OCTOBER 2018

The First Presbyterian Church

The Evangel

I Am Will Be With You

The more you read through the Bible, the more you see patterns running through its pages. One of the patterns we see over and over is that whenever God appears to someone to tap them for a particular service, that person protests. God says “Here is what I want you to do,” and the saint replies “Who, me?!” And to be fair, it’s under-standable. We humans are still pretty good at wriggling our way out of jobs. Given enough time, we can find every reason why we shouldn’t be the one to do something.

No one was as good at this as Moses, however. In Exodus 3-4, we read his call story – how God appeared to him in the form of a burning bush which was on fire, but which somehow was not consumed. Moses is 80 years old at this point. He had spent the first 40 years of his life in Pharaoh’s palace as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Af-ter murdering an Egyptian, however, he had gone on the run into the desert where he eventually married and settled down to life as a shepherd. God, however, had other plans for Moses. Through the burning bush, he says to Moses that He had heard His peo-ple’s cries for deliverance from slavery, and that He had chosen him to be the one to go to Pharaoh as His spokesperson. God was tapping Moses to go back to Egypt and tell the king, “Here’s what the God of Israel says: ‘Let My people go!’”

And naturally, Moses is horrified – and what follows is perhaps a record in the Bible for the number of excuses someone comes up with for not serving the Lord. Moses comes up with no fewer than five reasons why he should not be the one to go to Pharaoh! And here they are:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11, ESV). In other words: I’m a nobody! God, You’ve got the wrong guy! But God replies, “But I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12a, ESV), which means When I am with you, you are good enough!

Moses then essentially says to God, “But I don’t know Your Name. What am I going to tell the people when they ask who You are?” God’s reply is one of those BIG moments in Scripture – the first time He reveals His Name to us: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14, ESV)1. As the creator and giver of life, it is fitting that His Name should be I Am – for the only reason we are is because He is. Moses, however, could no longer claim that he did not know the Lord – for God had told him something He had told no one else.

Moses then essentially asked God “But what if they don’t believe me when I tell them Your message?” What’s truly amazing about this is that God had just told Moses that the Israelites would believe him, even though Pharaoh would not. But God is patient – at this point, He gives Moses three signs he can perform as proof that He had really sent him: his staff turning into a live serpent, his hand become lep-rous, and turning Nile water into blood.

But still that isn’t enough for Moses, for at this point he gives his famous “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” objection. Moses protests that he just isn’t a very eloquent public speaker, and therefore is not fit for the job. God replies, however, “Who has made man’s mouth? . . . Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Exodus 4:11-12, ESV).

And yet, still, after all of this, Moses still says “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13, ESV). And God, who has been remarkably patient up this point, finally gets angry. Still, He allows that Moses’ brother Aaron would be allowed to go with him to be the spokesperson, even though, ironically, when Moses finally does obey, he is the one who ends up doing all the talking. It seems God knew what He was doing all along!

Of course, we all know how this turns out: Moses and Pharaoh go back-and forth for a while, but eventually Moses leads the Children of Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years, and then right up to the border of the Promised Land. Moses has gone on to be one of the great heroes of the faith – and yet, in the beginning, all he could do was protest. He had every reason in the book for not serving God. He just couldn’t see what God saw.

I wonder – how often are we like Moses? How often do we slam the door in God’s face, saying “There’s no way I’m ever going to do that!” How often do we protest and object to serving the Lord . . .

When we are asked to be an elder or deacon? When we are asked to serve in worship as a liturgist, usher, or Children’s Sermon volun-

teer? When we are asked to increase our stewardship pledge? When we are asked to share our faith, to invite someone to church with us, or to tell

someone about Jesus? When we are asked to forgive someone who has hurt us or made us angry?

We find every excuse why we simply can’t do those things. We say with Moses, “God, You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m not good enough. I’m not talented enough. I’m not enough.” But what if God is seeing something we cannot see – that when He is with us, we are enough? Wouldn’t it be wiser to trust that God knows better than we do, that He is trustworthy, and that He knows what is best for us?

This month, if and when you feel God tapping you for service, why not prayerfully consider that this might be your Moses moment? Who knows how many people you may bless by saying “Yes” to Him? After all – I AM will be with you! To Him alone be the glory!

In Christ’s Love,

Joshua

1“I AM” is a translation of the Hebrew name Yahweh, sometimes written YHWH, which is what God reveals His Name to be here.

Sometimes you will see a footnote in the Bible explaining that His Name can also be translated I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. In the Old Testament, whenever you see the word LORD or GOD written in all capitals, that is a sign that in the Hebrew, the Name of God is written. God’s Name, however, is considered so holy that it is still generally not spoken aloud by Jews. Often, when reading Scripture out loud, Jewish people will substitute the word Adonai (meaning “Lord”) or Ha-Shem (meaning “The Name”). Through a process far too complicated for me to explain here, the name YHWH eventually was twisted into the word Jehovah, which, while often used to refer to God, is not the Name He gave us here in Exodus 3.

Our Just One events with our brothers and sisters at NewSong Vineyard Church will continue this month as we continue to look into the why and the how of sharing our faith. This month we will be meeting at NewSong Vineyard Church on Thursday, October 25 at 7pm. The pastors of both churches will be presenting on the nuts and bolts of evangelism. A sign-up sheet will be in Faith Hall for all who are interested. We hope to see you there! Also, mark your calendars for Thursday, November 29 at 7pm, when we will meet here again at First Presbyterian!

Do you have questions about the Bible or about our Christian faith? Is there something you’ve always wanted to ask, but you’ve never

seemed to find the right time? Be sure to join us at Coffee/Tea with the Pastor at the Coffee Peddlar in downtown Harrison (112 Harrison Avenue) from 2-4 pm on Wednesday, October 10! This is a time for fun, fellowship, and delicious caffeinated beverages, all in a relaxed atmosphere. All are welcome!

The pastor will be on vacation in North Carolina and Virginia from Thursday, October 11—Friday, October 19. If you have a pastoral care emer-gency during this time, please

call the church office and our Administrative Assistant will put you in touch with an on-call pastor. Also, be sure to join us on Sunday, Oc-tober 14 as Teresa Niemann-Gregg fills the pulpit! See you there! There will be no 8:30 Service on October 14, and no Bible Study on October 15.

& Tea

WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION NEWS

BIG OCTOBER 5-6 STUFF SALE! You can start to bring your STUFF on Sunday, September 30. We will start sorting Monday morning. Your STUFF needs to be in by Thursday, October 4.

We need lots of STUFF to sell so start cleaning out your closets, basements, garages, houses now! ( REMEMBER: NO ELECTRONICS OR T.V.’S)

We could use some help during the week leading up to the sale from 9am-3pm to sort and price. Aid is also needed on Saturday at 1pm, when the sale ends, to pack up the leftovers and load the truck. THANKS AHEAD OF TIME!

We are still collecting soda-pop tabs labels for the kids in Southwest Schools. There is a container in the Welcome Center for your donations. We no longer collect Box Tops and Campbell Soup labels.

The presbytery held its September meeting here at First Presbyterian. We would like to thank the large number of volunteers who helped out at this event! “Because of your support the event was a huge success!” Thank you to: Deanna Jones Carol Longhauser Debbie Menninger Anne Troy Christine Luca Kim Brown Joan Loos Barry Fury Bob Tabor Wayne Brown Fred Burkey Elaine Burkey Jean Gibbs Marilyn Bourquein Foster Harris Lisa Steuver Janet Walton Terry Frenz Judy Gibbs Janet Acra

Erwin Hein Judie Hein Tom Steuver Pam Fury Sherry Caito Sandra McCauley Joshua Long Jeff Sindiong Mary Kirschner Mindy Sindiong

The Pastor’s Bible Study continues! Do you want to know more about the Bible? Have you come to realize that, like everyone, your Christian Education is not complete? Then join us for the Pastor’s Bible Study each Monday night, at 7 pm in the Conference Room. We welcome Bible scholars and Bible novices alike! Come join us as together we dig into the Old Testament Book of Daniel. And by the way—not only do we feed the soul and mind, sometimes we feed the body, too, with tasty treats! All are welcome! See you there!

Join us for our weekly prayer meeting on Mondays at 6:30pm (note new time!) in the Chapel. Not everyone prays out loud; it’s okay to just join in with the prayerful atmosphere. If you have any questions, please call Fred Burkey at 513-889-8653. Please note: NO Bible Study or prayer meeting on Oct 15th.

Our annual Stewardship Campaign will take place during the month of October. Pledge cards will be mailed the week of October 1st. If you do not receive a pledge card, and would like to make a pledge to the church for your 2018 giving, please contact Erwin Hein, Sandra McCauley, or Jeff Gibbs.

Thank you to all who provided testimonies for us to share. We are excited for you to hear some of those testimonies during worship services throughout October. Watch the bulletins for more information and written testimonies!

Congratulations to Josephine Jean Landfried, daughter of Daniel and Allison Landfried, who received the Sacrament of Baptism on Sept 23rd. Welcome, Child of the Covenant!

October’s “12 Months of Giving” Campaign

We will be collecting for Christ’s Loving Hands in preparation for the Thanks-giving families. They request the following food items: Mashed potatoes, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, gravy, canned fruit, canned sweet potatoes, canned vege-tables, jello, boxed bread mix (banana, pumpkin, etc.), cake mix and frosting. REMEMBER, Christine Luca is willing to do your shopping for you. Just let her know.

Thank you for the donations for Harrison Day of Service. We collected 33 bottles laundry detergent, 17 bottles dish detergent, 12 bottles of shampoo & conditioner, 10 bottles liquid hand soap, 14 tubes toothpaste, 5 toothbrushes, 186 bars soap, and various other items.

TWO CENTS A MEAL COLLECTION IS OCTOBER 14th

Please look for the gold pots at both entrances to the sanctuary to place your monthly donations. If you are not able to make it to a service, please feel free to mail your donation to the church. It goes to a good cause of helping feed the hungry. As always, thanks for your generous donations. ~ The Mission Committee

Our free community meal, called Bountiful Hearts, continues on the first Saturday of every month. Our next meal will be on Saturday, October 6th from 11am – 1pm here at our church. We need lots of volunteers to help make this event a success! Be

sure to sign up on the sheets in Faith Hall if you wish to bake, to serve, to clean up, or to deliver carry-out meals! Also, remember your 2-cents-a-meal money goes to pay for the cost of the food! Thank you for your support!

Join us for lunch on October 28th ! Missionaries Ryan & Maggie Warmuth will join us on Sunday, October 28th. Im-mediately following the 10:45am service, join us for lunch in SonRise Hall and to hear more from Ryan and Maggie. They will share some traditional Nepali food including chicken curry, rice, lentil soup and more. All are welcome! Come join us!

Reach Out Pregnancy Center will celebrate its 25th anniversary with the 5K Run/Walk for Life on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m. at Tunis Park on Park Avenue in downtown Harrison. The family-fun event will include music, door-prizes and food. Event check-in begins at 2:30 p.m. There will be two Run/Walk routes – one 1-mile long and an-other 3.1 miles (5K) long. To pre-register online, go to www.reachoutpregnancy.com, or Reach Out’s Facebook page. You also can print a registration form from the website and mail it in or drop it

off. Forms also are available at Reach Out’s office, 10150 Harrison Ave. in Harrison. The registra-tion fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children age 10-17 and includes a t-shirt if the registration is received by Sept. 27. For more information, contact Reach Out Pregnancy Center at contact@reachoutpregnancy.com or 513/367-7710.

Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday

Bulletin Deadlines: Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.

November Evangel Deadline: October 15, 12 Noon

Send all bulletin and Evangel items to Sandra at office@presbyterian.com, call the office (367-4301) or drop by the office.

Heart to Heart meets on Thursdays at 9:30am in the YC Room. This is a women's group to study the Bible, encourage one another, and a time for great fellowship. We will meet Thursday mornings at 9:30 in the YC room. Any questions should be directed to Deanna Jones, Debbie Menninger, or Linda Hellmann.

The latest check from Kroger has arrived. Our church received 245.13 for the period of May 1– July 31. THANKS TO THE 49 HOUSEHOLDS PARTICIPATING! Our grand total received to date from Community Rewards is $20,110.14. Not signed up yet? It only takes a few minutes!

Earn money for your church doing what you always do: grocery shop!

Please note that our organization number has changed to CX864. You do not need to update your card if you are already enrolled. New enrollees search by this number or church name. Contact Reta Crone with questions.

World Communion Sunday, in which we join with brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in celebrating the Sac-rament of the Lord’s Supper as a sign of our unity, is Sun-

day, October 7. Be sure to join us in wor-ship as we feast at the Table of Grace!

Reformation Sunday, in which we celebrate our Protestant heritage, is Sunday, October 28. Be sure to join us in worship as we give thanks to God for being part of a church “reformed and ever-reforming according to the Word of God!”

“Brethren, do something; do something;

do something. While committees waste

their time over resolutions, do some-

thing. While Societies and Unions are

making constitutions, let us win souls.

Too often we discuss, and discuss and

discuss, and Satan laughs in his sleeve.”

- C.H. Spurgeon

Did you miss one of Dr. Long’s sermons? You can catch up by watching it on YouTube! Just enter “First Presbyterian

Church of Harrison, OH” in the YouTube search bar to find our very own channel. More than a year’s worth of sermons are posted there for your edification. Enjoy! P.S. – You can also live-stream our worship service during the 10:45 hour each Sunday by checking out the link on our church website!

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 4. Remember to “fall back,” or you will come an hour early to Sunday School and worship! Our next Bountiful Hearts meal will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 11am – 1pm. If you are interested in helping out with this meal, contact Christine Luca.

Our November “Just One” event will be held on Thursday, November 29 here at First Presbyterian Church. See the “Just One” announcement elsewhere in this Evangel for more information.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 6 this year. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to use all our resources in service to Him. Remember to vote!

The presbytery will have its final meeting of the year on Tuesday, November 13 at Knox Presbyterian Church in Hyde Park. If you are interested in attending this meeting, please contact the church office.

Our annual Fill the Chancel food collection will be held on Sunday, November 18. Watch the bulletin and Evangel for more details.

The office will be closed on Thursday, November 22 for Thanksgiving.

Love Thy Neighbor November collection will benefit Reach Out Pregnancy Center. They have requested Gerber formula, newborn or size1 diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, pacifiers, and infant bottles.

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS 4 Lana Stapp 5 Mindy Biddle 7 George Schummer, Ken Harshbarger 8 Rodger Meyers 10 Mary Rae Ward 11 Lauren Loos 12 Bill Snape Jr. 13 Renee Schinaman 15 Judie Hein, Kathleen Gibbs 16 Michael Snape 17 Marilyn Rueger, Marvin Cook 18 Mindy Sindiong 20 Tom Steuver, Amy Green 23 Dawna Thomas 24 Virginia Steelman

FELLOWSHIP TABLE

Oct 7 Shirley Fury Oct 14 Jean Gibbs Oct 21 Deanna Jones Birthday Bakers Oct 28 Christine Luca, June Merten, Fran Myers

PRAYER CHAIN CALLS: The Prayer Chain is a group of people who are committed to praying daily for those requesting prayer. This ministry is administered through our Board of Deacons. If you have a prayer request, please contact Linda Hellmann 600-8295 during the day or Phyllis Wolfram 367-4578 during the evening. For two weeks, the people on the chain will pray daily for the person or situation requested.

Our Shut-Ins Pauline Zimmerman Nora Montgomery Theresa Johnson Jeanette Rae Ginny Thiele Juanita Lacy Jane Poland Anale VanWagenen Evelyn Stutzman

Specific Prayer Needs Deb Menninger: for her son’s health; Stephanie Trabel: for her aunt’s health; Jim & Ellen Puckett: for her sister’s health; Ryan & Maggie Warmuth: for their work in Asia, and her brother’s health; Carol Vassil: for her Grandson, Paul James Francis’s, safety as he serves in the military; Barry & Carol Longhauser: For their daughter’s health and pending surgery Christ’s Loving Hands: our October “Love Thy Neighbor” Mis-sions agency; Isaac Willman: for his ear tubes to stay in and his hearing to be restored

For Health Need Shirley Fury

Gene Steelman Louanna Smith Bennie Pierson

Bill Snape, Sr. June Merten Bobbie Clark Carol Barnes Carter Jones Jo Kleinfeld Earl Dwelly Dale Bates

“The responsible person seeks

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- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“God does not call people who are

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- Richard Parker

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