Congregational Life
June 6, 2010
Today: 9AM-Adult Sunday School
Communion
Looking Ahead
June 14-18 Vacation Bible School
June 13th Special Music
June 27th Communion
July 4th Worship & Church BBQ
August 15th Church 150th Celebration
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Dixie Craft: Prayers for strength for Dixie Craft and her family. (5309 Crogans Way Road – Council Bluffs, IA 51501)
Kenny Hauschild: Prayers for healing and strength. (7606 McKelvie Rd. – Nehawka, 68413)
Mary Jo Cobb: Prayers for healing and strength. (Duff’s Friendship Villa – 1104 3rd Av.
Nebraska City, NE 68410)
Shirley Riekemann: Prayers for healing and strength. (825 N. Cotner Blvd – Lincoln, 68505)
Larry Bonnema: Prayers for healing and strength. (1201 Main Street – Plattsmouth, 68048)
Craig Mallett: Prayers for healing and strength. (8803 2nd Ave. – Murray, 68409)
Don Loftin: Prayers for continued healing. (9500 Milford Road – Beaver Lake, 68048)
Dave, Jenny, Sammy & Ella Cook: Prayers for continued healing for Ella and strength for the family. (9923 12th St. Murray, 68409)
Nessie Swedlund: Prayers for healing and strength. (P.O. Box 61 – Murray, 68409)
Thoughts & Continual Prayers for our shut-ins:
Lottie Johnson: Ambassador, 1800 14th Ave. #208, Nebraska City, NE 68410
Adult Sunday School class will meet on
Sunday, June 13th @ 9AM.
We will studying why we believe the Bible
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(only 1 week to go)
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (VBS)
“High Seas” is the theme for VBS this year. The dates are June 14-18, 2010. If you can volunteer to help, please contact Lori Coulby @ 293-9302 or Julie Nickels @ 235-3908.
THANK YOU!!
SAVE THE DATE #1
July 4th Worship & Church BBQ
Come celebrate MPC July 4th BBQ in conjunction with the Village of Murray’s Independence Day celebration. What a perfect way to celebrate the birthday of the
United States of America!
Our own award-winning pit master, Cole Ayers, will be preparing the pork BBQ. In addition to delicious food, there will also be a bounce house for the kids and an antique car and tractor show.
T
he
BBQ will begin shortly after our 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning worship
service. The session has planned this BBQ as a fellowship dinner for
our congregation and as an outreach to our community. Please bring
one friend to church with you on this special Sunday.
SAVE THE DATE #2
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Murray Presbyterian Church
150th Church
Anniversary Celebration
Remember the members of our Armed Forces who are serving overseas and stateside.
Troy Froistad
Kris Kidd
Philmore Williams
Please call LaVerne Ebner (235-3323) or e-mail her (Harold-laverne@inebraska.com) if you have anything to put out on the prayer chain – no matter how small you may think it is!
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If you would like to volunteer to be a liturgist, please sign-up on the sheet on the back table.
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$28.75 per member per capita expense. If you could please help contribute to the per capita payment that our church pays the presbytery, it would be
greatly appreciated.
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Please see one of the Deacons if you would like a MPC t-shirt. All sizes now available! The cost to you is $3.00.
(402) 682-1439
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Please visit our website at:
www.murraypresbyterian.com
each week to see the church bulletin and the congregational life insert. The newsletter is also posted there monthly!!!
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Relay For Life Of Cass County
Saturday, June 26, 2010 - 7:00 PM to 7:00AM
Plattsmouth High School Football Field & Track
Rain or Shine - if necessary the walk will be moved into the high school
For additional information: www.relayforlife.org/casscone or 402-393-5801
Isaac Watts,
The author of today’s featured hymn, wrote 750 hymns during his life time. Many of them were widely sung, and 18 of them are in our hymnal. Watts was born on July 17, 1674,in Southampton, England. He was an outstanding student and wrote poetry and verse while still in grammar school. The Headmaster of the church school he attended saw to it that Isaac learned Hebrew, Greek and Latin.
Local people offered to pay for Isaac’s college education if he would attend the local university and be ordained in the Church of England. He declined the offer and entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in 1690. He was befriended by the Rev. Thomas Rowe, one of the leaders who broke away from the Church of England. Rev. Rowe headed an Independent Church, and Watts became a member.
Isaac’s father was a strong influence on his life. He had been taken prisoner twice because of his religious views, and although jailed and beaten, he stood his ground for his belief. He believed that every man, woman, and child should have a right to sing hymns, to pray to God in their own way and experience God’s blessings and be able to praise him. This was against the Church of England’s teaching. In this church, which was state-approved, the priest prayed for their congregation, read the scripture and a special choir chanted songs and hymns.
In 1694 at age 20, Watts finished his schooling at the academy and spent the next two years at home. During this time he wrote most of his songs and hymns. The hymns were sung at the Southampton Chapel each week and became so popular that they were published in 1707-1709. He continued to study and preached his first message in 1698. He became ordained and served as a pastor.
Because of the controversy between singing of Psalms and the singing of hymns, the church decided to sing Psalms at the beginning of their service and then, after the preaching, they would sing hymns. Many people who were still against the hymns would get up and leave the service at this time. In Isaac Watts’ great hymn, “We’re Marching to Zion” he protests this practice of people walking out during the hymn singing in stanza two.
“Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God,
But children of the heavenly King, but children of the heavenly King,
May speak their joys abroad, may speak their joys abroad”.
Robert Lowery, an American, wrote the music for this hymn. In his lifetime (1826-1899), he composed music for over 500 hymns and gospel songs.