Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2020-06-04

Thursday June 4th 2020
A daily e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Dear Friends,
 
Today let’s pray for our Presbyterian Woman. 
 
They meet for their annual gathering today. Our women have led us through discussions, mission emphasis, and service. Mae Chapin was one of the many saints in our flock that we lift up as having had a zeal for being a disciple. Somebody who knows her story better should write about her and we’ll include it in a future email.
 
My mother grew in faith through Presbyterian Women. When she was asked to be a circle leader, she said she couldn’t. She didn’t have the self-confidence or the gifts. Another woman said, “Yes you do.” Reluctantly, she agreed. And she worked hard. When she was asked to be a Circle Moderator, she declined, saying she couldn’t. She didn’t have the self-confidence or the gifts. Another woman said, “Yes, you do. Yes, you can.” Again, she rolled up her sleeves and served God through the ministries of PW. When she was asked to be moderator of PW, she said the job was way over her head. She couldn’t. She didn’t have the self-confidence or the gifts. Another woman said, “Yes you do. It’s not over your head. We need you.” When my mom was asked to be a Deacon she said she was not worthy. Somebody said, “Correct. You are not worthy, but God doesn’t call the worthy, God makes worthy the called.” When she was asked to be an Elder, she declined. She was not equipped. She was told that God does not call the equipped, God equips the called. 
 
Her service in the church began through Presbyterian Women. 
 
When she was asked to say a word about race, she spoke up. She was part of a team that called a gay pastor. She quietly made her stand for youth serving as leaders, for welcoming the homeless into our small church to sleep for the winter (NEST), for beginning a preschool, and for underwriting scholarships for seminarians. She made layettes for new moms. She cooked meals for ten and for hundreds; it wasn’t gourmet, but nobody left hungry. She stood up when she needed to stand up. Her knees knocked. She didn’t like speaking in public, and seldom did it. She wasn’t a natural leader, maybe. But she surrounded herself with great leaders, great speakers, great idea-people, energetic, spirit-filled people.  And my mom, who learned to be organized and thrifty from OJT in the SHK (on the job training at the School of Hard Knocks), did what needed to be done. 
 
She was seen has a reliable woman who listened, cared, inspired, and got things done.
 
It was through God’s persistent call through Presbyterian Woman that God equipped her to serve the wide church. 
 
I know dozens of kids who have heard God’s call through tight youth groups. They are teachers and graphic designers and engineers. They work line jobs in factories. They run departments of EMT. The hold political office. They teach. It was in youth group where they were challenged and invited to lead that they grew to be servants of the most high God.
 
I miss my mom. But when I look around our church, I see her face shining through the faces of others, even as I seen the image of God in each.
 
NEWS:
Prayer group on Wednesdays is an oasis. Come and see. Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (The ZOOM link always appears in these mailers.)
 
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN will gather TODAY.  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.
Email info@firstpres.church for the link.
— 
 
Good Word: Romans 5:1-5
 
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
 
Let us pray: 
 
GOD, you bring our days to an end
like a story that is told.
Help us to remember that 
at the end of our small day,
is the eternity of your love.
 
Amen.
 
(Reinhold Niebuhr)
 
PEACE,
 
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church

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