PresbyNews for February

Pastor’s Note

Lent is not a season known for levity, however I think we could all use some light-heartedness right now. Lent is known for being a season of repentance, and Jonah, the most humorous book of the Bible, happens to be about repentance. (For what it is worth, Jonah being swallowed by a fish is the third, maybe fourth, funniest part of the book.) We are going to spend one week in each chapter of Jonah this Lent; we will also spend one week considering the New Testament interpretation of Jonah found in Matthew. Humor aside, Jonah also happens to be one of my favorite books of the Bible because the of the theological themes. The book invites the reader to reflect on the places that they think might be beyond the reach of God’s grace and to save us from our own pretenses. This themes are timeless and seem especially pertinent at this time. - Michael Isaacs

COVID-19 Reminders

Please continue to be diligent about wearing a mask and social distancing during in-person worship. It is important as ever not to let our guards down in dealing with this public health crisis that it affecting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of so many people. Continue to pray for our healthcare workers, patients, families, and public servants, as well as for each life that has been lost.

If you, or someone you know, needs additional hand sanitizer or masks, please call the church office, and we can help provide these important resources.

Christian Education Notes

Stories of God at Home

The Purple Table is offering resources for you to share Godly Play stories at home! Email lisa@fpcmiddletown.com to sign up to borrow a story kit. Story videos are easily accessible online at https://www.storiesofgodathome.com/events.

Lent at Home in Community

See, taste, hear, smell, touch, give. Gather at your home table for brief and engaging-for-all-ages sessions of reading a Psalm passage, doing an activity based on that passage, and praying together. Weekly resources will be posted online at The Purple Table.

Stay connected on Feb. 18!

Join our online gathering via Zoom at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, for a time of fellowship and activities. (Zoom Meeting ID: 357 756 9746)

The Purple Table is a pop-up welcome space, online and in-person, that builds community, affirms, and supports healing. Let us encourage one another as we play, share stories, listen, and find a way through, together! Connect instantly with The Purple Table by visiting the website: https://the-purple-table.mn.co

Disrupting Ministry Podcast

We are grateful to work with the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. Their podcast, Disrupting Ministry, features our design fellow Lisa Kaufer and our ministry with the Purple Table! Listen to the episode at this link or wherever you listen to your podcast: https://disruptingministry.transistor.fm/episodes

Tuesday Morning Bible Study for Advent

Some of the most compelling narratives from the Hebrew Bible were composed during the Post-Exilic, Persian period. We will study together the books of Ruth, Esther, and Jonah through March of this year. Our study on Jonah will connect with our Lenten Sermon series on the same book. Bible Study meets at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday using this Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/3577569746

Here is the February schedule:

February 2 - Esther 6 - 10
February 9 - Ezra and Nehemiah overview
February 16 - Jonah 1
February 23 - Jonah 2

Lenten Luncheons

Bring your lunch to Zoom on Wednesdays at noon beginning February 24 and ending March 24. We will have our Lenten Luncheons that will focus on a book discussion. The book is still to be determined but will be announced soon.

Weekly Online Gathering

Join us on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom. In honor of the Java Johnny Knitters, we gather weekly via Zoom to share a time of fellowship and creativity.

Worship Notes

Ash Wednesday

Lent begins on February 17 with Ash Wednesday. We will post a brief Ash Wednesday service on the Virtual Worship page of our website. Drive-through ashes available in the Circle Drive from 12:30 – 1:00. Ashes will be applied this year with a single use Q-tip.

Upcoming & Lenten Worship

February 7 – Mark 1:29-39 & Communion
February 14 – Esther, Lisa Kaufer preaching
February 21 – Jonah
February 28 – Jonah 2
March 7 – Jonah 3 & Communion
March 14 – Jonah 4
March 21 – Matthew 12:38-42 & Annual Meeting of the Congregation
March 28 – Palm Sunday

Stewardship Notes

We are going to begin highlighting different aspects of stewardship and church finances in PresbyNews. This may include resources about giving or highlighting certain financial commitments that we have made as a congregation. Please let the office know if you have any ideas or questions that we could highlight.

This month we’ll offer a thought from theologian Henri Nouwen:

Fundraising is a subject we seldom think about from a spiritual perspective. We may think of fundraising as a necessary but unpleasant activity to support spiritual things. Or we might believe that fundraising reflects a failure to plan well or to trust enough that God will provide for all our needs. Indeed, quite often fundraising is a response to a crisis. …From the perspective of the gospel, fundraising is not a response to a crisis. Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are so central to the life of God’s people that without vision we perish and without mission we lose our way.

In Memoriam

We give thanks to God for the life of…

Linette Curless, who died on January 7.
Dave Francis, who died on January 9.