Wednesday June 3^rd  2020
A daily e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Dear Friends,
How are you doing? 
I mean it.
How are you doing?
Let’s touch base tonight. Join us for our every-Wednesday Zoom at 7:00 tonight. Our program tonight is a service of evening prayer. Bring your concerns. You will be able to share them out loud. I will ask you tonight, “How are you doing?”
I’ll be listening. (God will be, also.)

Email info@firstpres.church for the link.

 
NEWS:
Good news for Richard Rossi, our church musician, is sad news for us. Read his resignation letter below. 
May 2020 
Matt Matthews, Pastor First Presbyterian Church 302 W. Church St. Champaign, IL 61820 
Dear Pastor Matt and the Congregation of First Presbyterian Church, 
This letter is my official notification to you and to the church community of First Presbyterian Church that my last day of employment will be on July 1, 2020. On that day I plan to resign from First Presbyterian Church and also retire from Eastern Illinois University. 
I have decided to take a position of Liturgical Music Director/Organist at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie, PA where I will be working for a former student/seminarian that I taught while I worked at the Abbey in the 1990’s in both the seminary and college at St. Vincent. Additionally, the bishop of the cathedral is also a good friend of mine with whom I also worked with when he was the Master of Ceremonies for several large liturgies that I played organ for at the abbey around the same time. I am also excited because there is so much opportunity for me in the area with five universities, two of which are Catholic and a minor seminary, along with five parochial elementary schools which I will be able to tap into as well as time progresses. This job literally fell in my lap unexpectedly and I do believe it is part of the journey I started a couple years ago when I had returned to the monastery. I believe this is the balance that will bring peace and happiness in my life at this time. (also volleyball league locally and I won’t need to drive an hour as I have been doing here)
I am excited about this new venture and my impending departure from First Presbyterian Church having been with them since 1998. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and everyone at the church for all of the opportunities that I have experienced working at FPC and I will truly miss many people, especially working with Joe Grant and the choir. I have genuinely enjoyed my employment at FPC, but I believe God is directing me to move on to this new venture. 
Please let me know what I can do to help you with the transition and again, thank you for everything and all of the support you and many have provided me over the past couple of years as my discernment process continued to unfold. I wish you nothing but the best for the future. 
Sincerely in Christ, 
Dr. Richard Robert Rossi, organist  
 
* * *
Join us Thursday for…

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN will gather Thursday.  For 150 years, the women of this church have faithfully served within the church and the community and world.  During the present need for “social distancing”, we’re missing meeting together for study and fellowship, but the ministries continue.  So a first step in moving forward is the annual installation of women in the variety of positions in Presbyterian Women.  Yes, we’ll Zoom forward, on June 4 at 1:00 p.m.  Every woman in the church is invited to log in to her email account and click on the link provided for PW officer installation, thereby joining in support and embracing all that is to come.

—  
 
Good Word: (Read this one again.)
 
Romans 12:9-21
 
Let love be genuine; 
hate what is evil, 
hold fast to what is good; 
love one another with mutual affection; 
outdo one another in showing honor. 
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, 
            serve the Lord. 
Rejoice in hope, 
be patient in suffering, 
persevere in prayer. 
Contribute to the needs of the saints; 
extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; 
bless and do not curse them. 
Rejoice with those who rejoice, 
weep with those who weep. 
Live in harmony with one another; 
do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; 
do not claim to be wiser than you are. 
Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought 
            for what is noble in the sight of all. 
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, 
            live peaceably with all. 
Never avenge yourselves, but leave room 
            for the wrath of God; 
If your enemies are hungry, feed them;
if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; 
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome 
            evil with good.
 
Let us pray: 
 
O Christ 
of the poor and the yearning, 
kindle in my heart 
within a flame of love for my neighbor,
 for my foe and for my friend, 
for my kindred all. 
 
From the humblest thing that lives 
to the name that is highest of all. 
Kindle in my heart 
within a flame of love. 
 
Amen 
 
(Iona Community)
 
PEACE,
 
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church