A WORD FROM THE PASTOR: The Parable of the Trampoline
Once upon a time, a family received a trampoline as a gift. Of course, trampolines don’t come in completed form; they come in large, heavy boxes that say, innocently, “some assembly required.” So the parents of this family set about one day to assemble their trampoline for their eager children. They followed the instructions as best they could—translating broken English and deciphering bad drawings—carefully putting the springs on in alternating fashion. But the “some assembly required” was a disaster. The “trampoline” looked like it had been in a tornado, and the parents of the family were ready to take the whole thing to the scrap metal yard. There were even a few discouraging words overheard during the process!
And have you ever felt that way? Frustrated? Angry? Discouraged? Like your life is at an intolerable point? Like you could just strangle someone for what they have put you through? It happens to the best of us. Life is “some assembly required,” to say the least. And often times, when it comes to relationships with others, we can get ourselves bent out of shape until we are ready to throw the whole thing away. But there is a better way than the scrap yard.
The trampoline family—although frustrated and tired—decided to start all over again on their project. After they disassembled everything, they used duct tape to hold the legs together. Then they carefully reinstalled each of the 160 springs, making sure that the frame kept its shape and integrity. And finally, with grace and patience, the trampoline was complete, the children were happy, the parents felt accomplished, and the difficult trial was more-or-less forgotten because of the successful assembly.
The wonky trampoline is a parable of sorts. Sometimes, when we are at a breaking point, we need to start over again: follow God’s instructions, practice patience and grace, and calmly seek to right what was wrong—even if it does take a little duct tape in the process. When we feel we are ready to discard relationships, we need to ask forgiveness, offer mercy, and take the time to get it right. And the reward might just make us forget about all the trouble we had before.
Pastor Ray
SESSION
The Session will gather on Monday, July 23rd, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
CHURCH OFFICE
Starting Tuesday, June 5, the church office will switch to its summer schedule: Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Also, please welcome Jenny Hammer, our new church secretary! Thank you for your willingness to serve our church family in this way!
NORFOLK RESCUE MISSION
Pastor Will Perrigan, executive director of the Norfolk Rescue Mission, will be preaching at FPC on Sunday, June 17 (Father’s Day). There will be an opportunity to support their ministry with a special offering. www.norfolkrescue.org
RAY’S VACATION
Pastor Ray will be on vacation the following times:
- July 16-22
- July 30-August 12
If you have a pastoral need, please contact the church office or Charity Potter (870-1059).
HENOWEEN TEEN DANCE
FPC is sponsoring the Henoween Teen Dance on Friday, July 13. That means we need volunteers to help chaperon the dance! We also need donations of pop (12 oz. cans, Pepsi, Mt. Dew, Coke, Dr. Pepper) and bottled water to sell at the dance. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Armstrong at 369-0650 or kearmst1@wsc.edu.
LADIES’ TEA
On Thursday, July 12, at 6:00 p.m. Presbyterian Women will hold their Annual Tea. All moms, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, and friends are invited to join us for tea, refreshments, and a program. More information to come!
FPC COOKBOOK, PART II
We are starting work on part two of the First Presbyterian cookbook “Thank God for Food …and Good Cooks!” Start collecting the recipes you didn’t get in the first book. Or if someone has asked “Is the recipe for this in the cookbook?” and it isn’t, turn the recipe in. If there is a favorite from the first cookbook resubmit the recipe. Written recipes can be put in the basket in Fellowship Hall or they can be emailed to Jane O’Leary at jane@inebraska.com. Put “Church cookbook” in the subject line. Include any interesting information or stories about the recipes or any variations in making the recipe. We hope to have recipes from past, present, and future members, friends and family.
CALVIN CREST QUILT AUCTION
The 15th Annual Quilt Auction and BBQ is scheduled for Saturday, August 25, 2012. Quilts will be on display starting at 10:00 a.m., followed by a BBQ lunch at 12:00 p.m., and the auction begins at 1:00 p.m. Mark your calendar! If you can’t make the auction there will be bidding online also. Visit www.proxibid.com/calvincrest to bid.
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Presbyterian Women will meet on Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30. Karen Johnson will lead us in Lesson 9, and Shari Paige is hostess. We will also work on plans for the Annual Tea scheduled for Thursday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m.
SEWING SOULS
Sewing Souls will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 20. Work will continue on projects to be donated to Camp Calvin Crest for their Quilt Auction.
CHRISTIAN CROSS FESTIVAL
The 8th Annual Christian Cross Festival will be held at Skyview Lake in Norfolk on Saturday, June 9. This is a FREE event that will include Christian music, testimony, children’s activities, inflatables, and fireworks. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and plan to spend a day of Christian fellowship with us. Food vendors will be available. Special guests this year are: JJ Heller, Remedy Drive, Sidewalk Prophets, and many more! For more information, go to: www.christiancrossfestival.org .
NEW ADDRESS!
Tim & Sonya Pearson, along with their daughter Nevaeh, have moved to Alma, Kansas, to begin their ministry with RHMA there. If you would like to stay in contact with them, their new address is: 320 East 4th Alma, KS 66401. You may e-mail them at:
rtsmp71897@gmail.com, rhmapearson@gmail.com, or follow their blog at: http://almamattersforthegospel.blogspot.com/. Please pray for them as they begin this ministry of strengthening churches in small-town America.
PLEASE PRAY FOR:
- The families of Ron Lage, Sharon Thomas, Elda Jones, and Matthew Meyer
- Pat Straight, as she recovers from hip surgery.
- Our Vacation Bible School, Mega Sports Camp, that the kids and leaders alike would experience Jesus’ love.
- Our General Assembly, which meets June 30-July 7, in Pittsburgh.
- Our Confirmation students/newest members of the church.
- Our graduating high school seniors.
First Presbyterian Church of Wayne, Nebraska 