Highlights Dear Friends in Christ, As the story goes in Exodus, the Lord led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt via two unmistakable signs: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). This lasted throughout their journey through the wilderness and on to the Promised Land. For 40 years, the Lord offered such clear guidance through many challenges. When the pillar moved, they moved. When it stayed, they stayed. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such clarity, especially in times like these? Looking back at the experience of the Hebrews, we must be careful to not over-romanticize God’s guiding presence in their lives. In fact, the story of God and the Hebrews during their time of wandering was complicated. The people still complained (see Exodus 15-17) and tried to turn away from God on several occasions (Exodus 32 and Numbers 14, for example) even though God was clearly there. And then there is the reality that the very first place the pillars of cloud and fire took the people was to the edge of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. It is one thing to know God is present, it is another thing to follow. It is yet another thing to wait upon the Lord when we think ourselves ready for action. I find myself reflecting on such things as we contemplate reopening the church building for in-person worship. On one hand we have clear guidance from local and state public health officials that we may resume worshiping in person, provided we follow social distancing and sanitizing protocols, wear masks, and only congregate for worship (and then promptly exit the building). But is it safe enough? Is it worth the risk? Will it even feel like worship? It will remain to be From the Heart Tierra Nueva started in 1994 when Bob and Gracie Ekblad (founders) moved to Burlington, WA. Tierra Nueva, which means New Earth in Spanish began to take form when Bob began visiting immigrant workers in the nearby labor camps and served as a jail chaplain in the Skagit Valley area. Migrant and jail ministry continue to be the cornerstones of Tierra Nueva. By focusing on those marginalized by poverty, ethnicity, and crime, Tierra Nueva has developed a worshiping community where regular services are held. The Family Support Center helps with emergency supplies, legal problems, assists with job and housing applications, and works with families in crisis. The jail ministry provides leadership for several Bible studies. Finally, Tierra Nueva’s mission includes equipping workers to take the good news of the gospel to their excluded brothers and sisters. To that end, they established the People’s Seminary as a center for scripture study and theology, rooted in active ministry with people on the margins. Tierra Nueva - New Earth First Presbyterian Church July 2020 (Continued on p. 2)
Transcript
Highlights
Dear Friends in Christ,
As the story goes in Exodus, the Lord led the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt via two unmistakable signs: a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). This lasted throughout their journey through the wilderness and on to the Promised Land. For 40 years, the Lord offered such clear guidance through many challenges. When the pillar moved, they moved. When it stayed, they stayed. Wouldn’t it be nice to have such clarity, especially in times like these?
Looking back at the experience of the Hebrews, we must be
careful to not over-romanticize God’s guiding presence in their lives. In fact, the story of God and the Hebrews during their time of wandering was complicated. The people still complained (see Exodus 15-17) and tried to turn away from God on several occasions (Exodus 32 and Numbers 14, for example) even though God was clearly there. And then there is the reality that the very first place the pillars of cloud and fire took the people was to the edge of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. It is one thing to know God is present, it is another thing to follow. It is yet another thing to wait upon the
Lord when we think ourselves ready for action.
I find myself reflecting on such things as we contemplate reopening the church building
for in-person worship. On one hand we have clear guidance
from local and state public health officials that we may resume worshiping in person, provided we follow social
distancing and sanitizing protocols, wear masks, and only congregate for worship (and
then promptly exit the building). But is it safe enough? Is it worth
the risk? Will it even feel like worship? It will remain to be
From the Heart
Tierra Nueva started in 1994 when Bob and Gracie Ekblad (founders) moved to Burlington, WA. Tierra Nueva, which means New Earth in Spanish began to take form when Bob began visiting immigrant workers in the nearby labor camps and served as a jail chaplain in the Skagit Valley area. Migrant and jail ministry continue to be the cornerstones of Tierra Nueva. By focusing on those marginalized by poverty, ethnicity, and crime,
Tierra Nueva has developed a worshiping community where regular services are held.
The Family Support Center helps with emergency supplies, legal problems, assists with job and housing applications, and works with families in crisis. The jail ministry provides leadership for several Bible studies. Finally, Tierra Nueva’s mission includes equipping workers to take the good news of the gospel to their excluded brothers and sisters.
To that end, they established the People’s Seminary as a center for scripture study and theology, rooted in active ministry with people on the margins.
Tierra Nueva - New Earth
First Presbyterian Church
July 2020
(Continued on p. 2)
From the Heart (continued from p. 1)
seen how these questions are
ultimately answered, but session has decided to press on toward the goal of reopening so that we can see one another, pray together, and enjoy God’s
presence together.
The journey from where we are today and when we reunite for
in-person worship is a challenging one
on many levels. There are
logistical considerations—if our seating is
limited, how do you determine
who can come and who must
stay home? There are matters of sanitizing, screening attendees,
supplying masks for those who forget them, and complying with rules and protocols that can
change daily. On top of that, there are questions about
technology—what to pre-record, what to do live, and how to stream it all to the
people who cannot attend. And
then there is the matter of managing expectations—this will not be the same as worship was back in February.
Is God guiding us forward? Telling us to stay home? Are we
on the shores of the Red Sea, or is that the Promised Land just around the corner?
Again, we cannot be sure. But
we can be faithful and
discerning. As we move toward reopening, please keep these
things in mind. In our desire to see one another and to claim some sense of normalcy in our lives once again, we must not
lose sight of our responsibility to Christ and our neighbors to do all we can to help limit the
spread of this deadly virus. We must remember that
compassion for others often involves setting aside our own wants and needs for their sake.
And we must temper our
expectations.
When we resume worshiping in person, things will be different, and things may change on a
moment’s notice. There will be frustrations. There will be
grumbling. We will not always know exactly what lies around the next bend. But we can trust that the God of the Exodus is the same God who leads us now. And when
things are not always clear, we will default by looking to the safety of
others and seeking to glorify Christ in the process. So, please keep an
open mind and
please pray for
me and our session as we
make preparations to see one another again in the house of the Lord.
Godspeed,
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Finding the Words...
There are times when it is hard to
find words to describe our feelings. This is especially true when we are angry or upset. Anger and despair do not seem compatible with our Christian walk, so we tend to stifle such feelings and downplay the inner anguish within us. Doing so can lead to further harm, for such feelings do not always fade—
particularly in such trying times as these! The healthy response is
to share our feelings with God, to
get them out so God can heal us. Fortunately, the Bible offers plenty of examples for us—words we can use when we have trouble finding them ourselves—they are called laments. Laments provide a language for us to name
uncomfortable feelings, like when our worlds turn upside down, and to even shout out to God (or even at God) when things are not right.
Join Pastor Matt as we explore
biblical laments as a guide for expressing painful feelings to God…as a pathway toward wholeness and peace. Four virtual
The Session met via Zoom on Monday, June 22, at 7 pm and the
following actions were taken:
• Approved with regrets Paula Mitchell’s resignation from her position as elder at First Presbyterian Church Port Angeles
• Approved sharing our worship on July 19 with Church of the Hills, Bellaire, MI, and request their Session
to direct any honoraria to Lauren Corder to compensate her for additional video editing work.
• Approved up to $42,000 from the General Fund (non-budgeted item) for an extensive upgrade of the sound system in the Sanctuary/Fellowship Hall.
• Discussed plans to resume in-person worship on 7/26/20, with pre-recorded services shown at the church
at two services on Sunday morning. Pre-recorded
services will also be uploaded to YouTube for viewing at
home for congregants who are unable to attend or would prefer to continue to worship at home. Separate sub-committees were created to
address logistics (seating, traffic-flow, policy
enforcement), physical safety (sanitizing, social distancing, masks/gloves), and integration of video into in-person worship.
Page 3 Highl ights Page 3 Highl ights
Online Payment, a new way to pay tithes & offerings...
to First Presbyterian Church – online!
Click on this link. (*Or scan the QR code shown below.)
A secured weblink lets you make a payment using a credit or debit card, or to have your checking or savings account debited. Set up your account – name, address, email, and password. You choose the payment frequency (one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually). Enter the dollar amount and payment method. Confirm and go! You receive a quick email confirmation of your donation. And the financial secretary can view payments online. The church receives the total amount given at the end of the month. Of course, you may always mail checks to the
FPCPA office, but this new opportunity makes it easy and convenient. Please note, if you use a debit or credit card, there is a small fee on this service: 2% of the gift. So if you give $100, the church receives $98. But there is a small box to check if you want to add the fee, so you would give $102.
We are using the Presbyterian Foundation’s online giving option, administered by Vanco Payments. The link will be on our church website. Online giving offers a selection of Funds (currently General Fund) and there is a box for notes where you can specify other donations, such as Per Capita, special giving, or offerings. Financial Secretary Tom McCulloch reviewed several options and the Stewardship Committee voted for this one.
*A QR code (short for "Quick Response" code) is a type of barcode containing information that can be read by a scanner. A smartphone equipped with a camera and a QR code reader can scan the code, and the code will direct your phone to a web site or application. You can find free QR code scanner apps in the App Store or in Google Play.
Scanning this QR code with your phone will take you to the church's online giving page.
Budgeted Year-to-Date: $155,804 Actual Year-to-Date: $133,861
Expenditures:
Budgeted Year-to-Date: $159,334 Actual Year-to-Date: $144,788
Dear Church Family,
Thank you so much for all the graduation cards and good wishes, as
well as for the notebook, pen, and chocolate! I also really appreciate all of
you who came by our house for the drive-by grad party. You all have helped to make a strange senior year end in a
special way.
Love, Arie Paul
Page 4 Highl ights
Thanks to all my well-wishers who said prayers and sent notes for my recovery from surgery early in June. I've had some "bumps in the road" through the journey but I'm improving and gaining
my energy back. So thankful for your
messages and prayers.
Blessings,
Darlene Whitney
Drive by Baby Shower for Colin Christensen on July 26 at 2pm
Colin’s parents are Kyle and Jamie Christiansen. Grandparents are Bret & Diane Curtis. Gift ideas: Clothing 12 months and up Size 3 diapers & wipes Gifts cards: local, Amazon, and Target.
the Upper Room web site
offers a page of other
online devotional
resources at
https://bit.ly/2WND243. It
includes a daily email you
can subscribe to, podcasts
and videos, and more.
The new These Days and
Upper Room are now
available. Let the office
know if you want one and
we will see that you get
one. They will also be on
the desk outside the office.
Upper Room conducts a live
daily morning prayer
meditation on its Facebook
page at https://
www.facebook.com/Upper
RoomCenter/. It begins at 9
am Pacific time. In addition,
New Devotionals are Available
17 Jim & Chris Buckmaster 18 Jim Lewis Dave & Michelle Olsen 19 Loris Hendrickson 21 Vicki Anderson 22 Andrea Fry 23 Larry Buckley Walt Davison 24 Sirreea Zimmer 26 Linsey Monaghan 27 Scooter Chapman
1 Todd & Michele Haworth Willem Paul 2 Jenna Buckmaster John & Margi Haney Rosalyn Taylor 3 Cindy McVicker Mike Sofie 6 Ted & Marilyn Mattie 13 Doug & Coya Erickson Maggie Miller 14 Melinda Smithson 16 Miriam Cobb
28 Matthew Paul Reed & Jennie Wendel 29 Perry Keeling 30 Helen Craker Paul Smithson Pat Warren 31 Ruth Brown
