Dear Westport Presbies, family and friends,
Along with the rest of the Earth’s peoples, we are in a state of shock and sorrow over the Covid-19 pandemic, the dead and the dying, families and friends, and everyone who is suffering loss, fear and panic and lonely isolation. We pray for all, especially prayers of thanks and safety for all doctors, nurses and health care workers who are on the front lines in this struggle….and we also hope ourselves to become part of the answer to our own prayers in the days ahead.
Emily Davidson, Deanna Capps and I have begun to plan to LIVE STREAM our worship service this Sunday, March 22 and for as long as our medical and government leaders think social distancing is needed to end this pandemic. Our choir section leaders will be involved. We are preparing a worship experience that will keep us connected to each other and, we pray, to God. Following Jesus in hard times is part of the Christian’s calling, isn’t it?
This will be done via FACEBOOK. Use this link to watch our Worship Services through Facebook Live at http://facebook.com/westportpresbyterian
To avoid confusion, especially if people beyond the congregation tune in, we have chosen an 11:00 am start time. Go online to the Facebook link a few minutes before 11 am to be ready. TURN UP your sound or speakers. Good quality phones will also do the job!
You don’t have to have a Facebook account to watch, but if you want to interact and post comments (including prayer requests) you will want to sign up for a Facebook account. Also, once the Live Services are over, you will be able to watch them online at any time. So if you miss it on Sunday, you will be able to go back and watch it later in the week.
We will be in touch about doing Sunday School classes and committee meetings online through ZOOM, but we need to make the worship service happen first.
We also want to keep in our prayers: Nancy Brockman (North Kansas City Hospital), Steven Thomas (in hospital isolation unit after stem cell transplant), Fred Culver and Rae Peterson, Lora Farrell in the death of her beloved mother, Danny and Jane Testa (Bobbie Testa and Vic Dyal’s family), Alison and Drew Irwin (expecting a baby soon), Joe and Rita Marie Raach and Joe, Jr (moving here in KC), all doctors, nurses, and health care workers putting their knowledge to use and their lives on the line in the pandemic, everyone whose jobs are impacted by the simultaneous economic crisis, everyone at Willow Woods Child Development Center, sustaining it in hard times, and our custodians keeping our buildings clean and safe,
See here for recent sermons: http://westportpresbyterian.org/sermon-archive/
Our online giving is now setup through Tithely. You can give securely using a debit or credit card or an e-check by entering your bank information. You can give a one time donation or set up recurring payments. https://tithe.ly/give?c=1306440
You can also give online through our website at http://westportpresbyterian.org/giving
And, of course, you can mail checks to the church at 201 Westport Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
We continue to serve people who are homeless in our community, make space for small AA groups, and feel fortunate to be able to keep child care going amidst this calamity.
If you want to come to the church to visit me or call to talk or pray, just call or text me at 816-804-4539.
You can also email me at revscott@kc.rr.com.
Finally, Neal Long, our tenor section leader at Westport, along with several instrumentalists, is presenting a musical concert, Benjamin Britten’s Canticles, on Sunday afternoon in partial fulfillment of his Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice at KU. Here is a link to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/c/KUSchoolofMusic/live
Now, may each of us pray to ourselves “Be well, my soul”, stay safe, be strong and keep faith in God’s love…..
Rev Scott
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