Saturday, March 31, 2018

... the day before The Day ...

Big day, tomorrow ... and not just for all Christians, but for all peoples ... that's what I believe.

"We are the Easter people," Pastor Jim Miles of First Prez-Fort Stockton would remind us, and not just in the days leading up to Easter, but throughout the year. And that is what we affirm tomorrow, the day for which we have been preparing over the past six weeks, the day for which we live - or at least try to live - at all times.

A promise was made on a joyful, star-lit night, in a stable in Bethlehem ... but that promise was kept on a bloody, storm-darkened day, on a hill outside of Jerusalem ... and later in a place of tombs in the early morning.

On a highway north of Mason, Texas.
Big day tomorrow, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ ... big day ... THE day, really. But I find myself wondering what it was like the day before The Day ... what was it like during those long hours that passed between Christ's crucifixion and his resurrection? I can't help but think it's easier for us, two-thousand years later, with the benefit of hindsight, with the Word in our hands, our minds, our hearts. But back then ... right then, right there? What was it like for the followers of Jesus on THAT very first day before The Day?

I've always felt a little sorry for Peter, one of the first (and perhaps the greatest) of Jesus' disciples. How many times have I listened to some discussion in Sunday school that included talking some smack about Peter and his shortcomings ... it's especially pronounced now, as we are reminded for the umpteenth time of his denial of Jesus outside the house where Christ was being held. What must it have been like - that day before The Day - for Peter?

Of course, that was Peter before The Day, and before Pentecost. The man that emerges from all that is someone and something else entirely. There is still a growing, learning, developing spirit and awareness in him ... but there is no longer any doubt, or any denial.

But before that? I can only imagine ... because I know, now, and I believe ...

He is risen ...
Christ is risen, indeed ...
Alleluia! Amen!

Come 'church' with us, TOMORROW at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... we've had a busy and blessed time this week, but there's more to come ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.

In the News ... "Photos: Good Friday Stations of the Cross"

EPT Photo by Mark Lambie
Mark Lambie, Photographer
El Paso Times


EL PASO, TEXAS - Catholics pray the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. The prayer procession was led by the Rev. Trini Fuentez of St. Patrick Cathedral. Prayers were mostly directed for immigrants. ...

Enjoy the rest of this EPT album ...

In the News ... "Lubbock Faith Briefs"

Courtesy Photo
• Including Holy Week services for Saturday and Sunday

By Erica Pauda, Reporter
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of special events and programs from Lubbock-area houses of faith ... ...

 • read the rest of this LAJ report ...

 • Holy Week services, Saturday and Sunday ...

 • more from the LAJ's "South Plains Faith Calendar" ...

In the News ... "Inside or outside, sunrise Easter services in Abilene uplift"

ARN Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich
“He is risen indeed. Alleluia!”

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Some are elaborate, some are simple.

Some draw thousands of worshipers, others only a handful.

But wherever they are held and no matter the preparation, sunrise Easter services are a tradition with a special meaning for those who wouldn’t miss one ...

read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Abilene Church News"


• Services for Easter Sunday around the Big Country

Staff Report
Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - From the Reporter-News, news of services, special events and programs from Abilene-area houses of faith ...

read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Passover observance in Abilene includes Seder dinner"


• Readings, storytelling and symbolic foods

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - A Seder dinner in observance of the beginning of Passover will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at MCM Elegante Suites, 4250 Ridgemont Drive.

Temple Mizpah Women’s Auxiliary is host ...

read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Young cast re-creates last walk of Jesus"

OA Photo by Jacob Ford
• St. Mary’s site of scenes from crucifixion

Staff Report
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - With stripes of red welts across his back, and scars riddling his shoulders and chest, Emmanuel Garcia picked up his phone, and swiped his thumb across the screen.

Surrounded by more than a dozen other teenagers in a cafeteria room under St. Mary’s Catholic Church, a castmate in a robe saw him looking into the glow from his phone ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "Odessa Church News"

Courtesy Photo
• Today and in the days ahead, in Odessa-area houses of worship

Staff Report
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Coming events include worship services, classes, Bible studies, community outreach, fundraisers, mission opportunities and more ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... Story of Easter relayed to students

OA Photo by Jacob Ford
• Wishes everyone love, hope and peace at Easter, regardless of faith

By Ruth Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Reviewing the monuments at the Calvary Cross he put in place about six years ago, Odessa businessman John Bushman relayed the story of Jesus to about 50 elementary students and parents ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook


The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.


Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 31, 2018

PCUSA MISSION CO-WORKERS IN PERU - As mission co-workers, we want to give you some idea of what it is like to live in Lima, the capital of Peru, home to some 12 million people. These events from recent months demonstrate some of the diverse ways we engage in life with Peruvians ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Come 'church' with us, this weekend at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... we've had a busy and blessed time this week, but there's more to come ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 30, our Service of Tenebrae will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Grace. This somber service provides us with the opportunity to remember the events of Good Friday, nail our sins to the cross, strip the paraments from the worship space, and drape the cross. Everyone is asked to depart in silence, reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.

In the News ... “LCU, Bullard Institute to host 'Healthy Families Conference' on April 5"


• Conference is free and open to the public

Staff Report
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Lubbock Christian University and the Bullard Institute for Strong Families will host the sixth annual Healthy Families Conference on April 5, with Trevor Ragan, founder of “Train Ugly,” as the keynote speaker for the two-day conference. ...

 • read the rest of this LAJ report ..

From @FWMission ...Friday Story: "Meet 1st Grade Philanthropist, Reagan"

Founded in 2001, Free Wheelchair Mission is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to providing wheelchairs for the impoverished disabled in developing nations. Headquartered in Irvine, California, FWM works around the world in partnership with a vast network of humanitarian, faith-based and government organizations, sending wheelchairs to hundreds of thousands of disabled people, providing not only the gift of mobility, but of dignity, independence, and hope.



FWM Photo
Friday Story: "Meet 1st Grade Philanthropist, Reagan"

It’s always inspiring to see what children can do when they set their minds on achieving a goal.

Meet Reagan, a first-grader who lives in Ketchum, Idaho. Last summer, she attended a Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Bigwood Church, where, as part of the curriculum, they showed the children a video about Free Wheelchair Mission and the worldwide need for mobility.

The children were encouraged to gather loose change and donate the money to give wheelchairs to people with disabilities in developing nations.

Moved by what she had learned, Reagan set out to do more than that ...

read the rest of this story ...

In the News ... "St. Mary’s 'Stations of the Cross' event set for TODAY"

OA File Photo
"The suffering that He went through for our own salvation."

Staff Report
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - St. Mary’s Catholic Church’s Stations of the Cross presentation is set for Friday afternoon on the church grounds in Odessa, as part of the church’s services on Easter weekend.

The annual live performance depicts progressing scenes from the day of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Live stations are set to begin at 2 p.m. Friday outside St. Mary’s, at the corner of 18th Street and Adams Avenue in Odessa. Service will follow in the church at 3 p.m. ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "Inmates need consistent care"

OA Photo by Jacob Ford
Kairos of Texas volunteers minister at Fort Stockton’s Lynaugh Unit

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS - Kairos of Texas is a unique ministry that sends teams into 46 men’s and women’s state prisons twice a year to spend the weekend teaching the Gospel and encouraging Christian conversions.

Volunteers like Ken Black of Odessa also go once a week to follow up ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook


The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.

Photo by Jerry Van Marter
Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 30, 2018

TRANSFORMATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA) - Education and training of church leaders is key to the transformation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), General Assembly Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson, II, told the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) at its winter meeting ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

FBR Report: "Celebrating New Life: 12 Rangers Baptized"

The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) is a multi-ethnic humanitarian service movement. They bring help, hope and love to people in the war zones of Burma (Myanmar) and the Middle East. Groups send teams to be trained, supplied and sent into the areas under attack to provide emergency assistance and human rights documentation. Together with other groups, the teams work to serve people in need.



FBR Photo
Celebrating New Life: 12 Rangers Baptized

Dear friends,

This year 12 rangers asked to be baptized as they came to the end of the training; some were new students and some staff with wide experience. Christmas Eve morning, after church, 10 men and women came down to the river for a cold water baptism and just five days later, the last two followed them. Thank you for your prayers for these Rangers and their open hearts. Here are some of their stories ...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this FBR Report ...

CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can get involved in FBR and its mission ...



Free Burma Ranger, the film ...

This film, currently in production, chronicles the journey of an American family bringing aid to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people caught in Burma's war zones, a bloody conflict that is one of the longest-running civil war's in the world.

Learn more about the film, and hour YOUR donation can help complete its production ...

Come 'church' with us, this week at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... and we have a busy and blessed time coming up in the days ahead ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus used the phrase "watch and pray" on the night before his crucifixion. On Thursday, March 29, from noon to 8:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and reflection, to watch and pray in the Columbarian Courtyard, next to the Koinonia Room/Parlor. Prayer materials will be available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be in the Koinonia Room/Parlor.

Maundy Thursday Supper and Service

On Thursday, March 29, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Worship Service at 7:00 p.m. Please join the Grace family around the table as we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 30, our Service of Tenebrae will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Grace. This somber service provides us with the opportunity to remember the events of Good Friday, nail our sins to the cross, strip the paraments from the worship space, and drape the cross. Everyone is asked to depart in silence, reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.

In the News ... "Churches combine to offer Easter sunrise service"

OA File Photo
• Clergy: Service is for all including those that don’t normally attend church

Staff Report
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - A group of Odessa churches will hold an Easter sunrise service from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday in Ratliff Stadium that they hope will unite area Christian churches and prompt oilfield workers who do not usually attend a church to participate.

The stadium is just north of town on the west side of North Grandview Avenue.

First United Methodist Church Pastor Todd Salzwedel said Easter “is a defining moment for all of us.”

“I hope the service will be a representation of the entire body of Christ, not one denomination or group over another,” Salzwedel said. “I’d love for it to serve as a symbol to the community and people all around of what the body of Christ really looks like.”

In the News ... "Lubbock group protests death penalty on night of Rodriguez’s execution"

LAJ Photo by Brad Tollefson
• Participants prayed for peace for all involved people

By Sarah Self-Walbrick, Reporter
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - “God of compassion,” read the vigil program. “You let rain fall on the just and the unjust. Expand and deepen our hearts so that we may love as you love, even those among us who have caused the greatest pain by taking life.”

The rain stopped just long enough for the Friends of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty group to hold signs with messages against execution in front of St. John’s United Methodist Church Tuesday night on University Avenue as 38-year-old Rosendo Rodriguez was set to by executed in Huntsville ...

 • read the rest of this LAJ report

In the News ... "Abilene Holy Week speaker: Centurion's one line says a lot"

ARN Photo by Ronald W. Erdrich
• Series continues TODAY at Highland Church of Christ

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - The centurion at the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus has just one line in the scriptures, leaving readers to wonder about what happened to him afterward ...

read the rest of this ARN report ...

In the News ... "Monahan remembered as ‘compassionate, loving’"

OA File Photo
• Memorial service for popular pastor to be scheduled

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Westminster Presbyterian Church was reeling Wednesday with the news that its pastor, the Rev. Buddy Dee Monahan, had died after a Tuesday afternoon traffic accident at University Boulevard and Tanglewood Lane ...

read the rest of this OA archive report ...

OA File Photo
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally ran on Nov. 14, 2015. The Rev. Buddy Monahan was killed Tuesday in a car accident. Church officials say a memorial service will be scheduled soon. Monahan was interim pastor when this story ran but became the full time pastor in January 2017.

• The Rev. Monahan: ‘Everyone is a child of God ...’

By Bob Campbell, Reporter
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - Descended from the Choctaw and Maricopa tribes, the Rev. Buddy Monahan has spent most of his career working in the context of his Native American heritage, but now in Odessa, he is broadening his ministry ...

read the rest of this OA archive report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook


The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.


Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 29, 2018

BORDER MINISTRY - About 10 years ago, even weeds wouldn’t grow on the land that was given to DouglaPrieta Trabaja, a grassroots community group that promotes food security. But the group’s members dreamed big. They dreamed of converting the barren land in the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta into a food jungle. And with lots of hard work, tons of different types of manure, and loads of compost, laughter, tears and prayer, they are producing more vegetables than their families can eat. And they are blessing their community not only with fresh vegetables, but also with an example of faith and perseverance ...

CLICK HERE to read more.


Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Come 'church' with us, this week at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... and we have a busy and blessed time coming up in the days ahead ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus used the phrase "watch and pray" on the night before his crucifixion. On Thursday, March 29, from noon to 8:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and reflection, to watch and pray in the Columbarian Courtyard, next to the Koinonia Room/Parlor. Prayer materials will be available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be in the Koinonia Room/Parlor.

Maundy Thursday Supper and Service

On Thursday, March 29, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Worship Service at 7:00 p.m. Please join the Grace family around the table as we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 30, our Service of Tenebrae will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Grace. This somber service provides us with the opportunity to remember the events of Good Friday, nail our sins to the cross, strip the paraments from the worship space, and drape the cross. Everyone is asked to depart in silence, reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.

In the News ... “Thousands from Lubbock and the South Plains gather to pray at Jones AT&t Stadium"

LAJ Photo by Jayme Lozano
• To unify all the churches and pray for God to bring the community together

Jayme Lozano, Reporter
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Thousands of people from Lubbock and surrounding areas filled the Jones AT&T Stadium Sunday evening, praying and singing to gospel music at the Pray Jones Stadium event.. ...

 • read the rest of this LAJ report ..

In the News ... "Victim identified in deadly Odessa crash is local minister"

• Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian

By Trevor Tankersley, Anchor/Reporter
KWES-TV

WPC-Odessa Photo
ODESSA, TEXAS - he victim in a deadly accident in Odessa on Tuesday afternoon has been identified.

Odessa Police say Buddy Monahan, 52, was driving westbound in the 4100 block of East University at a high rate of speed.

Police say his car the back of an SUV at a stop light. The SUV then crashed into another SUV in front of it.

Monahan was taken to Medical Center Hospital where he later died.

Monahan is listed as a minister at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Odessa.

The driver of the SUV that was hit by Monahan was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The other driver wasn't hurt.

In the News ... "Abilene Holy Week speaker says to know your purpose"

ARN Photo by Nellie Doneva
• Each day this week, a local pastor speaks at another’s church

By Loretta Fulton, Reporter
Abilene Reporter-News

ABILENE, TEXAS - Felicia Hopkins learned the hard way what happens to people who are late to a church service planning meeting — they get stuck with a sermon topic they don’t like.

“I was really late from getting my hair done,” she explained, kicking off the annual Holy Week Luncheon Series on Monday.

But Hopkins, pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church, wasn’t thrown for a loop by the sermon topic. Instead, she tossed out that topic and came up with her own ...

read the rest of this ARN report ...

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook


The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.


Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 28, 2018

U.S. AND GUATEMALA PARTNERS - Around 850 people from Guatemala’s Maya Quiché Presbytery and visitors from Heartland Presbytery gathered in January at the Maya Quiché Bible Institute in the Guatemalan highlands near Quetzaltenango to celebrate more than 20 years of partnership ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Partners Blog: "Empowering Rohingya Communities"

Steve and Oddny Gumaer started Partners Relief and Development in response to the needs of refugees and displaced people from Burma, and now in the Middle East, as well. Their mission is to demonstrate, through holistic action, God’s love to children and communities made vulnerable by war in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other conflict zones.

Partners Photo
Empowering Rohingya Communities

Since 25 August 2017 more than 688,000 refugees have fled ethnic cleansing in Myanmar and made their way to the relative safety of Bangladesh. Partners has been able to respond to this massive need with food, shelter, medicine and warm clothes - literally saving many lives. However we are not just stopping there. Partners vision is for “free, full lives for children affected by conflict and oppression” and free, full lives means more than just surviving ...

read the rest of this post ...




Partners Relief and Development is a registered charity in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. "We’re a small, grassroots nonprofit passionate about making a big impact in communities affected by conflict and oppression, demonstrating God’s love to children and giving them the opportunity to live free, full lives." For more information aboput Partners, visit their website at partners.ngo/

Come 'church' with us, this week at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... and we have a busy and blessed time coming up in the days ahead ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus used the phrase "watch and pray" on the night before his crucifixion. On Thursday, March 29, from noon to 8:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and reflection, to watch and pray in the Columbarian Courtyard, next to the Koinonia Room/Parlor. Prayer materials will be available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be in the Koinonia Room/Parlor.

Maundy Thursday Supper and Service

On Thursday, March 29, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Worship Service at 7:00 p.m. Please join the Grace family around the table as we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 30, our Service of Tenebrae will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Grace. This somber service provides us with the opportunity to remember the events of Good Friday, nail our sins to the cross, strip the paraments from the worship space, and drape the cross. Everyone is asked to depart in silence, reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.

In the News ... "OMA 'Lenten Luncheon' series concludes this week"


• Wednesdays, through March 28

Staff Report
Odessa American


ODESSA, TEXAS - The Odessa Ministerial Alliance has scheduled lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon, and worship from 12:05 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the following days as part of the 2018 Lenten Luncheon Series ...

read the rest of this OA report ...

In the News ... "Video+Gallery+Story: Gan Israel Spring Campers Learn the Importance of Matzah"


• So, what is matzah?

Steven Cottingham, Reporter
El Paso Herald-Post


EL PASO, TEXAS - On Monday, a rambunctious group of children, all attending Camp Gan Israel – Spring Camp, at Chabad Lubavitch of El Paso got a taste of tradition, a taste of Passover, and hands-on experience in making matzah at the Model Matzah Bakery.

The bakery was a way for children to learn how to make matzah, to hear the story of the Passover from the Rebbetzin, Rabbi Greenberg’s wife, and to have fun ...

Read/watch the rest of this EPHP report ...




This is the latest in a yearlong series collectively called A Year of Faith. Throughout the year Steven Cottingham will be meeting with, and bringing the stories of faith found around the Borderland. If you would like to be a part of this series, you can contact Steven by calling (915) 201-0918 or sending an e-mail to Steven@StillGoingSomewhere.com

Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook


The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.


Today in the Mission Yearbook: March 27, 2018

ASSOCIATION OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH EDUCATORS CONFERENCE - PWhen I arrived in Louisville, Kentucky, for the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Annual Event in January, my mind was focused on the details. As co-chair of the conference, I had a stack of lists on Post-It notes, and my concerns were more focused on the schedule than they were on whether God’s presence would be felt. But without a doubt, God was there ...

CLICK HERE to read more.

Monday, March 26, 2018

From @chinaaid : "Muslim minorities ordered to destroy Islamic crescents on graves"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

ChinaAid Photo
Muslim minorities ordered to destroy Islamic crescents on graves
Distributed by ChinaAid, February, 2018 ...

YILI, XINJIANG, CHINA – In a continuing wave of persecution against Muslim minorities in China’s western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, members of the Uyghur and Kazakh minorities are being ordered to destroy any graves which bear the symbol of the Islamic star and crescent.

The Uyghurs and Kazakhs are two of China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, both predominantly Muslim. The star and crescent symbol is often used on the graves of Muslims, in much the same way that Christian Protestants and Catholics use the symbol of the cross ...

more on this story from China Aid


Come 'church' with us, this week at Grace Presbyterian


Holy Week services and activities

Welcome to Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas! We are a vibrant, devoted congregation of believers drawn together in faith, compassion, and spiritual commitment; small in number but great in spirit.

We are located at 2801 N Garfield Street in Midland, Texas ... and we have a busy and blessed time coming up in the days ahead ... won't you and your family come 'church' with us this week?

Garden of Gethsemane

Jesus used the phrase "watch and pray" on the night before his crucifixion. On Thursday, March 29, from noon to 8:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to spend time in silent prayer and reflection, to watch and pray in the Columbarian Courtyard, next to the Koinonia Room/Parlor. Prayer materials will be available. In the event of inclement weather, we will be in the Koinonia Room/Parlor.

Maundy Thursday Supper and Service

On Thursday, March 29, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Worship Service at 7:00 p.m. Please join the Grace family around the table as we remember Jesus' last supper with his disciples.

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

On Good Friday, March 30, our Service of Tenebrae will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Grace. This somber service provides us with the opportunity to remember the events of Good Friday, nail our sins to the cross, strip the paraments from the worship space, and drape the cross. Everyone is asked to depart in silence, reflecting on the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, April 1, the morning will start with an Easter breakfast at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. An Easter Egg Hunt will follow at 10:30 a.m. Also at 10:30 a.m., we will begin to flower the cross in the Sanctuary. You may bring flowers from your garden or the store. Extra flowers will also be available. Worship will begin in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m.


For more information, please give us a call at (432) 684-6542.