Dear friends,

Each Ash Wednesday I invite the congregation to “observe a holy Lent by self-examination and penitence, by prayer and fasting, by works of love, and by reading and meditating on the Word of God.” This begins the season of Lent. This time of the year prepares us hear the profundity of God’s promises made to us at Easter. Those promises that we anticipate of resurrection, abundant life, and peace.

Preparing for these promises feels like it has already taken on new meaning this year as we begin to mourn and lament war, senseless death, and hateful violence. As yearn to see God’s promises in every aspect of our life, may we not give up our hope in the steadfast love of God. We know that God’s own steadfastness calls us to live as people fully committed to exhibiting the compassion, hope, peace, and goodwill of the kingdom of God.  

I offer this prayer from "The Book of Common Worship" for a time of international crisis:

Eternal God, our only hope, our help in times of trouble: show nations ways to work out differences. Do not let threats multiply or power be used without compassion. May your will overrule human willfulness, so that people may agree and settle claims peacefully. Hold back those who are impulsive, lest desire for vengeance overwhelm our common welfare. Bring peace to earth, through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and Savior of us all. Amen.

Blessings,

Michael

Session Notes

COVID-19 Update for March

Please review these updated COVID-19 provisions in mind as we gather for our worship and ministry:

• Masks are optional.

• Social distancing is enforced in the sanctuary by the use of alternating pews.

• Worship does not include the passing of any materials. (This will be reviewed again at our April Meeting.)

Annual Congregational Meeting on March 20

Our annual congregational meeting for the election of new officers and to receive reports from the different ministry areas of the congregation is on March 20 immediately following worship.

Lent 2022

Burning of the Palms

We will burn palms following worship on February 27 to prepare for our Ash Wednesday service.

Ash Wednesday Afternoon Prayer Service

On Wednesday March 2 at 1:00 p.m., join us in the Memorial Room for Intercessory Prayer and the Imposition of Ashes. This service is hosted by the Prayer Group that meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Ash Wednesday Evening Prayer Service

Join us Wednesday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn as we enter the season of Lent together and prepare for the great mystery of Easter. Limited seating will be available. We will share a brief time of prayer followed by and invitation for the imposition of ashes. We will also have glass jars and flower bulbs available to assemble and take home as a visible reminder of this shared journey in life and faith together. This service is hosted by the Christian Education Committee.

Lenten Luncheons: Brown-bag Edition!

Lenten Luncheons will begin in March. The question for our speakers this year is this: “If the childhood version of yourself met you today, what part of your faith today would that child be ‘taken aback’ by?” We are trying to delve deeper into our how faith changes and matures as we grow.

Food will not be provided at these luncheons this year. Instead, we ask everyone to bring their own brown-bag lunch. (If there is someone who would like to attend and cannot afford lunch, please let us know, and we can provide one.)

Speakers include:

• 3/9 - Scotty Robertson from First Baptist Church

• 3/16 - TBD

• 3/23 - John Wagner from First United Methodist Church

• 3/30 - Lisa Kaufer from First Presbyterian Church

• 4/6 - Michael Isaacs from First Presbyterian Church

Lunch begins at noon.

Lenten Book Study

During the season of Lent, we will be reading the book, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, by Richard Rohr. We’ll gather for a brief discussion following each Lenten Luncheon, beginning with chapters 1 and 2 on March 9. Copies are available in the main office with a suggested donation of $10. The book is also available in 3-reader and audio forms. It is available for purchase online here.

Sermon Series: Holy Week

Preaching this Lent will focus on the final week of Jesus’s life. Each Sunday will focus on a different day of Holy Week skipping Holy Tuesday. (Michael offered a reflection on Holy Tuesday in 2020—you can watch or listen to it here at this link.)

• March 6 – Monday of Holy Week, John 12:1-11

• March 13 – Wednesday of Holy Week, John 13:21-32

• March 20 – Maundy Thursday, John 13:1-17, 31b-35

• March 27 – Good Friday, John 18 - 19

• April 3 – Holy Saturday, John 19:38-42

• April 10 – Palm Sunday

• April 17 – Resurrection of the Lord

Maundy Thursday: Hope in the Shadows

Join us for worship on Maundy Thursday for a tenebrae service title “Hope in the Shadows” on April 14, at 7:00 p.m. Our choir will be joining with the St. Luke Presbyterian Church Choir for this service which will include readings from the passion story and choral music. 

Christian Education Notes

Women’s Spiritual Nurture Retreat

March 25-27, Kirkmont will host this event led by the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Nowak, exploring the theme, “Finding Hope-FROM the Past, IN the Present, FOR the Future.” To learn more, or to register, visit www.kirkmontcenter.org.

Spring Youth Retreat

The Presbytery of the Miami Valley Spring Youth Retreat will be held April 1-3 at Kirkmont Center in Zanesfield and is open to youth in grades 7-12 and their adult leaders. To register, contact Lisa Kaufer by March 15.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study

Tuesday Morning Bible Study will meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Youth Room. We are reading one chapter of the Gospel of Luke each week. We will be reading Luke 13 on March 1, and it is never too late to join us!

In-person Nursery Care and Sunday School

The Christian Education Committee continues to prayerfully consider and implement safe practices to support the full participation of all ages, especially since some children still do not have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Two Childcare Workers provide consistent care for our youngest children in the Nursery. We practice physical distancing in Sunday School, and as much as is practical in providing care in the Nursery. Both spaces are equipped with hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and disposable masks in a variety of sizes. Furthermore, we continue to follow the CDC’s recommendation by requiring universal indoor masking in these classrooms by all individuals (age 2 and older), regardless of vaccination status.    

• Nursery Care is available for infants and children up to 5 years old every Sunday, located next to Room 110. 

• Sunday School (children ages 6-12) is offered most Sundays* in the Godly Play Room. Leaders will escort children to Sunday School. When worship concludes, parents/guardians will need to come to the Godly Play Room to pick up their child(ren). (*Note: In March, Sunday School will meet on 3/13, 3/20, and 3/27. We especially want to include children and youth in special worship celebrations such as Communion, etc.)

Re-connect through the Purple Table!

The Purple Table is a pop-up welcome space, online and in-person, that builds community, and affirms and supports healing. Let us encourage one another as we play, share stories, listen, and find a way through, together! During the season of Lent, we’ll explore new ways to pray and play together, even when we are apart. Connect instantly with The Purple Table by visiting the website: https://the-purple-table.mn.com.

Worship & Music Notes

Note from the Director Music Ministries

Come, journey with us and be inspired by the beautiful and thought-provoking music of Lent and then the excitement and drama of the music of Holy Week. The Sanctuary Choir, Renaissance Ringers and Sanctuary Youth will present music each Sunday of Lent and Holy Week to inspire you on your journey.

The Sanctuary Choir, combined with the St. Luke Presbyterian Choir, is excited to lead a Maundy Thursday worship service titled “Hope in the Shadows” by composers Lloyd Larson and Joel Raney. “Hope in the Shadows” recalls Christ’s journey to the cross by examining the shadows of betrayal, injustice and agony that marked that journey. It contrasts the selfish exploits of humanity with the divine nature of a loving God.

This is a Tenebrae (meaning “darkness” or “shadows”) service. Once a service for the monastic community, Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship during Holy Week. Tenebrae is a meditation on Christ’s suffering. Readings trace the story of Christ’s passion, music portrays his pathos, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of this momentous day. As the candles are extinguished, we ponder the depth of Christ’s suffering and death; we remember the cataclysmic nature of his sacrifice; and through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the conclusion of the service, we anticipate the joy of ultimate victory.

Our Maundy Thursday Service will be presented on Thursday, April 14, at 7:00 p.m. This service is open to the public. Please invite friends and family to this beautiful and inspiring service.

 -Joyce Zigler

Mission Notes

Appreciation for Highview teachers

In appreciation of our public school teachers, the Mission Committee provided a meal for teachers at Highview Sixth Grade Center on the February 24 conference night. The meals included this prayer: Gracious Teacher, we give thanks for all who dedicate their lives to the nurture and education of children. Bless our teachers with patience, passion, perseverance, and support. We recognize their work as holy and important. Amen.

Odds & Ends

Men’s Monthly Meeting

Men’s Monthly Meeting is an opportunity for the men of the church to get together and socialize over dinner. On Tuesday, March 8, the meeting will be at Wildwood Country Club, 601 Aberdeen, at 5:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Nominate Elders and Deacons

The Nominating Committee of First Presbyterian Church is working to prepare a slate of officer nominees to be presented to the congregation in March.  Individuals will be nominated to serve three-year-terms as elders and deacons. If there are individuals whose personal faith, commitment to the church, and gifts for ministry suggest to you that they might serve well as a church officer, you may suggest them for the Nominating Committee’s consideration by submitting their names and the office in which you believe they might serve well.  Please place the completed form in the designated boxes in the Gathering Area or the Narthex. 

Expectations of church officers include:

• Faithful participation in Sunday worship

• Regular participation in study for personal spiritual growth

• Visible involvement in the ministries/programs of the congregation

• Financial support of the congregation’s work

• Regular attendance at board meetings; active participation in committee work

Elders: As there were in the Old Testament elders for the government of the people, so the New Testament Church provided persons with particular gifts to share in governing and ministry.  Elders are chosen by the people.  Together with ministers of the Word and Sacrament, they exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the Church at large, including ecumenical relationships.  They shall serve faithfully as members of the session…. Elders should be persons of faith, dedication, and good judgment.  Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within the Church and in the world…. It is the duty of elders, individually and jointly, to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the congregation committed to their charge. (Book of Order, G-6.0301-4)

Deacons: The office of deacon as set forth in Scripture is one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ.  Persons of spiritual character, honest repute, exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, warm sympathies, and sound judgment should be chosen for this office.  It is the duty of deacons, first of all, to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress. (Book of Order, G-6.0401-2)

Online Calendar

The church calendar is now online! Go to https://www.fpcmiddletown.com/calendar.

We give thanks for the Birth of. . .

• Micah Lee Brown, born on February 18, to David and Amanda Brown. The proud grandmother is Mary Brehm.