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Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.”

Matthew 26:38

These words of Jesus were directed to three of his most trusted disciples. Call them the inner circle if you will. They are words that were meant to strike at the heart of a very personal crisis. Jesus knew that he was soon to be betrayed by one of his own disciples. These three he called upon, James, John and Peter, represented the earliest of those who became his disciples and in many ways the most trusted. Jesus, in

this moment, shares the depths of his humanity.

Picture the scene with me for a moment: It has been a long and draining day. There has been increased gossip and chatter; both inside the group and out in the community at large. Jesus shares a complete understanding of the “things to come,” but his disciples all seem to be at a loss for understanding the events of the day and that which is to come. Even as the Lord shares the Last Supper with them in the upper room, the disciples gathered here are comparing themselves to one another and trying to determine who is the greatest among themselves.

After this time of gathering, the betrayer slips away. Jesus knows what is coming. He asks that the group that has shared this final supper to join him on a walk, through the community gardens in the cool of the evening. As they are walking, he seems troubled and makes a pronouncement to the group that he wants to spend time alone. So in the misty air, he asks three key people in his life to join him.

Once they were away from the rest of the group, He seeks the confidence and support of trusted friends. Here in a garden, far removed from the rest of His followers, Jesus asks a small favor, ‘stay awake with me.’ Seems like a simple request, right?

How many times have we been called upon in the middle of the night to stand by our family or friends during a difficult time? Our first response would probably fall in line with the disciples accompanying Jesus out to the Garden. Probably something along the lines, “I am out the door,” “On my way” or “Whatever you need, just let me know.” Right? There is nothing wrong with these responses in themselves, but they may not be a sufficient response for the personal need in the moment.

For the person that finds themselves in the ‘inner circle’ of the concern, they are faced with the very same imperative Jesus posed to his most trusted Disciples, ‘Stay awake with me.’ Notice that was not a question. It was not optional. It was a call to arms. Staying awake means that person called upon in that time of need is more than physically present. It means that they are more than aware of the depth of the pain, the grief, the loss that the one in need is enduring. The call of the ‘inner circle’ requires a limitless amount of courage; a response that requires preparation and stamina. They are looking for someone to provide a deep well of physical, mental and emotional support from which they may draw upon during their time of need.

The disciples failed to comprehend the gravity of the call upon them to remain awake in the support of their Lord in his time of need. As we encounter the time that we are called to be in that inner circle of those calls upon us, let us remember that we are not being called to be in the safe area out on the perimeter of the situation. Let us remember the imperative that Christ gave his closest friends. Let us not fail to respond to answer the call to ‘remain awake.’

See you at church! - Pastor John

Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA) Jonesville, LA

April 2014

Trinity News

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856

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Lenten Soup Suppers Continue and Maundy Thursday Worship Service Lenten Fellowship activities continue this month on Wednesday evenings through April 9. During Holy Week our Lenten Soup Suppers will be Thursday, April 17 at 5:00 PM followed by our Maundy Thursday Communion service at 6:00 PM.

This year we have invited the Ferriday and Vidalia PC(USA) churches to join us in our time of Lenten Fellowship. Following our final Soup Supper on April 17

th, we will adjourn for a special worship service

celebrating our Lord’s Supper in the sanctuary.

Scheduled groups and speakers remaining this season: 6:00 PM April 2 – Living Waters for the World; John Guice 6:00 PM April 9 – Wouded Warrior Project; Joe Bondurant 5:00 PM April 17 – Presbytery of the Pines Committee Presbytery Mission Restructuring Report; Rev. John Scott 6:00 PM April 17 – Maundy Thursday Worship Service

Please come and join us during these evening fellowship opportunities. Hear how these groups have been called to serve, and they will help us understand how we might be able to help in the work of each.

Easter Sunrise Service The Jonesville Area Ministerial Alliance (JAMA) will lead the community Easter Sunrise Service at Trinity Regional Park. Please plan to attend if you are able to help support the ministries of JAMA in our community. First Baptist Church will serve the annual community breakfast following the service.

Easter Morning Worship at Trinity On Easter morning we will have a few special activities during worship. We will receive by baptism or confirmation of baptism those youth who have successfully completed confirmation activities and been approved by examination of the Session. We will also celebrate communion during worship.

Trinity Session - Summary of Actions Session met March 2nd, 2014 at 8:45 AM - 2013 Statistical Report was discussed as being sent

in prior to PC(USA) submission deadline. - Approved contribution to community Easter Egg Hunt

activities and use of facilities to prepare eggs. - Session received report of special travel expense for

pastor’s major vehicle repair as approved 2-25-14. - Session approved contribution to Lailah Hathcock’s

family in her memory as a local mission. - Approved Confirmation Activities:

1. Parent & Youth Class March 30th

2. Confirmation Retreat April 5th, 10 AM – 5 PM

3. Examination before Session April 6th

4. Received in Congregation by baptism or confirmation of baptism on Easter Sunday April 20 during morning worship service.

Next Session Meeting: April 6th at 8:45 AM

Choir News

The Chancel Choir will meet on Tuesday, April 1st at 5:30 PM because of the Lenten services on Wednesday nights. We will then meet at our regular time on Wednesday, April 16th, at 5:30 PM. Additional sessions may be set as determined by group consensus. These are important practices because special music has to be practiced for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter Sunday services. Dot L.

Lunch Bunch Bible Study We continue our special Lenten Study out of the Revised Common Lectionary on Thursdays at noon. Bring your Bible and a bite to eat, and we will see you there!

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast Wake up men and join us Tuesday, April 8 at 7 AM. The hot food and fellowship will be ready to help you start your day right.

Presbyterian Women PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN will meet on Tuesday, April 15th, at the church at 10:00. Martha Brallier will moderate Session 6, “Learning to Wait on Our Big God” from the study book, “If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat.” This will be the last lesson in this study series.

Presbyterian Women met on Tuesday, March 18th, at the church. Present were Martha Brallier, Judy Sanson, Catherine Jones, and Dot Lazarus.

The Prayer for the Least Coin was led by Martha Brallier. Martha Brallier led the discussion of Session 5 in the circle book, “Good News for Cave Dwellers.” A “cave” can be related to failure, so, we are to hang on to hope when we are in a cave, and God will guide us through the crisis. We can go boldly where no one has gone before.

During the business meeting, the minutes of the February meeting and the treasurer’s report were given by Dot Lazarus. It was decided that Presbyterian Women will have lunch at the Mexican restaurant, El Nopal, on Tuesday, May 20th, in lieu of a regular meeting. The meeting was adjourned with the recitation of the Mizpah. - Dot Lazarus

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Notes of Love and Thanks We welcome home Debra and Gregory Scott after

an extended stay in California. We are so happy to

have them back at Trinity. We have so missed

them.

A special thanks to all the ladies who led us in

worship on March 9th as we Celebrated the Gifts

of Women in Ministry. Participating were Robbie

Wilson, Beth Parish, Kacie King, Pam Swayze,

Susie Swayze, Martha Brallier, Betty Doyle, Gail

Bean, Verda Mophett, Dianne Nicholson, Dot

Lazarus at the organ, and members of the Trinity

Chancel Choir – Martha, Betty, Catherine,

Dianne, Donna, Adrian, and Judy. It was a

beautiful service.

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Trinity Church,

Sending a note that expresses how grateful we are

for what you have done. Thank y’all so very much

for the generous donation in honor of our Lailah.

Love to you all. The Hathcock and Ford families

Trinity Church,

Thank you for inviting Wellspring Alliance to

spend an evening with you on March 12. We

appreciate the opportunity to share the mission of

Wellspring and the work that we do in the

community and to bring awareness to Domestic

Violence. Sandra Lawson, Director of The

Wellspring Alliance

On behalf of the board, staff and clients of The

Wellspring, I would like to thank you for your

donation of $130.15 to our Domestic Violence

program. Your contribution will help us promote the

well being of others and the betterment of the

community in which we all live and work.. For over

80 years our agency has been a wellspring of hope

and help for individuals and families by providing

efficient and effective services. With appreciation

and gratitude for your generosity, I remain

Sincerely yours, Caroline Cascio, President/CEO

The Wellspring Alliance for Families

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April Birthdays

6 – Ashley Pierce 22 – Rodney Daggett

Health and Medical Concerns: Ronnie Akins; Eula Aswell; William Atkins; Nell Blevins;

Houston Book; Lynda Calhoun; Tommy Champlin; Connie

Collins; Madeline Denny; Betty

Doyle; Betty Farmer; Alton

Griffin; Susan Hammett; Jacob

Higginbotham; Rev. Joe Hill;

Donna Hill; Jerlene Johnson:

Hunter Jones; Bobby and Ruth King; Barbara Landrum;

Willie Lazarus; Skylar Lucas; Melvin & Georgia Marx;

Mary Mason; Robbie McMillin; Robert Murray; Al Pilson;

Nancy Pierce; Robin Poole; Nathan Rowland; Myrtle

Rushing; Debra Scott; Maxine Smart; Mary Davis Smith;

Eula Smith; Emma Tarver; Edd Taylor; Buddy Tyler;

Kristen Upchurch; Ann Womack; Jimmy Wade; Kyle

Watson and Family; Gwen Webber; Nikki Wiley; Payton

Williams; Rodney Williams; Lucy Wilson; Ann Womack;

Claire Womack; Nan Wood; & Betty Yarborough.

Prayers for the families of Ruby Wheeler Noe, Robert Winegeart and Louis Evans .

We pray for these families and all whose loved ones passed from this life during the past month.

Missionary: Joe Mitchell and his mission ministries.

Seminarian:

Humberto Gonzales and his family.

PRAY FOR: Pray for our country and our leaders.

Pray for peace in the Ukraine, Indonesia, Syria,

Iraq, Iran, Israel, Afghanistan, North Korea, and

Libya.

Pray for our men & women in harms’ way.

Pray for the economic recovery of our country.

Pray for Trinity Presbyterian Church and all

churches.

IN THE SERVICE Matthew Bean, Rusty Bean, Scott Bean, Matt Begnaud, Kacie King Dunn, Joe Hamilton, Jim Kelly, Justin Lacroix, Eric Little, Nicholas Parish, Ray Santillano, Crystal Smith.

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Extra News at Trinity

Ginny Daggett is at it again! The LSUE Bengal softball team, of which Ginny Daggett is a member, has a record of 35 wins and 1 loss. In a March 23rd game against Bossier Parish Community College, Ginny tripled to lead off the 4th inning. LSU Eunice won the two games 8-0 and 10-0.

Hannah Cotton, while still a student at Zachary

High, interviewed Mr. Al Pilson about his war

experiences for a project for one of her

classes.. After many months of work, she has

finished his video, complete with questions,

answers, and music and has brought it to

Trinity. We hope to do something special for Mr. Al

and his video in the near future.

Natalee Duncan is

playing in the outfield for

the Monterey Softball

Team while brother Riley

Duncan is coaching the

3rd grade basketball team

at Monterey School.

Matt Bean will graduate the 27th of April with a Masters of EE from AFIT, and pin on Captain the 13th of next month. He is a systems engineer; his first tour was at Warner Robbins AFB Depot working electrical systems on the F15. His next assignment is to Los Angeles AFB where he will get to apply his MSEE in Optics involving satellites.

Seminarian Update:

Joe Mitchell reports that Seminarian Humberto Gonzales is excited that his family has their immigration interview scheduled for April 8th. If approved, they would be able to join him in the U.S. in May. Joe asks that we pray for them as it has been a long, hard journey for them. Humberto is at a seminary in Kansas City and pastors a church 3 hours from the seminary. Whether they settle near the seminary or the church, they will be in need of household stuff. Humberto’s wife Magda and the children would be coming with a suitcase apiece. They are very upbeat about all of this and certain they are following God’s will for their lives.

To the glory of God and in loving memory of Ike Robertson, Mickey Laing, Lailah Hathcock, and Robert Winegeart Given by Pam & Ronnie Swayze

The flowered crosses on the front doors of the sanctuary were given in loving memory of Ruby Wheeler Noe

Given by Judy Sanson

Births:

Allan and Charlie Bean are new grandparents – their seventh grandchild. Matthew and Marisa Bean are the new parents of Mary Caroline Bean who was born in the Wright Patterson AFB hospital on March 14th., weighing in at 8 lbs. 7 ozs and is 20 ½ inches long. Church Clean-up Day A special thanks to

those who spent time at the church the week of March 15 to help us with a little deep cleaning, reorganizing and other wise help put back in order areas that needed a little TLC.

Thank you to Donna and Glen Tiser, Catherine Jones, Betty Doyle, Paul Parish, Verda Mophett, Gail Bean, Walter Mophett, Dot Lazarus, and Martha Brallier. If we missed your name, we appreciate your efforts and all that we did accomplish!

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Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA) 401 Third Street, Jonesville, LA 71343

Distribution: Dot Lazarus, Catherine Jones Editing: Adrian White, Dot Lazarus, Rev. John Scott

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856

For more information related to articles and submissions in the church newsletter please contact: Mrs. Dot Lazarus 318-339-9842 Email: dulazarus@bellsouth.net Pastor John Scott 318-403-9512 Email: jascott303@gmail.com

Trinity Presbyterian Church, PC(USA) Jonesville, LA

April 2014

Trinity News

Tradition in the Four Rivers Region since 1856