1 FIRST WORD SEPTEMBER 2018 Vol. 8; No. 8● First Presbyterian Church ● 215 East Lincoln Avenue ● Goshen 46528 ● Phone (574) 533-7845 ● September 2018 Table of Contents Pastor’s Column 1-2 Speaking the Truth in Love First Word News 2-8 Home Remedies from the Gospels September 15th Wedding Invitation - Cathie Cripe and David Pepple September 7 First Fridays Thank You Change of Address “Picnic for the Post” Our Mission/Our Values Mission Outreach Dinner—September 9 Women’s/Stitchers Bible Study Thursday Group FPC Women—September Gathering Cancer Support Group Mark this Date: Sunday, September 30 Do You Know Your Hymns? Positive Parenting Program—Goshen Hospital September Deacon On Call September Birthdays/Anniversaries Please Keep in Your Prayers Our Prayers of Sympathy Presbyterian Disaster Assistance 30-Day Scripture Writing Challenge September Calendar 9 First Word News and Events of FPC __ Speaking the Truth in Love That’s a phrase we hear often. Speaking the truth in love. Maybe it’s just me but whenever I hear someone say that, they almost never (in my estimation) are truly speaking out of love. Or if it is love, it is an abstract sort of love. “Because I love humankind, I’m saying this…” “Because I love my country, I’m saying this….” I’m not suggesting we can’t speak abstractly. But on the other hand, let’s not kid ourselves about the difference between that sort of abstract love and God’s love. We are of course very imperfect in the ways we embody God’s love. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some self awareness about what we are doing, or not doing. If I make a pronouncement that I think is speaking the truth in love, I need to be careful. I may be treating those to whom I am speaking as stereotypes or caricatures and not as real people. Any- time I start speaking about or to “the gays”, “the Republicans”, “the Muslims”, “the Christians” or any other group, it is impossible not to speak to stereotypes. At least for me that is the case. Addi- tionally if I feel the need to speak the truth in love to someone whom I have just met I am treating that person as a stereotype and not as an actual person. And I have to ask myself, am I really speaking out of love? It is, I suppose, love of a sort. It is a love that says, I know better than you and because I “love” you, I want to be sure your behavior/thoughts/actions are correct. It’s a top down sort of love. There is judgment in that statement, whether intended or not. It is a love that often doesn’t do a very good job is listening, truly listening, to others. (continued on page 2)
10
Embed
First Word - Amazon S3 · speaking as stereotypes or caricatures and not as real people. Any-time I start speaking about or to “the gays”, “the Republicans”, “the Muslims”,
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1 FIRST WORD SEPTEMBER 2018
D
e
Vol. 8; No. 8● First Presbyterian Church ● 215 East Lincoln Avenue ● Goshen 46528 ● Phone (574) 533-7845 ● September 2018
Table of Contents
Pastor’s Column 1-2
Speaking the Truth in Love
First Word News 2-8
Home Remedies from the Gospels
September 15th Wedding Invitation -
Cathie Cripe and David Pepple
September 7 First Fridays
Thank You
Change of Address
“Picnic for the Post”
Our Mission/Our Values
Mission Outreach Dinner—September 9
Women’s/Stitchers Bible Study
Thursday Group
FPC Women—September Gathering
Cancer Support Group
Mark this Date: Sunday, September 30
Do You Know Your Hymns?
Positive Parenting Program—Goshen
Hospital
September Deacon On Call
September Birthdays/Anniversaries
Please Keep in Your Prayers
Our Prayers of Sympathy
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
30-Day Scripture Writing Challenge
September Calendar 9
First Word News and Events of FPC
__
Speaking the Truth in Love
That’s a phrase we hear often. Speaking the truth in love. Maybe
it’s just me but whenever I hear someone say that, they almost
never (in my estimation) are truly speaking out of love. Or if it is
love, it is an abstract sort of love. “Because I love humankind, I’m
saying this…” “Because I love my country, I’m saying this….”
I’m not suggesting we can’t speak abstractly. But on the other
hand, let’s not kid ourselves about the difference between that sort
of abstract love and God’s love. We are of course very imperfect
in the ways we embody God’s love. But that doesn’t mean we
can’t have some self awareness about what we are doing, or not
doing.
If I make a pronouncement that I think is speaking the truth in
love, I need to be careful. I may be treating those to whom I am
speaking as stereotypes or caricatures and not as real people. Any-
time I start speaking about or to “the gays”, “the Republicans”,
“the Muslims”, “the Christians” or any other group, it is impossible
not to speak to stereotypes. At least for me that is the case. Addi-
tionally if I feel the need to speak the truth in love to someone
whom I have just met I am treating that person as a stereotype and
not as an actual person. And I have to ask myself, am I really
speaking out of love?
It is, I suppose, love of a sort. It is a love that says, I know better than you and because I “love” you,
I want to be sure your behavior/thoughts/actions are correct. It’s a top down sort of love. There is
judgment in that statement, whether intended or not. It is a love that often doesn’t do a very good
job is listening, truly listening, to others.
(continued on page 2)
2 FIRST WORD SEPTEMBER 2018
(continued from page 1)
It is better to speak out of a humble, self giving love, you know, more like Jesus. When Jesus speaks to
the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-31), he speaks tough words, but he speaks them out of love and he
speaks them to an individual. Jesus does speak hard words to groups of people, but they are groups he
is in ongoing dialog with.
I’m not sure that any one of us can truly speak the truth in love unless we are in an actual relationship
with the other person. My sense is that speaking the truth in love cannot be spoken by one person to
a group. Speaking the truth in love can happen within a group but not to a group. I can speak the
truth in love to my church because I know it. If I try to speak the truth in love to your church, I’d bet-
ter be careful and do some serious thinking about my motives. I may not be as loving as I think I am. I
may just want to tell people what to do and how to behave, thinking that I have the corner on truth.
Truth for Christians is not a set of behaviors. It is not a set of rules. It is not judgmental. Truth for
Christians is a person—Jesus. Before we begin to “speak the truth in love”, perhaps we ought to ask
ourselves, is it true, true like Jesus?
Grace and peace,
Alan
Home Remedies from
the Gospels
September 9 Dr. Luke’s Prescription Luke 4:18-19
September 16 Overcoming Bitterness Matthew 18:21-22
September 23 Family Values Luke 12:51
September 30 Broken Open Luke 24:30-31
Home Remedies is a metaphor for the healing power of God seen in the active and ongoing
restoration of a broken world. These gospel stories have the power to mend our spirits, strengthen
our weaknesses, and restore us to wholeness.
3 FIRST WORD SEPTEMBER 2018
CATHIE (Cripe)
and DAVID (Pepple)
Are being married, and
They invite Members and Friends Of the 1st Presbyterian Church Family
To their Wedding.
Saturday, September 15th, 2018 At 3:33 pm
At First Presbyterian Church 215 East Lincoln Avenue
Goshen, IN.
Reception to follow ceremony in Westminster. Your presence in our lives is your gift.
Positive Parenting Program Goshen Hospital The Triple P - Positive Parenting Program is one of the world's most effective parenting
programs, used in over 25 countries. It is one of the only parenting programs based on evi-
dence from ongoing scientific research. Triple P is designed to give parents the skills they
need to raise confident, healthy children and to build stronger family relationships.
Triple P Discussion Group Dealing With Disobedience is for parents of children 12
years old and younger. Classes are free but space is limited. Childcare is not provided. For
questions on this discussion group, please call (877) 566-4660.
Dealing with Discipline was discussed on August 16. The three remaining topics are
Managing Fighting and Aggression September 18 6-8 pm
Developing Good Bedtime Routines October 18 6-8 pm
Hassle-free Shopping with Children November 15 6-8 pm
September Deacon on Call: Gretchen Wise, 574/238-1322
7 FIRST WORD SEPTEMBER 2018
9/1 Brenda Huff 9/7 Eliot Tracz 9/9 Kara Minter 9/10 Janice Caton 9/10 Don Myers 9/11 Cathy Wray 9/13 Jay Morris 9/14 Jennifer Albert 9/19 Frances Carr 9/19 Donna Schrock 9/20 Merry Dee Snyder
9/20 Margaret Steele * 9/22 Christopher Griffin 9/24 Marilyn Hay 9/25 Elijah-David Jones 9/26 Scott Cole 9/29 Jessica Wilson 9/30 Jennifer Jenkins 9/30 Barbara King * Margaret Steele turns 90 on the 20th. Cards and greetings may be sent to her at Courtyard Health Care—339, 2400 College Avenue, Goshen 46528
9/2 James and Jane Stewart (18th) 9/3 Joshua and Ashley Ganger (13th) 9/16 Al and Mary Hoogenboom (68th) 9/17 Don and Helen Myers (64th) 9/18 Dennis and Brenda Huff (26th)
September Birthdays
Please keep in your prayers: Our armed forces and their families; Dawna Hole; Dennis
Huff; Amy Cole; Don Griffin in Oklahoma (Alan’s father); Tom Kintigh; Toddy Bowser; Mike
Kastro, Melissa Martinez (friend of Cathie Cripe); Marcia Griffin (Alan’s sister); Phil Albert
(Jenny’s son); Don Griffin in Oklahoma (Alan’s father); Bob Schlobohm; Ernie Jenkins and
son Grant (Jenny Jenkins’ son and grandson in OH); Cathie Cripe; Al Hoogenboom; Mary
Hoogenboom; Evelyn Johnson (mother of Sandy Kurtz); Martha Hepler; Tomi Griesenauer
(Jenny Paetsch’s mother); Florence Verhulst (Gretchen Wise’s sister in Griffin IN); Don Myers
(Helen’s husband); Sarah Miller (David Pepple’s sister); Bob Main; Brad Gilmore (Jenny Al-
bert’s brother); Julie McCally; Tina Cork (David Pepple’s niece)
Our prayers of sympathy are with
The family and friends of Margaret “Peggy” Herring, who died Friday, August 10, in
Fairfax, VA.
The family and friends of Georgia Webster, who died Wednesday, August 22. Survivors
include three children – Dave (Debbie) Webster, Elizabeth “Libby” (Richard) Ringel, and
Dr. Daniel Webster, a sister, Patricia Phillips, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
(son) Dave (Debbie) Webster, 19 Pacific Avenue, Sharpsburg, GA 30277
Church Staff: Pastor: Alan Griffin Secretary: Jeannie Hickman Director of Music: Marcia Yost Organist: Marilyn Mason Organist Emeritus: Dennis Huff Treasurer: Wayne Kramer Usher Emeritus: Miriam Wellington Custodian: Betty Barber
First Word
A publication of
First Presbyterian Church 215 East Lincoln Avenue, Goshen, IN 46528-3347
SUNDAY WORSHIP Discover First Worship: 10:20 am
Fellowship before and after Discover First Worship Free Community Spaghetti Dinner (1st Sunday
after 1st Fridays); 6:00-7:00 pm TUESDAY
Foundation (2nd); 6:00 pm WEDNESDAY
Stitchers Bible Study (2nd); 2:00 pm Chancel Choir; 6:30 pm
Worship Planning Team; 7:30 pm THURSDAY
Thursday Group (2nd) 6:00 pm Cancer Support Group (2nd and 4th); 7:00 pm; Library
Session (3rd): 7:00 pm FPC Ladies of the Church (4th); 11:30 am