As we move into fall and pick up our familiar schedules, the Wednesday Bible Study has begun meeting again each week at 10:00 am in the Parlor. Everyone is welcome!

For our study, we follow the lectionary readings and discuss the Bible stories that will be the focus of worship on the next Sunday. In August that meant exploring the world of King David and his family, but now we leave those stories behind and return to the more familiar world of the Gospel of Mark.

And, as we pick up on Mark, we will also return to something called the “African Bible Study Method”, which we introduced last spring and found to be a fresh, helpful way to listen to scripture. It’s called “African” because it was introduced in the Anglican Church at a conference in Africa some years ago, but it’s actually a variation on ancient traditions of study.

This is how it works: (1) one person slowly reads the story, everyone identifies a word or phrase that jumped out at them, and then everyone shares; (2) another person reads the story again, from a different translation, everyone identifies some connection between the story and our world today, and then everyone shares; (3) a third person reads the story from a third translation, everyone identifies something we can do or change in our lives based on the story, and then everyone shares a final time.

This simple procedure led us to some great conversations last spring, and we are excited to try it again this fall. It makes even familiar stories become alive and relevant in new ways. Perhaps you would enjoy giving it a try. As we start up for the new season, this is a great time to join in. Hope to see you on Wednesdays!

Blessings, Elliott

Dear Paw Creek,

A few weeks ago, I began to make a list of everything that happens here at Paw Creek. (The exercise was part of preparing an outreach to members of our church family that we don’t see very often – more about that later, as we make contact and hear back from those folks.)

I began by typing a list of highlights: worship, choir, Sunday School and a few other things. It fit easily on one side of one-half sheet of paper.

Then I sent the list to a few of our session members for their thoughts. Each one sent back more suggestions, and those reminded me of other things, and then they also remembered more, and we kept adding to the list. By the time it was finished, it filled both sides of the paper – and that only worked because I shrank the font size and widened the margins. I began to be afraid that it was such a long list, no one would take the time to read it. So we actually left a few things off just to keep it manageable. We ended up organizing the list into categories: Sunday Mornings, Study and Fellowship, Our Partnership with Woodland Church, Mission to the Community, Caring for One Another. If we all put our heads together, I’m sure we could think of more things that we forgot, and maybe even a few more categories.

What a great exercise in stopping to take stock of all the ways that God blesses us and our world!

With the reminder of all that we do, this is a great opportunity for two messages to the Paw Creek family. First – an enthusiastic “THANK YOU” to everyone who reads this for the part you play, with your prayers, your participation, and your support. It takes all of us. And Second – it is indeed summertime, and we are taking a rest from many of the most active items on the list. Please enjoy the quieter pace, stay out of the sun, and get ready for more to come in the fall!

With gratitude,

Elliott

I’m writing on Monday, the day after Pentecost, with the sights and sounds (and wonderful covered dish smells!) of that day still fresh in my thoughts.

As always, there was a Holy Spirit-filled goodness to our celebration, with visions of wind and flames dancing in our imaginations, and the color red bursting out wherever the eye could see.

But I think now, after seven of these Woodland-Paw Creek Pentecost celebrations, I have come to appreciate some deeper meanings. The traditional take on the Pentecost story is actually rather removed from our everyday experience – after all, we weren’t there, and the events described by the book of Acts seem more symbolic than real. But when our two church families get together to remember the story, the Spirit’s power is not at all symbolic. It is happening in our very midst. In so many ways, the powers of the present age are invested in seeing us torn apart from each other by the human differences that we so easily notice. It is only the power of the Spirit that frees us to be bound together in the glory of those differences and in the oneness of Christ’s body.

As a case in point, yesterday we had the blessing of the music of the Woodland Hymn Choir. I mentioned during worship that I hadn’t even known what a Hymn Choir was, and that that ignorance had led me to list them incorrectly in the worship bulletin. Now, though, I have experienced their powerful music, sung unaccompanied and drawing us in with the insistence of rhythm and repetition. But even then I did not know what I had heard until I sat down to lunch and had a conversation with Andy Cumbow, our Music Director. As a musician, Andy understood that the Hymn Choir was doing something unlike any music that he knows. He speculated that it must be the music of the time of slavery, handed down unchanged in the oral tradition. And he also said it felt to him as if we were hearing the authentic sound of true and honest faith, not simply from 200 years ago, from the beginning of faith itself. I invited Mr. Sadler, one of the Hymn Choir singers, to join our conversation and he confirmed Andy’s guess – “these are the songs that our ancestors brought with them when they left to start our church”.

Where else but the Church of Jesus Christ, on what other day than the Day of the Holy Spirit, could people like us receive the gift of the raw, tender and honest songs of these faithful disciples whose history is caught up with our own in such complex and humbling ways? Therefore I repeat:  It is only the power of the Spirit that frees us to be bound together in the glory of our differences and in the oneness of Christ’s body.

Thanks be to God,

Elliott

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April 24, 2024

During the next several weeks, we will have some exciting additions to our regular worship services – I’d like to take this opportunity to mention what’s planned, and encourage all of us to come and take part!

• On Sunday May 5 – a Celebration of the our wonderful and successful “Children Connecting with Christ” program for neighborhood children, kindergarten through high school. Chris Boswell, our CCC coordinator who joined the team this year, will introduce himself and speak about the program, and CCC kids will help to lead us in worship. After church the children and their families will head out for their annual end-of-year field trip.

• On Sunday May 12 – a Celebration of the Presbyterian Women’s program for Mothers’ Day. The preacher that day will be Victoria Krebs. Victoria is a candidate for ministry who began her journey here at Paw Creek. The PW will also receive the annual Birthday Offering and honor one of their own with the Life Membership award.

• On Sunday May 19 – the Sixteen annual Pentecost celebration with our brothers and sisters from Woodland Presbyterian Church. Rousing worship with abundant food and fellowship will be the order of the day. We will also mark the completion of the third year of our marvelous Woodland-Paw Creek Reading Program partnership, which continues to make a profound difference in the lives of second graders at Paw Creek Elementary School.

• On Sunday June 2 – recognition and celebration of the achievements of our 2024 graduates, including high schoolers, college students, and – this year – two seminary students who are headed into the Gospel ministry.

Taken all together, the vitality and variety of our church and ministry will be on display during these weeks. Please plan to be here to offer well-earned congratulations and thanks for for a very successful year!

Blessings, Elliott

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March 27, 2024

As you read this on a Wednesday, we will be in the midst of what we call Holy Week – the days that lead us from Palm Sunday to Easter.

The four Gospel reports of the life of Jesus all treat time in the same way (even though some of the details vary). In the first chapters of each book, time runs quickly – from birth to adulthood in at most a page or two. Then time slows down a bit – three years of adult ministry cover many chapters, each year examined in some detail, but moving along from season to season. And finally, time slows to a crawl as the story of Holy Week is told day by day in great detail. At the end, on Good Friday, each hour is noted and examined.

The effect of this shared way of treating time is of course that our greatest attention is drawn to that final week and final day. All the strife, indignity, violence and grief seem very real to us. And that means that the astonishing joy of Easter draws its power to transform our lives because we know so well what came before.

We risk missing out on the power of Easter if we deprive ourselves of hearing the story of Holy Week – if we fail to slow down and experience it as Jesus and his followers did, one day at a time. The ancient observance of Holy Week is designed to allow us to do just that. And that is why I hope that over the next few days you might find the chance to share in our Holy Week services at Paw Creek: Thursday at 7:00 pm at table in the Scout Hut, and Friday at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary as the looming shadows gather.

Easter Sunday is now just days away. As we make our plans to come and join in worship, let us prepare to be astonished!

Blessings, Elliott

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February 28, 2024

My plan for this newsletter was to write something about the season of Lent. But as I sat down to type, my eye landed on an object that is sending me another direction.

Last week I was visiting my sister Amy at her home in Columbia. After I arrived Amy called my attention to a frame on the wall and asked “do you remember that?”

Boy do I remember it! It’s an abstract painting in the style of a mid-twentieth century Dutch artist, all lines and colors and shapes. It’s signed by our father with the year 1952, when he was an art student in Kansas City and it hung in our living room during most of my childhood. In my very earliest years, I remember staring at it, fixating on every shape and color. And now, seeing it again for the first time in decades, the details rushed back, as familiar as ever.

I had thought of that painting off and on for years, sadly assuming that it had been discarded during one move or another, and that I would never see it again. But it seems that Amy had found it during her own most recent move, stuffed in a box, and she’d pulled it out and put it on wall so she wouldn’t lose track of it again. Once I acknowledged that I recognized it, her next words were amazing to me: “I don’t really have room for it, but I held on to it because I thought you might want it.” Wow! Of course! After confirming that she really meant it, I brought it home as a treasure..

There’s a sense of awe at losing something and regaining it – dusty, cracked and worse for the wear, but still with the power to make old realities new again. Perhaps there are some Lenten thoughts here after all. Everything that is dear is continually wasting away. And yet those things are never lost forever. They will come back, in memory or in reality – resurrected if you will – with the power to move us to tears and gratitude.

May this Lenten season be a blessing to us all,

Elliott

The headline in the New York Times caught my eye: “Religion Creates Community. We’re Losing That.” It was the conclusion of a five-part series, and the upshot is this: there are lots of changes going on in American religious life, and many people no longer participating. But the polls and the author’s research all agree that even those who have left, for the most part, state that they miss being part of a community.

My first reaction was: “well, of course.” But then I started thinking about what we do at Paw Creek that would fit that broad category of “community.” In the next few days alone we will have the first “Fifth Friday Supper” offered by the Fellowship Committee, just to gather for the purpose of gathering. And then on Tuesday we will join the greater Coulwood community for the annual July 4th parade (our float is going to be awesome this year – come see it!)

On a more on-going basis we have meals together and refreshments after church. And throughout the year we have the reading program, CCC, the knitting group and other projects that build our community and help the larger community. And we gather food and 10 cent donations to feed the community. And we gather weekly for Sunday School, Bible study and choir rehearsal. And we reach out to help when there is illness and bereavement, both inside and outside our congregation.

And, of course, we simply show up every Sunday at 11:00 am – the security of knowing that a group of people whom we treasure and who treasure us will materialize every week like clockwork is priceless.

The article makes the point that many groups these days can offer one or two of these functions, but no group outside of church, synagogue, mosque or temple can offer all of them and more. Our reaction may be “of course”, but beyond that we can only stand in awe as we cherish this gift we have and strive to preserve it. And of course the true measure of community is our constant commitment to share it with everyone we meet.

Blessings – see you at the parade!

Elliott

Looking at our church calendar for the month of May, I am reminded of how many things are going on around here!

A quick (and surely not exhaustive) list includes: the wrap-up of the CCC program for the year, and their wonderful field trip last weekend; the final meetings of the Woodland Paw Creek reading program for the year, and their gala closing dinner Wednesday evening; the final weeks of the Back Pack Buddies program before summer vacation; Presbyterian Women’s Sunday and their end of the year Circle meeting; the Annual Fish Fry and Bake Sale; and the 15th annual joint Pentecost service with Woodland church, including music, food and celebration.

And of course the list doesn’t even mention Bible studies and Sunday school classes every week; glorious music every time we meet to worship; hours of work to care for the spaces where these events happen; and all the time spent planning and preparing for meals, arranging chairs, and locking and unlocking doors!

What’s the common thread that runs through all this activity? I see two things. First, everything on these lists represents the work of many, many hands and many, many hours. Truly, none of these things would be happening without deep dedication from our members and friends.

Second, and I think even more important: everything listed directly supports the Mission of Christ’s church. In what we do we care for God’s children and embody God’s love to the world.

When we ordain our elders and ministers, they promise to serve the Lord with “energy, intelligence, imagination and love”. But here at Paw Creek those words describe the dedication of every single person, ordained or not. Take a minute to think about it – and please join me in giving thanks for it all!

Blessings, Elliott

One of the things for which I am grateful here at Paw Creek Church is music in all its forms. None of us will ever be able to adequately say how much we cherish Mark, Andy and our talented, enthusiastic choir! Though scripture may be the brains of our worship, music is its very soul.

But I wonder if you have noticed how music is taking on an increasing importance for us in the congregation as well? Through our willingness to sing joyfully, we now have a weekly worship service in which we continually weave back and forth between music and spoken word. Even as the instrumental and choral music shine out, it’s also true that a large portion of our music is provided by all of us in the form of hymns and “responses” (which are short excerpts from the hymnbook that help us transition from place to place in the service.) You’ve probably also noticed that these “responses” stay the same for a few weeks at a time, and helps us to learn new songs and feel the continuity of worship from week to week.

Have you ever wondered where some of these songs come from, or why we have chosen them? If so, I encourage you to take a look at the short description that is included beneath every hymn in our hymnal “Glory to God”. These were provided by the hymnbook editors to help us be more aware of our music, both familiar and brand new.

For example, beginning this Sunday, February 26, we will sing new responses after the Prayer of the Day and the Benediction. These songs, “Stay With Me” (#204) and “Jesus, Remember Me” (#227) are both taken from the Taizé monastic community in France. The descriptions explain that in both cases the words come from the biblical story of Holy Week, and the music is intended to be slow and repetitious, like chanting. And for that reason, both songs are quite appropriate to the mood of the Lenten season that begins this week.

Please have a look at the bottom of the page next time you open a hymnbook, and see what’s there to be learned. And notice how music and words together provide so much of the spiritual magic that makes worship come alive!

Blessings,

Elliott

Recently I ran across a compelling image to help us think about how God works in our lives. It suggests that we imagine experiencing God’s presence as if were a wind constantly blowing towards the direction of everything that is good and loving and kind. And it further suggests we imagine that each of us has a sail. Our sails come in different shapes and sizes and are made from different materials. But each of us, if we choose, can trim our sails in such a way that we catch the wind of God and move closer to become as he wants us to be.

Although this is just an image, I think it works. Each of us, through the different stages of our lives, can tell by instinct whether we are closer or further from God. It’s not a question of having perfect lives filled with good fortune. Rather, it has to do with knowing that we are headed in God’s direction, no matter how hard or easy the way may be. And it has to do with trimming our sails, getting a feel for the direction of the wind and leaning into the places where God seems to be most at our side.

We might want to ask ourselves: how do I experience the wind of God at this time in my life? Is it at my back, pushing me along – or am I trying to walk into it with difficulty and unease? Are there ways that I can trim my sail so that the way becomes easier? Again, the question is not whether life is perfect, but whether it seems filled with God’s purpose and support.

Why not try this image on for size – see if it helps make the way a bit more clear. I hope it does!

Blessings, Elliott

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August 25, 2022

In the sixteenth century, a devout Spanish Christian named Teresa of Avila wrote these words: 

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Her insights have been a guide and an inspiration ever since. They challenge us to look at our own hands and feet and eyes and to wonder in awe at how much Jesus is doing in the circumstances of our world through us.

During the coming weeks, as summer turns to fall, here at Paw Creek we are going to be examining the hands, feet and eyes of our church. Each Sunday in worship, beginning on September 11, we will take a few minutes to hear about every aspect of the work we do here, from Sunday School to Church Property, from Outreach to Administration, and everything in between. Each week the leader of one of our committees will help us to understand what Jesus is doing with the hands that we give him to use.

The reports will be offered as “Minutes for Stewardship”, and indeed they will lead to a Stewardship response Sunday in November. But they will invite us to understand “stewardship” in the broadest possible way. Everything that we have – hands, feet, talents, time, and money too – is Christ’s to use, to do good, to look with compassion, and to bless. I think we will be astonished to see how he uses us, and we will be inspired to do even more.

With thanks to the Christ who uses us, and blessings for a season of abundance,

Elliott

    I must admit that as we come to the end of July, I’m feeling a tad worn down. Looking towards August, I would offer some prayers that the heat be a bit less oppressive and the rain just as plentiful but the storms not so angry; that the current and latest Covid surge might begin its downward trend; that we not meet the burden of saying goodbye and planning another funeral. And on the positive side, that there be plenty of fresh produce, lots of family times together, and a truly exciting first ever summer reading camp to send our rising third graders back to Paw Creek school by the end of the month.

     More than anything, I wish us all some rest and relaxation, because things will be busy come fall. To name a few: the second year of the Reading Program with a new crop of second graders, the return of Children Connecting With Christ to weekly in-person and on-site meetings, our first post-pandemic Homecoming, plus an ever-more “normal” feel to Sunday school, Bible Study and Worship. Andy and I met this week to hash our way through planning some wonderful worship experiences going all the way through the end of the year. I am in awe of Andy’s knowledge of music and liturgy. And of course we all know how much Mark brings to our worship – together with those two, plus our wonderful choir and dedicated Worship team, I am looking forward to some truly inspiring Sunday morning worship. Be sure to be there, in person or on-line.

     Nell and I will be out for a couple of weeks in August for our second visit to Amanda’s new home on the west coast. I’ll be gone on Sundays August 14 and 21, and there will be a couple of familiar faces in the pulpit those days – Dr. James Thomas and the Rev. Betsy Williamson. I know you will give them a hearty welcome. Blessings to all of us in the month ahead as we continue to Christ and his gospel wherever we may be.

Godspeed, Elliott

Dear Paw Creek,

Don’t the warmth and the green and the longer daylight hours of spring feel good? (Notice, however, that the pollen is not on that list!) As we peak our weary heads out from under the long two years of lockdown, there is a growing sense that we can actually make plans and do things and not have to worry about last-minute cancellations.

As evidence of our new freedom, I encourage you to spend some time on the report of the Mission Team and it’s committees in this newsletter. That’s where the story is this month, and it’s really quite breathtaking to realize how much has been going on this spring, and how much is in the works for summer and fall. It is encouraging and inspiring – and the many folks who make it all happy deserve a big round of thanks.

As we move into the summer, I hope that each of us finds some ways to get back to normal in everything that we do. Let’s enjoy it – we are ready to be here!

Blessings, Elliott

Every Sunday when we gather in the sanctuary, we find ourselves surrounded by beautiful stained glass windows: windows that create a holy space. Blending with music and prayer they bring us closer to God every single week.

Have you ever taken time to really look at the windows? Did you know that they tell the story of the life of Jesus? Starting in front near the East Wing and moving around the room, they take us from Nativity to Resurrection. (And there are two more on the wall by the front porch, harder to see from indoors because of the Sound room and the balcony stairs.)

Every year on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the final chapter of that story from Nativity to Resurrection. Not just the final chapter of the Passion Story in Holy Week – but the culmination of everything in the life of Jesus. His whole life leads us to salvation – the way he was born, the people he met, the things that he taught.

This year on Palm Sunday, after we have welcomed Jesus with our palm branches and songs, we will use the story that surrounds us in glass to remember again the “Story of Salvation”. The story will come alive for us in scripture and music as the entryway to all the observances of Holy Week and Easter. I hope that you can join us on Palm Sunday and throughout the week. There’s a list of services and times here in the newsletter. What better way to immerse ourselves in God’s holy gift of Salvation?

Blessings of these holy seasons,

Elliott

Dear Paw Creek,

     As I write on Wednesday afternoon, there is a threat of winter weather in the air. You will know more by the time you read this, and we will all know for sure over the weekend. Whatever happens, may everyone be warm and safe for the next few days. Rest assured, if we need any changes to the schedule on Sunday, there will be plenty of notice by email and phone chain, and on the TV stations as well.

     Having lived in southwest Virginia, New York, and Boston, I’ve seen my share of snow over the years, and I’ve shoveled a ton of it. When we moved back to Charlotte, I made a point of giving the snow shovels away because I didn’t want to even admit the possibility that I would ever need them again! It’s funny how something that was so magical and long-hoped-for when we were young is has become such a drudgery.

     But even with all that, the sign of the first flakes in the air still has a magic to it. It’s the hint of a promise that routines will be broken for a day or two, and the brown earth of winter will be given a shiny new coat of white. Who knows – if it really happens over the next few days, it may even come as a welcome change from the storm of Covid that continues to break routines and leave a far more harsh hardship in its wake. Perhaps, just perhaps, it will give us the strength to hope again that a normal springtime is just around the corner. If we can dig deep and find one last simple prayer, let that be it: “come Lord, for we are ready to be made whole.”

In a hopeful and melancholy way,

Elliott

December 22, 2021

If you were able to join us in the CFC last Sunday for our Christmas lunch, what a great event we had! Like so many things we do now, we had that familiarly odd sensation of “just like always” yet “different than what we’ve gotten used to for the past two years.” Many thanks to the Fellowship Committee for pushing forward to get us back to the sharing of food and friendship around the table. May the new year bring us more and more often to reclaim lost traditions in safe and wise ways.

And I also want to thank our emcee, Sam McCord, for nudging us to share and enjoy Christmas memories. I love the way that each of our family traditions is unique to our own families, yet can bring a smile and tug of nostalgia to everyone.

Although it’s hard for most of us to choose just one favorite memory, I think I would probably have to say that Christmas Eve was the part of my childhood tradition that stands out the most. Christmas Eve was always the time for a holiday celebration with my mother’s family. All of the Barnhardts, other than my immediate family, lived in the farming country northeast of Huntersville. Their houses all stood within a mile or so of the original family farm, which in my childhood was still an active farm run by Great Uncle Ed, with cows, pigs, chickens and an old mule named Sal. Every three or four years the party would be at our house in Charlotte, but the rest of the time, we city cousins got to go to the country for Christmas.

As the darkness settled on Christmas Eve, we would pile the car with the presents we were taking to aunts, uncles and cousins, and set out for the country. In those days before interstates, we wound our way downtown, then headed north on Statesville Avenue. On that route you could feel the city gradually fall away as the rural landscape of woods and open fields took over. I always thought of it as our own version of “over the river and through the woods”. When we arrived there was a roaring fire in fireplace of whichever house we were gathered at and it felt like Christmas had finally arrived.

But the best part came as we packed up to head home. The car pulled away from front porch lights onto the deserted rural road, and sitting in the quiet back seat I would look out the window and marvel at the darkness of the sky, so much deeper than the sky we could see in town. And slowly my eyes would focus on the stars, twinkling brighter than I remembered from any other night of the year. And when I saw the stars, I thought about the shepherds with their sheep in the night, and about the wise men following the brightest star. And I thought to myself, this is what it looked like when Jesus was born. Even as I got older and had moved from the back seat to the driver’s seat, for as many years as I made that Christmas Eve trip, I would still take my eyes off the road for a second to seek out the stars and savor that childhood memory.

Jesus was born so that ordinary things could become windows for us to look through to see the wonder of God. A starry sky, a family gathered, the sound and smell of cows and pigs on a farm, the cry of a newborn babe. They are all windows to God. May each of us find open windows again this Christmas, for God’s light to shine.

Merry Christmas, Elliott

I had a wonderful experience last Wednesday, December 1st. That was the first day of our long-planned, Covid-delayed and much-anticipated Woodland-Paw Creek Reading Program. Arriving early for the evening Bible Study class I saw that all of our dreams had come true.

The children’s room in the East Wing has been transformed into a colorful and cheerful classroom that simply begs for children to come in and learn. And that’s exactly what they had done – around the tables, on the rug, in the corners, were 12 second graders from Paw Creek Elementary, all happily absorbing books. Among the quiet chatter of children and volunteers there was a feeling of purpose and achievement. Every child was happy and engaged – and this after being delivered to us by school bus at the end of a long school day! All of the hard planning had worked, and the reading program was off to a beautiful start.

As it got close to 5:00, there was some worry that parents arriving to pick up their children on the first day wouldn’t know which church door to enter, so I offered to go stand in the parking lot and give them directions. And that was my next treat. I got to speak to each of the parents as they arrived, and they were so appreciative of the opportunity we have given their children to really move ahead and excel in school. We chose to target second graders on the advice of the Paw Creek principal, Ms. Belton – she explained that because high-stakes testing begins in 3rd grade, this is the last chance for the children to learn to read and move ahead. What happens in 2nd grade will affect them throughout high school and beyond. And we hope to help them not only learn to read, but learn to love to read for the rest of their lives. No wonder the parents are so appreciative.

Of course, all I did last Wednesday was observe. The miracle workers were our own team from the Woodland and Paw Creek churches who have made this happen through hours of dreaming, planning and hard work. Special thanks to Elder Madge Hopkins from Woodland, who first challenged us to dream big. And much grateful appreciation to Sarah Taylor, the program facilitator, who has taken the plans and made them become real in a few weeks’ time. To everyone who was part of this – bravo! (bravae! to sticklers for Latin). This is a great Christmas-time story of children, new beginnings and hope. Hallelujah!

Blessings, Elliott

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November 10, 2021

Thank you to everyone who has asked about our trip to the Seattle area – Nell and I had a great time, and were especially pleased to find Amanda happy and settled into her new home. Although it was primarily a visiting trip and not a sight-seeing trip, we did get a feel for a place that we had never been before. Neither of us had ever made it all the way to the Pacific Coast before, so it felt like we had come a long way.

Since Amanda is now an outdoor educator, she particularly pointed out the natural world around us, whether in the animal kingdom (banana slugs), the plant kingdom (big leaf maples – the leaves really are BIG), the terrain (heavily wooded ravines and mountains as tall as the Smokies within steps of the coastline) or climate (the famous Pacific Northwest rainy season).

One thing that made a particular impression on me was a sign that we saw many times during the week. In the Gospels, towards the end of his life, Jesus teaches the disciples to pay attention to the signs of the times. Well, I certainly paid attention to this one. Any time you come to the water’s edge along the Puget Sound, you can see small signs, like a politician’s yard sign, that say “Tsunami Danger Zone – in case of Earthquake, evacuate immediately to higher ground.”

Wow! I’ve never seen one of those in Mecklenburg County! But isn’t it wonderful that the people of Washington State have paid enough attention to the their world to know what might happen, and to adapt themselves to their surroundings. That really is what Jesus was talking about to the disciples. Don’t just live in a bubble, cut off from your world and your neighbors. Open your eyes, see what’s happening around you, see what God is doing, and live right here in the moment. That’s a warning about dangers, but also an encouragement about opportunities. What can we do in this very place, for work, for recreation, and even for ministry, that people in other places cannot do?

Good thoughts for this new landscape we are moving into post-pandemic. There are still dangers to be wisely navigated, but great possibilities that are open only to us. Let’s heed the signs of the times and see what is in store.

Blessings, Elliott

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October 28, 2021

Pastoral Vacation

Elliott is on vacation as he and Nell visit with Amanda in Seattle. If pastoral needs arise during this time, please contact any member of the Session.   

Dear Paw Creek,

Greetings and good wishes to everyone in these beautiful fall days! It’s a blessedly quiet interlude right now, with not much to report. As you see from the note below, I’m grateful to be able to step back for a couple of weeks as Nell and I go explore Amanda’s new home territory near Seattle.

I hope it’s a good time for each of you as well, recognizing of course that for many the shadow of the Covid crises continues to hang over your extended families and networks of friends in the community. May all our prayers continue as we see the end of this current surge and aim for better days ahead.

As soon as November rolls around, things will begin to crank up. We expect soon to be welcoming a new musician to our staff, and a leader for the Woodland-Paw Creek Reading Program. The holiday season will be fast approaching, and we will be planning for as many of our traditional Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas celebrations as possible, while continuing to keep everyone safe. This is the time of year when the generosity of the congregation overflows to help families and children in our community. And once December comes along, we will see the return of our neighbors at Room in the Inn.

Look for much more information in coming newsletters about all these happenings. It’s good to feel life and vitality coming back into our world.

Pastoral Vacation

Elliott will be on vacation beginning Monday, October 18 for two weeks as he and Nell head to Seattle for a visit with Amanda. If pastoral needs arise during this time, please contact any member of the Session.   Guest preachers for the following two Sundays will be the Rev. Valerie Hicks on October 24 and the Rev. Betsy Williamson on October 31.

There are a lot of quiet meetings going on around church these days. Three groups are listening hard for God’s direction as they make decisions: new elders to serve the church for the next three years, a new musician to support our choir and worship, and a leader for our brand new Reading Program with Woodland Church. For two of those groups, notices are going out, resumes are coming in, and interviews are being scheduled. For all three groups, there is much prayerful consideration going on, listening for God’s voice to lead us towards good decisions, so that the right people are paired with the right jobs.

In our Presbyterian heritage, we listen seriously to John Calvin’s teachings about “vocation”. That word comes from the Latin word that simply means “calling” – at every juncture of our lives, God calls us by name. Just like Abraham, the prophets, and the disciples, we hear our name along with a job to be done and the message: “this one’s for you – go do it, and do it well.” Calvin’s great insight was to teach us that God calls us not just to churchy jobs, like being a prophet or a disciple, but to every task and identity of our lives. To be a shopkeeper or an engineer; to make music or art, tend a garden or care for animals; to be a spouse; to be a parent. In all these ways, so many times throughout our lives, the message comes: “this one’s for you – go do it, and do it well.”

Please join me in praying with and for our committee members and the people they are talking to. Help everyone be still and be quiet long enough to truly listen. “Who is God leading us to reach out to? What is God’s plan for the next chapter of my life? Does my answer of ‘yes’ or ’no’ come from my own desires, or from God’s heart?” To work for God here in the church is no more holy than our work in the world of families and careers – but it is no less holy either. For these jobs and positions that we are filling, God has a plan. It’s exciting to wait with anticipation as we see who will arrive to follow God’s plan.

Blessings, Elliott

With Rally Day this coming Sunday, we are easing a little more back to normal. That’s a good feeling, and I know we’re all grateful for everyone’s willingness to be careful, to use our masks in worship, and to make this a safe transition.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve heard several questions about our plans for a school reading program, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to give everyone an update. Bottom line: it’s going to happen later this fall!

You may remember that this program was coming along nicely before the pandemic began. This is a joint project with our partners at Woodland Presbyterian Church. We formed a “ministry team” under the Presbytery of Charlotte, and we were awarded a Presbytery mission grant of $5,000 for the project. The plan is to invite children from Paw Creek Elementary School to come to our church once a week for reading enrichment, to help them practice their reading and give them a life-long love of reading and learning. Volunteers from both our church and Woodland will help run the program along with a facilitator who will be paid a stipend using the funds from Presbytery.

Over the summer the planning team from Paw Creek and Woodland has been hard at work, picking up the pieces where we had to leave them in March 2020, and getting back on track. The multipurpose Library at the end of the hall in the East Wing is being transformed into a reading room, the team has met with the principal and teachers at the school, and feelers are out to hire the facilitator. The program is scheduled to begin in November (after the end of the first marking period) with 10-12 second graders. It will meet Thursday afternoons – the children will be transported by school bus and then picked up by their parents.

Once the facilitator is on board, the team will be coming to both congregations to ask for volunteers and for contributions to support snacks and reading books for the children to take home. Be on the lookout for those communications. And in the meantime, please keep the planning team, along with the students and staff at Paw Creek School, in your prayers. This is an exciting project, and we can be grateful that this, too, is another sign of things getting back to normal!

Blessings, Elliott

It’s the end of August and everyone is heading back to school. And we are too, here at Paw Creek!

Our regular Sunday School routine returns on September 12, the Sunday after Labor Day. That’s the first time since March of 2020 and it’s something to celebrate. Using our masks and all of the other safety measures we have learned over these many months, it will be a joyful return. There is a notice in this newsletter with details about offerings, rooms and curriculum. And please make a note of our Sunday morning timeline:

9:30 am Prayer Gathering in the Sanctuary

9:45 am Classes begin in assigned rooms

10:30 am Bell rings for end of classes

11:00 am Morning Worship in the Sanctuary

The fall will also bring a return to in-person Bible Study on Wednesdays. We will resume our pre-Covid schedule with identical classes offered at 10:00 am and 5:30 pm in the Parlor. The evening class will also be offered live on Zoom (we will use the same Meeting ID as we had for Bible Study last year – please let me know if you need it). The first classes will be September 15, the Wednesday after Sunday School begins.

As we start back in September, our Bible Study classes will begin a new book, The Original Jesus by Tom Wright. The author (who is also known as “N.T. Wright”) is a professor and retired bishop from England. He has produced scores of books and videos about the Bible, church history, and the intersection of faith with the modern world. This book focuses on the “life of Jesus, and key elements of his teaching, revealing a vivid reconstruction of what Jesus himself was aiming to achieve” (from the cover).

This is an older book, but good used copies are readily available for under $5. I am going to order a number of copies through Amazon, and you are welcome to search out copies as well (Eerdmans Publishing, 1996). Although there is no need to “register” for Bible Study, feel free to let me know if you are interested and we can make sure everyone has a book. The books, both in paperback and hardcover, are beautifully illustrated, and you will enjoy having your own copy for class.

All in all, there’s a lot going on – I hope you will find the place(s) that are good for you. See you in September!

Blessings, Elliott

Welcome Tomasz Robak!

The Administration and Worship committees are pleased to introduce Tomasz Robak, who will serve as our Interim Church Musician beginning August 15 and continuing through the fall. Tom is a pianist and organist, with degrees in Piano Performance from Peabody Conservatory and Rice University. He is currently on the music faculty of Davidson College, and has served as a substitute organist at several local Presbyterian churches. He and his family live in Davidson.

Pastoral Vacation

Elliott and Nell will be on vacation July 19 – August 1. If pastoral needs arise during this time, please notify any of the elders on our Church Session.

When I wrote to you in our newsletter two weeks ago, we had just learned the news that our long-time church musician Mark Burleson will be leaving Paw Creek to become the new musician at Soapstone United Methodist Church in Raleigh. This is a great move for Mark and we share his excitement as he looks forward to new challenges, even as we are so sorry to say goodbye.

Now, Mark’s last day on July 18 is almost upon us. Our Session committees have come up with several ways to honor Mark and celebrate his ministry. Please have a look at these and plan to join us on the 18th, in person or via live stream. And feel free to share this information with friends and family who may have know Mark over the years – it would be great for them to join us as well!

On July 18th, we will:

Have lots of music from Mark and the choir

Sing hymns together during worship – MASKS ARE REQUIRED during the hymns (not during the rest of the service); please bring a mask, or get one from the ushers

Present Mark with gifts of gratitude – if you wish to participate in a LOVE OFFERING, checks can be made out to the church, and need to arrive in the church office by next Monday, July 12

Present Mark with an offering of cards – there will be a basket in church on the 18th, or you can mail them to the church office with “Mark Burleson” in the corner of the envelope

Share in a wonderful reception after worship in the church parlor

Please come and join the festivities – this will be a day of joy and a day of tears, and all together a day of thanksgiving to the Lord for the gifts of music, of friendship, and of Mark!

Blessings, Elliott

It has been such a joy for so many of us to be together in worship these past two weeks! As we reclaim the familiar patterns, as we relish the hugs and handshakes, as we  enjoy the surprises of each new week (so good to welcome back the choir last Sunday!) – through it all there is an enormous sense of gratitude for all the essential workers and medical professionals who brought us to this point. And above all, gratitude to God for care and protection. Let us remember in our prayers those families for whom these are bittersweet days, especially those who lost loved ones during the months of pandemic, whether from Covid or any other illness. And let hold close those in our circle of family, church and friends, who are not yet ready to venture out fully. We are grateful that as a church community we are now able to worship with them virtually each week, and will continue to do that into the years ahead.

I know that vacation time is beginning for many of our families – yet another sign of return to familiar patterns. Whether here or away, please be safe, enjoy your family time, and come back rested for new adventures in the months ahead.

And if you are around, remember that on the second Sunday of each summer month (starting this Sunday, June 13), we have a light breakfast and summer devotional Sunday school lesson beginning at 9:15 in the CFC. Regular Sunday school classes resume for all ages in September.

May the familiarity of summer blessing resound for all of us in these weeks ahead.

Blessings, Elliott

Dear Paw Creek,

What a wonderful Pentecost celebration we had on Sunday! It was a great reunion with our Woodland Church sisters and brothers, a moving visit to our shared memorial at the back of our cemetery, and a lovely, sunny and breezy morning (the 90 degree heat held off until after lunch!) There was also a wonderful feeling of freedom as we sang, prayed, listened to the music of the choirs, and generally enjoyed the things that we have missed for so long. Many, many thanks to the Property, Fellowship and Worship committees, and everyone involved in making this day a holy success.

And now, with that lead-in, on to the big news of the week:

Last Thursday, May 20, the Session approved many changes to relax the safety precautions that we have been living with for so long. These changes begin immediately, with our worship this Sunday. Here are the highlights:

Precautions that are still in effect (or partially in effect):

Masks are optional indoors (please continue to be considerate of the comfort level of others)

Socially distanced seating is available for the pews nearest the West Wing

We will not pass collection plates (baskets available by the doors)

We will continue to refrain from singing the hymns, pending further advice from the medical community

And these precautions are now removed:

The tape markings on the remainder of the pews are removed, and attendance is back to full capacity

Everyone is invited to join in unison and responsive readings and prayers (please speak softly as a precaution)

No more temperature checks at the door

Feel free to enter and leave by any of the doors

In addition, we can look forward to the return of our church choir later in the summer – they are awaiting delivery of specially designed singing masks that will allow them to begin rehearsals in the next couple of weeks.

With all these changes, please also remember that live-stream worship is now a permanent feature at Paw Creek. The live feed will always be available if you are shut in, sick, out of town, not quite ready to venture out into crowds, or otherwise find that this is the best option for you.

For church groups, there are also changes for your meetings in church buildings. Masks are optional, just like in the worship service. No need to reserve a room in the East Wing, but the regular reservation forms for use of the CFC are still in place. If you know of a non-church group that may wish to use space, please ask them to inquire through the church office, as was done in the past.

Other regular meetings continue as well: (1)  the prayer gathering Sunday morning at 10:30 in the sanctuary (no Zoom connection; if you are not present in the sanctuary, feel free to text prayer requests to me or to Debbie Taylor before worship), and (2) Bible Study via Zoom Wednesdays at 5:30 (we will continue into June until we finish our current study of the book of Nehemiah, then take a summer recess until Labor Day).

So – suddenly a lot of changes all at once. If you want to check on any the details, please feel free to give me a call. Otherwise, if you are ready to come back to church, we are ready to see you. If you feel better waiting awhile, that’s good too. Either way, I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!

Blessings, Elliott

As I wrote two weeks ago, we are transitioning to a twice-a-month newsletter. Our world is slowly returning to a more normal flow, and for that we are grateful. You will again find two worship bulletins in this newsletter (April 25 and May 2). After today, the bulletins will not be included with the newsletters, but will continue to be available on our church website (we will also gladly mail a bulletin to those who specifically ask – just give Kim a call in the office to get on the mailing list). On Wednesday, Governor Cooper announced potential relaxation of most pandemic indoor restrictions by June 1. As soon as we know the specifics, the Task Force and Session will have a look and figure out what changes we will make at that time. Things are happening, and it’s a good feeling.

As our world continues to open up, I am very concerned to ensure that we make the best use of the most important permanent change that has happened in the past year. In the fall of 2019, Paw Creek began an experiment to offer a simple live-stream feed of our worship services each Sunday (thank you Larry Ramsey!) Because that experiment was in place, we were able to switch immediately to live stream worship last March, and we have never missed a Sunday service throughout the pandemic. During the first months, that simple experiment has grown with new knowledge and upgraded equipment, so that we are now able to worship with folks literally around the world every Sunday (thank you Clint Shaw! and likewise thanks to Larry and to Ron Matthews who have learned the system and can sub in when Clint is away.)

On-line worship is now a reality for us, and that is not going to change. We have a way to connect with church members who are at home or out of town. We also have already made connections with people whom we’ve never met in person, but who have become part of our community. Those are the people that I want to find! The one missing element in a live-stream worship service is that the signal only goes one way. We have only limited knowledge of who is watching each Sunday, and no way at all to know who watches during the week. Even when we can see a list of those who are tuned in, all we get is a user name, which may not provide any real identification. Our challenge in the months ahead is to turn virtual worship into a two-way street, and that means finding out who is out there and making contact with them. I’m not really concerned about getting our on-line congregation to become formal members, or to join a group, or even to send in money – unless they want to. But I do want them to know that we cherish being able to worship together, I want for us to be able to pray for them and with them, and I want for us to learn from them how we can serve them, and serve with them.

On our church website, there is now an on-line “visitor card”. If you are a church member and worship on-line, please fill out the card and let us know (once is enough – you don’t need to do it every week). If you are not a formal member but are reading this on the website, we would appreciate your response as well. And if you know people who are watching, or if you recognize some of those user names, or connect with them on Facebook, please encourage them to respond too. Assure them we will not bombard them with emails, but let them know we care about them and want to connect with them. Some will choose to remain unknown, and that’s ok – God is doing a good thing in their lives and we are grateful. But for others, we hope this can be a beginning, for us and for them, of a new way to follow Christ together, long after the pandemic is over.

                                                            Blessings, Elliott

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Weekly Letter – April 8, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed – alleluia! Holy Week and Easter were times of great depth, and finally great joy. Whether we celebrated in-person or on-line, we were caught up in the full sweep of God’s story of redemption and glory. Many folks worked throughout the week to make our worship possible, and I know we are all grateful for the time, energy and dedication of everyone involved!

Of course one of the real joys of the week was a sense of slowly returning normalcy. We found this especially for those who were able to come to the Easter Sunrise Service. Behind our masks we were able to speak aloud, to pray, to sing and to reclaim worship as participants and not just observers. We are not quite there yet for indoor worship, but the time is coming closer and closer. Live stream worship is now an established part of our outreach, and for many of us, that will remain a permanent or occasional option – we rejoice that we can be together in that way and we are glad you are with us! For others, the sanctuary is becoming familiar again. With distance and masks, we are finding room, and will continue to monitor health recommendations to know when to further relax our guidelines.

Our committees are also planning for fellowship and study offerings outdoors over the summer, and the Christian Education committee has set a tentative target of Labor Day for our regular Sunday school schedule to resume. At its March meeting, Session approved guidelines for church groups to begin using facilities for occasional meetings and church-sponsored activities. Distancing and masking are still vital, so it is important to choose a space based on the size of your group. Small groups (5-6 people) can use the Session Room or Parlor; medium-sized groups (15-16 people) can use the CFC dining room; and larger groups can use the CFC gym. Please reserve through the church office to be sure we don’t overlap and to receive specific information. For now, this change is for church groups only; requests from community groups will still go through our in-person task force.

One final change to note is that Session is committed to getting us back on track with our gathering of donations for the needs of our community. Please see the information in this newsletter about the 10¢ A Meal Hunger Offering and the gathering of food for Loaves and Fishes. The Outreach Committee is also exploring other safe ways that we can be good neighbors, including a blood drive later this month.

These weekly letters began over a year ago as a life-line for all of us when we had no other way to stay connected or to know what was going on. I think they’ve worked well, and I’m grateful we have had this tool when we needed it most. Now that we are seeing positive change, we have decided to pull back on the newsletter schedule. Beginning today, newsletters will go out twice a month, on the second and fourth Thursdays. This will allow us to be good stewards of our resources, with savings in postage, paper and time. In April you will find two worship bulletins in each newsletter. Beginning in May the bulletins will not be part of the newsletter, but will continue to be available for download on the church webpage. If you would like to be on a separate list to receive the bulletins each week by mail, we’ll be happy to include you – please just call the office and let Kim know.

With thanksgiving for all God’s providential care in the past and in the future, let us now offer our prayers to God, including these brothers and sisters in and around our church family:

• Miriam Childress and her family on the death of her sister Jeanette Hamilton. Services are private – Jeanette’s obituary is available at woodlawnfuneral.org
• Margie Caudill, who has been hospitalized in Pineville after a fall on Sunday; she should be released to return to residential care soon.
• Vernie Smith and her family, with special concern for Vernie’s granddaughter Sarah, who is undergoing testing at Duke Hospital.
• Anne Miller, with praise for her successful surgery last Thursday, and prayers for speedy recovery.
• Carol McNeal and family – her brother David Troutman has stopped chemotherapy and is now under hospice care.
• Velda Bell, a friend of Larry Ramsey, who is experiencing serious aftereffects of Covid-19.

May God’s blessings be abundant for these saints, and for us all,

                                                                                                   Elliott

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – April 1, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

Dear Paw Creek,

Maundy Thursday – April 1 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

Good Friday – April 2 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

Easter Sunrise – April 4 – Service at 8:00 am outdoors by the church cemetery. No live-stream.

Easter Sunday Service – April 4 – Service at 11:00 am, in person and on live-stream

Please join me, throughout this week, in thanking the many folks who have made our worship and fellowship possible, including the Worship, Property, Fellowship and Congregational Care committees, and our dedicated church staff (Kim, Mark and Patrick). Special shout-out to Amy McGee and Sam McCord for spearheading the project to transform palm branches into door decorations – giving us something to share in common as we worship both at home and in the sanctuary!

As Easter dawns on Sunday morning, may the hope of new beginnings and new horizons beckon all of us forward into the months of renewal and transformation ahead.

I just have a few prayer concerns this week – because of Holy Week, we did not have our regular Bible Study on Wednesday night. And, because of the sunrise service, there will be no prayer gathering on Sunday morning. So, if there are other concerns to share, please let me know in the next few days, or write out a note and hand it to the ushers on the way into worship on Sunday. For now, please remember:

• Vernie Smith and her family, with special concern for Vernie’s granddaughter Sarah.
• Anne Miller, who will have surgery for a mastectomy on Thursday morning.
• Ann Furr, whose house was severely damaged by a falling tree in the storm last Saturday afternoon.
• The family of Carson Watts, an Oakdale resident, who died last week, his funeral will be Friday at Pleasant Grove Methodist.

May God bless us and keep us as we follow Jesus through the rest of Holy Week and set our sights towards Easter.

                                                                                                   Elliott

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – March 25, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

Dear Paw Creek,

I’m going to need to be succinct in this week’s letter – we have a lot of other information to include with the newsletter, and we need to save paper and postage for the copies that go out through the postal mail!

As we enter Holy Week on Sunday, we have a wide range of opportunities for worship, both on-line and in person:

Palm Sunday – March 28 – Service at 11:00 am, in person and on live-stream

        Please arrive by 10:45 for the palm procession, and plan to stay afterwards for palm decorating

Maundy Thursday – April 1 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

        We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, so if you are at home, plan to have bread and juice available.

Good Friday – April 2 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

        The Service of Shadows, with readings, silence, prayer, and the extinguishing of the light

Easter Sunrise – April 4 – Service at 8:00 am outdoors by the church cemetery. No live-stream.

        Dress for the weather, bring a lawn chair, and stay afterwards for a light breakfast

Easter Sunday Service – April 4 – Service at 11:00 am, in person and on live-stream

        Celebrate the resurrection in music, prayer, proclamation and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper.

We still have space to welcome you for in-person worship – please just contact the church office to let the Worship Committee know. And don’t forget that gifts for the Easter flowers to honor and remember loved ones are due next Tuesday.

Our prayer list this week includes:

• Jeannette Hamilton, sister of Miriam Childress, who remains hospitalized and seriously ill.
• Eddie McArver, recovering from a bout with shingles
• Cyndy Taylor, sister-in-law of George Taylor who is now recovering at home after being in the hospital
• Barry McNaughton, Linda Riggins’s cousin, recovering from Legionnaire’s disease
• George Taylor, Marlon Foust’s nephew, who is in ICU care with pneumonia
• Greylan Counts, who suffered a facial injury from a falling tree branch; he was released from the hospital and will return later for more surgery
• Please keep Vernie Smith and her family in your prayers, especially her granddaughter Sarah.

May God bless us and keep us as we follow Jesus through this Holy Week and set our sights towards Easter.

                                                                                    Elliott

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – March 18, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

Dear Paw Creek,

Our sense of time becomes distorted in these days. I don’t know about you, but I am taken aback to look at the calendar and know that Easter is just two weeks away!

Many of us are drifting back into in-person worship each Sunday. Please come when you are ready, but also please call ahead by phone or email to Kim in the church office. We will shift and arrange to get as many into the sanctuary as we safely can. If you are not ready, we understand – live-stream worship will continue so that you can join us as well.

With Holy Week and Easter right around the corner, here’s a rundown of the events and service that are planned. Our committees have been (and continue to be) busy making these offerings possible. Please plan to join us, live or live-stream, throughout the week beginning next Sunday.

Palm Sunday – March 28 – Service at 11:00 am, in person and on live-stream

        Please arrive by 10:45. We will have palms for everyone as we begin the service outdoors and process into the sanctuary. Those on live-stream will be able to participate as well, so be sure to log in right on time

        After worship, plan to stay around outdoors, where the Fellowship committee will offer materials and instructions for transforming palm branches into a display for your front door during Holy Week.

        The Fellowship and Congregational Care committees will also have palms to bring to those who worship with us on live-stream.

Maundy Thursday – April 1 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

        We will worship in the sanctuary this year, looking forward to being able to return to our traditional service at tables by 2022. We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, so if you are at home, plan to have bread and juice available.

Good Friday – April 2 – Service at 7:00 pm, in person and on live-stream

        The Service of Shadows, with readings, silence, prayer, and the extinguishing of the light

Easter Sunrise – April 4 – Service at 8:00 am outdoors by the church cemetery. No live-stream.

        Come early for a simple service to welcome the dawn and rejoice in the Good News of resurrection. Everyone is welcome, no need to call ahead. Please check the weather and dress warmly enough for the early air and damp grass, and bring a lawn chair if you have it. The Fellowship Committee will offer a simple breakfast in front of the CFC afterwards.

Easter Sunday Service – April 4 – Service at 11:00 am, in person and on live-stream

        Celebrate the resurrection in music, prayer, proclamation and the sharing of the Lord’s Supper.

Finally, please see the information in this newsletter about memorial and honorarium gifts for Easter flowers in the sanctuary. We all look forward to celebrating this holy time and way or another!

In our prayers this week, please remember:

• Jeannette Hamilton, sister of Miriam Childress, who is seriously ill in the hospital in Myrtle Beach. Pray also for Miriam and for Jeannette’s daughter Elaine, who is an only child and is bearing all the responsibility of her mother’s care.
• Gail Carinelli, a member of our on-line congregation, who will have major eye surgery on Thursday.
• Eddie McArver, who is feeling much better as he recovers from shingles on his face and near one of his eyes.
• Colt Klutz, grandson of Thelma Thomlinson, who is recovering well from a head injury after a serious go-kart accident.
• Cyndy Taylor, sister-in-law of George Taylor who is now recovering at home after being hospitalized for pancreatitis.
• Razz Holman, a friend of Karen Cathey, who will undergo a steroid treatment for a lung condition – these treatments have caused serious side-effects for him in the past.
• Kevin Cashion, who has surgery scheduled for Thursday morning.
• Roy Joyner, as we rejoice with him at the success of his cancer treatments last summer.
• Barry McNaughton, husband of Linda Riggins’s cousin, who is hospitalized in Pineville with sepsis, pneumonia and high fever.
• Carol Venable, moderator of Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Charlotte, who is recovering from surgery. Carol is a member of Marks Creek Presbyterian Church in Hamlet, NC.

In all these things, may God be our blessing, our strength and our stay.

                                                                                    Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – March 11, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

A year ago on this Thursday was the last time that I entered a hospital. After my visit there, I remember sitting in the car making phone calls and checking news reports to try to understand the onrush of information and conflicting advice about what would and would not be safe for us as a church. Then I returned to the church office to begin sending emails to seek the wisdom of our church Session. By the next day, Friday, we had reached a decision to limit worship the following Sunday to a live-stream broadcast using the rudimentary equipment that we then had available. We anticipated being limited to live-stream worship for perhaps two or three weeks. We had never heard of Zoom.

It will take a long time to digest and begin to understand what the experiences of the ensuing year have meant to us, our families, our communities and our church. In time, our perspective will begin to lengthen and these 365 days will no longer seem like such a huge expanse of time. Our perspective will begin to give us some small understanding of the view that God has of our world and our lives. In God’s eyes, this year has been but a moment. In God’s eyes each moment of fear, grief and hardship has been wrapped in the tender embrace of his everlasting arms. In God’s eyes we are now at this moment, on this day, when the birds are singing, the tiny buds are beginning to open, the vaccines are flowing, and hope is on our horizon.

This is not the time to relax our commitment to the protections that come to us from the knowledge of science that God has graciously given us. But it is perhaps a time to indulge in that hope, to lift our gaze to that horizon. It is surely a time to see with God’s eyes that he is with us this day, and to give thanks for his abiding presence.

As we welcome God’s presence in our lives, we are invited to include in our prayers these members of our larger community and their loved ones:

• Howie Wall, brother-in-law of Karen Sisk and Debbie Taylor, was released from the hospital late Wednesday and will continue to rest at home as doctors seek proper treatment for his cardiac disease – please pray for Howie and his wife Pam.
• Eight-year old Colt Klutz, grandson of Thelma Tomlinson and son of Beverly and Mike, continues to recover at home with serious head injuries after a go-kart accident and surgery over the weekend. He will be at home with bed rest for several weeks – please pray for his complete healing and give courage to his family.
• Jeannette Hamilton, sister of Miriam Childress, is very ill and hospitalized near her home in Myrtle Beach – please pray for Jeannette and her family.
• Gail Carinelli, a friend of Barbara Ullem’s who has worshipped with us regularly this past year via live-stream, is scheduled for major eye surgery on March 18 – please pray for her comfort and recovery.

In all these things, may God be our blessing, our strength and our stay.

                                                                                    Elliott

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Weekly Letter – March 4, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

Dear Paw Creek,

It was good to see some folks in the sanctuary last Sunday, and good to have many folks worshipping together on the live-stream feed. The weeks ahead are going to be a time of wider choices and more variety. Please, please make the decisions that are right for you and your family, and let us all give thanks for the times we are able to be together, no matter what form that takes.

For worship on Sunday, the Third Sunday in Lent, we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. As always, if you will be worshipping at home, please remember to have some bread and juice available when we come to sharing the elements of the sacrament.

Other than that, I don’t really have any new information to share this week. There are a few prayer concerns that are new since last week:

• Oscar Sisk has asked prayers for Brenda Cagle, a close family friend who was hospitalized last Friday – she is now home from the hospital and recovering well.
• Karen Cathey passed on a request for prayers from her sister and brother-in-law, Gail and Jason Duncan in Kernersville – please remember police officer Sean Houle and his young family – he is in critical condition after being shot in the line of duty. His wife is a former student of Gail and Jason’s.
• Vickie Joy has a lot of changes going on at home and at work – please pray God’s protective love over her in the weeks ahead.
• Shelby Alexander reports that Stephanie has been allowed to visit Shelby’s sister Patty in hospice care finds she is doing well – we give thanks for the visit and the good report.
• Please remember the family of Catherine Hoover, who died recently at the Presbyterian Home in High Point – she was the widow of Thomas Hoover, a member of Paw Creek who entered the gospel ministry in the 1940’s and served the church as a pastor and a professor. Thomas Hoover died in 1998 and was buried at Paw Creek along with his family, who were prominent members of the community earlier in the last century. Mrs. Hoover will be buried here on Saturday in a private family service.
• And, let us pray with Charlie Mack Killian, a former church member and resident of our community, whose mother Amelia died last week. Her funeral will take place on Saturday at Castenea Community Church.

May God’s grace keep us safe and healthy, and watch over everyone whom we hold dear.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – February 25, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

In-person worship resumes this Sunday, February 28

This Sunday, February 28, we will welcome friends and members of Paw Creek to worship under the same guidelines that were in place when we reached a pause back in January:

1. All of those who had previously asked to be included for in-person worship are still on the list. If you want to be added to the list, please call Kim in the church office (if you want to be added in time for this coming Sunday, you can call Debbie Taylor, Sam McCord or me over the weekend). We still have room, and everyone is welcome, but we need to keep a handle on our numbers so that we can maintain safe distances.
2. We will continue to take temperatures, to mask, and to sit in distanced household units. Please come early so we can get everyone seated, and we will continue to avoid singing and unison prayers.
3. And of course, live-stream worship will always be an option for those who are not yet ready to venture out.

And now, speaking of prayer, here are some of the things that are on our hearts this week:

• Continued prayers for Howie Wall, brother in law of Karen Sisk and Debbie Taylor – Howie was hospitalized over the weekend with internal bleeding; it has been controlled and he is back home, improving every day.
• Carol Weant, who was also in the hospital over the weekend, has returned home, but is still very weak.
• Carol McNeill asks us to pray for her brother, David Troutman, who is ill and will be undergoing a biopsy and other testing in the coming days.
• Please remember the family of Darryl Gaston, pastor of Smallwood Presbyterian Church, who died very unexpectedly last Saturday. His funeral service will be on Friday.
• And also be thinking of Jo Small and her family – they will hold a private family service on Saturday to inter Johnny’s ashes at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
• And, Tim Gray asks us to join in celebration for his cousin Steve – Steve has been in our prayers off and on for some time, but it’s good news to hear that his lymphoma is now in remission.

May God’s grace keep us safe and healthy, and watch over everyone whom we hold dear.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – February 18, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Lenten Devotions: pawcreekreflections.blogspot.com

Dear Paw Creek,

Please pray for all who are suffering, especially those alone in the cold and the dark. Pray for the sick and the grieving. And the lonely. Pray for our communities and our churches, as we follow the Christ into the wilderness to sojourn these forty days.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – February 11, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

I guess it’s fitting that the season of Lent (at least here in the Northern Hemisphere) begins in the midst of winter. The days are still short, the sun hangs low in the sky, and temperatures remain on the chilly side. Our whole experience works to instill the longing for something different, something yet to come that will fell like a new beginning. When Lent begins next Wednesday, and we symbolically mark our foreheads with the dust and ashes of death, we will do so out of longing for life. We do this in solidarity with all people and with the groaning creation itself. But we also do it specifically as followers of Christ, who already know that new life is precisely what waits for us in so many ways – at the end of Lent, but also in God’s blessings at the end every season of struggle, and supremely in the coming kingdom of heaven. This year of all years, we enter into Lent with the urgent desire for a new dawning. Let us go boldly with hope as well, hope born of the gospel truth that resurrection awaits.

February 17 – Wednesday of next week – will be Ash Wednesday. On that day we will usher in Lent in two ways:

• Ash Wednesday worship will take place as a Zoom meeting only (no live stream on Facebook or YouTube). The service begins at 6:30 – we will start the Zoom meeting at 6:15 so that everyone can get logged in. The order of worship is included with this week’s letter, and can be downloaded on our church website. Since we will each be in our own homes, we will be free of masks and distancing guidelines, and that will allow us to pray, read, shout and sing together on Zoom.

The ID for the Ash Wednesday Zoom service is 811 2469 1045.

If you are not familiar with Zoom, there are two ways to join.

(1)    Go to zoom.us on the internet ahead of time and download the Zoom app; on Wednesday, open the app and enter the ID 811 2469 1045. You can use a computer, tablet or smartphone.

(2)    To connect by telephone only (you can hear and speak, but will not be able to see the others), dial 646-558-8656, and when prompted enter the ID 811 2469 1045. You can use any phone (cell or land-line), but be sure you have unlimited callings since this is a long-distance number.

• Lenten Devotions will begin. In the next few days, every household in the church will receive a mailing with a booklet of daily devotions for Lent. The booklet has been provided by our denominational magazine Presbyterians Today and focuses on the journey to peace and wholeness during Lent. I hope you and your family will consider using these devotions on a daily basis during the season, and also take time to share thoughts and reactions with the rest of the church family, so that we can learn from each other. To make that interaction possible during this time of social distancing, we have a new blog that we can access to leave comments and read what others have written each day. It is called “Reflections from Paw Creek” and is found at blogspot.com. Please have a look at the letter that you will find in your mailing for more details about how it will work.

In the words of the ancient liturgy of Ash Wednesday, “we are invited, in the name of Christ, to observe a holy Lent”. May that be possible for all of us, as we set our sights on the resurrection freedom that lies ahead.

In prayers this week, please remember especially the family of Don Joy. As you know by now, Don was found on Sunday evening after being lost for several days. It’s been a hard road for his family, and for our community. May God give them comfort in these days. Don’s funeral will be a graveside service on Monday, 2:00 pm at Forest Lawn – friends are invited to attend, due to health restrictions there will be no formal visitation scheduled.

And also, we pray for:

• Barbara and Willie O’Connor, cousins of Eddie and Dickie Chapman; Willie is very ill with a brain tumor.
• Jimmy Puckett and his family, a member of the community who suffered a serious stroke last week.
• Skip Todd, who is scheduled for gall bladder surgery on Friday.
• Paul McCarthy, Patrick’s father, who is hospitalized in Maine.
• Doris Edwards, Kim Whittington’s Aunt who had a massive stroke yesterday.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – February 4, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Sunday Worship via Livestream only in February

Dear Paw Creek,

I’m sure you know that Covid cases are slowly going down in Mecklenburg County and throughout the state, and also that the County has asked that we all continue to limit gatherings and activities until the end of February. Recognizing that these two facts go together and that we need both to give thanks for the downward trend and to support the efforts that have made it possible, the Session has accepted the recommendation from its Task Force to continue with remote-only worship in February. More specifically, the decision was to follow County guidelines – that means if the numbers get better and the County relaxes the directive sooner, we will automatically return to in-person worship as well.

Remaining closed is disappointing for all of us – it’s so hard to believe that this pandemic has been going on for almost a year. But working together as a community and giving the vaccinations time to work is the right thing to do. I appreciate Session’s leadership and everyone’s support, even though it’s hard. As we continue to stick together, we will get to the end of this. I know you can’t wait, and neither can I!

Even as we remain physically separated, our church committees have been busy planning some great offerings for the next few months, especially in connection with the seasons of Lent and Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17 and continues through Easter Sunday on April 4. Here’s a preview of some of the things to look forward to:

• Ash Wednesday – the service at 6:30 pm on February 17 will be via Zoom only – that means we will be able to hear and see one another, to pray and sing aloud at home, and participate in worship in ways that have not been possible for almost a year. I’ll have details and Zoom information in next week’s letter.
• During Lent, the Congregational Care Committee will offer a daily devotional guide that will be mailed to each household, along with opportunities for us to share our thoughts and reflections on each daily reading. That also will be coming out next week to be ready to begin on Ash Wednesday.
• Holy Week services have been planned by the Worship Committee for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday – they will be designed to offer meaningful experiences for both in-person and remote worship. More information coming towards the end of March.
• On Easter Sunday, we will start the day with a sunrise service in the Paw Creek cemetery that will be open to the entire congregation, to take advantage of the spring weather and allow us all to be together outdoors. And of course our main service will take place in-person and remotely in the sanctuary at 11:00.
• Speaking of spring weather, the Fellowship Committee is also getting busy to plan some events we can enjoy together outdoors as soon as the temperatures rise.

So – many thanks to all of these committees that are getting creative and thinking outside the box, and outside the buildings! If you have an idea to share, please be sure to let them know. Committee chairs are: Congregational Care – Karen Cathey; Fellowship – Sam McCord; Worship – Debbie Taylor.

And now, as I close this letter and prepare to send it off on Thursday morning, I need to ask all of us for some strong prayers for Don Joy and his family. Although there will probably be more news by the time you read this, as of now Don has been missing since midday on Wednesday, when he went out and failed to come home. The police are helping his family to locate him, and we all pray with and for him, to bring him safely home, and also with Vickie, Libby and Susan as they wait.

Additional prayer concerns this week include a request from Dina Salvo to pray for the family of her friend Carolyn Hatley, who died of Covid-19 this week, leaving two sons. Also, we have good reports on the recovery progress of both Judy Hinson (Frances’s sister) and Mollie Baker, and we continue to join Dickie and Carol Chapman in prayers for their daughter-in-law’s father, Mr. Tom Calello, in hospice care.

May God protect us all, and all those whom we hold dear,

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliot

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Weekly Letter – January 28, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Sunday Worship via Livestream only on January 31

Dear Paw Creek,

Even while we are on this lockdown, your Session met last Thursday via Zoom to hold its first stated meeting of the new year. In that meeting, Session elected its officers and committee leaders for 2021:

Clerk of Session………………………………………………………. Debbie Taylor

Church Treasurer……………………………………………………. Danny McClure

MAC Team Chair……………………………………………………… Grady Cathey

Christian Education Chair……………………………………….. Barbara Ullem

Congregational Care Chair……………………………………… Karen Cathey

Fellowship Chair…………………………………………………….. Sam McCord

Outreach Chair………………………………………………………. Grady Cathey

Worship Chair………………………………………………………… Debbie Taylor

Administration Co-chair………………………………………… Eddie McArver 

Property Chair……………………………………………………….. Dickie Chapman

Although much of our church programming has been curtailed, there is still much work to be done in each of these committee areas, and our elders will be busy with their committees throughout the coming months. Here’s a quick run-down of some of the work that is going on:

• MAC Team (Mission and Coordination) will meet every-other month beginning in February to help committee leaders work together as we look ahead to reopening activities later in the year
• Christian Education oversees the very active and currently remote “Children Connecting with Christ” program
• Congregational Care is staying in touch with shut-ins and overseeing care of families in times of illness and bereavement
• Fellowship will be offering more outdoor gatherings for the congregation as warmer weather returns
• Outreach helps all of us identify ways to support neighbors deeply affected by the financial crisis of the pandemic
• Worship has kept our Sunday morning services going throughout the months of lockdown, and will be meeting later this week to plan for meaningful ways to observe the seasons of Lent and Easter
• Administration is preparing for annual consultations and evaluations of church staff
• Finance will be working on budget planning for 2021
• Property has continued very actively throughout the pandemic, keeping our buildings and grounds in good shape for our return in the months ahead

Our prayer list is blessedly light this week, so let’s use our prayer time to remember those whose needs are known to God, and to offer thanks and seek safekeeping for the heroes who tend to our health and well-being. And let us pray God’s support for the spread of vaccination and the protection of us all in the weeks ahead.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – January 21, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Sunday Worship via Livestream only, January 24 and January 31

Dear Paw Creek,

As I announced in last week’s letter, we are now beginning a two-week period in which our Sunday worship will be available only via livestream. This decision was made by the Session in support of directives from Mecklenburg County and is intended to keep us all safe and slow the spread of Covid-19 during this dangerous phase of the pandemic. Yesterday we also received communication from the Presbytery of Charlotte (our two general presbyters along with the Presbytery Council) strongly urging all our churches to support the county directive. These are still hard times for all of us, made more difficult as we again pull back into our on-line forms of communication. But as we hear more and more names of family, friends and neighbors who are fighting the virus, these are wise and temporary changes we can make. At the end of two weeks we will see where things stand and chart a course going forward. The growing number of people who are now being able to receive the vaccine is certainly a hopeful sign for all of us.

This evening, Thursday, our Session will meet for the first time with new elders who were ordained and installed last Sunday. Before moving forward, I do want to take a minute to again thank the outgoing elders of the class of 2020 – Tim Gray, Donna Hall, Toni Torrence and Joy Tyler. These wonderful folks were elected to the Session just as I was arriving at Paw Creek in the fall of 2017, and they were some of the first church members I got to know well as we met together that fall for officer training to prepare them for ordination and installation. They have been tireless members of the session, contributing to the life and work of our church in so many ways, and I have enjoyed working with them throughout their term. Of course, each of them remains an ordained elder in our church and will continue to be vital parts of our congregation. But they now have some well-earned time off from meetings and committee responsibilities, and we are grateful for all they have done.

In our prayers this week, we remember all who are being affected by this surge of Covid-19, praying for God’s hand to guide and protect us all, and to grant a swift roll-out of the vaccinations that have come about through his gifts of scientific knowledge and ingenuity. And of course we have prayers of gratitude that the threat of violence in Washington and in state capitols around the country has passed, giving thanks for the courage and dedication of those sworn to protect us in the ranks of law enforcement and the National Guard. We also have a few prayer updates gathered since last week’s letter:

• Frances Lyerly reports that her sister Judy Hinson continues to show slow improvement after difficulties from her ankle surgery. Judy has been approved for transfer to rehab care in the next couple of days.
• We pray with the family of Mr. A.G. Brown, a former church member who died last week.
• Dickie and Eddie Chapman ask our prayers for several friends and their families: for the family of a friend and former coworker Tracy Starr, who died of Covid-19 last week; for another former coworker Dick Armstrong, who was hospitalized last week with Covid-19; for a childhood friend Glenn Fowler, who has been seriously ill and is awaiting further diagnosis to find out what is wrong.

In all places and in all ways, let us turn our hearts to God,

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

Opportunities for Virtual Learning and Fellowship

Starting on Tuesday, January 26, Ashley Kenley will begin leading the Fresh Start Sunday school class in studying a book of devotions called 100 Days to Brave by Annie F. Downs. The Fresh Start class meets each Tuesday evening from 7:30 – 8:00 pm via telephone conference call. The class would like to extend an invitation to others in the congregation who would like to join our class in studying these devotions. If interested, please email Ashley Kenley at akenley70@gmail.com to learn more about this study and to receive the telephone conference call information for the class.

Wednesday Bible Study continues to learn about the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah, asking how the story of God’s renewal and revival of faith at the end of the Babylonian exile can offer us lessons for faith in our time. The class meets on Zoom at 5:30 each week. Check with Elliott for log-on information.

Text for Wednesday, January 27: Ezra, chapter 3.

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Weekly Letter – January 14, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

It is yet another tumultuous week. We continue to hear news of our national government unlike anything we have seen before, and I know that whatever our thoughts on those developments, we all pray for peace and calm to prevail between now and the beginning of the new presidential administration in six days. May God be with us all!

Closer to home, the anticipated post-holiday surge of Covid-19 cases seems to have set in, with daily records of infections, hospitalizations and – sadly – deaths. We learn the names of increasing numbers of the sick in our weekly gathering of prayers and in our conversations in church and in the community. And with each new name, we pray again in sorrow and in concern. Mecklenburg County on Tuesday issued a “directive” (not mandatory but strongly urged) that throughout the community we should endeavor to operate in “full virtual” mode as much as possible for the next three weeks. In response to this directive, Session’s Task Force on in-person worship met on Wednesday and, with Session approval last night, has the following report:

1. The Task Force and Session still feel that our precautions for in-person worship are strong and that we are able to gather in a safe environment. At the same time, given the rapid spread of disease, we must all be extra-vigilant during the next few weeks. We also feel that it is important for us as good citizens of the community, and as a church that sets an example for the community, to honor the well-reasoned directives of our public officials and especially the heroic efforts of medical personnel. With those considerations in mind, there will be a few changes to our worship plans.
2. The worship service for this coming Sunday, January 17, will be both in-person and live stream. This will allow us to move forward with the service of ordination and installation for our new elders, to welcome some wonderful music that Mark has planned with guest oboist Evan Thee, and to accommodate as much as possible our members who do not have access that allows them to participate in live stream worship from home. Although the service will be open to everyone who is currently signed up to be in the sanctuary, if you are not in one of the those special categories, we ask that you strongly consider staying home on the 17th to minimize the number of people in the sanctuary and allow more room to spread out for those who need to be there.
3. The worship services for January 24 and January 31 will be live stream only. This change will allow us to follow the County’s directive for the bulk of the three-week “full virtual” period. We all hope and pray that with all of us working together throughout the community, the post-holiday surge will be broken. As we get closer to February the Task Force and Session will monitor the situation and make decisions about when we can return to in-person worship, and will communicate that information as quickly as we have it.

With those arrangements in place, I’d like to take a minute to reflect on our plans for worship on the 17th. The Service of Ordination and Installation of elders is something that is unique to our Reformed/Presbyterian tradition. I’ve always thought that it is truly one of the glories of our church, and I look forward to this worship service every year. As we call forward women and men from among the congregation, chosen by the work of the the Holy Spirit moving in the vote of the people, to set them apart for service, we are acting out our conviction that God uses all of us to spread the Gospel. There is no voice of an elite that determines our work, but only the voice of God speaking in the deliberations of our leaders. When our elders stand to take their vows of service, they answer the same “Constitutional Questions” that are used by Ministers of Word and Sacrament, indicating that our ministries are equal, and all are dedicated to God. I’ve reprinted the Questions at the end of today’s letter – why not take a moment to read through them again and be reminded of the promises that our new elders will undertake on Sunday.

For me, the highlight of the ordination service is always the moment when ordained elders and ministers leave their pews and come forward to lay their hands on the newly ordained, signifying the Holy Spirit’s presence in their ministry. The laying of hands is attested in the stories of Moses and the Book of the Acts as an ancient symbol of God’s claim on our lives. The powerful image of so many women and men coming forward, each one an elder already ordained to this ministry, reminds us of how widely God has spread the task of leadership in the church.

Unfortunately, this year there will be no streaming forward of elders, as we practice the now-familiar safety of social distancing. But there will be a laying on of hands. The elders to be ordained will each have  an ordained family member present to stand with them and represent the hands of all who cannot safely be there this year. And all the rest of our elders, whether in the sanctuary or at home, will be invited to raise their hands to join in the blessing, for it is tradition that God’s blessing may be symbolized for one person near-by through the laying of hands, or for many people at a distance through the raising of hands, as in the benediction at the end of a worship service. It will surely be the most odd ordination service we have ever seen, but not less powerful for that. It will be a sign to us all that God’s plans for us, as a church and as a human family, will never be stopped.

Turning now to our prayers this week, let us all join the apostle Paul to “pray without ceasing” for the peace and safety of our country, for the health and recovery of those who are ill, and the comfort of God’s everlasting arms for those who mourn. And we add these special prayers raised in our community this week:

• We are grateful for the news that Mrs. Sue Matthews, Ron’s mother, has been released from the hospital after her struggle with Covid-19, and we pray for her continued and swift recovery.
• We join Austin Edwards and his family in prayers for his friend Jasmine Ruff, a lung-transplant recipient with cystic fibrosis who has contracted Covid-19 and is in ICU care with a ventilator.
• There is an update on Lillian Joy and her roommate in nursing care, both positive with Covid-19 but now showing no symptoms of the illness. Prayers for their swift and complete recovery.
• Frances Lyerly asks our prayers for the complete recovery of her sister Judy Hinson after successful surgery yesterday to repair a broken ankle.
• Amy McGee asks our strong prayers for her friend Steve Ryle and his family – his wife Dede and children Brittany and Steven – he suffered a serious heart attack and is intubated in hospital care.

In these and so many other ways, may God’s goodness descend upon us today and always,

The Constitutional Questions for the Ordination and Installation of Elders

To the elders-elect:

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?

Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Sprit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?

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?

Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and continually guided by our confessions?

Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?

Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?

Do you promise to further the peace, unity and purity of the church?

Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

Will you be a faithful ruling elder, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service? Will you share in government and discipline, serving in councils of the church, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

To the congregation:

Do we, the members of the church, accept these disciples as ruling elders, chosen by God through the voice of this congregation to lead us in the way of Jesus Christ?  We do.

Do we agree to encourage them, to respect their decisions, and to follow as they guide, serving Jesus Christ who alone is Head of the Church?           We do.

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Weekly Letter – January 7, 2021

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

IN PERSON WORSHIP RESUMES JANUARY 10 – see details below

Dear Paw Creek,

New Years greetings to one and all. I hope that the holiday weeks were good ones for all of the members and families of our Paw Creek church community, and above all that we and all of our loved ones have managed to stay healthy and safe. As I write on Thursday morning, we are all concerned about the uncertainty created by the events in Washington on Wednesday, although the first news of the morning suggests that today will be a quieter day. For that we hope and pray. As was the case with all of the events of 2020, we continue in 2021 to find ourselves living in unprecedented times. To use two phrases from the Apostle Paul, God’s people in all ages have lived suspended between the terrors of “this present age” and the “sure and certain hope” that God is the Lord of history, in whose providence we will find peace and redemption. In this in-between time, when we have heard the promise of the Gospel and still wait for its final consummation, we serve the Lord by bearing witness to that same Gospel in word and in deed. That is our noble calling, and there is no better way to lean into a new year than with renewed commitment to do exactly that.

Of course the most visible way that we bear witness to the Gospel is in weekly worship. As you know, for the past two weeks our Sunday worship services were live-stream only. Beginning this Sunday, January 10, we return to the hybrid live-stream and in-person worship we have enjoyed since October. Session’s task force met on Monday and reviewed our procedures along with community health information. Covid-19 remains a real danger to all of us. Please, please, please – for your sake and the sake of your loved ones – let us not let down our guard over the coming weeks. However, despite the local and nation surge of cases, we feel that the procedures we have in place on Sunday morning are wise and cautious, and we will return to them beginning on Sunday. Everything remains as it was, with masking and distancing. Also, now that it is winter, we also need to be extra-vigilant to any symptoms of flu or other illness. When we are not feeling well, we need to stay away until we are better.

We will also continue to use the current list of those who have indicated interest in attending in-person worship. Everyone on the list is welcome to come each Sunday (you do not need to wait for a phone call). There is still some room in the sanctuary, and we are always happy to add your name to the list. Please call me or the Worship Committee team (Debbie Taylor or Sam McCord) if you are ready to attend in-person. Of course, worship participation is always available by live-stream on Facebook and YouTube, and we are grateful that we can continue to be together in that way as well.

For this Sunday, January 10, we will bring the Christmas season to a close with the celebration of the Epiphany and the arrival of the Magi. During worship we will share in the Lord’s Supper, and so if you will be worshipping at home, please be sure to have bread and juice available during the service.

In addition to worship, another way that we bear witness to the Gospel and prepare ourselves for God’s work in the world is the study of scripture. Our Bible Study classes continue each Wednesday evening at 5:30 on Zoom (if you need the Zoom information, just let me know.) For the new year we have changed our format a bit. Instead of studying the preaching texts for each week, we are going to spend some time with a close study of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament.

These books are probably not familiar to most of us. They come from the period when the people of Judah returned to Israel after their time of exile in Babylon. There are two great concerns for the former exiles as they rebuild and reestablish themselves: reconstruction of the temple and reacquaintance with the Torah. For our purposes, we might say that this is a story of how to get back on track after things have gone wrong. Of course, we too feel in these days as if things have gone wrong in our world, and perhaps in these books we can find some wisdom for how to be faithful Gospel witnesses today. We would be delighted to have you join us to see what we can learn.

And finally, another important way that we witness to the Gospel is in our care for one another and for God’s world, beginning with our ministry of prayer. This week we begin with a prayer for our country and for the peaceful transfer of governmental responsibility that is now less than two weeks away. We pray for all of our leaders as they find wisdom and strength to make the best decisions for all of us. Within our own community, we also share these prayer concerns:

• Some updates from recent weeks: Don Joy is doing much better after his hospitalization in December. Likewise, we are delighted to hear that Miriam Childress is progressing well after her back injury, and is able to be at home on her own. Please continue to keep Dickie Chapman in prayer; he is still having significant back pain and is looking for medical solutions.
• We pray for Jo Small and her family – Johnny died quietly on Christmas morning, and the family service was held last week. Jo is settling well into her new home near family in Gastonia – she can be reached at 3500 Bryantcole Way, Gastonia 28056, phone, 704-215-6454.
• We also learned last night that long-time church member Bob Love died in Laurinburg on Tuesday. I expect to hear from his family later today and will share additional information as I get it. In the meantime, let us remember Marie and her daughters.
• Tim and Celia Gray welcomed a new grandson on Christmas Eve. In the meantime, Celia was called to travel to Denver, CO to be with her sister Cindy. Cindy will be leaving Denver on Friday to be with family under hospice care in Ohio. Lots going on for Celia and Tim – let’s keep them in prayers as things begin to settle down again and Celia is able to come home on Friday.
• Finally, I would like to ask for your prayers for my good friend Darryl Gaston, pastor of Smallwood Presbyterian Church. In the course of a few days, he lost his Aunt Sudie, the matriarch of their family at 102 years old, to Covid, and then a couple of days later Darryl went to check on his brother Bernard and found that he had died in his sleep. This is a hard and sad time for them, and I appreciate your joining me in asking God’s comfort for them.

And above all, prayers for God’s abundant goodness in this new year,

                                                                           Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – December 23, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – December 17, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Now that Christmas is almost upon us, I write on behalf of the Session, our church staff, and all of the Paw Creek family to wish each of you the blessings of this season – blessings that will continue and abound despite all that is unusual, frightening and maddening about this year. Our prayers for one another seek healing for the sick, comfort for the bereft, strength for those who struggle, and for all of us the miracle that we might catch a glimpse of the assurance of God’s love through the fog that surrounds us.

In short: Merry Christmas!

There are many practical matters to share with everyone as our church schedules change over the next few weeks. I know it’s a lot to digest. Please have a look, and don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions. Here goes:

• Today’s mailing contains Orders of Worship for Sunday, December 20 and for Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24. There will be a special mailing early next week with Orders of Worship for the two Sundays after Christmas: December 27 and January 3. After today, the next regular Thursday morning “Weekly Letter” will come out on January 7.
• December 20 – worship continues as usual with in-person worship for those who have asked to be included, and live streaming at 11 am or throughout the week.
• Christmas Eve – worship is at 7:30 in the sanctuary and is open in-person to everyone who wishes to come (no need to be on the current list). We have also confirmed that the service will be live-streamed and available throughout the week. During the service we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, so if you are worshipping at home, be sure to have bread and juice available. After the service we plan to gather in front of the sanctuary to light electric candles (they don’t blow out in the breeze!) and sing Christmas Carols (it’s been ten months – raising our voices in song will be wonderful!)
• December 27 and January 3 – Session has accepted the recommendation of our worship task force that we cancel in-person worship for these two Sundays. This is a gesture of appreciation to our two guest preachers for those services. The Revs. George Slaton and Betsy Williamson agreed several weeks ago to worship with us in person, but as the winter spread of the coronavirus is worsening, we want to make them feel safe and comfortable. In addition, this will be safer for all of us until we see if there is any additional worsening of the virus due to holiday activities. The task force will meet right after New Years to assess the situation in our community and if it seems safe, we expect to resume in-person worship on January 10.
• The church office will be closed for the holiday December 22 until January 4. Also, I will also be on vacation from Christmas Day until January 4. If you have any pastoral or church concerns that come up during those days, please don’t hesitate to call one our session members for help.
• There will be no Wednesday night Bible Study during the holiday – the next class is Wednesday, January 6 at 5:30 pm on Zoom. The Sunday morning prayer gatherings will continue on Zoom at 9:30 am each week.
• Finally, please don’t forget that we are gathering pledge cards for our financial support of Paw Creek in 2021. Cards can be dropped in the offering baskets in the sanctuary, or mailed to the church office.

Of course, more important than anything else, we continue to uphold in prayer all in our community and beyond who stand in need of God’s loving care. During the coming weeks, additional concerns will be shared through the prayer chain and announced in worship each Sunday. For this week, please remember:

• Don Joy, who is home recovering after a hospitalization – prayers for Don’s recovery, and for Vickie as she cares from him at home.
• Shelby Alexander’s sister Patty, who is in hospice care; we are grateful to hear that she is having some better days this week, and that Stephanie is able to visit her regularly.
• Jean Todd, hospitalized at CMC Main with a non-covid infection.
• Jackie Stogner, Jim’s daughter-in-law, whose family has been devastated by Covid-19 – her father died suddenly last week, her mother is in critical care, and Jackie herself is ill as well; may God hold them tightly in his everlasting arms during these days of grief and fear.
• Betty Bradley, Paul’s mother, who continues to need our prayers as she moves forward in her rehab from recent surgery.
• George Lux, Barbara Ullem’s cousin, who is experiencing a second bout of Covid and is quarantined alone in his retirement facility in St. Louis, MO.
• Miriam Childress, who continues her recovery from recent hospitalization and rehab, grateful to be at home, and to be showing signs of improvement.
• Cindy Monical, Celia Gray’s sister in Denver, CO, who continues to struggle.

May God’s love surround us all.

                                                                           With blessings of the season,

                                                                           Elliott

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – December 10, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

In our prayers this week, along with the countless families and individuals struggling with virus infection around our country and the world, please remember:

• Don Joy, who is hospitalized at Huntersville Presbyterian after a fall at home. He will most likely be released for rehab care in the next day or so.
• Miriam Childress, who is happy to be home from rehab – she is resting a lot and continuing her physical therapy. She’s still tired and is not ready for phone calls.
• Frances Lyerly’s grandson Justin and his wife, who both have Covid-19 and are home caring for their 13 month old daughter who is not ill.
• Carol McNeill, with thanksgiving for a positive post-op report after recent surgery to receive a pacemaker/defibrillator.
• Alita Gaines, a friend of Celia Gray’s who is struggling with complications of cancer treatments.

                                                                           With blessings of the season,

                                                                           Elliott

Contacts for giving through the Salvation Army:

On-line giving:

•             Empty Stocking Fund

                        https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/charlotte/make-a-contribution/empty-stocking/

•             Angel Tree

                        https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/charlotte/make-a-contribution/angel-tree/

Donations by phone:

            1-800-725-2769

Donations by mail:

            The Salvation Army North and South Carolina Divisional Headquarters

            ATTN: Resource Development

            P.O. Box 241808

            Charlotte, NC 28224

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – December 3, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Our formal activities in these weeks are minimal, but even now we are called to an active life of anticipation as we move towards the future that God has prepared. May that be the basis for the way that we spend our days of Advent this year. My wish for you and for us all is for our days to be filled with faithful anticipation.

                                                                           With blessings – and hope,

                                                                           Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – November 19, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

You will notice that there are three worship bulletins included with today’s letter. There will be no letter next week, so you we are preparing for Sunday the 22nd, the Thanksgiving service next Thursday at 8:00 am, and Sunday the 29th. Everyone who is signed up for in-person worship is welcome at the Sunday services, and everyone, signed up or not, is welcome for the Thanksgiving service. Of course, all service will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube as always. One way or another, I look forward to being together with you on those days.

Our prayers this week include:

• Betty Bradley (Paul’s mother) who will be having heart valve replacement surgery today (Thursday).
• Gail Caudill Duncan, who is scheduled for breast cancer surgery tomorrow (Friday)
• Miriam Childress, who continues rehab therapy at Huntersville Health and Rehab
• Carol McNeal, who is recovering from receiving a pacemaker on Tuesday

Please remember each of these folks, with prayers for God’s grace, comfort and healing. And let us also pray constantly for our world, for the sick and lonely, for overworked but valiant healthcare workers, and for peace amongst all our discord and disappointment. Amen, Come Lord Jesus!

                                                                           Godspeed,

                                                                           Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – November 12, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

In terms of our holiday plans (already following Jan’s advice), the Worship Committee has been working on helping us claim the essentials. Our annual Thanksgiving morning service will take place as usual at 8:00 am in the sanctuary. Everyone who wishes to come is invited, whether you are on the list for Sundays or not. The service will be live-streamed as usual on Facebook and YouTube. We will not have a full breakfast in the CFC, but there will be doughnuts and coffee on the front porch after worship. We will also hold our traditional Christmas Eve service at 7:30 pm, open to all, concluding with carol-singing outdoors. Raising our voices in song for the first time in months will truly feel like “Joy to the World!”

Look for more information on all this as the weeks go on. In the meantime, do please continue to pray for God’s intervention in our hurting world, to heal our divisions, comfort us in our losses, and care for us when illness rises. We have particular prayers this week for Miriam Childress, who is undergoing therapy for a thoracic fracture (injury to her upper spine). After several days in the hospital she was transferred to Huntersville Rehab on Tuesday. For Miriam and all those whom we hold dear, and for ourselves as well, may God’s grace be abundant and sufficient.

                                                                           Godspeed,

                                                                           Elliott

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – November 5, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

Our prayers this week are mainly focused on these things that affect us as a community, remembering that Jesus calls us to offer a hand to those most in need. Let us join in prayers for the growing numbers of people and families whose lives are being upended by Covid-19; for the homeless and needy during the cold winter ahead; and of course for us all across the country as we wait for the final results of Tuesday’s voting. These are things that seem insurmountably hard, but we live with the sure knowledge that in God, nothing is impossible, and no problem is beyond his grace.

                                                                           Godspeed,

                                                                           Elliott

Here are the links to learn more about supporting Room In the Inn this year:

            Winter Shelter Bag Lunches:

                        https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/43070DA07A1CBEEC24-winter

          Winter Shelter Cookies:

                        https://www.signupgenius.com/tabs/43070DA07A1CBEEC24-winter1

            Amazon Wish List to donate items for neighbors:

                        https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3TGAR7H8GVVFF?ref_=wl_share

________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – October 29, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Reminder: Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday

Turn clock back one hour

Dear Paw Creek,

This coming Sunday, November 1, will be our annual celebration of All Saints Day. During worship we will remember twelve saints of Paw Creek who have died over the past year, lighting candles as we call their names and bless their memory. It will be our honor to welcome in worship the families of many of those saints, and to invite them forward to light each candle.

In order to accommodate those family members safely in the sanctuary, the in-person congregation for Sunday will be limited to them. The rest of the congregation is invited, as always, to worship via our live-stream connections on Facebook and YouTube. We will not be able to invite you forward to light candles remembering saints from years past, as we usually do. But we will pause so that each of us can remember those sacred names. If you like, you may wish to have a candle ready to light at home. And we will also celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, giving thanks for the communion of God’s saints that binds us always with those who have gone before us – you will also want to have bread and juice ready at home when the time comes to share the elements.

As life goes forward in these extraordinary times, I am delighted to report that our church Session held a called meeting last week to meet with Jordan Loud and receive him under our care as he prepares for the Gospel ministry. Before voting, we had a long and wonderful talk with Jordan. We remembered his years growing up at Paw Creek and joined him in giving thanks for the teachers and mentors that raised him in the faith – with a special thanks for youth pastor Chris Lee and for his influence. And we also learned about Jordan’s growing study of theology, philosophy, scripture and Biblical languages – begun during his college years and continuing now in his first semester of study at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia (although classes for this fall are proceeding on-line.)

Session’s action is the first step in the process (defined in the Book of Order) that will proceed in parallel to Jordan’s academic training and lead to his ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA). That process is primarily under the direction of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) of the Presbytery of Charlotte. With Session’s endorsement, CPM will now have the chance to meet Jordan and bring him to the whole Presbytery to enroll him as an “Inquirer”. Later, he will be examined by the Presbytery to become a “Candidate”. Still later, after classes, examinations, internships and mountains of prayer (by Jordan, by CPM, by Session and by our congregation), he will be presented to be examined for ordination. It’s a long and thorough process, and our Session is excited by Jordan’s obvious enthusiasm and qualifications for the journey.

I’m sure you know that among our historical materials in the hallways of the East Wing there is a plaque that lists members of Paw Creek who have entered the Gospel Ministry – our church has a long history going well back into the 19th century of preparing and supporting those called by God. We are grateful for their history of service to the church. Please join with the Session in encouraging Jordan, sharing your excitement about his plans, and most of all including him in your prayers.

Among other prayers this week, we pray God’s comfort for Hoyt Johnston and his family at the death of his wife Jean last Friday evening. Jean’s funeral service was held outdoors at the Paw Creek cemetery on Tuesday.

At Wednesday Bible Study we also had a request to pray for Rob Simmons and his family. His sister Sarah Kiser died on Sunday – there will be a graveside service tomorrow (Friday), 1:30 at Forest Lawn.

God’s blessings on you and on us, and on our country as we cherish the great gift of democratic decision making in these days ahead.

                                                                           Godspeed,

                                                                           Elliott

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – October 20, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

Also in our prayers, please remember our church administrator, Kim Whittington, who will be out of the office on Wednesday and Thursday for a scheduled medical procedure. With Kim’s absence this letter is coming to you a bit early this week. We continue to raise prayers for those mentioned in church on Sunday; additional concerns that come in during the week will be announced next Sunday in worship. For now:

• Jean Johnston is being treated for Covid-19 at her nursing facility in Stanly; please pray for her care, and for Hoyt and the family, who are unable to be with her due to safety restrictions.
• Also in the Johnston family, Hoyt, Emily and Angie’s cousin Bobby Ford died Sunday morning after a number of weeks in hospice care; please pray for peace for his family.
• Several folks for whom we have been praying have had good reports in recent days: Jake Ross (Angie and Sonny’s grandson) is home from the hospital; Brandon Venable (Frances Lyerly’s grandson) is recovering from foot surgery at home in Colorado; George Lux (Barbara Ullem’s cousin) is out of isolation with asymptomatic Covid-19; Dan Jacobs (friend of Dickie Chapman) is having good tolerance of his new chemo treatment and appreciates our prayers.
•  

Those are our prayers for now – don’t forget that prayer meeting on Sunday mornings via Zoom now starts at 9:30 am. Please enjoy a good week, stay in touch, and see you Sunday – live or on the screen!

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – October 15, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

Under Section III, Meetings of the Congregation, add paragraph F:

Electronic meetings – A congregational meeting may proceed with some or all members participating via electronic connection whenever Session determines that civic restrictions are in place to limit the size of non-worship gatherings. The method of electronic connection shall ensure full simultaneous participation by all members.

Second will be report of the Nominating Committee, which will place the names of the following members in nomination for election as elders in the class of 2023:

                                                            Celia Gray

                                                            Sam McCord

                                                            Peggy Harrington

In our prayers this week, please include:

• Jake Ross, grandson of Sonny and Angie Ross, who is hospitalized with complications of diabetes.
• Brandon Venable, grandson of Frances Lyerly, who is having surgery today in Colorado to repair damage to his foot from an earlier accident.
• George Lux, cousin of Barbara Ullem in St. Louis, who continues to be asymptomatic with Covid-19. He is happy to have been released from isolation and appreciative of all our prayers.
•  

Looking forward to seeing so many of you on Sunday! Enjoy the rest of your week.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                          Elliott

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – October 8, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

Under Section III, Meetings of the Congregation, add paragraph F:

So much to talk about this week, and so much of it details, details, details! But we are making our way through it and will reap the benefits as many of us meet face to face in the next couple of weeks. With thanks to all who are working to bring it about, let us seek God’s care to for a smooth transition to this new phase, and for strong protection moving forward.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – October 1, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

Finally, turning our attention to this coming Sunday, October 4. It’s the first Sunday of the month, and we look forward to celebrating the Lord’s Supper. As always, please plan to have available at home some bread and juice so that we can partake together.

We are always grateful to have one another, and our prayers, and God’s good care to watch over us. May we feel God’s presence drawing us together throughout this week ahead. And, for the first time in months, we can truly say: “see you soon!”

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – September 24, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

I’m sure by now you have had a chance to see the communication from Session about plans to begin opening our worship on Sunday morning so that more of us can be together. I hope you are having good conversations with Session members as they call to check in, and that you are finding it easy to register your interest in being ready to return to the sanctuary. I also want to be part of that conversation, and I hope you will give me a call or email if you want to talk further.

In addition to the decision on reopening worship, Session had a full docket of business for its stated meeting last Thursday night. Here’s a quick run-down of additional actions:

1. In the report of the clerk of session, approved the minutes of the July 9 stated meeting, and voted to transfer three church members from our active roll to the Church Triumphant: James Allen Wingate, Kenneth LaMoine Smith and Frank David Dale, Sr.
2. Received treasurers reports for July and August. Session is still grateful to report that financial gifts have covered expenses throughout this unusual year; as of August 31 there was a slight surplus for the year of just over $3,000. We can all give thanks that God has blessed with resources to give, and for the faithful generosity of our congregation.
3. Session has called a Congregational Meeting for the afternoon of Sunday, October 18 for the purpose of hearing the report of the Nominating Committee and electing four elders to serve on the Session in the class of 2023. At Session’s request the Congregational Care Committee is working on plans for an outdoor social event where we can all gather, share some refreshments and hold this meeting. We will also offer the option to participate in the meeting via Zoom teleconference, as well a distanced indoor alternative if the weather does not cooperate. We will be back in touch with an exact time and more details as soon as those are ironed out, along with the advance report of the Nominating Committee.
4. In committee reports:
   • Congregational Care received approval to fund a plan to offer a catered meal to church families in their homes at the death of a loved one; this interim plan will allow us to minister to our families until we are again able to serve home-cooked meals. Also, the committee has developed the “Phone Buddies” program to help church members keep in touch while we are isolating – there was a descriptive flyer in the mailing earlier this week.
   • Outreach received approval to make an additional donation of $1,000 from the Mission Fund to support the neighborhood food pantry at Mission City Church on Valleydale Road. The committee reported that Thrift United Methodist Church, which also received food pantry support from the Mission Fund in the spring, is set for resources for now; the committee will stay in touch and recommend additional support when needed.
   • Christian Education reported special outreach to college students and the children in the CCC weeknight program with gift bags, cards and other goodies.
   • Property reported a continuing list of projects to keep our buildings in good repair until we are able to be fully using them again.
5. There was a report on the August meeting of the Presbytery of Charlotte from Karen Cathey and Debbie Taylor. Session elected Donna Hall and Debbie Taylor as commissioners to the next meeting in October.

We all look forward to reconnecting, as we are able, in the weeks ahead, but even now we are grateful to remain in communion with one another, and for the gift of prayer that allows us to bear burdens and celebrate joys as one church family. Please remember in prayers:

• The family of Ernest Moore, died early Monday at age 98; a funeral service is scheduled for Saturday at 11:00 at Raymer-Kepler Funeral Home in Huntersville with visitation the night before.
• We pray with Sarah Mullis and her family after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis; Sarah is in Presbyterian Hospital for consultation and treatment with a team of medical experts in the field.
• Dina Salvo was in a wreck on Wednesday, badly shaken up but not injured.
• Dina also called to report that her friend Bob Brooks, for whom she had earlier requested our prayers as he struggled with cancer, has completed treatments and is now cancer-free – a time to rejoice!
• Don Joy is at home recovering from an infection.
• Dickie Chapman will have cataract surgery on Thursday.
• Jo and Johnny Small are happy to report that they have finalized a decision to move to a patio home in Gastonia near their son Jon, removing many physical barriers and giving them much more mobility.

We are always grateful to have one another, and our prayers, and God’s good care to watch over us. May we feel God’s presence drawing us together throughout this week ahead.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – September 17, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

For now, let us remember these members of our church family in the struggles and joys of this day:

• As you know, Frank Dale died last Thursday with family present in the hospice facility at Presbyterian Hospital. Frank had graciously made a donation of his body for medical research, and his family will hold a private burial service at a future date when that becomes possible.
• Ernest Moore continues at home in hospice care with family and wonderful care givers in attendance. Please remember them all this week as he comes to the close of his 98 year journey in God’s service.
• We have a number of friends who are making their way forward into healing after successful surgery: Debbie McCord had a knee replacement last Thursday; Gene Pegram had a procedure for a back injury the same day; Tonya Gross had ankle surgery on Monday. All are at home, sore but healing, and we pray with them for speedy recoveries.
• Susan McDonald is likewise doing well after her cardiac procedure; she has been cleared to drive and return to work this week.
• After a doctor’s consultation on Monday, Johnny Small has chosen to forego hip surgery, and will continue with care and support at home.

We are always grateful to have one another, and our prayers, and God’s good care to watch over us. May we feel God’s presence drawing us together throughout this week ahead.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – September 10, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

Dear Paw Creek,

As always, we also keep in touch with one another through the Holy Spirit in the power of prayer. This week, please remember these people and families in our church community:

• Frank Dale and his family have now accepted hospice care; he has been moved to the hospice wing at Presbyterian Hospital. Let us pray for them all in the days ahead.
• Debbie McCord will have surgery today for knee replacement. Also today, Gene Pegram will have a procedure to help heal a broken vertebra. Let us keep both Debbie and Gene in our prayers for safe surgery and quick recovery.
• Susan McDonald’s cardiac procedure on Tuesday was successful; she’s in some pain but beginning to heal nicely at home.
• Tanya Gross will be consulting with her surgeon on Friday to schedule surgery for her broken ankle; Johnny Small is seeing the doctor on Monday to clear the way for his needed hip surgery. Let us pray God’s guiding hand on those who will lead both and Tanya and Johnny back to good health.
• Dickie and Carol Chapman ask us to remember in prayer Mr. Tom Callelo, father of their daughter-in-law Amy. Tom has been quite ill for several years, and as his condition deteriorates, the entire family is working to find ways to support him and provide some relief and rest for his wife Jeanie.

We are always grateful to have one another, and our prayers, and God’s good care to watch over us. May we feel God’s presence drawing us together throughout this week ahead.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – September 3, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

**Note – recording will be posted on Tuesday this week due to Labor Day Holiday**

“The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Dear Paw Creek,

     You’ve probably heard the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He’s remembered for his death as a martyr in Nazi Germany – but long before he was imprisoned he was recognized as one of the most distinguished theologians of the twentieth century. Among his best known books was Life Together, which was a very practical (for a theologian!) meditation on what it means to be followers of Jesus. In particular, he points us to the fact that we cannot be followers alone. The Holy Spirit works among us together, hence the title of his book.

     The quote above sums up the good and the bad of his situation, and of ours. The words “physical presence” are as clear as can be, and there’s nothing offered for those who cannot gather in physical presence. In particular, there is no leeway for Zoom meetings, live-stream worship, or even telephone calls. That’s true for us as a church, but really it’s true for all people. Think about it – how many university campuses have had to close down over the past three weeks because of the deep need of young adults to be together. Even among the generations of those who are “natives” of the virtual world, virtual isn’t enough (although admittedly, they had something other than Bible study in mind when they were jam-packed together on and off campus!)

     I’m writing these thoughts to call our attention to the heart of our problem. We had such high hopes in March that our lockdown would be short-lived. And I for one am still certain that we will find our way out of the maze, slowly at first and then all at once. But we also need to be honest enough to face the question: how do we live out our “life together” when the end of our isolation is not yet at hand? And, facing the question, we need to search for good answers – faithful answers – that may not be silver-bullet solutions.

     For the next three weeks, our lectionary readings from the Gospel of Matthew offer us some rigorous thinking about how to be the church – they represent Jesus’s desire to begin preparing his followers for the time when he was no longer with them. And they therefore represent his teachings for us. On Sunday mornings I’m going to try to look for connections between those readings under the general heading of “Life Together”, and ask, with fear and trembling, what insights they might have to offer us in these unusual times. I would love to hear your thoughts and insights as we turn to God’s word “together”.

     (Important note: I want to be very clear that the reflections above were NOT intended to pave the way for an announcement that we must abandon the effort to find some kind of hybrid form of in-person worship this fall. Session’s Task Force is doing very good and creative work, and is preparing to be able to bring a report to Session very soon. I cannot jump the gun on their process, but please rest assured that the pieces are falling into place and we will communicate just as soon as possible. These reflections are not a substitute for their work, but a complement to it, since no matter what the Task Force and Session are able to come up with, we will continue to struggle with the limitations of our pandemic world.)

     One of the ways that we already have to remain “together” is to allow the Holy Spirit to bind us in the communion of the saints with the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Now that we are now back schedule to celebrate communion on the first Sunday of each month, our next celebration will be this coming Sunday. Please don’t forget to have bread and beverage available when you share in the worship service.

     And of course, another important way that we continue to be “together” is through our community prayers. Please continue to remember these folks, about whom we have updates and new prayer requests:

• Celia Gray’s sister Cindy is beginning immunotherapy after a diagnoses of extensive cancer spread.
• Lexi Torrence’s gall bladder surgery last week was successful and she is at home recuperating with her family.
• Tanya Gross has a surgical consultation at the end of this week to schedule surgery for her broken ankle. She is still fairly immobile and having pain.
• Johnny Small’s hip surgery, originally scheduled for Monday, has been postponed.
• Howie Wall has received new treatment for his infection, and will be released from the hospital soon.
• Continue to pray with Emily Adkins for her cousin Bobby Ford, who is in hospice care.
• Susan McDonald will have a procedure next Tuesday to receive a defibrillator/pacemaker.
• Andrea Timberman is receiving an infusion today for treatment of osteoporosis.
• Gene Pegram suffered a broken vertebra last month and will have a procedure on Friday to inject a cement to heal the break.
• Jeremiah Krebs will be having testing today to diagnose recent digestive problems.
• Please continue to pray for Bob & Marie Love.
• And finally, best of blessings to Frances Lyerly, who is preparing for a move to Plantation Estates in Matthews later in the fall!     

     We are grateful to have one another and to be “together” in Christ in this week and always. May God watch over us!

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                                           Elliott

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Weekly Letter – August 27, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

__________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – August 20, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

I hope some of you had a chance this week to try “Sermon by Phone”, to access an audio recording of the Sunday service for those who do not have the equipment for watching the live-stream service. Please let me or any member of the Worship Committee know how it works for you. Don’t forget, the number is printed at the top of this letter, and there are no other passwords or special instructions – just dial and listen.

This week three members of our congregation have passed on important community information to bring before our church family. These days the world around us has more and more impact on our lives, and I thank Celia Gray, Karen Cathey and Debbie Taylor for taking the initiative to share some of the things that have caught their attention. If you have similar notices to put forward in future letters, please let me know!

From Celia:

Now is the time to request a Mail-In Ballot for the November election, for those who wish to avoid voting in-person. It’s a two step process: (1) send in a request for a ballot, and (2) receive the ballot in September, vote, and mail it back in. City and County authorities are urging us to take step one NOW. Celia has copies of the request form; she will be happy to send you one and has offered to help answer any questions about how to fill them out. Just give her a call. Or, anyone can download the form at https://www.vote.org/absentee-ballot/north-carolina/. Then simply print the form, complete, and return by mail or email.

From Karen:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is sponsoring Presbyterian Week of Action for Black Lives Matter August 24-30.  The Presbyterian Church has a vision to eliminate white supremacy and institutionalized racism.  In that effort this Week of Action is being offered to provide “witness that facilitates education, visibility and action that reinforces our PC(USA) statements and policy around the support of eradicating racism.”  Some confuse the BLM movement with being exclusive only to our black brothers and sisters (BLACK lives matter), but the movement is about being included and not left out (Black Lives MATTER).  If interested, you can visit the link at https://www.pcusa.org/weekofaction/. 

From Debbie:

The latest Presbytery of Charlotte budget report shows that contributions to the Ten Cents a Meal Hunger Offering are down significantly since the beginning of the pandemic. As you know, we normally collect this offering on the first Sunday of each month, and we have missed having that collection for five months and counting. Across the Presbytery every year collections equal over $200,000. This is money that helps countless families and is needed now more than ever throughout the seven counties covered by our Presbytery. Please consider making a “catch-up” donation, either by mail to the church office or through on-line giving (just put a note in the comment section to designate for “10¢ Offering”).

At Wednesday night Bible Study last night, we received these new prayer concerns; please remember these folks this week:

And of course we pray for our world and a path forward for all of us on the return road to safety, health, prosperity, and new opportunities to witness to God’s love every day.

                                                                           Blessings,

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – August 13, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“Sermon by Phone” – available Mondays by 11:00 am – 704-312-1343

There are many folks in our church and greater community who need our prayers this week. Please remember before God:

• Larry and Joanne Pierce and their family, who are friends and neighbors of so many of our Paw Creek community. Their son Brandon died yesterday after a fall; the family was together on Oak Island when this happened and have not yet returned. We will share more information about arrangements and ways to reach out to them when they become available.
• David Turner’s brother Gerald is at Duke Hospital and underwent surgical procedures both Monday and Tuesday for cardiac problems; the latest report is that the procedures went well and Gerald is “on the road to recovery”.
• Stephanie Alexander had a fall at home yesterday and broke both ankles and one knee. If doctors determine she needs surgery that will happen today, and then she will go to Shelby’s house afterwards for recovery.
• Susan McDonald had medical consultations this week and has been scheduled to receive a defibrillator/pacemaker on September 8. Please keep her and Karen in prayers.
• Libby Joy was in the hospital this week for kidney stones; at home now recovering.
• Lovelee Steele fell over the weekend and had surgery for a half hip replacement – she’s in the hospital in Huntersville.
• Last Sunday Patrick and Courtney McCarthy asked us to pray with them for their friend Stephen Kinzler who was on a ventilator with Covid-19. We were saddened to learn that Stephen died on Monday – please keep his family in prayer, and also remember his wife who is still ill with the virus.
• Please continue to pray for Howie Wall, husband of Pam and brother-in-law of the Sisk family; he has been very ill and is still waiting for doctor consultations to learn what treatments they can offer.
• Celia Gray is in Denver, CO this week to accompany her sister Cindy to medical consultations about a recurrence of cancer; the appointments are scheduled for today (Thursday) – please keep them in prayers.
• Please remember Bob and Marie Love – word comes this week that both have been experiencing serious health problems; Marie with possible arthritis in her legs and Bob with gall stones and a heart condition.

So many good people who need our prayers, and many of them in times of waiting for tests, consultations and signs of recovery. Please remember all, and may God’s blessings be with each of us as – have a good week and stay safe!

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – August 6, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

In other concerns:

Blessings to everyone – have a good week and stay safe!

                                                      Elliott

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Blessings to everyone – please stay in touch!

                                                      Elliott

Happy Birthday to Those Celebrating in August!

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Weekly Letter – July 9, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Here are a few updated prayer concerns that we gathered during Bible Study last night.

• Frances Lyerly is home and doing well as she recovers from back surgery last week.
• Vickie Joy is grateful to report that her co-worker who had contracted Covid-19 has recovered and returned to work after being ill for three months.
• Vernie Smith continues to be pleased with the nursing care that Ken is receiving; their son Steve was in town last week and was able to see Ken for a “window visit”
• Debbie Taylor asks prayers for her aunt, Una Beam, who is now in hospice care, and for Mrs. Beam’s children who are hoping for the chance to visit her again in person during her final days.
• Vickie Joy reminds us that this is a stressful time for staff, teachers, parents and children of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as decisions are being made about the way forward for the new school year. Please pray for them as they make the best decisions possible for the education and safety of everyone.

Blessings to everyone – see you again soon!

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – July 2, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Independence Day greetings, as we prepare for a holiday weekend that (like so many other things this year) will be vastly different from what we are accustomed to. As you know, there are fresh concerns and fears about the spread of Covid-19. Let us continue our prayers for the safety of our community and country, and for wisdom and guidance to those who bear the burden of leading the way forward. Best wishes for a quiet and peaceful holiday on Saturday, a time to remember the past, but also to know that God holds the future and that better days are surely yet to come.

Karen presents our donation to Darryl Gaston, who is joined by neighborhood volunteer Jeff, Bulb executive director India, Melissa Gaston, and Bulb coordinator Lexi.

Looking ahead into July, next Sunday, July 12, we will again celebrate the Lord’s Supper during the morning live-stream worship service. Please plan to have some simple supplies ready – crackers or bread, juice, wine or other beverage – so that we can all participate together/apart.

Here are a few updated prayer concerns that we gathered during Bible Study last night. As always, at any time during the week if you know of concerns, please feel free to send them to Ann Cashion or to me so that we can include them on our prayer chain.

• Frances Lyerly was scheduled for spinal fusion surgery Thursday morning. Just as this letter goes to press I’ve had a text from her daughter Jill that the surgery is complete and the doctor is pleased with the results. Frances will remain in the hospital at CMC Main for 1-2 days before going home. Prayers of thanks for a quick and complete recovery.

• Laura Wingate reports that Allen was able to be released from nursing care after a short stay – the family is glad to be able to care for him at home with the help of some caregivers.

• Barbara Ullem was able to speak with her cousin George Lux in St. Louis – he is in good spirits recovering in a rehab facility after his recent hospitalization.

• Debbie Taylor asks us to pray for her neighbor Lisa Duncan and her family. Lisa’s mother, Mrs. Charlotte Moore, died Wednesday morning after unsuccessful surgery the night before. May God’s peace be with Lisa and her siblings during this difficult time.

Blessings to everyone, for sunshine and laughter as we continue to await the time when we can again be together as God’s family, in person as well as in spirit!

Elliott

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

There are so many ways that we can live out Christ’s call to care for our neighbors, and we are always looking for new projects. For now, let us be grateful that God has given us the resources to share over $10,000, all of which will be used to provide food for families that would otherwise go without.

As we come to the end of this week, we gather the concerns and joys that are amongst us in the congregation and community, and offer them to God in our prayers:

• Please continue to pray with Angie and Sonny Ross and their family for their grandson-in-law, Nick Robinson, who is ill with Covid-19. His illness is part of an outbreak of disease among family and friends in the farming community of Ducasville, SC near Easley. Among the sick is Nick’s grandmother who is hospitalized in serious condition.
• Please pray with Sarah Kendrick and her family at the loss of her brother-in-law, Mr. Mike Parrot. Mike, husband of Sarah’s sister Pam, died unexpectedly earlier this week.
• During the coming week, please remember Frances Lyerly – she is scheduled for surgery next Wednesday for a spinal fusion, which will allow her to be more active in the years to come.
• Please remember Sheila Davis and her husband Roderick Montgomery. Sheila cleans our church buildings and is caring for Roderick, who has serious kidney and pancreatic disease and is facing further surgeries in the months ahead.
• We give praise for good reports from Lilly Timberman (Andrea and Donna’s stepmother, who is still hospitalized but showing much improvement) and George Lux (Barbara Ullem’s cousin in St. Louis, who is set for release from the hospital into a care facility for continued recovery).
• Ken Smith continues to do quite well in nursing care – he and his family were able to have a window visit last weekend for Father’s Day.
• There’s good news from our Wednesday night children’s program – Children Connecting with Christ. They are resuming meeting this week via Zoom and are looking forward to reconnecting with the children and families after being apart for several months. Because of Zoom, their founding teacher Victoria Krebs will be able to participate from her new home in Virginia.

Blessings to everyone, for sunshine and laughter as we continue to await the time when we can again be together as God’s family, in person as well as in spirit!

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – June 18, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (will forward to home if needed)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Dear Paw Creek,

Last Sunday we raised these prayers:

Blessings to everyone, for sunshine and laughter as we continue to await the time when we can again be together as God’s family, in person as well as in spirit!

                                                      Elliott

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Can we find the strength of faith to believe that the weeks and months ahead will be a time of Beatitude? A time when the things we fear most, like disease, economic uncertainty and violence, can be the pathway to the bright future of blessedness that God has in store? Perhaps we can, though not very easily. At best, perhaps we can simply find the courage to face each new day and its own upheavals, and cling to our God who remains our rock and our stay. Look for God in all things – for surely he is there.

Prayers also continue for these friends and their families:

We also join in celebrating many graduations over the past week, including Tucker Torrence from high school; Ann and Tommy Cashion’s granddaughter from high school; and Anne and Tommy Miller’s granddaughter from college.

Finally, even as we continue to keep in touch during the days ahead, there will not be a weekly letter next week, June 11. Kim Whittington will be on vacation and not able to send a letter out. Orders of Worship for the next two Sundays are attached with today’s letter and will be on the website. Please stay in touch, join us for prayers on Sunday and Bible Study on Wednesday, and of course worship each week at 11. And above all, please be safe in whatever the next weeks bring.

                                      Blessings,

                                                      Elliott

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place.”

– Acts 2

Dear Paw Creek,

I just have one announcement this week – it’s an invitation to everyone. Last week we talked about offering Zoom meetings to Sunday school classes who wish to explore that option. The Fresh Start class has been meeting in this way for several weeks now. They very graciously have extended an invitation to others in the congregation to join them. They meet Sunday mornings 10:20 – 11:50 (between the prayer meeting and morning worship). Their class focuses on a series of assigned scripture readings each week. Please contact Ashley Kenley for the reading assignments and to receive the Zoom invitation. Thank you Fresh Start! (If other classes are considering starting your own Zoom, that’s great too – just let me know and we’ll set it up.)

In other prayers, please remember:

• Roy and Donna Joyner – Roy has received a cancer diagnosis and will travel next week to Houston, Texas for further diagnosis and treatment options.
• Carol McNeill – she was released from the hospital on Sunday under new medication for cardiac issues.
• Virginia McGranahan – came home from the hospital on Tuesday after gall bladder surgery with 24-hour caregivers, still experiencing a great deal of pain.
• Nathan Tomlinson (Thelma’s son), who is scheduled for heart surgery next week.
• Chris Normand and his family, on the death of his mother in Maine, just 19 days after the loss of his father.

And also please remember these friends and family of church members who have asked for our prayers:

• Tom Riggins, John’s brother, is still being monitored and waiting for further testing.
• Steve Bowers, friend of Gene Hall, is home after surgery – still weak but beginning to recover
• Jimmy Puckett will have surgery on Friday of this week as a follow-up from a recent open-heart operation.

With thanks for all that we are doing together, and all that God is doing for us, may his blessings be on us all.

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – May 21, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

“What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?”

Dear Paw Creek,

We are also reaching out in the most basic way to help provide food for those who need it in our community. Contributions to support the Bulb for weekly food distribution in North Charlotte continue to come in, so we will wait another week or two to tally the gifts and send them on to the North End Coalition. I had a chance to help with the weekly distribution last Thursday. What an inspiration to see the staff and volunteers at work and to meet some of the food recipients! Many who received food are able and eager to make a small donation for their weekly supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, and that will help the program reach even more people. Here’s a picture of a volunteer passing bags of food to a family – workers all have masks and gloves, and guests stay in their cars to enhance distancing.

As I mentioned last week, the Outreach Committee is also partnering to assist food pantries here on the westside. They began with Thrift United Methodist Church, and have now added Mission City Church on Valleydale Road. With Session approval, combined support for both projects will total $3,500 from the Mission Fund. Here’s a shot of the food staging area at Mission City.

Because of the Zoom outage we didn’t get a lot of prayer updates on Sunday. At Wednesday Bible Study, these requests were raised:

1. Virginia McGranahan was admitted to the hospital Tuesday night with an infection in her leg and gall stones – she will have a procedure on Thursday for the gall stones. Let us remember Virginia in prayer, along with her family, especially daughter Ginny who is having a recurrence of shingles.
2. Prayers for Mark Burleson and his family on the death of his uncle, Mr. Don Burleson, who was the last remaining sibling of Mark’s father.
3. John Riggins asks us to remember his brother, Tom Riggins, who is awaiting some test results.
4. Young Rhett Winchester, grandson of Debbie Wingate and great-grandson of Allen and Laura, is in the hospital with a high fever and is undergoing a battery of tests. Please remember Rhett and his family.
5. Ken Smith remains in care at Courtland Terrace – on Monday he was able to have a FaceTime call with his brother, which was a joy for both of them.
6. Tim Gray reports that his sister lives in Michigan in the vicinity of the severe flooding. She has not been directly affected, but Tim asks us to remember the many families who are struggling with weather-related troubles in the midst of the pandemic.

With thanks for all that we are doing together, and all that God is doing for us, may his blessings be on us all.

Late News From Zoom – if you have installed the Zoom app on your computer, iPad or phone, you should have received a notice from Zoom about updated software. We have to install the new version 5.0 before May 31. After that, the old version will not work. I just did it and it took about one minute. Everyone who is using Zoom, please go on and do this now so we don’t have any problems connecting with each other in June. If you need help on finding the update, give me a call.

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Weekly Letter – May 14, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?”

Dear Paw Creek,

Good wishes to everyone this week! The days push forward, and it feels as if time is moving both slowly and very quickly at the same time. Let us all please continue to stay in touch with one another and reach out beyond the isolation that is so important for everyone’s health and safety. In particular, as our session members and I are trying to keep contact with all our church friends, please don’t hesitate to reach out with special needs we can address – or just to have a nice chat and stay connected.

Although we are all looking forward to the time when we can return to normal schedules, it is very important to do so on a schedule and in ways that will keep everyone in the congregation safe. The Session is monitoring information that we are getting from the Presbytery of Charlotte, including research that shows indoor gatherings of larger groups that last more than 10 minutes are still dangerous. This obviously suggests that a worship service may be more concerning than a quick shopping trip. The Worship Committee met this week, and we will be gathering the Session in the next few days to chart a path forward – we will keep everyone posted as we know more. The Presbytery will also hold its quarterly stated meeting next Tuesday – for the first time ever via Zoom. Clerk of Session Debbie Taylor will be joining me as commissioner to this meeting.

Our collection of financial support for the Bulb – to provide weekly food assistance through the summer in the neighborhoods of Charlotte’s North End – will be winding up as this week comes to a close. The proceeds will be tallied and sent off to be put to work. I know the response has been generous, and we will make a report once the final numbers are known.

In the meantime, the Outreach Committee has made a separate donation from the restricted Mission Fund to support the food pantry program at Thrift United Methodist Church. Our Back Pack Buddies have donated all of the food in their pantry (which would have begun to expire before next school year) to Thrift as well. The folks at Thrift are serving more and more families each week, and are doing a fantastic ministry right in our own neighborhood. The Outreach Committee will stay in touch with them and other food programs in the greater Paw Creek area and will continue to offer assistance throughout the summer.

Please don’t forget that this Saturday, the 16th, is the next Bloodmobile visit to Paw Creek. The Property Committee has arranged to have the CFC sanitized so that it will be safe area as a waiting room and access to restrooms. As a precaution, the Bloodmobile folks are asking that donors pre-register for an appointment time. The link for doing this is available on our church home page.

I know that we are all grateful for these signs of real ministry and Christian compassion that are going on even while we are apart. We dearly miss our times together, but we are also learning anew the truth that “church” refers to the strength of our fellowship and the acts of love that we do. What a wonderful church God has called us to be!

As always, let us remember those we have learned about who need our special prayers for support this week:

1. On Sunday Gloria Caldwell reported that her mother, Mrs. Sue Whitlow, age 91, had fallen and broken her wrist. An orthopedist’s appointment this week determined that the break will not require surgery, and Mrs. Whitlow is now resting comfortably with a cast. Let us pray for her quick recovery.
2. Virginia McGranhan is still struggling to regain strength after her illness earlier this year. Our prayers are with her and her family.
3. Vernie Smith reported to Bible Study on Wednesday that she continues to be able to speak with Ken via Face Time each day. He remains comfortable at Courtland Terrace and is well cared for. Please pray for Vernie and Ken, and all other families who are kept apart by the safety restrictions of nursing care in these days.
4. Gene Hall asks our prayers for Steve Bowers, a golfing buddy of his, who will have surgery next week to remove a kidney.

For eyes to see the bounty of God’s goodness this week and always, let us pray with thanksgiving to the Lord.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – May 7, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?”

Dear Paw Creek,

As we make our way firmly into May, we remain settled in our now-familiar routines, at church and at home. I hope everyone is finding some chance to get out and enjoy nice spring weather (when it’s not blowing up a storm), and able to stay in touch with family and friends in safe ways. Even as we enter Phase 1 of Governor Cooper’s reopening plan on Friday, we don’t know yet when it will be safe to venture further out into the normal world, or what precautions we will need to be taking. But do let us keep in our prayers those who will be in greater circulation next week, along with all the essential workers who have been keeping us going, and especially our medical workers on the front line. And let us pray that the spread of the virus remains low, both to ease the burden on those who are sick and to allow more reopening as the weeks go on.

Last week we had a number of important announcements, and I want to recap some of them so that we don’t forget:

• Special offering to support The Bulb, providing food weekly to fragile communities in Charlotte’s North End. Contributions continue for another week, via mail to the church, marked “Food Support”. As an update, the Outreach Committee is also looking at additional ways to help those who are food insecure here on the Westside – more information next week.
• Blood Drive – a week from Saturday, on May 16. Use the link on the church homepage to schedule an appointment.
• Graduation Sunday – will be in early June. Families of graduates (high school, college, grad school) please email information to Jan Chapman for the Christian Ed Committee.
• Worship Update – updating the update, the new switching equipment worked perfectly last week. I hope you noticed a smoother experience and better sound quality for Sunday’s live stream worship.
• Online Giving – is now available. Please use the link on our church homepage.

As always, let us remember those with special needs for prayer and support from within our congregation.

1. Our condolences go out to Betty Field and her family on the death of her husband Raymond on Tuesday, May 5. We will forward information about arrangements for Raymond when they are complete.
2. Ken Smith is now in continuing care at Coutland Terrace in Gastonia after several days in the hospital. Vernie and the family were able to have several good visits with Ken over the weekend while he was in the hospital. He is now comfortable and being well cared for at Courtland.
3. Earnest Moore is in good spirits at home, being well cared for by his care-giver and his extended family.
4. Continued prayers are requested for Susan Kenley and her family. Amy reports Susan is having some great and busy days AND . . .
5. Prayers of rejoicing for Sarah and Colton Hansley at the birth of their son, Jax on Sunday afternoon. Jax is the grandson of Jon and Ashley Kenley and great-grandson of Susan Kenley.
6. Let us continue prayers for Virginia McGranahan and her family as they care for her at home.
7. On Sunday Debbie Taylor asked us to remember her neighbor Lisa Duncan, and Lisa’s mother Charlotte Moore. Charlotte was hospitalized after a fall last week – as of Wednesday she is hospitalized and is not doing well.

For eyes to see the bounty of God’s goodness this week and always, let us pray with thanksgiving to the Lord.

                                                      Blessings on us all,

                                                      Elliott

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Weekly Letter – April 30, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

“What does the Lord require of us, but to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?”

Dear Paw Creek,

We’ve got some new things to talk about this week! And that alone makes it feel like we are entering a new phase. We continue to pray for one another, support one another in essential errands, and connect across the distancing. We especially reach with encouragement and compassion to support those for whom the safety guidelines make it impossible for families to be together in hospitals and care facilities at times when we want so much to feel the comfort of touch and presence. But we are also starting to think about new ways of living the Gospel in these unusual times.

On Monday night the Session had a called meeting by Zoom. We heard brief reports from our committees and approved some new projects. Here’s a recap of the meeting:

1. The Bulb (thebulbgallery.org) is an organization that works to bring fresh, healthy food to underserved neighborhoods. Since the pandemic began, they have shifted to providing weekly food boxes to families who are food insecure. They have several distribution sites around town, including two that are run by Darryl Gaston (commissioned pastor of Smallwood Presbyterian Church) and his wife Melissa in the North End/Statesville Avenue corridor of Charlotte. Session voted to support their work at those two sites by helping to extend and augment the services they provide.

      To do this, Session has accepted a gift of $2,400 from a church family – they are grateful that they did not need their government stimulus check and want to use it to help those whose needs are greater. During the next two weeks we will accept gifts from others who are able and wish to contribute, either from stimulus funds or otherwise. All funds received will then be given to the North End food project. The Mission Fund will be used to ensure a minimum donation of $3,600, which is needed for the basic goal of extending the project to the end of the summer, but we hope to be able to have a larger total gift, with the generosity of the congregation, to reach more people with even better food options. Gifts may be mailed to the church (PO Box 64, Paw Creek, NC, 28130) and marked for “Food Support”.

      Even as we organize to share with our neighbors, we are also very aware that the current crisis has affected our church households in many different ways, and that some are in a time of real financial struggle. Please do not forget that Paw Creek also has a Social Service Fund which is available to help church and community members in times of pressing need. If you need help, simply contact Karen and Grady Cathey in confidence. This fund is here for you now, and your church family wants you to access it.

2. Blood Drive – during this time of medical crisis, the need continues for blood donations. The Congregational Care Committee has again arranged for the Bloodmobile to visit Paw Creek, on Saturday, May 16. The Bloodmobile will be set up to ensure proper social distancing, and appointments will be scheduled in advance to limit the time that donors are on site. Please visit:  https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/917500

3. Graduation Sunday – Although many things are postponed and cancelled, our graduates will still be graduating this spring, and we want to honor and recognize them. Of course, we don’t know yet if this will happen live, or live stream, but the Christian Education committee is beginning to make plans. To be sure we include all graduates (high school, college or graduate school, including graduations from December 2019), please send information about church members to the committee by contacting Jan Chapman – include date, school, degree and any information about future plans.
4. Worship Update – You may have noticed there was a glitch in the YouTube transmission during the first few minutes of worship on Sunday. The good news is that we have finally received a new piece of switching equipment (so many churches are going on-line these products were backordered) that will allow for a much smoother transmission. Hopefully that will work well for all of us. As always, we are so appreciative of the efforts of Clint Shaw, who understands the technology and makes it work!
5. Property Committee Update – The Property Committee has taken advantage of the downtime in our facilities to work on several needed projects, including the upgrading of restrooms in some of our buildings. We are glad to be able to get these projects done, and also to be able to support local businesses during this time. The committee is also exploring having all buildings sanitized prior to reopening, when that time comes.
6. Finance Committee Update – The Session is grateful to report that financial support for the church continued at a level that matched on-going expenses during March and April. Please don’t forget that we now have the convenience of receiving contributions electronically through the on-line giving portal at our website. Also, look for a special email this week that will further explain how the on-line giving system works. Thanks to all of our faithful congregation as we live out the commitment to serve God in every time and circumstance.

Thanks to all our committees for keeping things going so well. Please continue to take advantage of our opportunities to connect each week, including Sunday worship at 11; Sunday prayer gathering at 10 on Zoom; and Wednesday Bible Study at 5:30 on Zoom.

And, during this week, please remember these prayers that were collected in recent days:

1. Continued prayers for Susan Kenley and her family.
2. Ernest Moore was hospitalized last week and is now at home. He is still seriously ill, and he and his family appreciate our on-going prayers and concerns.
3. Ken Smith was hospitalized on Tuesday. Vernie is working with his doctors to choose on-going care options. Please pray for them and their sons is this difficult time.
4. Susan McDonald is feeling much better and was released from the hospital on Tuesday after a heart catheterization that was negative for coronary disease. She and Karen are grateful that she is home – please pray with them as her doctors determine any needed additional treatment.
5. In worship on Sunday and again at Bible Study on Wednesday we had these prayer requests:
   • Dickie Chapman asks our prayers for his friends and former co-worker Dan Jacobs, who received a serious cancer diagnosis last week and is beginning immediate chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
   • Please remember Virginia McGranahan; she is in bed a lot with weakness and an infection in her ankle but has shown some improvement this week.
   • Continue to pray with Betty and Raymond Field as Raymond receives hospice care at home; and also remember Betty’s family on the death of her brother’s wife in England this week.
   • Please remember the Margie Caudill and her family, and all families who are unable to visit loved ones in nursing care.
   • And let us join Sarah and Colton Hansley in prayers of anticipation for the birth of their son, who is due this week.

For eyes to see the bounty of God’s goodness this week and always, let us pray with thanksgiving to the Lord.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – April 23, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Dear Paw Creek,

As I mentioned on Sunday, we have now worshipped via live stream six times. Although we keep hearing the phrase “new normal”, I’m not sure any of this feels “normal”, and I suspect that all of us are having a hard time imagining what kind of “normal” we hope to find, or when we hope to find it.

Although it is difficult to do, I suspect we would find blessing by focusing on some of the most familiar words that Jesus taught. How often he asked his followers and listeners to look around them and realize that “the kingdom of God is at hand”. It’s right here, it’s right now, so close that we can reach out and touch it. We don’t need to step into it, for it already surrounds us. Jesus was inviting those who heard, as he invites us, to let the kingdom be our “normal”. When that happens then we have enormous wells of courage and resilience to withstand the changes that the world throws at us.

Of course, there are indeed enormous changes being thrown at us in these days. For some those changes are acute – those who have experienced the virus first hand as patient, caregiver or medical worker, and those who suffer financial losses that threaten the most basic needs of shelter and food. For others there is isolation, loss of routines, boredom. To everyone, Jesus offers the kingdom as a constant place of refuge, a “normal” that never changes, a shelter in the storm. From the refuge of the kingdom, we can find the wherewithal that we did not know we had to persevere, to help one another, to grieve, and to move forward towards a future that we can not yet see with any clarity, other than the clarity that more change is still to come.

Jesus preached about the kingdom every day, because we need constant reminder to focus on the kingdom rather than the troubles of the world. Therefore, I offer you his sermon on this day: “the kingdom of God is at hand”. Please offer the same sermon to everyone you talk to this week. Let us remind one another daily that our most important “normal” has never changed.

Moving into the news of the week, I guess there’s not very much to share. Worship and Bible Study continue week in and week out, and those are our best ways to stay together as a community. I also know that many of you are keeping phone contact with one another and sending reports of what you find. That is a blessed and much needed ministry, and I am grateful that it is happening.

If by chance you did not see the worship service last Sunday, I do want to make sure that everyone knows we had the great pleasure of recognizing Susan Kenley as the recipient of the 2020 Legacy Award from the Presbytery of Charlotte. As with past award recipients, the Congregational Care has placed to a brick in the Memorial Garden to honor Susan. Our thanks go out to Susan and her family for all of the care and love that they shower on Paw Creek every single day.

During this week, please remember these prayers that were collected in recent days:

1. Continued prayers for Susan Kenley and her family.
2. Let us continue to raise Betty and Raymond Field in our prayers. Betty has now accepted hospice support as she cares for Raymond at home.
3. These are the prayer requests we had in worship on Sunday:
   • We join Kim Whittington and her family and giving thanks for the life of her uncle Wayne Edwards. His immediate family, including his sister – Kim’s mother – will hold a graveside service on Friday.
   • Frank Dale continues to be cared for at home, with Jane and David taking turns staying with him.
   • Martha Gordon, a member of the community, died last week. Please pray for her family.
   • Hoyt Johnson is being treated for cellulitis at home – he misses being able to spend time with Jean in nursing care.
   • Please pray for a safe journey for Lexi Torrence who is finishing her senior coursework and making a move to Savannah.
   • We had reports from both Rennie Auten and Marlon Foust that they healthy and well – please remember them and all of our friends and family who are sheltering in institutional settings.
4. At Bible Study on Wednesday night we had these reports:
   • Prayerful thanks that Ken Smith is being so well cared for at Courtland Terrace in Gastonia. His rehab phase will end April 29th and he will be able to continue in nursing care without changing rooms.
   • Prayers for Ann Moore, a member of the community, who is at Carmel Hills for memory care.
   • As we were meeting, Victoria Krebs reported that Frank was at the hospital with his brother for surgery to repair a broken ankle – let us pray for them and all who need to seek hospital care during this dangerous time.

For eyes to see the bounty of God’s goodness this week and always, let us pray with thanksgiving to the Lord.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – April 9, 2020

Contact Information

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 (forwarded to home)

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

From deepest darkness to the most brilliant light –

the journey of Holy Week and Easter

Dear Paw Creek,

I am writing to you on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Tonight will also be the first night of Passover, when our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community will gather to celebrate the seder meal. Every year at the seder it is traditional for the youngest child in the gathered family to ask four questions, which prompt the telling of the story of the Exodus. The first question is: “How is this night different from all other nights?” (The answer describes the unleavened bread and other foods, and explains what they represent.) But surely tonight, even as the traditional answers are recited, the question will also remind everyone of the innumerable changes that have come in all of our lives over the last four weeks. Tonight’s seder will indeed be different from all other seders, with families gathering by phone or videoconference, or perhaps not able to gather at all.

And by the same token as this week goes on, for those of us who have been accustomed to the rhythms of Holy Week and Easter, our days will be different as well.

How is this Maundy Thursday different from all other Maundy Thursdays? At Paw Creek we will not attempt to recreate our traditional table fellowship. This service for many years has been a moving way to be together and share the intimacy of the meal that Jesus had with his disciples. We will not share the meal this year, but will look forward to next year, when we can again be together, shoulder to shoulder in one place.

How is this Good Friday different from all other Good Fridays? Our tenebrae  service will proceed at 7:00 pm via Facebook and YouTube. Although not together in one place, from each of our homes we will hear again the story of Jesus’s last hours and pause in quietness to reflect on all the meaning that his sacrifice has for us as we serve him in these days.

How is this Easter Sunday different from all other Easter Sundays? It will follow the pattern of the last few weeks, with worship at 11:00 am, again via Facebook and YouTube. We will not raise our voices together to shout “Alleluia”, but we will raise them in our homes and in our hearts. We will not sing together “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”, but we will remember those words and hear that music. We will miss terribly the singing of our choir, but will joyfully await to hear their voices again when the time is right. We will share in the beauty of the Easter flowers as they bedeck our sanctuary. And most of all, we will proclaim the Gospel of Resurrection and cling to its promises as the strength of our risen Savior holds us fast in these days.

This will not be the year when Easter failed to happen. It will be the year when Easter happens with more hope and promise than ever before.

I hope this Holy Week letter finds our church family bearing up in these days with God’s help and good blessings. Please don’t forget that, in addition to the worship services listed above (check the church website at pawcreekpc.org for the appropriate links) we have Bible Study on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm and Prayer Group on Sundays at 10:00 am, both via Zoom. If you need the invitation and log-in information, please contact Debbie Taylor or me.

Also, remember that the flowers which we will see in the sanctuary on Sunday are provided through your generous memorial and honorarium gifts – the list of those being honored is attached to today’s letter. The flowers will be planted in the church garden in the coming weeks. If you requested an Easter lily to take home, arrangements for picking it up will be announced on Sunday.

Thanks to all who posted pictures of your Palm Sunday greenery last week. There is a sampling of those pictures attached to today’s letter.

Looking ahead to after Easter, on Sunday, April 19 our worship service will include celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Although we generally find that the sacrament is most meaningful when we are able to be together in person, in this time of distancing we will cross the lines of what is traditional to have an on-line celebration (this kind of celebration has been endorsed by the Office of Worship and Theology of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to accommodate our needs in this extraordinary time.)

During worship on the 19th, after the words of the communion liturgy, everyone will be invited to partake of bread and juice at home. To make this easier, we have prepackaged communion kits available, each with a wafer and a small cup of juice. Kim and Dennis Whittington have very generously volunteered to deliver these kits to anyone who lives in Mecklenburg County within approximately a five-mile radius of the church. If you are not in that area, you can simply have a bit of bread and juice (or any beverage) ready for your household before you watch the service.

If you wish to have communion elements delivered during the week after Easter, please reply to Kim at the church email address or church telephone number (at the top of this letter) by Monday evening, April 13. Specify how many kits you need and include your address. Kim and Dennis will leave an envelope at your front door some day later in the week (probably Thursday, if the weather is good, but at any rate prior to Sunday). Again, many thanks to Kim and Dennis for offering to serve our congregation in this way!

One final word of scheduling: with so much else being disrupted, the Men of the Church have decided to cancel the annual Church Fish Fry, originally planned for Saturday, May 2. It will not be rescheduled for this year, but we look forward to reclaiming this tradition in 2021.

For this holy week, please remember these prayers that were collected in recent days:

For eyes to see the bounty of God’s goodness this week and always, let us pray with thanksgiving to the Lord.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Information:

Kim Whittington – office@pawcreekpc.org • 704-392-0329 

Elliott Hipp – deh46@columbia.edu • 704-502-2143 (calls and text messages)

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

Do not fear, for I am with you,

            do not be afraid, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you.

            I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

                                                – Isaiah 41

Dear Paw Creek,

In these days it is hard to get our minds accustomed to how much our lives change from one week to the next. All of us in Mecklenburg County are now under the “stay at home” order as we navigate yet another set of limitations and new routines. A reasonable reaction – reasonable in human terms – is to feel a closing in of fear. Fear for health and safety. Fear for economic repercussions. Fear for ourselves and those we hold most dear.

Isaiah reminds us that an even more appropriate reaction – reasonable and appropriate in God’s terms – is to reject the fear and replace it with the assurance of the knowledge of God’s greater strength against all that assails us. Turning to God is not easy in these times. But it is so much more possible when we lean on each other. Telephones, internet, and other tools make that possible even as we lose physical time together. Let’s redouble our efforts to reach across the divide and encourage one another to remember and rely on the strength of God. Do not be afraid!

There is little breaking news to report, but I do want to let everyone know that the Presbytery has sent out an official ruling from the county that live-streaming church services are “essential” and that we can continue to provide our Sunday worship to everyone from the sanctuary. Mark’s music will grace our worship, and we are all grateful to  him, to Clint, our tech guy, and to the Worship Committee for making it all happen.

We are also keeping up with each other through virtual Sunday morning prayer time (10:00 am) and Wednesday evening Bible Study (5:30). If you want to add your name to either list, to request a CD of the Sunday service, or have any other requests, please let me know. And of course send your requests for prayer or other kinds of assistance to me or the assigned elder who will be checking in on each family in the weeks ahead.

Here are some prayer concerns as of Wednesday afternoon.

1. Please pray for the family of John Litaker, especially Donna and Elaine, as they mourn his death on Wednesday afternoon at the age of 96. His family gathered was with him at home. There will be a private graveside service on Friday in our church cemetery, and a memorial service later in the year.
2. Let us pray with special urgency for our choir director, Patrick McCarthy, and his family. Patrick’s wife Courtney is ill, presumably with Covid-19, although test results have not come back yet. She was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday with double pneumonia. Patrick is also showing milder symptoms, and remains home with the children, who have no signs of illness. He is not allowed to visit Courtney in the hospital. Patrick does not need phone calls or messages just now, but cards can be mailed to 9662 Estridge Lane, Concord, NC 28027.
3. Continue to remember Mary Ellen Edwards and her family with the illness of her mother, Amy Eberhardt in Fayetteville. She is now receiving comfort care and can not have visitors. Mary Ellen was able to be with her for about six hours on Tuesday, but will not be allowed to see her again. Please pray for them both in this difficult separation.
4. We continue to hold the family of Erskine Foard in prayer. His graveside service was Tuesday for immediate family. We have had requests for contact information for his daughters: Sharon Lamb, 7543 Forest Oak Drive, Denver, NC 28037 and Becki Friend, 106 Teton Place, Mt. Holly, NC 28120.
5. These are the prayer requests we had in worship on Sunday
   • Frank Dale is progressing in rehab care at Presbyterian Hospital and hopes to be released in the coming days
   • Remembering the families of two community friends who died last week: Millie Hord and Bobby Helms.
   • Health care workers who are on the front lines protecting all of us.
6. These requests were reported by our elders as they made calls to the congregation this week:
   • Chris Normand’s mother is in nursing care in Maine, family members live near-by but are unable to visit
   • Ken Smith is in nursing care in Gastonia after his fall last week; Vernie is able to contact him by phone but is finding that he is very confused and does not understand why she cannot visit.
   • Lovee Steele is doing well at home and has begun PT after her recent hospitalization
   • Hoyt Johnson reports that he and Jean are doing well and appreciates the outreach
   • Toni Torrence is on the front lines in her work in the office of an ENT practice, and appreciates our prayers for her and her family
7. And these needs have been lifted up on our prayer chain during the last few days
   • Coleen Vance, close friend of Dina Salvo is at Johns Hopkins hospital to receive treatment for multiple myeloma.
   • Leonora Kaufmann, dear friend of Susan McDonald is waiting for test results on Covid-19; she is a pancreatic cancer survivor and has asthma.

May this week bring new signs of God’s strong care to all of us. May we be supported by the glory of new life as spring reclaims the earth. May we stay in close contact and be God’s gifts to one another.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

Happy Birthday to Those Celebrating in April!

April 2                                                                     April 3

Ernest Moore                                                             Jack Watson

Sam Shannon

April 5                                                                    April 6

Virginia McGranahan                                                 Price Kenley

Sonny Ross

Kay Simmons

April 7                                                                    April 10

Shelby Alexander                                                      Victoria Krebs

Emily Cathey

Shannon Drolet

Jo Small

April 12                                                             April 13

Abby Glover                                                              Matt Turner

Alex Glover

April 14                                                             April 15

Zoey Bryant                                                              Mark Burleson

Bob Rudisill

April 16                                                             April 18

Robin Wodarski                                                         Morgan McGee Miller

Joan Wilson

April 19                                                             April 21

James Summerlin                                                      Austin Edwards

April 22                                                                  April 24

Garrett Joy                                                               Kevin Joy

April 25                                                                  April 26

Patty Burns                                                              Sean Glover

Emily Normand

April 27                                                                  April 28

Jerry Mullis                                                              Karen Cathey

Lexi Torrence

April 30

Doug Edwards

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly Letter – March 19, 2020

Contact Information:

pawcreekpc.org

Paw Creek Presbyterian Church on Facebook and YouTube

God is our refuge and strength,

            a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

            though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.

though its waters rage and foam,

            and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

            the God of Jacob is our refuge.

                                                – Psalm 46

Dear Paw Creek,

In these unprecedented times, we cling fiercely to images of the unchangeable strength of God against all tumult and fear. And we cling to one another for we know that together, as those who share the knowledge of the Good News of Christ, we will find his kingdom.

On Tuesday of this week, already a lifetime ago, I was at the aquatic center for a swim. It turned about to be the last swim for the foreseeable future. Afterwards in the locker room I met Mr. Richard Metz and in conversation learned that he is the pastor of Glorious Full Gospel Tabernacle, which is located behind the Excelsior Club off of Beatties Ford Road. We talked about the stresses and strains on our respective congregations in these days, and agreed to pray for each other’s churches (please join me in adding them to your prayer list). As we parted (with an elbow rub) we thought about the coming of Easter in just a few weeks, and about the Easter truth that is still ours even in the midst of Lent: death has been swallowed up in victory, the powers of evil that challenge us have already been defeated, God’s victory is assured. Everything we do in these days has the potential to become a way to live out and display our deep faith that these things are true. To have that faith is to live in the certainty of hope that these trials will pass. And from that hope comes the strength to pour ourselves out in caring for one another. Please join Brother Richard and me in claiming this truth and this power of the Gospel.

Last night the Session of Paw Creek met for the first time via electronic video conferencing. All of our elders were able to participate, and we had a very productive meeting as we reviewed the things we are doing to witness to God’s love, and some new things that we want to implement. This letter is a report to all of the church on those conversations.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this – it will get more simple as time goes on! Let us close with this prayer, offered in the Book of Common Worship for a time of National Crisis:

God of the ages, in your sight nations rise and fall, and pass through times of peril. Now when our land is troubled, be near to judge and save. May leaders be led by your wisdom; may they search your will and see it clearly. If we have turned from your way, help us to reverse our ways and repent. Give us your light and your truth to guide us; through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen.

                                                Blessings on us all,

                                                Elliott

Email, text or call and I’ll compile the information next week.

Dear Friends,

How did Jesus change YOUR life?

As the years go by, I become more and more convinced that Jesus HAS changed our lives, each one of us. And in order to change our lives,  Jesus has sought us out. He has been real to each one. He has shown us his face, whether in the face of a loved one, in the raging of life’s storms, in the surge of life’s wildest joys, or even (for some) in a vision or a dream.

We are not accustomed to talking about the times that Jesus became present to us, and so we may miss his presence altogether. What     better time than the season of Lent for us to search the scriptures and learn from them how to recognize Jesus when he comes? This Lenten season at Paw Creek, the Worship Committee invites us to do just that. Each Sunday we will read a story about a time when Jesus came face to face with someone, and we will dive deeply into those stories to seek clues: what is it like to see Jesus’s face? How did he change the lives of those people?

On Palm Sunday, when Jesus came face to face with a great milling crowd, we will turn the spotlight on ourselves. WE are the crowd. WE have seen his face. WE will never be the same. Each of us (if and as we are led) will have the chance to tell our story: “How did Jesus change MY life?”. Let us plan to be together on Sunday mornings throughout Lent as the Worship Committee invites us to prepare our stories and record them to share. What a great adventure!

See you in church,

Elliott

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

It’s beginning to look like we are making our way through a pretty mild winter. But even so, as February bears down on us it feels like that quiet time of year. Stay in, keep close to home, recover from the holidays and rest up for the busy-ness of spring. As Ecclesiastes tell us, God has plans to give us everything we need, including rest and rejuvenation at the appointed time. Every need has its season and our job is to embrace what God gives us – on his schedule and in his time.

So if your life is giving you the gift of a little bit of quietness right now, I hope you can take advantage. That’s the way it feels on our church calendar as well. A quiet February will be over before we know it, and soon Lent, Easter, Pentecost and all manner of activities rush to the forefront. As February begins, let’s embrace its gifts, as they prepare us for new joys to come.

Blessings, Elliott

We stand at the turning point this week, as the anticipation of the Advent Season gives way to the glory of Christmas and the arrival of the Christ Child. The multitude of presents under the Giving Tree is now on its way to neighborhood kids. Same with the final Backpack Buddy shipment of 2019, off to River Oaks Academy along with extra Christmas-time support for the children and their families. Room In the Inn is ready to receive neighbors on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Truly, the preparations are all in place.

And here at Paw Creek as well, all has been made ready to welcome the Messiah. On Sunday the Jesse Tree will receive its final ornaments as the gift of poinsettias fills the sanctuary. And the Christmas story will be told again in word and in song, both on Sunday in our service of Lessons and Carols, and on Tuesday night with candlelight and the sharing of communion. All that is needed now is you and me. I hope that each of us can make it a priority to come. Not just to show appreciation for all the wonderful music that we will hear, and all the beauty that we will see. But even more, let us come with open hearts, knowing that we are the ones who will receive the gifts that the Messiah brings. Truly, all the preparations are God’s preparations for us, and we will be blessed in being together as God’s family.

Best Christmas blessings to us all,

Elliott

The jam-packed holiday season gets into full swing this week. Best wishes to all of us for a restful Thanksgiving week full of good food, family and friends!

Almost as soon as the left-overs are packed away, the calendar will shift again. By next Sunday we will be on our way in the season of Advent. Advent is the time when we reenact the way that God’s people waited for a Messiah throughout the centuries prior to the birth of Jesus. And of course we also share in their experience of waiting as we remember our own longing for the return of Jesus to reign as our Christ and Redeemer.

There are many ways for us to experience the count-down to Christmas, including Advent calendars, the Advent wreath, and our tradition of placing figures in the creche week by week. This year we add a new tradition, which comes as the joint creative effort of the Worship Committee, the Congregational Care Committee and the Presbyterian Women. It’s called the “Jesse Tree” and it remembers the words of the Prophet Isaiah, who foretold the birth of a king as a new branch on the family tree of Jesse – the father of King David.

The branches of the Jesse Tree are made up of the stories of people in the Old and New Testaments who pointed towards the promise of the Messiah in their deeds and words. On Sunday, December 1, we will receive a devotional booklet with 25 Bible stories – one for each day until Christmas. Please consider making these stories a part of your devotions for the month of December. To help us keep them in mind, each Sunday there will be ornaments added to the tree in the sanctuary that represent the stories that we are reading. As the tree fills up, the Messiah comes nearer and nearer.

Please have a look at the rest of this newsletter for all our Advent and Christmas activities – may the coming light of Christ brighten the lives of you and your family during this holy season!

Blessings, Elliott