Author: Church-Secretary

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
220 North Cullen Street
Rensselaer, Indiana. 47978
(219) 866-7005

Good Newsletter

June 2024

From the Pastor

One of the principles of our theological and biblical foundations as Presbyterians is this:
“God alone is Lord of the conscience.” The Book of Order, F-3
The intent of this principle is to establish that we cannot bind the consciences of one another, as we are not lords of one another. But there are a couple of important nuances here.
First, and perhaps most important, is that it is God who is lord of the conscience. “Freedom of conscience” within Presbyterian circles is bandied about in such a way, sometimes, that what we might be saying or hearing is “let your conscience be your guide” instead of “be guided by God and the word of God as you exercise your conscience.”
Second, when we accept nomination to be ordained as a deacon, ruling elder, or teaching elder, we are choosing to commit our consciences to accountability. If you have been ordained then you’ve answered yes to questions such as:
1. Do you trust in Jesus Christ your savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
2. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s word to you?
3. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?
So, in the end, if you are ordained, you have promised to exercise your freedom of conscience within these bounds.
Freedom of conscience for us as disciples of Christ in the PCUSA tradition means that we hold one another accountable to God and the word of God, and that we are accountable to one another. There are even procedures in the Book of Order for how to protest and dissent in a way that honors accountability and freedom of conscience. Grounded in love of God and neighbor, we give each other the freedom to think differently. This is one dimension of our commitment to communal discernment.
Why mention this?
Because even as each one of us is committed to God, each one of us is also distracted by idolatry. There are other “gods” in our lives. Is it the economy, maybe? Are all the workers in our economy treated justly, as justice is defined by God’s word? Or, perhaps our resistance to people who aren’t like us is a god. Over and over again we read in scripture that we are to welcome and care for the sojourner, the refugee, the immigrant, the stranger or foreigner in our midst, yet, for the most part, this is not how we Christians in this country are treating those crossing borders.
Being frank with ourselves about who or what really is the Lord of our lives allows us to then ask “is this who I want to be? Is this what I want to choose?”
The beauty of freedom of conscience in our tradition is that it is always ongoing. The Spirit is always at work in us, reforming us according to the word of God. We can always change and learn, we can always offer ourselves again so that Christ might shape our freedom to bear witness to God. Everything we do is a spiritual act of discipleship, revealing whether we really do love God and our neighbor as ourselves. This includes how we treat other people, the ways we let ourselves think, how we behave in public, how we treat people when we’re angry or frustrated, how we shop, and what we give our money to. It even extends to how we vote, and how we participate in public life. How are we testifying about Jesus Christ in how we act?
How might the God of love be leading you to talk and think about the carnage in Palestine? Or about the 10% of folks in Jasper County that live in poverty? About the safety of children? About the abundant goodness of God’s creation? About love? How might God be forming your conscience right now?
I encourage all of us to be guided by God and God’s word as we consider how we will vote in the upcoming elections. I encourage you to exercise your freedom of conscience within the bounds of your primary commitment to God as Lord of your life and conscience, studying scripture and praying, having conversations with one another about painful, divisive, or otherwise important topics and issues.
And when I say I encourage you thus to exercise your freedom of conscience, I mean it. You are not Lord of your conscience, God is, but neither am I lord of your conscience. Only God is. And you can communicate your conscience to your elected officials, by phone or postcards. I encourage you to do so. (Information for contacting your elected officials is included in this newsletter.)
God is not only lord of the conscience. God is also the lord of all life. (Psalm 23, Psalm 27, John 14.) Romans 14:
We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Michelle

“I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say, ‘I’m a Christian.’ I think, ‘Already? You already got it?’ I’m working at it, which means that I try to be as kind and fair and generous and respectful and courteous to every human being.”
Maya Angelou

He has told you, O mortal,
what is good;
and what does the Lord
require of you
but to do justice,
and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

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Jim Baird, / U.S. House of Representatives for District 4: / 2303 Rayburn House Office Building, / Washington, DC 20515 / (202)-225-5037 / 355 S. Washington St. Suite 210, / Danville, IN 46122 / (317)-563-5567	Rick Niemeyer, / Indiana State Senator District 6: / 200 W. Washington St. / Indianapolis, IN 46204 / (317)-232-9489 / 1-800-382-9467	Kendell Culp, / Indiana House of Representatives District 16: / 200 W. Washington St. / Indianapolis, IN 46204 / (317)-232-9600 / 1-800-382-9841
Mike Braun, / U.S. Senator: / 115 N. Pennsylvania St. / Indianapolis, IN 46204 / (317) 822-8240 / 5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 3200 / Hammond, IN 46320 / Phone: (219) 937-9650 / 404 Russell Senate Office Building, / Washington, DC 20510 / Phone: (202)-224-4814	Todd Young, / US Senator: / 212 E. Lincolnway, Suite 205A / Valparaiso, IN 46383 / (219)-747-7780 / 310 E. 96th St., Suite 350 / Indianapolis, IN 46240 / (317)-226-6700 / 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building, / Washington, D.C. 20510 / (202)-224-5623	Eric Holcomb, / Governor of Indiana: / Office of the Governor, / Statehouse, / Indianapolis, IN 46204-2797 / (317)-232-4567	Jeffrey S. Phillips, / Mayor of Rensselaer, IN: / 124 S. Van Rensselaer St., / Rensselaer, IN 47978 / 219-866-5212 / jsphillips@cityofrensselaerin.com

We need
liturgists
for
Sunday Worship
at 9:30 a.m.!!
No experience
necessary. Sign-up sheets are on the back table in the Sanctuary or
contact the
church office at
219-866-7005.

Upcoming Choir Singing Dates
Practicing Aug. 7 & 14 to sing in worship on Aug. 18th.
Then, the 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of the month practices with singing on the 3rd Sunday of the month.

VBS 2024

Vacation Bible School will be June 4, 5, 6th from 5-7pm. The theme is Fruits of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23, NRSV) Stop by the church office for a registration form/permission slip. Call the church office at 219-866-7005 for more information. Spread the word!

VBS fun craft presented in 2022 by Norah to the library! The plant is healthy and brightens the day with blossoms! Join us and see how VBS 2024 will impact our community!

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
CALENDAR

2024

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1 / AA-Alcoholics Anonymous 7pm
2 / Worship / 9:30am / Communion	3 / AAA-Abuse Awareness & / Accountability / 5pm-8:30pm	4 / VBS 5-7pm / Dance Magic 4pm / Bible Study 4pm	5 / VBS 5-7pm	6 / VBS 5-7pm	7	8 / AA-Alcoholics Anonymous 7pm
9 / Worship / 9:30am	10 / AAA-Abuse Awareness & / Accountability 5pm-8:30pm	11 / Bible Study 4pm	12	13 / Session / Meets / 4:00pm	14	15 / Food Pantry / 8-10am / AA- 7pm
16 / Worship / 9:30am / Happy / Father’s Day!	17 / AAA-Abuse Awareness & Accountability 5pm-8:30pm	18 / Bible Study 4pm	19	20	21	22 / AA-Alcoholics Anonymous 7pm
23 / Worship / 9:30am	24 / AAA-Abuse Awareness & / Accountability 5pm-8:30pm	25 / Bible Study 4pm	26	27	28	29 / AA-Alcoholics Anonymous 7pm
30 / Worship / 9:30am

First Presbyterian Church
220 North Cullen Street
Rensselaer, Indiana 47978

Photos of Purple Irises planted by Bill Craig in front of church cemetery. Submitted by Michelle Bartel.

May

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 / Youth Group / 5-6:30pm	2	3	4 / AA-Alcoholics Anonymous 7pm
5 / Communion / 9:30 am	6 / AAA-Abuse Awareness & Accountability 5pm-8:30pm	7 / Dance Magic 3:30 pm / Bible Study 4pm	8 / Youth Group / 5-6:30pm	9	10	11 / AA- 7pm
12 / Worship 9:30am	13 / AAA / 5pm-8:30 pm	14 / Dance Magic 3:30 pm / Bible Study 4pm	15 / Youth Group / 5-6:30pm	16	17	18 / Food Pantry / 8am-10am / AA-7pm
19 / Worship 9:30am	20 / AAA / 5pm-8:30 pm	21 / Dance Magic 3:30 pm / Bible Study 4pm	22 / Youth Group / 5-6:30pm	23	24	25 / AA-7pm
26 / Worship 9:30am	27	28 / Dance Magic 3:30 pm / Bible Study 4pm	29 / Youth Group / 5-6:30pm	30	31

amCommunion 9:30

April Fool’s Day!
AAA-Abuse
Awareness & Accountability
5pm - 8:30 pm
AAA
5pm-8:30pm
AAA
5pm-8:30pm
AAA 5pm-8:30pm
AAA
5pm-8:30pm

Dance Magic
3:30 pm
Bible Study 4pm
Dance Magic
3:30 pm
Bible Study 4pm
Dance Magic
3:30 pm
Bible Study 4pm
Dance Magic
3:30 pm
Bible Study 4pm
Dance Magic
3:30 pm
Bible Study 4pm

Worship 9:30 am
Worship 9:30 am
Worship 9:30 am

AA -
Alcoholics
Anonymous
7 pm
AA-Alcoholics
Anonymous
7 pm
Food Pantry
8-10 am
AA -
7 pm
AA -
Alcoholics
Anonymous
7 pm

2024

Youth Group
meets
5 - 6:30 pm
Youth Group
meets
5 - 6:30 pm
Youth Group
meets
5 - 6:30 pm
Youth Group
meets
5 - 6:30 pm

2024

Session
meeting
4 pm

We need volunteers for the Food Pantry!
First Presbyterian volunteers at the food pantry on the third Saturday of every month, from 8-10 am. For a long while now, Vanessa and Rob Jefferson have been heading that for us, and now it’s time to turn it over to others in the congregation. Training with Bob Souza is available for this, of course, and we always want to be there in teams of at least two. But if we had four people, a team could do it every other month! So who wants to join in the effort? I will also be able to do it from time to time. The food pantry needs the following donations: cereals, soups, cans of tuna, Jiffy corn muffin mix, and brown paper bags.
And, in other news: The Good Samaritan Food Pantry has moved! The new address is 227 S. College Ave. Suite 1, next to Pizza King.

Join us for
Following
Easter
Worship

Palm Sunday & Easter Sunday

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