First Presbyterian Church

Information may not be reliable

Next week, after worship, I am delighted to be going to Michigan to spend Thanksgiving with my daughter, Annie, and her family! Fred and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving when I return. Rev. Brock Watson, a retired Presbyterian minister from Joplin, will be filling the pulpit on November 28. I think you will all really enjoy meeting and hearing Brock. Because I will be gone, we will not be sending a Monday’s Message next week.
Can you believe that Advent is just a little over a week away? The time goes faster every year, it seems! With Advent comes the time of speeding up, getting frantically busy, trying to get ready for the coming of Christmas, yet Jesus says (in Matthew 24) that we should be doing the opposite, really. We should be slowing down a bit, yet not falling asleep. We should certainly be getting ready, and although we want to be ready to celebrate the birth (the coming) of the Christ-child, even more important is the preparations and being ready for the second coming – the coming of Christ, the King.
People are always trying to discern when that coming will be. Certainly, many of the signs Jesus says will happen before he comes have happened … wars, rumors of war; earthquakes, floods, etc. But Jesus so clearly tells us that no one knows the time – not even him!
But, Jesus tells us, we should make sure we are ready. We should live in an intentional awareness – always aware that he could come today and always ready spiritually for his coming. We should not fall asleep, but be awake.
This doesn’t mean we never sleep, but that we live our lives being present in today’s life, yet always ready and expecting the Kingdom of God to fully burst forth. This Advent, may we spend extra time preparing our hearts and spirits for the most important coming of all – Jesus Christ, our Lord!
Peace and Grace!

Note: The office will be closed part of the afternoon this Thursday for the funeral of Carol Maxton, who was Colleen Moore’s sister. Should be back by 3:00 p.m.

OFFICE HOURS THANKSGIVING WEEK The office will close at noon on Tuesday, November 23, and remain closed until Monday, November 29th. Alice will be leaving town for Thanksgiving with family and Sharlyn will be in Michigan with her daughter and family.

Thank you to all whose response to our Stewardship Commitment Sunday was so positive! I know you will be blessed in many ways. Those who were not able to be in worship for that very special day will be receiving your card in the mail in the next couple of days. Please be watching for it.

IT WILL SOON BE TIME TO DECORATE THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS…

On Sunday, November 28, 2010, at 3:00 P. M., there will be an ALL CHURCH event to decorate the church for Christmas. The help of many is needed! Following the decorating, we will go to the home of Anne and Doug Allen for pizza. Each one is to bring money to help pay for the pizza. Please come and plan to spend a time of fun and fellowship!
FOOD BASKETS Just a reminder to continue bringing non-perishables items for the Labette Assistance Food Pantry. They are so grateful and need all the help we can give them
OATMEAL FESTIVAL 2010 Everyone is busy cooking and baking for the 10th Annual Oatmeal Festival to be held on December 2, 2010 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This is the night of the Christmas Parade. See Mary of Pete Hughes for tickets. Be sure you pick some up and begin selling them. This has become a tradition in our community. Everyone looks forward to it.

MEMBERS: Bill Ney, Virginia Blevins, Virginia Kabrey, Ginger Wheat (death of her brother), Bill Bateson, Bob Andrews, Opal Rigg, Phyllis Oas , Ruth Westervelt, Veda Woodward, residents at the Presbyterian Manor
FAMILY & FRIENDS: Colleen Moore (death of her sister), Sarah Mahdl, Annie Batten, the family of Audrey Sprenger, Mary Reed, Gene Joslin, Lynn Wallis, Evan Hoyt (in Afghanistan), LTC North Charles (in Afghanistan), Becky Saliba, Vicki Rike, Jill Carter, Helen Jones, Eloise Lyons (Ginger Wheat’s mother), Howard Kercheval (Marti Parnell’s brother), Emilie Bohannon, Ed Beason, Mary Larson, Kari Gilmore, Steve Campbell, Cheryl Donelson, Arvon Phillips, David Parnell, Suzie Hastings, Anna Hudson, Brenda Nelson, Marge Rogers, Freddie Townsend (Warren’s cousin), our military and our leaders and the flood victims

There are lots of plastic gallon jugs that can be filled with soup. If cooking is beyond your capabilities, cash donations will gladly be accepted to help others pay for some of their ingredients.
Mary Hughes has tickets for the Oatmeal Festival. Please take your tickets and begin selling them. This has become a tradition in our community. We all look forward to it.

A Lesson in Giving (from the 2010 Stewardship journal titled GIVING: growing joyful stewards in your congregation.
The theme is: MORE THAN ENOUGH
My eight-year-old daughter, Betsie, had $7.81 to spend at an auction to benefit her friend Angela’s family; they had major expenses related to an auto accident.
“Tell me about the auction,” I said.
“Most of it was big stuff I knew I couldn’t buy,” said Betsie. “But there was one piggy bank that I thought maybe I had enough money for. So I waited and watched. “Finally, it was time to sell the piggy bank. I was real nervous. But when they said, ‘Who wants to bid?’ I raised my hand. The guy said ‘Yep.’ But then the other guy pointed to somebody and said ‘Yep’ too. The man pointed back at me and I shook my head yes and he said ‘Yep’ again. That happened a couple of times but before too long when he pointed at me I said ‘I can’t bid anymore because that’s all the money I have.’ Then a guy behind me said, ‘Keep bidding kid, I’ve got you covered.’ It all seemed to go so fast. Finally nobody else would bid so I won the piggy bank.”
“Who was the man?” I asked, intending to pay him back.
“I don’t know. He told me to just forget it. He said he had fun giving it to me.”
“So, where is your piggy bank?”
“Oh, I gave it to Angela. What do I need a piggy bank for? I don’t have any money.”
She was nearly giddy with excitement. I didn’t want to spoil her excitement but in my accounting mind it seemed like a great time to talk about percentage giving. However, one look into my wife’s face told me my best course of action would be to say nothing.
Surely my wife knew Betsie needed to learn financial responsibility. Why was I getting the strong “Now would be a good time to be quiet” look?
“Dear,” I said, “that was a very teachable moment.”
“Indeed it was,” she agreed. “Did you learn anything?”
(Bill DeBoom, author, is an accountant still learning about giving my now grown-up daughter).
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Questions or comments about this Web site contact the Keith Wilson at kwwilson@swbell.net.