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NEWSLETTER

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN (PCUSA) CHURCHES OF MURPHYSBORO AND PINCKNEYVILLE, ILLINOIS SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

pastor’s column - “Hunting for trouble”

I used to hunt a little when I was a boy. I mainly went hunting because I liked to shoot guns. I really didn’t like killing things so when I was about 12 years old, I quit. When I did hunt, it was primarily for squirrels and rabbits. When I was really young, about 6 or 7, I am ashamed to admit I killed songbirds. I have always felt bad about that.

I didn’t hunt deer, but my Daddy did. Oh, he wasn’t obsessed with hunting, but when the deer started getting into our crops, he thought that was the best way to get rid of them. Nothing else worked; we even put three strands of electric fence around one of our gardens and they went right over.

Daddy shot a twelve- gauge shotgun and an Enfield rifle. The Enfield was a British-made rifle of World War I vintage. It was a semi-automatic but you wouldn’t call it an assault rifle. It did have a small magazine.

We had a number of other guns around the house; a small .25 caliber automatic pistol (basically a lady’s handbag gun), a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver, a pearl-handled .38 revolver, a .410 shotgun, the little single-shot “family heirloom” .22 rifle that was my gun of choice, and a double-barrelled 12 gauge shotgun, and the two guns I’ve already mentioned.

I have never been that good of a shot; I think I was better when I was a kid than I am now, as a matter of fact. Oh, yes, Linda and I do have a handgun, a Taurus 9 mm

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2019 Autumn Newsletter

But Daddy was a good shot. When you grow up in the Depression and money is tight but bullets are expensive, you learn to make every shot count! That’s why I think he wouldn’t really understand how many modern gun rights advocates defend the right of the public to have high-capacity magazines and assault rifles, especially when they are used in so many mass murders.

Maybe there is something I am missing; I don’t know. I am just not sure the “right to bear arms” means the right to own any kind of gun whatsoever, even the types that are primarily used by the military. If it does, I may just go out and buy a bazooka. Why not? I think they are cool! (No, I am not going to buy a bazooka. Just kidding. Y’all chill out).

In any event, aren’t you disheartened and troubled by all the mass murders we have had in this country in the last twenty years or so? I know I am. I think it’s not too much of a stretch to call this problem an “epidemic,” even if it doesn’t fit the technical definition of the word.

I hope our local, state, and federal authorities can work together to find some effective solutions to gun violence. No one should have to be afraid of being shot any time they go out in public.

But, fundamentally, mass murder is a sin, a particularly terrible sin, and as such it is a problem of the heart. In Matthew chapter 15, Jesus tells his disciples that it’s what comes out of the human heart that makes us unclean. In other words, that’s where sin originates. And one of the sins that Jesus mentions specifically is murder. Oh, Jesus’ brother James makes much the same point in his epistle.

So whatever our governments can do to curb gun violence, and all of us, I think, hope they can do something, we can do our part by tending to our hearts. We must take a long look inside of ourselves and if we detect prejudice, or a tendency toward excessive anger, or outright hatred of any individuals or groups, we must make every effort, with God’s help, to root it out.

And then we must begin to practice, as well as we are able, being as non-violent as humanly possible, making every effort to live in peace with everyone, and to embody Jesus’ love in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Oh, and we must share Jesus’ gospel of love and peace with all who are willing to hear and receive it. That way hearts will be changed and we will be addressing the root problem of gun violence. But at the same time, we have to keep urging our governmental leaders, law enforcement professionals, mental health professionals, gun owners and the general public to do something as well.

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PINCKNEYVILLE NEWS

In response to an appeal from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Pinckneyville church put together three cleanup buckets and collected $225 for disaster relief.

The Session is sponsoring a churchwide breakfast on September 8 at 8:00 a.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite breakfast dish. There will also be a brief, called congregational meeting.

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Everyone is looking forward to our s’mores night and bonfire (and wiener roast) on September 22 at 5:00 p.m. The church will provide the “fixins” for the s’mores, while attendees are encouraged to provide hot dogs, baked beans, drinks, desserts, and other typical campfire foods. There will also be a creative prayer service to conclude the event. It sounds like fun! Make plans to attend and bring a friend!

Thanks for our vigorous fundraising efforts (the yard sale and individual donations), the roof has finally been “mopped” and we have a tidy amount left over in the roof fund for future roof needs!

The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated on October 6, World Communion Sunday.

Session will meet on September 9 at 6:00 p.m. and the Deacons will meet on September 10 at 1:30 p.m.

[Pinckneyville news continued]

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PRAYER CONCERNS

Family of Kay West, Johnny Gunter, Nedra Gunter, the family of Brandon Maxton, Jason Stutes, Barbara Collier, Jeanette Smyth, Fausteen Melson(pastor’s birth mother)

SESSION MEMBERS - Gayl Pyatt, David Templeton, Glenn McKinstry, and Chuck Dobrinick

Financials: The amount needed weekly to meet the budget is $1410.27

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MURPHYSBORO NEWS

In response to an appeal from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service, the Murphysboro church recently collected $225 for disaster relief.

Presbyterian Women will meet Tuesday, September 3, at 9:30 am. All women are invited. Light refreshments will be served.

Session Meeting, Wednesday, September 4th at 6:30 p.m.

[Murphysboro news continued]

On Sunday, September 8th we celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during worship service. Note: Because the 1st Sunday of September is Labor Day weekend, Session voted to have Communion on 2nd Sunday in September.

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In consultation with the Session and the Outreach Committee, we are going to have another movie night! It will be held on Sunday, October 13. The movie and all refreshments will be free, but donations will be accepted. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for a time of fellowship, and the movie will begin at 6:30. Following the movie there will be a time of discussion. We will be showing “Tolkien, “directed by Dome Karukoski and starring Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. The film is a biographical depiction of the early life of legendary fantasy writer and Oxford scholar, and committed Christian, J.R.R. Tolkien. “Tolkien” was in the theaters recently so if you missed it, here’s your chance to see it. So mark your calendars and bring some friends!

PRAYER CONCERNS - Cynthia York-Camden, Bonnie Penrod, Blake Williamson, Sonja Crain, flooding survivors and disaster relief volunteers, Joan Nichols, the family of Rev. Don Caraway of Camp Creek Baptist Church, the homeless, abused animals, Fausteen Melson(pastor’s birth mother)

SESSION MEMBERS - Howard Crawshaw, Dan Baker, Dan Bost, Coralee Lawder, and Frank Puttman.

Financials: The amount required weekly to meet the budget is $1,096.01

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE YOKED CHURCHES

Contact information for Rev. Sam Foskey: Phone # 618-412-1188

Rev. Foskey’s e-mail is mboropvillepastor@

Worship Services: Pinckneyville worships at 9:00 a.m. and Murphysboro at 10:45 a.m.

Murphysboro church contact information:

Phone: 618-684-3466; secretary’s email: firstpresmurphysboro@

The secretary is Phyllis Neace. The secretary’s office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Website: . Weekly church bulletins are on the website.

Pinckneyville church contact information:

Phone: 618-357-8017; Secretary’s email: fupcpville@.

Newsletters can be found on the website.

Cathi Gerrish, the secretary, is in the office from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The pastor’s hours are posted in the church bulletin and on the website each week.

Website:

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|of interest to all |

|The Shared Ministry Group for our region of the |

|Presbytery is having a joint worship service at |

|Camp Carew on Sunday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m. |

|The Rev. Dan Whitfield will preach and there will |

|be a combined choir from the participating |

|churches. At 5:30 the gathering will conclude with|

|a potluck. Attendees from the Shared Ministry |

|churches, which include Murphysboro and |

|Pinckneyville, are urged to consider attending. It|

|should be an inspiring and fun event! |

|Daylight Savings Time will end on Sunday, November |

|3. Please turn your timepieces BACK one hour the |

|day before. |

| |

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Please join us for coffee before church each Sunday. Fellowship begins at 8:30. If you would like to take a turn preparing Sunday morning coffee/refreshments, there is a place to sign up on the rostrum in the vestibule/fellowship area outside the sanctuary.

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