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The Lex Pres Summer worship schedule will begin on June 6 with worship beginning at 10AM.
During the Summer months there will be no children's Sunday School.
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June 6, 2021
Sermon: Do Not Lose Heart
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 138
New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome
Assisting Pastor: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle
June 13, 2021
Sermon: Star Potential
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:3
Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome
Assisting Pastor: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle
June 20, 2021
Sermon: Fear Is A Funny Thing
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49
New Testament Reading: Mark 4:35-41
Preacher: Rev. Tom Groome
Worship Assistant: Liz Shupe
June 27, 2021
Sermon: Nothing to Lose
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 130
New Testament Reading: Mark 5:21-43
Preacher: Rev. Kelly-Ann Rayle
Worship Assistant: Youth
Please check our weekly newsletter for more information on worship services.
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Notes from May 4th Session Meeting | |
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Call to Worship: Opened the meeting with a Responsive Call to Worship and a unison Prayer of Adoration. Rev. Groome read a scripture and shared reflections after a time of silence.
Congregational and Sessional Date: Current membership-371 (3 deaths). No congregational baptisms, births, and one transfer to LPC-Leslie Groome by letter of transfer from Fairfield Presbyterian Church in Fairfield, CT. Pastoral concerns were shared. Deaths: Pat Miller (4/8/21); Don Saxton (12/8/20-just notified); and Donna Wells (4/22/21). Communications: four thank you notes. A letter from the Committee on Pastoral Transition (CPT) approving Kelly-Ann’s contract June 1-Dec. 31.
Administrative Committee: We have the capital to fund Kelly-Ann Rayle’s contract extension through December 31. Our current financial overview is good. The Lee Hartman video and sound contract was approved unanimously for upgrades to the sanctuary system. Blair Lee begins their work on May 18 to run the fiber optic.
Christian Education: Children’s Ministry Subcommittee has scheduled events, will give Bibles to 3-5 grade students, is planning VBS along with three other churches, and is making plans to have Faith Village Church School in person beginning September 19. Two more committee members and coordinators for Children’s Enrichment are needed (Thanks to Jen and Chris Handy for their work while in Lexington!). They need teachers for his group as well. Youth Ministry Subcommittee had a successful pie-by and the youth will decide where to donate the money. The youth meet every other week in person and volunteer at the food pantry once a month. New fun purchases were put into the youth room. Campus Ministry Subcommittee received applications for the 2021 Educational Grants and will meet soon to award them.
Communications: Reminded committees to submit website updates to Maggie. A Time and Talent survey is being considered to help identify new committee members for all areas. Session approved $1000 Innovations in Worship Grant application for Presbytery to offset costs of sanctuary sound system upgrades.
Nominating: The committee is working on session members for Class of 2024.
Outreach: Sandy Nye presented the Major Report of the work of the committee for the past year. The committee manages certain funds and develops outreach of the church on local, national, and international levels.
Property: Discussing how to manage the rooms that outside groups use as we begin to open more. Larry Chittum has done roof repairs, plaster repair, painting, ceiling repair and remounting a bulletin board in the youth classroom. More work is lined up for him including some plastering and painting in the sanctuary. The handicap-electric doors in the connector (between sanctuary and Brady) need repair. Kitchen downspout needs repair. Stucco on Nelson Street side of the sanctuary needs repair. Mike has tried to apply a product to eliminate the slippery bricks on the outside of the connector doors. Tom and Skip are working on the sound station in the sanctuary. The boiler failed inspection and needs a sump pump replacement.
Worship: Laura deMaria and Pat Tichenor have joined their committee.
New Business: Approved a Presbytery College/University Scholarship Grant Application for Kevin Squire that will be sent to Presbytery.
The meeting was adjourned after a Charge and Benediction by Rev. Groome.
Mary Atthowe, Clerk of Session
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The season of fresh berries is upon us! I can’t decide what to call this dessert since it is like a cake and a cobbler. Call it what you wish, but is sure is easy and a very good dessert for picnics and backyard cookouts!
- Skip Hess, Director of Culinary Ministries
Ingredients:
1 - Stick of Unsalted Butter
1 - Cup Milk
1 - Cup of Sugar
1 - Cup All Purpose Flour
1 - Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ - Teaspoon Vanilla
1 - Pt. Fresh Berries*
Directions:
Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Spread the prepared berries evenly over the butter but do not stir.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and milk together. Pour evenly over the berries but resist the urge to stir.
The magic will happen in the oven!
You may sprinkle the top with sugar for added sweetness.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve hot with ice cream or cool with whipped cream.
*Use whatever berries you like. Wash the berries and let drain. I use 1 pint of berries, but you may wish to use more!
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From Bill McCorkle, Director of Music | |
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GILLIE CAMPBELL TUTWILER’S BANNERS LIVE ON
My reference, during my children’s enrichment talk in worship on May 23, made me feel the need to refresh our memories about a set of wonderful banners we use regularly at Lexington Presbyterian.
In the 1980s, Gillie Campbell (1915-2005), later Mrs. Carrington Tutwiler, a gifted artist and longtime member of the church, designed and created several banners for use in the church. Over the years these banners have been displayed in the sanctuary, the chapel, and the fellowship hall. Some of these beautiful works of art depict scenes or symbols of important seasons and holy days of the church year - Advent (candles); Lent/Holy Week (the stark three crosses); Easter (lilies); and Pentecost (flames/dove) - and we rotate them into the sanctuary display at the appropriate times. Other banners have more general meaning or refer to important milestones in the life of the Lexington Presbyterian congregation. From the onset of our Zoom worship, we have displayed a banner on the pulpit platform near the piano, complementing the two banners which are on more or less permanent display on the sanctuary wall: the 1789-1989 celebration of the LPC bicentennial, and the Pentecost banner.
Perhaps the most striking of the banners from an artistic point of view is the Pentecost banner, where, standing out from the rich, deep blue background, are the bright red, orange, yellow, and white tongues of the Pentecostal fire (reminding us also of Moses’ burning bush), and the white descending dove. As I mentioned in worship, the Pentecost banner took on special significance after the fire of July 18, 2000, which destroyed our sanctuary. Those who remember the fire know that, in addition to fire and smoke, there was a great deal of water damage to the room, its fixtures, and its furnishings, both from the process of extinguishing the blaze and from almost daily rain (in varying amounts) into the roofless shell of a room over the month following the fire. As the salvage process got under way, one of the early discoveries was the Pentecost banner, covered with soot and grime, and soaking wet. The decision was made not to take this banner to the cleaners to become like new, but rather to keep it, with its dirt, soot, and grime, as a reminder. Christians are a remembering people. Seeing the banner – kept in this state of near-damage - reminds us that it, like the people of the congregation, lived through the destruction of the fire and thus took on personal, historical significance.
Presbyterian churches, from the earliest days, have not been known for elaborate art or decoration. In the Genevan church, even music was limited to simple melodies for psalms sung in unison, since music in harmony was considered far too worldly and distracting. Not many Presbyterian churches have stained glass, or elaborate wood carving or table fixtures (cross, candelabra). There is artistry of design and fixture, but it is simple, understated. The Lexington Presbyterian sanctuary is simple, but not plain. There is, rather, a quiet elegance in the fish design of the opaque window glass, the curves of the balcony and the pews, the gentle gilt decoration at the tops of the columns supporting the balcony, and in the detail of the balcony paneling. Charles Nazarian, who designed the case and façade work of the Fisk pipe organ, modeled his design on the work of 19th-century American organ builders. He wanted the organ to look as if it had always been in the room. He succeeded in creating a harmonious façade display which reflects and complements, in its large and small detail, features of the wood, windows, and shapes of the room.
I find a similar economy and eloquence in the banners of Gillie Campbell Tutwiler. They are rich in color and perspective, but not overly elaborate in detail. Their colors contrast clearly, but not jarringly, with the white and off-white surfaces of the room. The choice of ‘subject matter’ in the design is spare, and thereby clearly identifiable. I am grateful to live and work in close proximity to these banners. Their artistry is quietly, but deeply, spiritual, inviting us who behold them into meditation and prayer.
- WMcC
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Faith Village Spring Gatherings | |
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Faith Villagers (all ages through 5th grade) are invited to enjoy Spring at these outdoor events.
June 13, — Hike with the Youth at Cole Mountain
June 27, — In-person story time with children's author Laura Sassi.
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Our New "Faith Friends" T-Shirts
Many thanks to Gaye Johnson for designing and ordering our NEW T-Shirts. We are in the process of handing out our NEW "Faith Friends" t-shirts to all our young people. We were a bit short on some of the sizes, so we are in the process of ordering more.
If your kiddo(s) has a RED "Faith Friends" T-Shirt in hand, please have them wear it to our future gatherings. If they do not have one yet, please wear anything RED!
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After a tough year of separation we are looking forward to gathering together now more than ever! Mark your calendars because in-person VBS is back! Join us, along with Grace Episcopal Church, Manly Memorial Baptist Church, and Trinity United Methodist Church on June 28-30 for three days of Compassion Camp! Register at the link below. | |
Thank you for your gifts and prayers which are bearing much fruit. Jesca, from Rafiki Village Uganda, recently shared her testimony in her church. "I live at Rafiki, where I have been for 16 years. I thank God for bringing me to this wonderful place. I am in 11th grade at the Rafiki School and I will be taking the national exams this year and pray that I excel. I thank God for the great gift of life. I have been alive up to now because of His grace. I also thank God for the gift of education. I am provided an education at the Rafiki School and realize that many children do not have such a great privilege. I mostly thank God for blessing me with wonderful sponsors who send funds for my necessities, like education, health care and recreation. It is because of Rafiki that I am who I am today. Above all, I want to thank God for His greatest gift of salvation. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior on June 6th, 2017. Though it hasn't been a smooth journey, I have experienced the joy of Christ in my heart and I pray for Christ to continue to reign in my heart." | |
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Prayer Requests
- Thanksgiving for success of Rafiki Sale at Grace Presbyteiran Church on April 24th and for the 15 students who graduated in Malawi.
- For safety and protection, especially in Nigeria, as well as protected health.
- For more qualified Rafiki mothers and teachers.
For more information or to donate visit the Rafiki website www.rafikifoundation.org
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It is a privilege for Lexington Presbyterian Church to be a part of the Rafiki mission through prayer, participation, and financial support.
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Campus Ministry Education Grants | |
In May, the Campus Ministry Subcommittee awarded $9,600 in educational grants to fourteen LPC college students and high school seniors. These grants are possible only because LPC members in the past have given generously to our church's Scholarship Fund endowment. This endowment was established in 1986, and since its inception, it has helped many of our young people. Over the past five years, for example, Campus Ministry has awarded a total of $51,400 to 65 LPC students. Please consider contributions to this endowed fund and help us continue our ministry with our college-age youth. | |
Announcements for the Congregation | |
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The Caring Friends group of Lexington Presbyterian Church provides short term meals to those experiencing life challenges, such as illnesses, deaths and births. Please contact Linda Franke to be added to our list to help others, or to just find out more information about this amazing group! You do not need to be a gourmet chef to participate! All are welcome! Thank you.
Contact Linda Franke
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We have several Sundays in June open for flowers. If you would like to provide flowers for one of these worship services, please contact Skip Hess at 784.5472 or william_hessII@comcast.net. | |
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Lexington Presbyterian Church
120 South Main Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Phone: 540-463-3873
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