spread;
Custodial staff, nurses and doctors, grocery clerks and farm hands, children and teachers, parents and grandparents, communities and solitary folks;
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
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This is the new roof on our Fellowship and Education Building. Thanks to Joe Morgan and the Session for getting this work completed before the stay at home state-wide order.
Though our programs are suspended, we want to insure no further damage to our buildings will occur due to weather events.
The Preschool is closed for the remainder of the school year and plans for the Fall are on hold at this time. We hope to have an update next week and further communication.
This is a very difficult time for teachers, parents and children and our church members hold them in our prayers as we continue to seek ways to be a presence in their lives. From Kristen Willis, Director of the Preschool: "We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Also, we miss our students and their families! God Bless everyone!"
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Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday?
From Pastor Kathryn's Sermon:
As Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem, the crowd hails him as David’s Son, shouting the words of Psalm 118:25-26, a hymn sung at major festivals as pilgrims approached the temple. It celebrates God’s steadfast love and deliverance of the righteous sufferer, who endures rejection. As Stan Saunders points out, “Jesus himself will soon employ this same Psalm (118:22) in a rebuke of Jerusalem’s elite rulers (Matthew 21:42), who reject the chief cornerstone, the foundation of God’s building.”
[1]
Matthew writes about a Palm Sunday of praise and a crowd gathered to wave branches and shout. Matthew also tells about Jesus' passion for justice and desire for our "houses" of worship to be houses of prayer.
How can we be that church in these days? How can we be the church when our doors are closed, when we must stay at home to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe? How can we rally around Jesus and proclaim him the one who comes in the name of the Lord, when we cannot gather in groups of more than ten? I wonder if you are remembering now how Jesus said, “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I will be among them”?
[1]
Stan Saunders teaches New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, where I did my D.Min in Gospel and Culture. Dr. Saunders
is an ordained member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is the author of Preaching Matthew: Proclaiming God’s Presence (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010)
Our liturgy for today comes from our neighbors at the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON. Used by permission.
Look for a link to the
Maundy Thursday Service in next week's Pewsletter and look forward to a
Service for Easter Sunday to be sent via email late Saturday evening for you to open Sunday morning. These services were recorded in our sanctuary with an abundance of precautions, observing social distancing and before the stay at home order. We don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. The Lord be with you.
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Musical Update from Becky Beatty, Music Director and Organist
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Choir rehearsals are all on hold till we know for certain when this time of "social distancing" has passed.
In the meantime, I wanted to give you some things to look forward to beyond our regular rehearsals.
March 24, 1820 is the day Fanny Crosby was born, so this past Tuesday was her 200th birthday. Kathryn and I have been talking about a celebration of Fanny Crosby and her hymns during one of our upcoming worship services when we are all back together. So be thinking of some of your favorite hymns you would like to sing. A few you may be most familiar with are: "
Blessed Assurance
", "
Draw Me Nearer
," "
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
," "
Rescue the Perishing
."
During May, instead of a music rehearsal during the 9:30 a.m. time, I am planning on having a drum circle. What is that you may ask. Technically it is defined as follows in Wikapedia: "
A drum circle is any group of people playing (usually) hand-drums and percussion in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle
is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance."
Considering the number of percussion instruments this church is blessed with, I think this will be a wonderful and different way for us to worship and interact together. I will guide us through this using scripture and prayer and the playing of instruments.
Musical experience needed:
None
Ability to read music:
None
Age requirement:
None
- this is for any age who can hold an instrument or beat a drum
Those that wish to may play in worship after a few Sundays to share with the rest of the congregation. I will give you an exact starting date once we have a schedule of returning to regular worship in the sanctuary.
I miss seeing everyone and pray all are well! Keep singing!
Becky
"Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise"
Martin Luther said. What hymn would we sing if we could gather for worship this Sunday? Find a version of that and listen.
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The church is the people...
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Dear members and friends of First Presbyterian Church, Lincolnton,
We want to care for you in whatever way we can. You can email Pastor Kathryn or call the church office at (704) 735-8671. You will get the Elder on Call number, which changes each week.
As we care for each other, we also extend the Peace of Christ to our neighbors, particularly the most vulnerable.
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Our 2020 Soup Kitchen serving dates are set, the first Saturday of the month:
- May 2nd
- August 1st
- October 3rd
- December 5th
We are committed to fulfilling our mission promise to help on these dates. Contact Elder Pam Sipe.
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Church Finances for March 2020 will be reported next week.
We looked into a way to receive electronic payments and found that for our congregation, this does not make the best sense, at this time. Please continue to support our ministry with your checks sent to the church and with your cash donations for our 5 cents a meal.
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Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Matthew 2:11
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Christian Ministry of Lincoln County
207 South Poplar St. – PO Box 423 Lincolnton, NC 28093-2691
Phone: 704-732-0383 Fax: 704-735-6597
From the Executive Director:
What to do, what to do?
How did you feel over the last couple of weeks when you didn’t know if you could buy groceries? Now you know a tiny bit how our clients feel all the time. They struggle all the time to find enough food. We are their source of food.
Half the people I speak with say we should close because we are not safe. The other half says we are helping the helpless, thank God you are there.
The NC Governor Executive Order says STAY AT HOME…UNLESS…you are a FOOD BANK, then you are ESSENTIAL. (NC Governor, Section 2; #9)
So, what to do? Here is what we have done:
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We have limited the number of people in our buildings
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We are only taking in/giving out food & financial help
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We are not letting the public onto our dock
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We are handing out soup kitchen meals at the curb
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We are cleaning multiple times a day
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Staff is not going into areas that the public goes into
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Interviewers have a barrier wall between them and the public
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Interviewers do not touch paperwork that the public has touched
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We are not taking clothes or household items
The million dollar question… IS THIS ENOUGH TO KEEP STAFF/VOLUNTEERS/CLIENTS SAFE?
I don’t have the answer. I do know that we are the main food bank for the county and we would leave a huge hole in the community if we were not here. That said, it may come down to closing. I don’t have the answers. I do know, for now and the foreseeable future, we are open and we are still trying to meet the needs in the community.
Elder Pam Sipe shared the newsletter from Christian Ministry of Lincoln County
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Church Staff
Rev. Dr. Kathryn J. Cameron, Bridge Supply Pastor -
pastor@fpclincolnton.org - (828)-450-7182
Rebecca Beatty, Director of Music, Organist -
becbea50@gmail.com
Jill Goins, Administrative Assistant -
admin@fpclincolnton.org
Kristen Willis, Preschool Director -
preschool@fpclincolnton.org
Nancy Rudisill, Sexton -
admin@fpclincolnton.org
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Office Hours
Suspended until further notice
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