Hiding in plain sight. . .
Sometimes when we closely at something, we suddenly realize: "That's not at all what I thought it was!" In the photo above, you see a stick-bug, trying very hard not to look like the insect it is. Stick-bugs are members of an order of insects called Phasmida, a name derived from the Ancient Greek φάσμα or phasma, meaning "apparition" or "phantom." Clearly those ancient Greeks, like us, were amazed at the ability of these creatures to fool us into thinking they are plants when they are, in fact, not. Today, some folks call Phasmids "ghost insects." You may also have run into the stick-bug's ghost-insect cousin, the walking leaf or leaf-bug.

Phasmids live all around us. They can be found on every continent except Antartica. There are stick-bugs in the tropics that grow to be a whopping two feet long! Still, we don't see stick-bugs that often. The elaborate natural camouflage that protects stick-bugs from predators makes it tough for us to find them -- even when they are hiding in plain sight. In China, it's considered good luck to spot a stick-bug, and these lucky insects have been kept in birdcages as pets since the Han dynasty (200 BC).

Carolyn Llewellyn and her family must be very lucky -- they spotted not one but two stick-bugs this week! When Carolyn sent the stick-bug photo above, she wrote: "It's the little things." So simple yet so true, especially now. We're all having tough days when we feel STUCK. We're not seeing all the people we want to see. We're not going to all the places we want to go. We're not doing all the things we want to do.

But there is still plenty of beauty and mystery and joy and wonder all around us. It's all hiding in plain sight -- in the little things that we used to rush right past, like stick-bugs. It's hiding all around us, in the people and things and places we see everyday. We just have to be still, and look, and listen, so that we can truly see.

This week, let's look, and listen, and see some of the really wonderful things hiding in plain sight in our little corner of the world. Remember we are still together, even when we're apart. And the best news is that all of us are loved, all the time.
Director of Music Tom McCoy inspires us at our outdoor services in Mayor's Park!
Join us at our outdoor service this Sunday at Mayor's Park Pavilion!
Beautiful autumn weather just makes our outdoor services by the Hudson River even more inspiring! Join us at 10:30 am this Sunday for our safe worship service right here in Cold Spring. Parking is plentiful, and all are welcome! And: Our outdoor service is also available on Zoom! Many thanks to the FPCP team that makes these services possible. For more information about our outdoor-and-online services, join our e-list! Just fill out the handy form on our website at www.presbychurchcoldspring.org! See more pictures! Click the image above to visit our Facebook page.
UPDATE: Thank you for supporting our next MIDNIGHT RUN on SEPT. 26!

We are grateful for a strong show of community support for our next Midnight Run on Saturday, Sept. 26! These mission trips take food, clothing, and critical supplies directly to people experiencing homelessness in New York City. FPCP member and volunteer Ron Sopyla is coordinating the upcoming Midnight Run.

Ron has made several solo runs during the pandemic, but the numbers of homeless are growing and the need is great. Ron asked for help, and help has arrived! FPCP member Andy Larivee will be joining Ron as a driver. Tim Ives of Scarborough Presbyterian is collecting toiletries from his congregation. And our amazing FPCP members and Philipstown neighbors have signed up to donate food, including: Briana Barton, Janet Barton, Annie Becker, Cathy Carnevale, Katherine Drysdale, Sara Dulaney, Susan Jordan, Karen Kapoor, Charlotte Palmer-Lane, Marilyn Schlosser, and Lisa Scicluna.

You can still help! As of today, we need a few more grocery items (sliced Swiss cheese). Ron created an online sign-up sheet through "Sign-Up Genius" which you can access by clicking here. Reminder: Please drop off your donations on Friday, Sept. 25 between 10:30 and 11:30 am at our church at 10 Academy Street. If that day and time won't work for you, no worries! Email Ron at rsopyla@verizon.net and he will make other arrangements with you. Thank you!

For more information, to make a donation, or to volunteer, please click on the photo and links above, and/or send an email to Ron Sopyla. Thank you!
Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler accepts a new position
Our pastor, Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler, will leave First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown next month to be a full-time installed pastor at a PCUSA church in Michigan. Her resignation has been accepted by the Session, and everyone at FPCP wishes her well.

Rev. Dr. Chandler wrote a letter to the FPCP community that includes her reflections on her tenure here. You can read her letter by clicking on her photo at left.
Old traditions, new methods: MUMS and HYMNALS can be home-delivered!

MUMS: We are continuing our much-loved tradition of ordering mums this fall! Your flowers can be picked up at the outdoor service at 10:30 am on Sunday, Sept. 20 at the Mayor's Park Pavilion (weather permitting). Or: Mums can be safely delivered to your home. For more information, contact Bev Taylor at bevtaylor127@yahoo.com.

HYMNALS: We are also happy to deliver a church hymnal to your home if you are enjoying our Sunday services online. We want you to be able to sing hymns safely at home while Tom McCoy plays the piano on your screen! If you'd like a hymnal to be safely delivered, contact Annie Becker at (845) 265-4240, or email her at sofiecelia@gmail.com. Hymnals can be delivered at the same time as the mums!
Our Bulletin Board
Try our monthly Book Club! In September, we're reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. NPR says this novel is part "paradise lost" and part American fairy tale, about a brother and sister raised by their real-estate obsessed father in an ornate mansion (the "Dutch House") after their mother abandons them. Elise LaRocco leads our discussion Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7 pm. To join in, email Jean here.
Teens: Farewell to Doris! FPCP teens will say a fond farewell to Rev. Dr. Doris this Sunday, Sept. 20 in a special safe gathering outdoors at our church in Cold Spring. Teens have been meeting with Rev. Dr. Doris every other week to discuss timely topics. Many of our Youth Group members were confirmed by Rev. Dr. Doris. FPCP plans to relaunch our Youth Group under our new leadership. Stay tuned!
Kids: Explore big ideas! Sunday School is a great place to explore big ideas. Carolyn, our Youth Ed leader, sends a weekly email to families with stories, activities, and more. Last week we all got really cool painted rocks (see above!) and we learned some Bible stories about rocks -- like the wise man who built his house on a rock, and a foolish man who built his on the sand. Join our e-list! Email Carolyn here.
Visit with Rev. Dr. Doris before she leaves Oct. 10!
You've got one more month to pull up a chair and sit with Rev. Dr. Doris on her "virtual porch." This is a great way to say farewell, share memories, pray together, or just enjoy quality time with the pastor.

To fix your time on the Pastor's Porch, click the photo at the left and send an email to Doris!
In the midst of this worldwide health crisis, we are grateful we can serve our neighbors in need through critical mission programs, including the Food Pantry and Midnight Run. 

If you feel called to support FPCP's outreach, we warmly welcome your contributions. If you are a member of the FPCP family and can maintain your church giving at this difficult time, we humbly thank you. To make an online donation, click the image at the left, or right here. Bless you!
Telephone: (845)-265-3220 / Email: 1presbyterian@gmail.com www.presbychurchcoldspring.org