Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-05-01
Friday 1 May 2020
Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
Miriam and Woody Chenault keep in close contact with J.A. Fukama-Kabika (our church member who is in Danville Correctional Center). Miriam sends this update:
They are all in lockdown [at the prison] and can go outside for only 30 minutes a day but can’t play basketball or soccer (which he loves to do). They can only walk or run around the yard. He is still taking his U of I classes, which will be finished Friday.
Just to show you the kind of guy he is – his big concern is that Woody and I don’t get the coronavirus. He calls us mama Miriam and Papa Woody! It is such a joy to think of him as our son.
When I think of his life right now during this pandemic, I cannot complain at all about any of this. I am so unbelievably blessed and lucky to have the freedom to go outside and enjoy God’s creation any time I want and to eat anything and anytime I want (food is definitely one of the joys in life right now!!).
Consider writing Fukama. His address is in our website CCB; the church office can give his address to you, as well. Thank YOU.
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Notice the only words e. e. cummings capitalizes in this lovely poem about spring. Cousin Tom submits it. (Don’t tell him that I plan on working on my next novel in the month of May.)
i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth day of life and of love and wings; and of the gay great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing breathing any—lifted from the no of all nothing—human merely being doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
+ e e cummings
* * *
On Sunday, we celebrate communion, which is a kind of poetry in action, poetry of body and of soul, with all saints in all time and dimension. It is Holy Mystery and great joy. Bring bread and juice to celebrate. See you Sunday. Bless you all.
* * *
Same time (9:00 a.m.). Same place. Turn on your “device” and find us at: FirstPres.Live
Pay attention to God’s activity in the world around you.
Be amazed.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
* * *
New fun photo challenge! Each Friday the Nurture Committee is challenging us to read an assigned scripture about Jesus and come up with a representation of the story using whatever you already have around the house and share it in photo form.
CHALLENGE #3
MINISTRY Matthew 4:18-20
Jesus began to teach all the people
They’d come to hear him, on building or steeple
He’d talk in the mountains or down by the sea
And to those who would listen, He’d say, “Come, follow me”
If Jesus were here today, where do you think he would teach?
Take a photo of a place you think Jesus would like to teach today. If you can’t go there, make something out of Legos, blocks, toys or get a picture from a book or online and show it.
Post your photo to:
https://www.facebook.com/
live@firstpres.church
For Instagram @fpcchampaign
Example from Gary and Linda Peterson…
* * *
This is fun to hear AND to watch. Hallelujah*:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
* Hallelujah/Alleluia is a Hebrew word. What do you think it means? Multiple choice:
1—Deck the Halls.
2—God is Groovy.
3—Praise the Lord.
4—Dental flossing is vital for oral health.
* * *
This just in from Frontera de Cristo:
http://campaign.r20.
