Scripture for Sunday (5/29/2022)

Scripture for Sunday
Psalm 9:9-20 (ESV)

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. [10] And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. [11] Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! [12] For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. [13] Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, [14] that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation. [15] The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid their own foot has been caught. [16] The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. [17] The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. [18] For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. [19] Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! [20] Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." [36] And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. [37] And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. [38] But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" [39] And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [40] He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" [41] And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"

Uvalde, a Letter from the Pastors & Executive Presbyter

Dear church family,

I write this with a heavy heart grieving for those families in Uvalde. Please be in prayer for the families and the community. I cannot imagine the depth of hurt and grief that they are experiencing. In times like this which are becoming far too common we need hope. I turn to the words of Peter in his first letter. 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The source of our hope is in God, a God who simply loves us and can do nothing else, a God who never stops seeking us. Biblical and Christian hope does not mean living in the clouds, dreaming of a better life. It is not merely a projection of what we would like to be or do. It leads us to discover seeds of a new world already present today, even when the Kingdom of God seems so far away. It is because of the identity of our God, because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can have hope in the worst this world has to offer.

There are days when hope waxes and wanes. There are days when all we feel is numbness. While hope is something we need to have and to strengthen, there are going to be times when it is impossible to feel. Instead of being steady, down on the end near the anchor, we find ourselves literally at the end of the rope, being whipped around like a kite in a springtime storm. However even when we may not be able to feel hope, to feel our connection to God, it doesn’t mean hope is gone; it still exists whether we feel it or not. Thus, our Christian life never is held hostage to feelings because there is always hope that is beyond hope. That, I think, is what it means to say we hope in our salvation. We are not alone even when we feel utterly alone.

I believe this is what Peter was relating to the readers of his epistle…that even while we wait for eternal life here on earth, suffering trials, we still experience what we truly hope for, the salvation of our souls. Each time the Lord gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven, each time the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to praise God even and especially while we feel persecuted or when we are suffering, God is strengthening our faith and drawing us closer. This is true not only for us as individual Christians, but also for the body of Christ, the church. The church is in much need today of remembering it too has received God’s gift of hope.

Yours in Christ,
Jim and Laurie


A letter from our Executive Presbyter Rev. Sally Watson

Beloveds,

We are heartbroken at the tragedy that has occurred in Uvalde today. We have been in touch with the Clerk of Session and also with the Rev. Gini Norris-Lane, their Moderator. While we are grateful to hear that no one in our congregation was wounded and that all their families are safe, the entire community has been impacted and is shaken.

The city is next to impossible to access this day as the details are still unfolding and there is understandably a lot of police activity. So much is yet unknown. So, the congregation is planning a service of prayer and wholeness for Wednesday night, May 25, at 6:30 pm. The church is located at 300 N. Getty in Uvalde. If you are able to join us, we know it would mean so much to the congregation. If you're not able to attend, please keep the congregation, the schools, and the entire city in your prayers. Please contact the Presbytery office if you need more information.

In the meantime, we offer this prayer written by the Rev. Laurie Kraus, the Associate Mission Director of Compassion, Peace and Justice of the Presbyterian Church (USA):

God our shelter, hold us under the shadow of your wings as we bow before you in grief and pain.
We pray for each family who has lost a beloved child, a parent, a friend;
we pray for those who have witnessed horror, and are wounded in body or spirit,
for each of them is a child made in your image.
We pray for ourselves, that we will find strength to support the brokenhearted,
grace to find our way in the darkness of grief, anger and loss;
light to sense your presence, even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Restore our hopes, our hearts, even as we weep with grief and tremble with anger.
Fill us, your wounded, willing people, with a peace that passes understanding,
the courage to nurture healing and hope,
and the willingness to bear the Christ light, even in these days of shadow.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Scripture for Sunday (5/22/2022)

This Sunday, May 22nd we will recognize our graduates Risa Cantu, Bronc Kothmann, and Emma Leistkow. We will celebrate their accomplishments and let them know how proud we are of them at a luncheon after church. Lunch will be potluck; please bring a main dish, salad or dessert to share.

Scripture for Sunday
Acts 2:42-47

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Scripture for Sunday (5/15/2022)

Scriptures for Sunday
Revelation 21:1-7

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Acts 11:1-11 

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 "You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' 8 But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.' 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea.

John 13:31-35

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, 'Where I am going you cannot come.' 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Scripture for Sunday (5/8/2022)

Men’s Breakfast will be held next Saturday the 14th not this Saturday

Scripture
1 John 3:11-24

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. [12] Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. [13] Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. [14] We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. [15] Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

[16] This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. [17] If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. [19] This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence [20] whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

[21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

John 10:11-18

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

[14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. [17] The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

May 2022 Newsletter

Click on the link to view the latest newsletter.

May 2022 Newsletter

Have a great day!!
~ Carmen

Scripture for Sunday (5/1/2022)

Announcements:

• The regional track meet is today and tomorrow in Kingsville. Jade Bierschwale is running on the relay team.
• JHS One Act Play will be doing an encore performance for the public on Tuesday, May 3rd at 6:30pm in the auditorium. Admission is free.

Scripture for Sunday
Romans 5:1-11 (ESV)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

[6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— [8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. [11] More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.