mattituck presbyterian church...bertuchi, tabitha conklin, charlie sisino, daniel watters, tyler...

MATTITUCK

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

June, 2020

To the MPC Family “scattered among the nations”,

The writer of the Book of James starts his epistle with the greeting, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations”. While we are not necessarily scattered among the nations, this pandemic quarantine does give us the feeling that we are a bit scattered about. The last 3 months have given us a little bit of the indication of what James was feeling. He was writing to his brothers and sisters who he could not readily see and be with. He wanted to connect with them. There is a strong tradition for this in the Christian church. Starting with the writers of the New Testament and for the last two millennia, Christians who are separated have been writing each other for various reasons. Sometimes they write to be instructive. Sometimes they write to provide guidance. However, they would often write just to connect in an encouraging way. And we, the MPC church staff and elders, publish this combination newsletter/devotional for that same reason. We miss you all terribly and we want to connect.

As you will soon see, this newsletter is unlike any newsletter we have previously done. This newsletter was created for multiple purposes:

First, this is a newsletter. This booklet contains the kind of news items that you are used to. Here you will find the monthly calendar, meeting info, announcements, budget info, prayer requests, thank you’s, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

This booklet is also a prayer devotional for the month. Here you will find 4 weeks of the prayer insert for the month of June. Also included are select prayers and devotions from other writers. Please use this to pray together as a body.

And last, this newsletter is a personal devotional with entries provided by your brothers and sisters for the express purpose of sharing their hearts. Please read these thoughts slowly and prayerfully.

This newsletter/devotional is meant to be read throughout the month. It was not grouped in sections for that reason. Please pick it up and thumb through it, stopping to pray with the prayer insert for that week or read a news item or read and ponder a thought from a brother or sister or from a famous devotional writer. Take your time with it.

The main driver and intention of this newsletter is to put something in your hands that can be read daily. And, in doing so, to connect. We miss you all and pray we see you soon,

Pastor Robert, the MPC Church Office Staff and Elders

THOUGHTS FROM ROBERT

On March 8, we never thought that we would still be in Shelter in Place almost two months later. The world has changed. We need to learn to change with it. Adjustments are to be made as we do life together as followers of Jesus. Many have been commenting that this is an excellent opportunity for the church, which I think it is. One of the keys to the growth of our church is the ability to be unified through this transition. We are praying for this disruption to create opportunities as a church to serve our neighbors and introduce them to the love of Jesus. It is crucial to be patient, focus on loving others, and to be unified. The most important question is not when will things be back to normal but what kind of people God is making us to be during this time to serve our community and love one another.

In this newsletter, we have a report from the Reopening Task Force. We are hard at work, determining the future of our gatherings. The Session has been meeting weekly to stay in touch with what is happening in the congregation and the decisions to be made. We will continue to meet as a body of Christ on Zoom for the foreseeable future. If you have not yet, please join us for this during these times for our prayer times and home groups. If you need any technical assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out ([email protected] or [email protected]).

I pray that you will use this guide daily to draw closer to the Lord, even in ways you have not in the past. We will be praying for everyone’s time with the Lord as we seek him for all the things you might be facing in life. We also will be praying for opportunities to share his love with others.

May the Grace and Peace of the Lord by with you,

Robert

World Concerns: world leaders, the president and leaders of the United States, people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Iran, Liberia, Ukraine, North Korea and Syria, peace for Jerusalem, our friends in Haiti. Special Concerns: Stephen Ministry, Hope for the Future- feeds the homeless in NYC, Aaron, Holly, Anna, Daniel, Thomas and Bethany Hicks in Spain; Lisa, Steve, Elsa, Zodi, Moise & Thierry Schwind on The Mercy Ship; our medical professionals and other essential front-line workers during the pandemic. Ongoing Concerns: Ann Tuthill, Donna Gotimer, Jim Gilmore, Elizabeth Alberici, Fred Mendez, Kim Haeg, Butch Labrozzi, Jean Konkel, Janet Eliassen, Philip Jensen, Joe Best, Jr., Jane Cockerill, Barbara & Jim Miller, Norman Wamback, Vera Carson, Jim Hubert, Diane Graeb, Matt Rolle, Claire & Ralph Maffel, Jeremy Kalle, Brian Dobbs, John Stewart, Ray Nine, Pete Allocca, Janice Chew, Carol Keil, Flo Pumillo, Barbara Mathews, Frank Collora, Lynnis and Richard Baker, Dean Hansen, Susan Cebulski, Lochlan Bruni, Chris Tast, Katilin and Ryan Price, David Steele, Tara Hall, Kristin (daughter of the Minors), Matthew and Bridgit Doroski, The Heston Family, Kristin Tuthill, Reagan (granddaughter of Barbara Ackermann), Ken and Dolores Wetmore. Military: Vernetta Taylor, Shawn Fitzgerald, Harrison Diehl, Andrew Czelatka, Andrew Jones, Katherine Bertuchi, Tabitha Conklin, Charlie Sisino, Daniel Watters, Tyler Messina, Erica Murphy, John Bertucci. Note: We would like to keep these lists updated. Please call the office with any additions or deletions. Thanks

for your help.

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting May 31st, 2020

Morning Prayer Prayer of Introduction Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by the Word and not my feelings. Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. - Morning Prayer Morning Psalm (see next page) OT Scripture Reading (see next page) Gospel Reading (see next page) Time for Personal Prayer, Meditation and Requests***************************************************

Evening Prayer Lord God, may we be grateful for our lot, and compassionate toward all those who are suffering every kind of distress at this difficult time. May we hold back nothing, and hasten to be the ministers of prayer and mercy, like the disciples of Him who went about doing good in times of need. - Evening Prayer

Evening Psalm (seenextpage) NT Scripture Reading (seenextpage) Quiet Time Prayer/Meditation (end by praying the Our Father) Closing Meditation May the grace of Christ, our Savior, And the Father’s boundless love, with the Holy Spirit’s favor, rest upon us from above. – Closing Prayer

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting May 31st, 2020 Daily Psalms and Scriptures Sunday,May31DayofPentecostMorning:Pss.104;150Evening:Pss.29;33Deut.16:9–12Acts4:18–21,23–33John4:19–26

Thursday,June4Morning:Pss.143;147:12–20Evening:Pss.81;116Eccl.3:16—4:3Gal.3:1–14Matt.14:13–21

Monday,June1Morning:Pss.57;145Evening:Pss.85;47Eccl.2:1–15Gal.1:1–17Matt.13:44–52

Friday,June5Morning:Pss.88;148Evening:Pss.6;20Eccl.5:1–7Gal.3:15–22Matt.14:22–36

Tuesday,June2Morning:Pss.54;146Evening:Pss.28;99Eccl.2:16–26Gal.1:18—2:10Matt.13:53–58

Saturday,June6Morning:Pss.122;149Evening:Pss.100;63Eccl.5:8–20Gal.3:23—4:11Matt.15:1–20

Wednesday,June3Morning:Pss.65;147:1–11Evening:Pss.125;91Eccl.3:1–15Gal.2:11–21Matt.14:1–12

Sunday,June7TrinitySundayMorning:Pss.103;150Evening:Pss.117;139Job38:1–11;42:1–5Rev.19:4–16John1:29–34

CelebratingtheSaintsWilliamWilberforce(24August1759–29July1833)wasaBritishpolitician,philanthropist,andaleaderofthemovementtoabolishtheslavetrade.AnativeofKingstonuponHull,Yorkshire,hebeganhispoliticalcareerin1780,eventuallybecominganindependentMemberofParliament(MP)forYorkshire(1784–1812).In1785,hebecameanevangelicalChristian,whichresultedinmajorchangestohislifestyleandalifelongconcernforreform.

Feeling Anxious, Angry, Depressed? – Psalm 37 has the answer! If you are like me, you have had enough of this difficult time. It’s depressing to sit home all day without the human interactions that we used to have and that we crave. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of us are just not feeling right because things are so different. What can we do? How can we think about this? I have been looking over Psalm 37 and I believe it has something significant to say to what we are going through.

This Psalm contains a great deal of rich devotional material as well as some good practical advice. Consider for a moment some of the powerful (and sensible) admonitions from this Psalm:

• Fret not because of evildoers (v. 1) • Trust in the Lord and do good (v. 3) • Delight yourself in the Lord (v. 4) • Commit your way to the Lord (v. 5) • Be still before the Lord (v. 7) • Wait patiently for Him (v. 7) • Refrain from anger and forsake wrath (v. 8)

If you look carefully, you will see that each of these various admonitions both improve our relationship with God and, at the same time, have the effect of improving our overall mental state.

Consider the problems of worry and anxiety. These two things can lead to several other problems and the solution is found here – “fret not”, “trust in the Lord”, “be still” and “wait patiently”. If we focus on practicing these biblical prescriptions, we will find that our worry and anxiety will diminish, and we will be happier for it.

And what about the problem of anger? If we look to Psalm 37, we see that we must “refrain from anger and forsake wrath.” Here the bible is telling us that anger is a choice and we must, at that moment we feel anger rising, decide to refrain from anger (the feeling) and forsake wrath (the outward expression of that feeling). Alternatively, we can “commit” our way to the Lord and trust completely in Him. This takes effort but committing each situation before God allows for Him to address it. It is not necessary for us to be angry as God will ultimately have his way in the situation.

If we follow these scriptural formulas, it leads to joy, which is the best antidote to depression. But it has to start with us! Even if you don’t feel it, make a change today. Ask God to help you delight yourself in Him, regardless of your circumstance. Put your trust in Him and wait patiently for Him to come to your aid. In no time, you will start to feel His peace in your heart. Take pleasure in delighting in Him so He can, as the rest of the verse says, “give us the desire of our heart.”

While the bible is not necessarily a book of mental health, I can’t think of a healthier way to live than the prescriptions found here in Psalm 37.

Pandemic schmandemic….God’s got this.

And He’s got you.

Be blessed,

Pat

Many of you have been asking for an update regarding our very popular and well attended Vacation Bible School. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Session has decided that it is in the best interest of our community to cancel VBS this year. We realize that is disappointing. At this printing, Suffolk County and

Southold Town have not met the criteria to begin reopening. The health and safety of our children, volunteers, staff and community are important to all of us. If you have registered your child for VBS, please email the

church at [email protected] to inquire about a refund.

This year has been an unusual and crazy year for our Seniors. We want to take a moment and honor those that are graduating High School this year:

Jadon Berliner Christopher Nicholson Graduating from Shoreham Wading River Graduating from Mattituck High School High School Thomas Cooper Parker Shepherd Graduating from Southold High School Graduating from Mattituck High School Sarah McCombe Matthew Warns Graduating from Mattituck High School Graduating from Mattituck High School Hannah Murphy Graduating from Mattituck High School Congratulations!!! Your church family is very proud of you and your accomplishments.

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June 7th, 2020

Morning Prayer Prayer of Introduction Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought be of you, let my first impulse be to worship you, let my first speech be your name, let my first action be to kneel before you in prayer. - Morning Prayer Morning Psalm (see next page) OT Scripture Reading (see next page) Gospel Reading (see next page) Time for Personal Prayer, Meditation and Requests***************************************************

Evening Prayer O God, who have been the refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my refuge this year in every time and circumstance of need. Be my guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my guard against all that threatens my spirit’s welfare. Be my strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with your peace, through Jesus Christ my Lord. - Evening Prayer Evening Psalm (seenextpage) NT Scripture Reading (seenextpage) Quiet Time Prayer/Meditation (end by praying the Our Father)Closing Meditation But to lose your life for another, I've heard, is a good place to begin 'Cause the only way to find your life, is to lay your own life down And I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found And we're dancing in the minefields, we're sailing in the storms And this is harder than we dreamed, but I believe that's what the promise is for. - Andrew Peterson

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June 7th, 2020 Daily Psalms and Scriptures Sunday,June7TrinitySundayMorning:Pss.103;150Evening:Pss.117;139Job38:1–11;42:1–5Rev.19:4–16John1:29–34

Thursday,June11Morning:Pss.116;147:12–20Evening:Pss.26;130Eccl.11:1–8Gal.5:16–24Matt.16:13–20

Monday,June8Morning:Pss.62;145Evening:Pss.73;9Eccl.7:1–14Gal.4:12–20Matt.15:21–28

Friday,June12Morning:Pss.84;148Evening:Pss.25;40Eccl.11:9—12:14Gal.5:25—6:10Matt.16:21–28

Tuesday,June9Morning:Pss.12;146Evening:Pss.36;7Eccl.8:14—9:10Gal.4:21–31Matt.15:29–39

Saturday,June13Morning:Pss.63;149Evening:Pss.125;90Num.3:1–13Gal.6:11–18Matt.17:1–13

Wednesday,June10Morning:Pss.96;147:1–11Evening:Pss.132;134Eccl.9:11–18Gal.5:1–15Matt.16:1–12

Sunday,June14Morning:Pss.103;150Evening:Pss.117;139Num.6:22–27Acts13:1–12Luke12:41–48

CelebratingtheSaintsAndrewPeterson(bornJune4,1974)isanAmericanChristianmusicianandauthor,whoplaysfolkrock,rootsrock,andcountrygospelmusic.PetersonisafoundingmemberoftheSquarePegAlliance,agroupofChristiansongwriters.Peterson’ssongsarewritteninafolkstylethattouchesonvariousaspectsofhislifeandfaithwithstrongsenseofsincerityandhonestly.Hepoeticlyricsoftenfocusonthesimplehardshipsandstrugglesthatpeopleendure,withtheultimatepoweroffaithinthemidstofthosestruggles.

HEAVENLY FATHER,

My faith is in thee,

My expectation is from thee, My love goes out toward thee,

I believe thee, accept thy Word,

acquiesce in thy will, rely on thy promises, trust thy providence.

I bless thee that the court of conscience proves me to be thine.

I do not need signs and wonders to believe, for thy Word is sure truth.

I have cast my anchor in the port of peace, knowing that present and future

are in nail-pierced hands. Thou art so good, wise, just holy,

that no mistake is possible to thee. Thou art fountain and source of all law; what thou commandest is mine to obey.

I yield to thy sovereignty all that I am and have; do thou with me as thou wilt.

Thou hast given me silence in my heart in place of murmurings and complaints.

Keep my wishes from growing into willings, my willings from becoming fault-finding

with thy providences, and have mercy on me.

If I sin and am rebellious, help me to repent; then take away my mourning and give me music; remove my sackcloth and adorn me with beauty; take away my sighs and fill my mouth with songs;

and when I am restored and rest in thee give me summer weather in my heart.

From: The Valley of Vision

Reopening Task Force

We have established a reopening task force to prepare to meet again as a congregation this summer. We all look forward to gathering sooner rather than later, but we must do this with an abundance of caution. We are working on a timeline on when this would happen, how we can do this safely, and all that we must do to keep the building clean. Everyone must follow the social distancing recommendations when we do gather. It is most likely that we will meet outside before we gather inside.

We also realize that it will not be like what we are used to when we do gather. We will initially keep our gatherings small (depending on what is permitted), and worship will be different. We will, of course, be spread apart, and there will be a different type of greeting time.

For the sake of our Gospel witness in the community, we will be adhering to the state, county, and town recommendations on what is permitted. We need to be reminded that we do not merely go to church on Sunday, but we are the church. The church ecclesia means the body of believers. Our gathering on Sunday enables us to live our lives as faithful disciples throughout the week. Not gathering on Sunday for a little while longer should not keep us from meeting with the Lord and being a witness to those we know of his Love and Grace. We are praying that we can still bear fruit as we look forward to seeing each other again, not just on a screen (for those able to use Zoom) but in person.

Hebrews 10:23-26 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Let us encourage each other now toward love and good deed as we wait in anticipation for the day we can gather again in the Lord's house.

We will keep everyone informed via email as soon as we can. Please be praying for the Reopening Task Force.

Peace,

The Reopening Task Force

INTENTIONAL – Caren Heacock

"As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther. But they urged Him strongly, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.' So He went in to stay with them." Luke 24:28-29

When most of the world went into lock-down mode; I started thinking what I could do to keep occupied during my days? "Ah-ha," said I. "I will take this time and do all those pesty tasks that never get done! I will clean out the garage; organize my desk drawers; sort through boxes of loose photos; get out my sewing machine and keep practicing on my quilt blocks. Well, what do you know? I found that the less I had to do in my day, the less I got done! Sure, I got a few tasks done, but not as much as I thought I would. My intentions were to accomplish much; but here we are into the month of May, and I still can't find my staple remover somewhere in my desk drawer.

The passage in Luke shares the story of the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. They share with this “stranger” the extraordinary story of all that had taken place in Jerusalem. I was struck by the fact that this stranger, whom the two did not recognize as the risen Jesus, had every intention to keep on walking. I couldn't help wondering what would have happened if the two had not invited Him to stay with them? How might their lives have been drastically different without the intention of invitation? Perhaps they would have been left with the confusion, uncertainty, and hearsay stories. Instead, they intentionally asked Him in; and their eyes were opened, and their hearts were on fire!

How might you and I go through our days intentionally aware of Jesus and inviting Him into every aspect of our lives? What if we came to Scripture intentionally asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to hear Jesus speaking directly to our hearts? How might we be intentional? We can intentionally sing His praise as we hang laundry on the line as it captures the sweet scent of spring. We intentionally pray with others on Zoom. You and I have to be intentional about living in the presence of Jesus. He is walking right beside us; always. Oh, open our eyes; we want to see Jesus! Amen.

Jesus Calling

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

A Devotional by Sarah Young, 2004

Submitted by Jill Tast

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Hear Me saying, “Peace, be still,” to your restless heart. Let this assurance soak into your mind and heart until you overflow with Joy. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you need not fear!

The media relentlessly proclaim bad news: for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A steady diet of their fare will sicken you. Instead of focusing on fickle, ever-changing news broadcasts, tune into the living Word – the One who is always the same. Let Scripture saturate your mind and heart, and you will walk steadily along the path of Life. Even though you don’t know what will happen tomorrow, you can be absolutely sure of your ultimate destination. I hold you by your right hand, and afterward I will take you into Glory.

Mark 4:39 “Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, ‘Be quiet!’ and He said to the waves, ‘Be still!’ The wind died down, and there was a great calm.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be determined and confident. Do not be afraid of them. Your God, the Lord himself, will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you.”

Psalm 73:23-24 “Yet I always stay close to you, and you hold me by the hand. You guide me with your instruction and at the end you will receive me with honor.”

Instead of Feeling Hijacked…

Shelia Minor

The story I like to tell myself, is the one about how my life should turn out. Though it’s missing everyday details, it’s full of a general sense of okayness. No, actually more than okayness. It’s the story where my toes can dig deeply into the sands of a glorious land called “normal”. A land I surely did not design but one where I can nod in agreement before any changes occur. And I get to veto all circumstances that don’t look right, feel right or smell right. My lungs inhale fresh gusts of predictability and the wind is always a gentle breeze. Never unstable or stormy and certainly not brutal or destructive. It’s casual and comfortable with a pace all my own. Things don’t wear out and I don’t get worn down. People are kind, they do what they say they are going to do and are only grumpy enough to keep things interesting. Goodness dots the landscape like trees in bloom. I like this place…I don’t want to just vacation here…I want to live here. And I imagine you have a version of the kind of story you like to tell yourself as well.

We humans are very attached to outcomes. But we live in the uncertainty of neither being able to predict nor control the outcome. We say we trust God but behind the scenes we work our fingers to the bone and our emotions into a tangled fray trying to control our outcomes. We praise God when our normal looks like what we thought it would and we question God when it doesn’t. And walk away from Him when we have a sinking suspicion that God is the one who set fire to the hope that was holding us together. Even the most grounded people can feel hijacked by the winds of unpredictable change. We motivate ourselves to get through the bad of today by playing a mental movie of the good that will surely come tomorrow. And if not tomorrow, soon. Very soon. The good outcome will look like we dreamed. It will come as fast as we hoped it would and make all the

wrongs right. This is how the formula should calculate: hard time plus healing time plus staying faithful to God should equal the exact good outcome we were counting on.

A stunning revelation…we cannot control our outcomes. We can make big assumptions of what a good God should do but then find ourselves epically disappointed when the winds change, nothing feels right and this isn’t how we pictured our lives right now!

Though we can’t control or demand the outcome of our circumstances, we can know with great certainty we will be okay…better than okay…better than normal. What if the victory is only in part how things turn out? What if a bigger part of being victorious is how well we live today? This hour…this minute? We will be victorious because Jesus is victorious.

1 Corinthians 15:57) And victorious people were never meant to settle for normal. God has provided a way to tie our hope not to the specific outcomes we thought were the only way back to normal, but rather to the very heart of God. There is so much more to all of this than we would have ever known. (From “It’s Not Supposed to be This Way” by Lysa Terkeurst)

Father, I admit that so often I have held tightly to my own plans and to the outcomes that I think should come to pass. But I know the story You’re writing for me is so much better than any story I could ever write for myself. Help me to cling to this truth when my circumstances are uncertain and unpredictable. I declare my trust in You above it all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

TRUSTEE’S FINANCIAL REPORT

Total May Bills Received $32,478.55 Income to Date $31520.00 Needed to Finish May $958.55

A SPECIAL THANKS FOR YOUR FAITHFUL GIVING

Last month’s newsletter provided an update on the church’s finances, along with encouragement to continue regular giving, even as we all shelter in place.

It’s a joy to report that your timely response and faithful giving has enabled us to meet a substantial portion of our financial commitments to date.

We thank you for your continued support and steadfast faithfulness!

Online giving: http://mattpres.com/online-giving Checks by mail: Mattituck Presbyterian Church 12605 Main Road P.O. Box 1411 Mattituck, NY 11952

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June 14th, 2020

Morning Prayer Prayer of Introduction As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and forever, Amen. - Morning Prayer

Morning Psalm (see back) OT Scripture Reading (see back) Gospel Reading (see back) Time for Personal Prayer, Meditation and Requests ***************************************************

Evening Prayer Father there are an increasing number of evils in the world that can cause our hearts of fear, but I know that You have promised to be with me, to protect and to defend – even to the end of the age. Place Your hand of protection over me I pray, and cover those that I love

with Your peace and grace, comfort and hope. Help me to trust You in all things and may I never forget that no matter what happens in this life You have promised to be my Protector and Provider, my Rock and my Shield of defence. - Evening Prayer

Evening Psalm (see back) NT Scripture Reading (see back) Quiet Time Prayer/Meditation (end by praying the Our Father) Closing Meditation If God has called you to China or any other place and you are sure in your own heart, let nothing deter you. Remember, it is God who has called you and it is the same as when He called Moses or Samuel.

Gladys Aylward

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June14th, 2020 Daily Psalms and Scriptures


Thursday,June18Morning:Pss.97;147:12–20Evening:Pss.16;62Num.12:1–16Rom.2:12–24Matt.18:10–20

Monday, June 15 Morning: Pss. 5; 145 Evening: Pss. 82; 29 Num. 9:15–23; 10:29–36 Rom. 1:1–15 Matt.17:14–21

Friday,June19Morning:Pss.51;148Evening:Pss.142;65Num.13:1–3,21–30Rom.2:25—3:8Matt.18:21–35

Tuesday,June16Morning:Pss.42;146Evening:Pss.102;133Num.11:1–23Rom.1:16–25Matt.17:22–27

Saturday,June20Morning:Pss.104;149Evening:Pss.138;98Num.13:31—14:25Rom.3:9–20Matt.19:1–12

Wednesday,June17Morning:Pss.89:1–18;147:1–11Evening:Pss.1;33Num.11:24–33(34–35)Rom.1:28—2:11Matt.18:1–9


CelebratingtheSaintsGladys May Aylward (24 February 1902 – 3 January 1970) was a British-born evangelical Christian missionary to China, whose story was told in the book, The Small Woman, by Alan Burgess, published in 1957, and made into the film, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness in 1958. On her arrival in China, Aylward co-founded The Inn of the Eight Happiness, the name based on the eight virtues: Love, Virtue, Gentleness, Tolerance, Loyalty, Truth, Beauty and Devotion. There, she and Mrs. Lawson not only provided hospitality for travelers, but would also share stories about Jesus, in hopes of spreading nascent Christianity.

Worship in Spirit and in Truth

At some point this summer, Lord willing, we will re-enter our church building. It will be great to worship together finally. We will be taking all the precautions that will have to be in place for us to gather. As we prepare the details, we also can prepare our hearts. Many have been going to that space to worship for many years and holds many memories for you. The challenge is to have our hearts prepared to worship the Lord together even more than returning to the space where we worship.

This reminds me of a similar situation I was convicted of recently. I have enjoyed getting up early every morning before the family does and having my coffee in the sunroom for my time with the LORD. I have grown to love the habit, which is a problem. Oswald Chambers writes:

Your God maybe your little Christian habit— the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, "I can't do that right now; this is my time alone with God." No, this is your time alone with your habit. There is a quality that is still lacking in you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that are missing quality. Love means that there are no visible habits— that your habits are so immersed in the Lord that you practice them without realizing it.

I need not love my habit of doing that each morning but love the One I am meeting each morning. We are strange creatures. We can enjoy the habit of the ritual and forget why we are even doing that activity. We have missed worshipping with one another. My prayer is you have been meeting with the Lord and developing a thirst to worship with other believers because God has created us to worship together. He is the source of our joy and our strength that we have access to even now and is only enhanced when we gather. We can miss the habit of attending church but how much more we are too long to meet the Lord in community.

When we gather, we can be moved by a familiar hymn or song and enjoying singing with others but not give a thought about God. When we worship, we are responding to God, His character and His love for us. We can prepare ourselves for praising God by thinking of His character, His exploits, and the reasons to worship Him, not merely looking forward to our favorite worship style. When we are at the place of true worship, we do not react to the beat and rhythm of the music, but rather, we are responding to the rhythm and beat of God's very heart. Pray that during this time we are learning to be worshipers of the Lord.

Blessings,

Robert

GRACE – Bob Mueller

Grace is something we sometimes take for granted—especially when we sit down to eat. Now I know many of you give thanks to God religiously at each and every meal and it is through his Grace that we are fed. But have you ever really thought about how God's grace works in this world to bring a meal to your table? This has been something that has been on my heart more and more as we progress through "the age of corona virus." We are ALL currently subject to conditions that are not agreeable with our nature and we depend on God's grace now more than ever. Not only do we think about our friends and loved ones, but also those we do not know who are sharing this unpleasant experience with us.

For example, I sat down this morning to a breakfast of fresh mixed berries (raspberries, black berries and blueberries) with cream and a teaspoon of sugar, plus an English muffin with cream cheese. A bit much, but I have been skipping lunch and opting for an early dinner. Have any thought about how many people were involved to make a meal likes this possible?

Okay, let's start with the berries: planting, tending, harvesting, trucking (probably several times), packaging, delivering, unpacking, stocking and lastly the checkout person at the market (we'll only count the last two once since all were purchased at the same time from the same market. A lot of hands involved here; now multiply that number times three.

The cream involves another plethora of individuals, dairy farmers raising, feeding (yes there are even more who raise the feed for the cows), the vet who takes care of those cows, milking, trucking, processing, packaging, delivering, unpacking, and stocking. Add in the cream cheese and you can double that number.

A teaspoon of sugar: planting, tending, harvesting, processing, trucking, shipping from the islands to the states (including loading and unloading), more trucking, packaging, delivering, unpacking and stocking. A lot of souls in that modest measure.

Lastly, the English muffin: Farmers who planted, grew and harvested the grain; truckers to the mill where it was processed into flour and others to truck it to the plant. The equipment operators (and maintenance people), who make the dough and bake it into muffins, which are then packaged and distributed to local markets. Well, I guess you get the picture by now—the number is staggering for even a simple meal.

So the next time you sit down at the dinner table, give thanks to God for the bounty of His creation and ask that He bless the multitude who made it possible to ultimately bring it to your table. This is truly His grace at work.

Blessings, Bob Mueller

Our Fathers

Our fathers—where are they, the faithful and wise? They are gone to their mansions prepared in the skies;

With the ransomed in glory forever they sing, “All worthy the Lamb, our Redeemer and King!”

Our fathers—who were they? Men strong in the Lord, Who were nurtured and fed with the milk of the Word;

Who breathed in the freedom their Savior had given, And fearlessly waved their blue banner to heaven.

Our fathers—how lived they? In fasting and prayer

Still grateful for blessings, and willing to share Their bread with the hungry—their basket and store— Their home with the homeless that came to their door.

Our fathers—where knelt they? Upon the green sod, And poured out their hearts to their covenant God;

And oft in the deep glen, beneath the wild sky, The songs of their Zion were wafted on high.

Our fathers—how died they? They valiantly stood

The rage of the foeman, and sealed with their blood, By “faithful contendings,” the faith of their sires,

Mid tortures in prisons, on scaffolds, in fires.

Our fathers—where sleep they? Go search the wide cairn, Where the birds of the hill make their nests in the fern;

Where the dark purple heather and bonny blue-bell Deck the mountain and moor, where our forefathers fell.

Author Unknown

Stronger

Dear friends,

Another month has passed. We are still sheltering in place, staying home, staying safe, and following all the recommended guidelines the town and state have given us.

From the guidelines and (safe distancing) I have observed so many of you using your God given gifts at this unprecedented time. Like cooking for someone, going safely (mask in place) shopping for others, calling someone that comes to your mind, praying for others and encouraging people in your paths. God doesn't equip us with spiritual gifts so we can hide them under a bowl. No, He expects us to use them and let our lights shine for His glory. :-)

In our HG we are presently doing another Max Lucado study You'll Get Through This. The timing for this study is perfect as only God can ordain. I quote Max from this study:

You'll get through this. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In the meantime, don't be foolish or naive. But don't despair either. With God’s help you will get through this.

Going through adversity can make us stronger; as a community, a church body, and the family of Christ.

I asked you this question in last month’s newsletter "what have we learned from all this?” Examine your hearts and I believe God will reveal to you much.

I leave you with this scripture in Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn His face toward you and give you PEACE ".

Shalom my friends till then.

Be safe, be well and be blessed.

Love you all, Robin Doroski

Valley of Vision Prayer

HEAVENLY FATHER,

Thou hast placed me in the church which thy Son purchased by his own blood. Add grace to grace that I may live worthy

of my vocation. I am a voyager across life’s ocean;

Safe in heaven’s ark, may I pass through

a troubled world into the harbor of eternal rest.

I am a tree of the vineyard thou hast planted.

Grant me not to be barren, with worthless leaves and wild grapes;

Prune me of useless branches; Water me with dews of blessing.

I am part of the Lamb’s bride, the church. Help me to be true, faithful, chaste, loving,

pure, devoted; Let no strong affection wantonly dally

with the world. May I live high above a love of things temporal,

sanctified, cleansed, unblemished, hallowed by grace,

thy love my fullness, thy glory my joy,

thy precepts my pathway, thy cross my resting place.

My heart is not always a flame of adoring love,

But, resting in thy Son’s redemption, I look forward to the days of heaven,

where no langour shall oppress, no iniquities chill,

no mists of unbelief dim the eye, no zeal ever tires.

Father, these thoughts are the stay, prop, and comfort of my soul.

Loaves & Fishes

As an “essential service” the Loaves & Fishes food pantry and delivery program is continuing to serve the community by offering food to those facing difficult times. Now more than ever we are seeing the need for assistance increase and we are working hard to address this challenge.

Because our church building is basically shuttered, several of us go into the food pantry as needed to pre-pack bags and set them outside the door Friday mornings as the clients approach. We miss the interaction with them but we believe they know they are being cared for by us, their community.

Twice a month we continue to pack out and deliver groceries to approximately 31 families throughout Southold Town. We are very relieved by our partnership with CAST as they make those deliveries for us, no longer requiring church volunteers to do the driving.

During this Covid-19 situation, our two main food suppliers, Long Island Cares and Island Harvest, are being overwhelmed with requests and we’ve seen their offerings for both grant allotments and food supplies diminish drastically.

We have been very blessed, however, to receive two relief grants to help offset our expenses during the pandemic. These grants are specifically for food shortages, materials needed to package the food for delivery and personal protective equipment for volunteers. These gifts will go a long way in helping to continue the ministry.

As always, our wonderful and generous congregation continues to support the Loaves & Fishes program; we could not function without that support. We recognize that this situation has negatively impacted everyone in some way and the loss of income for many shifts their focus to providing for their own families. But any donation at this time would make a huge difference to helping those trying to adequately care for their families.

Our need for paper products, cleaning materials and health supplies never stops and those items are not allowed to be purchased with our grant money. We appreciate any and all support, including and especially your prayers.

Ruthanne Woodhull, Peggy Rose, and Jeanne Berliner

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June 21st, 2020

Morning Prayer Prayer of Introduction Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in faith; strengthen thou me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent that my love may go out to my neighbor. - Morning Prayer

Morning Psalm (see next page) OT Scripture Reading (see next page) Gospel Reading (see next page) Time for Personal Prayer, Meditation and Requests ***************************************************

Evening Prayer Lord, I do not have a strong and firm faith; At times I doubt and am unable to trust thee altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in thee. In thee I have sealed the treasures of all I have. I am poor; Thou art rich and didst come to be merciful to the poor. I am a sinner; Thou art upright. With me there is an abundance of sin; In thee is the fullness of righteousness. - Evening Prayer

Evening Psalm (see next page) NT Scripture Reading (see next page) Quiet Time Prayer/Meditation (end by praying the Our Father) Closing Meditation Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us. - Martin Luther

MPC Daily Prayer - Week starting June 21st, 2020 Daily Psalms and Scriptures


Thursday,June25Morning:Pss.36;147:12–20Evening:Pss.80;27Num.17:1–11Rom.5:1–11Matt.20:17–28

Monday, June 22 Morning: Pss. 135; 145 Evening: Pss. 97; 112 Num. 16:1–19 Rom. 3:21–31 Matt.19:13–22

Friday,June26Morning:Pss.130;148Evening:Pss.32;139Num.20:1–13Rom.5:12–21Matt.20:29–34

Tuesday,June23Morning:Pss.123;146Evening:Pss.30;86Num.16:20–35Rom.4:1–12Matt.19:23–30

Saturday,June27Morning:Pss.56;149Evening:Pss.118;111Num.20:14–29Rom.6:1–11Matt.21:1–11

Wednesday,June24Morning:Pss.15;147:1–11Evening:Pss.48;4Num.16:36–50Rom.4:13–25Matt.20:1–16

Sunday,June28Morning:Pss.67;150Evening:Pss.46;93Num.21:4–9,21–35Acts17:(12–21)23–24Luke13:10–17

CelebratingtheSaintsMartin Luther, O.S.A. (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, Augustinian monk, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. Luther taught that salvation and, consequently, eternal life are not earned by good deeds but are received only as the free gift of God's grace through the believer's faith

in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority and office of the Pope by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge.

After the Last Tear Falls

I feel fortunate to have discovered the music of Andrew Peterson during this fearful pandemic. God has a way of speaking to me at significant times in my life through music, and Peterson’s music is just the ticket I need at this time.

My wife was gracious to allow me to take an overnight birding trip with some friends in Sterling Forest, near Tuxedo, NY this weekend. Just like other interests and activities that men have (think of golfing or fishing), the activity of birding works well when the gaps of time are filled in with interesting conversation. And while there was lots of fun and interesting conversation, eventually we made our way to the virus. And as you all know, this conversation will bring gloom to the most happy times.

And this is for valid reasons. There is nothing about this situation that can lift the spirit. There is nothing that is humorous and interesting related to it. Only bleak questions are raised when the discussion turns to the virus. How many more will die? How long will this last? What will happen to jobs and the economy? Will this be as bad as the Great Depression?

And as I was driving back home, my thoughts turned to that conversation and I began to think about the future and how my family will fare. I was out of work before the virus broke and it has only worked to significantly dim any prospects of getting work in the future. I could not help but wonder if I have let my family down. Have I prepared enough? Should I have done more? But how could anyone predict something like this?

Just as I was thinking of this depressing situation, an Andrew Peterson song came on in the car,

This is the storm, this is the storm The storm before the calm This is the pain, the pain before the balm This is the cold, the cold It's the cold before the warm These are the tears, the tears before the song This is the dark Sometimes all I see is this darkness Well, can't you feel the darkness This is the dark before the dawn Peterson here is saying something we all know to be true; no matter how dark things get, there will be dawn. No matter how bad the storm is, there will be calm. No matter how much it hurts, there will be a balm of healing that will come to us. This is what we believe. Our faith teaches us that, no matter how bad it gets, we will rise again, as did our Lord. This caused me to reflect on another Peterson song that I have been listening to lately entitled “After the Last Tear Falls”. In this song, Peterson writes about the tragic pain and desperation in people’s lives. The lyrics spoke of children being hungry and others being abused. It spoke of people in prison or disgraced. It spoke of failed marriages and the hurt and pain caused by poisoned tongues. Peterson does not shy away from the harshness of reality in his songs. But the lyrics to this song also contain the most hopeful promise. The promise that God will be there for us after the last tear falls. And He will love us in such an abundance that our pain will seem only to be “old tales”, And in the end, the end is oceans and oceans of love and love again We'll see how the tears that have fallen Were caught in the palms of the Giver of love and the Lover of all And we'll look back on these tears as old tales There is love Love, love, love There is love Cause after the last tear falls there is love No matter what we may think we might lose during this time, we will never lose God’s love. God’s love for us is wider than the world, deeper than the sea and is mightier than all the pandemics that have ever raged. There is love. Love, love, love. After the last tear falls, there is love. And even if that is all we have in the end, it will be more than enough. Pat

A Note from Ann Welcome

When we began creating on-line services in March, I was quite somber, confused, and a bit frightened. It wasn't until preparing music for the Easter Service that I realized my feelings completely changed. All of a sudden, that somber feeling had changed to joy! I began planning the music in a whole new light, realizing that creating virtual services offered endless possibilities….like standing 8 feet above the floor in the pipe chamber or strolling through the garden.

Yes, this is a difficult time, but "The Joy of the Lord is My Strength", (Nehemiah 8:10). I feel His guidance through the process of creating music selections. He has again brought joy into my heart. Also, I came to realize how much I treasure my church family. It's a comfort to watch and listen to our members participating in various parts of the service, and reading messages they share in the Newsletter. I get a true sense that we are all in this together. We want to help each other.

"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement, grant you to be the same with one another according to Christ Jesus" (Romans 15:5). How can people get through this who don't have a church family, or worse yet, have no faith? Through this on-line source, people, not only in our country but around the world, can find help, strength, comfort and joy. It's something we can share with others who aren't a part of our church, those who are seeking, or those who need reassurance and strength in their faith. That is definitely a silver lining in this new vision of church.

During this time of being apart, along with reading scripture and praying, listen to music that gives you a sense of hope and peace, whether it be a contemporary Christian song, a traditional hymn, or anything in between. If there is something you find especially meaningful, listen to it over and over, until it’s ingrained in your heart and soul. When I was in the MPC Youth Choir with my mom as the director, anytime the youth choir sang, they'd begin the service with an introit which was the 3rd verse of the hymn, 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind' based on Psalm 37:5. "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him".

3rd verse: Drop Thy still dews of quietness Till all our strivings cease. Take from our souls the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of Thy peace.

It is not a very well-known hymn, but those words are especially comforting to me. Until we get to be together again I continue to pray for you all with the help of my husband Larry and daughter Iris who are doing the recording, and Tom Hemmick and Rory MacNish who are doing the computer editing. I look forward to creating more musical selections with Pepe almost always by my side.

Blessings to you all.

Ann Welcome

NEW EVERY MORNING

Philip E. Howard, Jr.

Editor, Sunday School Times (Father of Elisabeth Elliot) Submitted by Celie Lutz

Blessings taken for granted are often forgotten. Yet our Heavenly Father “daily loads us with benefits” (Ps. 68:19 NKJV). Think of some of the common things which are never the less wonderful:

--- the intricate, delicate mechanism of the lungs steadily and silently taking in fresh air eighteen to twenty times a minute; --- the untiring heart, pumping great quantities of clean blood through the labyrinth of blood vessels; --- the constant body temperature, normally varying less than one degree; --- the atmospheric temperature, varying widely it is true, but never so much as to destroy human and animal life; --- the orderly succession of day and night, spring, summer, autumn and winter, so that, with few exceptions, man can make his plans accordingly; --- the great variety of foods, from the farm, the field, the forest and the sea, to suit our different desires and physical needs; --- the beauties of each day--- the morning star and growing light of sunrise, the white clouds of afternoon, the soft tint of a peaceful sunset and the glory of the starry heavens; --- the symphony of early morning bird songs ranging from the trill of the chipping sparrow to the lilting ecstasy of the goldfinch and the calm, rich, bell like tones of the thrushes; --- the refreshment that sleep brings; --- the simple joys of home. All these and many others come from the bountiful hand of Him “who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:4,5 NKJV). “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22,23). “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your loving kindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night.” (Ps. 92;1,2).

My Father's Voice in Prayer

In the silence that falls on my spirit When the clamor of life loudest seems,

Comes a voice that floats in tremulous notes Far over my sea of dreams.

I remember the dim old vestry, And my father kneeling there;

And the old hymns thrill with the memory still Of my father's voice in prayer.

I can see the glance of approval As my part in the hymn I took;

I remember the grace of my mother's face And the tenderness of her look;

And I knew that a gracious memory Cast its light on that face so fair,

As her cheek flushed faint--O mother, my saint!-- At my father's voice in prayer.

'Neath the stress of that marvelous pleading

All childish dissensions died; Each rebellious will sank conquered and still

In a passion of love and pride. Ah, the years have held dear voices,

And melodies tender and rare; But tenderest seems the voice of my dreams--

My father's voice in prayer.

May Hastings Nottage, prior 1889

From: utmostchristianwriters.com

Note: All of these meetings are being held online or

from our website. Please contact the leaders to join.

Please check the website for any changes:

mattpres.com

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday1

5:30 pm Deacon’s Meeting

Host: Bob Muller

7:00 pm Harbes Home Group

Host: Monica Harbes

2

7:00 pm Doroski/Minor Home

Group

Hosts: Robin or Sheila

3

11:00 am Prayer Meeting

Host: Pastor Robert

7:00 pm Hanly Home Group

Host: Pat Hanly

4

7:00 pm Session Meeting

5

10 AM-Noon Food pantry open

(come to the red door and ring

door bell to receive a donation

of food and supplies)

11:00 am Meeting

Host: Pastor Robert

6

(If you would like to make a

donation of food and household

supplies please drop them off

on Mondays and Fridays-10 am

until noon. Thanks for your

support. L&F)

7

Virtual Church

Posted at 10 am on web site:

mattpres.com

8


Host: Monica Harbes

9


Group


10


Host: Pastor Robert


Host: Pat Hanly

11


12






Host: Pastor Robert

13

14

Virtual Church


mattpres.com

15


Host: Monica Harbes

16


Group


7:00 pm Trustee Meeting

Host: Sue Tuthill

17


Host: Pastor Robert


Host: Pat Hanly

18


19






Host: Pastor Robert

20

21

Virtual Church


mattpres.com

22


Host: Monica Harbes

23


Group


24


Host: Pastor Robert


Host: Pat Hanly

25


26






Host: Pastor Robert

27

28

Virtual Church


mattpres.com

29


Host: Monica Harbes

30


Group


mattituck presbyterian church...bertuchi, tabitha conklin, charlie sisino, daniel watters, tyler...

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