From the Desk of the Pastor

Grace to you and peace in

the name of our Risen Lord.

What a difficult time it is in

which we live. Know that you

are in my prayers as we face

this virus. I have put the question to the Session

as to when we should begin worshiping together

again, but regardless their decision, the ultimate

decision regarding when you return remains

between you and God – doing what is best for you

and your family.

I know that most, if not all, of you are ready to get

back to worship – to see those whom you have

not seen in some time now. I assure you that I

too am ready for all of this to be behind us and to

be back to normal. While this topic is on the

minds of so many congregations besides ours, I

think that we must recognize that there is no

absolute answer to when we should return to

normal – either as a congregation or as

individuals.

Each and every one of us have different situations

and conditions which influence our decisions on

gathering together. Some because of age, others

because of health, while others might be because

of their relationship with their family. Regardless

the reason, the decision is both difficult and often

very personal.

The scriptures this week speak of following the

shepherd and being led in the right direction, or

being protected in the sheepfold. Hear now words

from Psalm 23:1-4: The Lord is my shepherd, I

shall not want. He makes me lie down in green

pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he

restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for

his name's sake. Even though I walk through the

darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me;

your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

In a recent quote by Dr. Tony Evans, he said that

we should not be worrying about anything

because we belong to Jesus. He went on to say

that if we belong to Jesus then we are covered by

his saving grace. He likened it to going

swimming, but not being wet. You cannot belong

to Jesus and not be covered any more than you

can go swimming without getting wet.

So, to expound on, or to clarify what Dr. Evans is

telling us, if we, according to Psalm 23, have a

shepherd that provides for us, gives us rest and

protection; and according to our Gospel, who will

protect us and even lay down his life so that we

might be safe in the fold, what else is there that

could possibly cause us to do anything but to

submit ourselves to Him and follow blindly and

even with reckless abandon where he leads.

These truly are dangerous and unprecedented

times in which we currently live, and as long as

everything we do is guided by our Lord and

Savior, then everything will work out according to

His plan. While I would love to see each and

every one of you every Sunday, I know that right

now that is not necessarily feasible and I will

continue to provide worship and communion

virtually for as long as is needed, looking forward

to seeing you when God decides it is time again.

Regardless when we agree to “open the doors”

again, know that the only correct time for you to

return is when you feel led to do so by God. Until

then you are always welcome to join us on

Sunday morning as some have done. Please do

not mistake this as a call to gather together

because this is not that. I am simply saying that

as you act on God’s plan, and if that means

coming in on Sunday morning, there will be a

presence here worshiping.

The most difficult decisions we make are the ones

that require us to follow blindly while disregarding

our own wills. It seems like we should be

Burnet Presbyterian Church Newsletter for May, 2020

P. O. Box 126

Burnet, Texas 78611 E-mail: burnetpres@gmail.com

Phone: 512-756- 4366 Website: www.bpcburnet.org

gathering to worship each Sunday, however, that

is not necessarily the right choice for everyone

right now. With God’s help, we will get through

this and resume normal worship. Until then, let’s

be intentional about gathering virtually until such

time as we can all be together again.

Go in peace and know God will always guide you

– if only you will follow.

Pastor Josyph

** Burnet Presbyterian Women

Sewing News

PW Mission sewing continues to stay busy. Crochet and knit baby caps are in production. Some alterations in production include making masks for ones to wear during this time. Baby shirts and hospital gowns are still being made. (If you have time to check your closet for shirts that will be good candidates for hospital gowns, please keep PW in mind........we are always looking for shirts........woven fabric (print, stripe, solid), buttons, no snaps, no polo type shirts). Shirts may be taken to the church office or contact Jane Zimmerman (call, email, etc.) A little PW sewing trivia...... 32 baby shirts can be made from a set of sheets (regular sized). The elastic from the bottom fitted sheets can be used for masks. Thank you Kathy Frankum for the donation of two sets of sheets that the print fabric was small enough to be suitable for baby shirts.

Submitted by Jane Zimmerman

** Session Review April, 2020 The Burnet Presbyterian Church State Session Meeting took place on April 21, 2020 at 4:25 p.m. in a Zoom meeting. Present: Nancy Allen, Pat Collins, Jamie Horn, Armour Shin, Carl Spinner, Treasurer, Billy Don Weaver, Rev. Josyph Andrews, Moderator, and Marsha Spinner, Clerk. A quorum was present. Pastor Josyph opened the meeting with a prayer. After a time for “Sharing and Caring,” Pastor Josyph gave an opening devotional based on Luke 24:13-35. Josyph gave the Session his Pastor’s Report.

The following motion was passed: to give Delaney Dawson $1,000 scholarship to be paid to Angelo State. While other issues were discussed, no other decisions were made. The meeting was duly adjourned and Josyph closed with a prayer. Respectfully submitted, Marsha Spinner

** 2020 PW Birthday Offering Since 1922, Presbyterian Women’s Birthday Offering has helped fund mission projects that improve lives. This year, the need is greater than ever before, and we ask that you give as generously as you can. This year’s Birthday Offering recipients are: Center for Social Assistance to the Disabled, Family and Children Assisted Living Facility, Davydovo, Russia: $100,000.

GAP Ministries of Augusta, Georgia – Expand Access & Service Space Northeast Georgia Presbytery $135,000

Community Presbyterian Child Learning Center in Payson, Arizona Childcare and Prekindergarten Facility Presbytery of the Grand Canyon $ 75,000 Liberty Community Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota Northeast Healing Space Expansion Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area $ 75,000

“But I will hope continually, and will praise you more and more” Ps. 71:14

Please make your check to: Presbyterian Women and mail to Burnet Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 126, Burnet, TX 78611 Attn: PW Treasurer. Thank you, AGAIN, for your wonderful generosity!

Submitted by Kathy Frankum

** PRAYER LIST

Members: Doris McBride; Billy and Kathy Frankum; Dianne Davis and family; Bette Roberts; Dorothy Beauchamp; Karen Brock; John and Marjorie Brown; Sue Hosterman and family; and Cary West. Military: Active – Tyler and Serra Burns; Vincent Morana; William Butler, Jr.; Kerry Hensell-King; Lt Col Breck Hale; Steve McCoy; Retired and Veterans. World: Coronavirus crisis; Mission co-workers in Sudan: Lynn and Sharon Kandel; Mission co-worker Ruth Brown; victims of natural disasters; First Responders and all medical personnel; victims of domestic terrorism; Persecuted Christians in Afghanistan; clean water for everyone. Family & Friends: Keith Knobloch; John Davis’ brother Bill, and his wife Norma; Helen Pierson; Rain; Charles Holt III; Bill Stewart’s friend Alzina; Marsha’s brother-in-law Chris Beheim; Nancy Allen’s daughter Diane; Ray Trammell; the Glazener family; Lynne’s step-grandson Steve Taylor; Family of Bert Bronaugh; Debbie Weems’ daughter Lauren McClure; Nancy Allen’s son Ryan; Keem family; Bill Weaver’s daughter Michelle Bradford and Bill’s friend Roger Crowder; Lonnie’s great niece Kristi; Cindy Grant’s friend Teresa.

** LACare Update

Using the drive-thru delivery method of distribution, LACare served 944 individuals and 312 families during the month of March. The greatest needs are for donations of canned meats and fruit juices. Thank you for the continued to support of this ministry.

Submitted by Hap Zimmerman

Delaney Dawson Graduating

Delaney Dawson will be graduating from Liberty Hill High School at the end of May. The youngest child of Barry and Rachel Dawson, she will attend Angelo State University in the fall. Delaney plans to earn a Communications Degree and become an American Sign Language interpreter. She has already taken classes through ACC, and she is only one class away from certification in ASL. Delaney has a beautiful soul, and she will be missed so much by her parents and many of you. But she promises to visit as often as she can because she loves her church family. Session has awarded the BPC 2020 High School Graduate Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Delaney Dawson, obviously our youngest current member. Upon learning about her scholarship, Delaney responded that she was most appreciative, as were her mom and dad, especially! Congratulations on a fine job, Delaney and Dawson and Davis families. Blessings for a continued safe and happy and rich life.

Submitted by Pat Collins

** Thank Goodness for Books! Looks like the quarantine will keep us from meeting next week on April 23rd. I am just not up to doing a Zoom book review; too old-fashioned and too late to change! Our next meeting, then, will be Thursday July 23rd, to review The Path Between the Seas, by David McCullough. I loved Rising Man and may read some more by this author. Excellent recommendation, June! Also loved, loved, loved Fearless by Eric Blehm, true story about Navy Seal Adam Brown. If anyone would like to share a good book they have read, please do! Thank you for your continued support of The BB' and for your ever-vibrant reading spirit. Blessings to all. Pat An important PS: Microsoft Outlook went away from my computer and took all of my Distribution Lists and a bunch of other things. Please look at the

list of names and if I have overlooked anyone please let me know. Feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone who might be interested. Then, if you do not want to be on this list please let me know.

** PRAYER GROUP ANNIVERSARY On Monday, May 7, 2012, Alice Anglin, Judy Olson, Ivy Jones, Cissy Butler, Sue Hosterman and I met in the church dining room for the first Prayer Group. We had planned to meet weekly for the three months that our pastor, Susan Liljestrand, was on Sabbatical. God had other plans for us! We are humbled to realize that we will be celebrating our Eighth Anniversary this May! We started as an Evangelism Project to discern God’s will for our church. We were going through a difficult period with seven members passing away within a year and others moving away. Through this Prayer Group we learned that there was a need for folks in this congregation to know that they were being prayed for in a special way. The Group also served as a place for private prayers from our congregation as well as prayers for family and friends. It is a special blessing to comfort another with the words, “My church has a Prayer Group that will pray for you.” We meet almost every Monday at 10:30 A.M. and even in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic we have managed to come together each week in person or through Zoom and Email. We are honored to lift up your joys and concerns to the Lord. Here is a special prayer that you can use to B.L.E.S.S. someone in your life each day: B – BODY: Pray for their health, protection, and strength. L – LABOR: Pray that God would bless their work. E – EMOTIONAL: Pray that God would give them true joy, peace, and comfort. S – SOCIAL: Pray that they would have good relationships. S – SPIRITUAL: Pray for them to know God more each day.

Submitted by Janie Howell

Dear Friends at Burnet Presbyterian Church:

Thank you for the lovely begonia plant you sent for Bert’s service. It is a reminder for all of us of the many happy times we enjoyed in the Burnet Church. You are all very dear to us. Love, Family of Bert Bronaugh

** March Financial Report

The March Financial Report is attached at the back of the newsletter, along with the May Calendar, or if you are getting the newsletter via email, they are attached as additional documents.

Dear Congregation,

We miss seeing your lovely faces and hearing

about what you’re doing and how you’re faring. So

please, reach out to us if you are needing help in

any way. You can call the church office (512-756-

4366), or Pastor Josyph (830-220-7825), or Jamie

Horn (512-913-3683).

Also, if you haven’t picked up a cloth facial

mask yet, there are a few left in the church office.

Thanks to Lynn Marie and Jamie Horn, we had

plenty for everyone!

Love,

Congregational Care Committee

New Address for Cleo Dulls and Ray Trammel

103 N. Hill Street, Apt. 24, Burnet, TX 78611

FOR SALE

Almost new gas (or propane-converted) oven. Thanks to Cleo’s and Ray’s move back to Burnet,

they no longer need it. Just call Cleo Dulls for more information at 512-588-4105

How are you sheltering at home?

A novel question for a novel virus. Home sweet home. There is no place like home. Home is the place we always look forward to being. But now is different – we are being advised to stay home. To practice social distancing. John as always copes. I on the other hand, some days not so well.

John is working, working, working on his memoirs. Making great progress, too. I think he is almost up to 2010, the year we moved back to Texas and settled in Kingsland. And found the Burnet Presbyterian Church and the wonderful congregation there-in.

We both always have a book we are reading. But now I am reading, reading, reading. The last social gathering we took part in was the January gathering of the Burnet Bookmarks. Since then I have read nine books, some of them twice. I even re-read River God, one of the first books the bookmarks read.

We both study our Sunday School lesson for the week early on Saturday morning. Cissy sends out the lesson plan on Fridays. Betty, bless her, emails the pastor’s sermon notes to us. I search the Outlook and The Book of Worship for timely Call to Worship, Confession of Sin, and Assurance of Pardon readings. These readings and the selections from the lectionary plus Josyph’s sermon notes make up our in-house worship service. We start about 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning. I read Josyph’s sermon notes out loud. We close by praying the Lord’s Prayer together. Since I do not have easy access to all those wonderful little books available at church, I have changed my devotional reading system. I read Jesus Always in the morning. After lunch I concentrate on the day’s selection from Jesus Songbook: An in depth study of the Psalms. I am finding that just reading from the one book is making it more meaningful. Our daughters are doing nearly all of our grocery shopping. Plus they often show up with good things to eat. Today Shirley surprised us with a package of toilet paper. Who would have thought that could become so important. We all miss our hugs and kisses. We find we are taking more naps. I am doing more messaging and e-mailing. I have tried shopping from Walmart on line with home-delivery. Not too excited about that. I miss being around people and activities. God bless and keep each of you. Stay well. In Christ’s Love, Marjory and John Brown

From Linda Caldwell: My daughter shared this poem by Laura Kelly Fannucci, an amazing Christian author and blogger. You can read the background story on her blog at https://laurakellyfanucci.com.

Also from Linda Caldwell:

This is my granddaughter’s message board

with her “Thought for the Day”. She sent it

about a week after she began her isolation in

Stilwell, KS. We haven’t heard much from her

since then . . .

HOW ARE YOU ‘SHELTERING IN PLACE???

Comments I’ve overheard from others who are ‘sheltering in place’ range from ‘Bah Humbug’ to ‘Terrific’ to ‘Get me out of here’! While it doesn’t seem right to say we are enjoying ourselves during this awful time—(in the middle of an appalling crisis—and the deaths and pain of so many), I can still say God blesses us even in times of trouble!!---Here are things I (the Shins) have been doing:

· Debating with Fred on how to wear a mask and where (I) can go that is ‘safe’. His answer is-- ‘no where’!

· Started a patio garden with Laura’s help (vegetables in pots) and it is flourishing.

· Finished a painting of an unknown woman with a freakish hair-do.

· Started writing a recipe book which will be finished in the year 3000.

· Sorted and cleaned out files in the study.

· Had a monstrous reaction to scented Dove soap (face—for 5 days)

· Had my first Tele-visit with dermatologist. Scary!

· Petted the three cats until they are disgusted.

· Cooked and cooked and cooked--from Arab stew to Eggs Florentine to ambrosia.

· Ordered family Christmas presents—never too early!

· Went target shooting but the pistol is suddenly too heavy?

· Remembered a few birthdays-- on time.

· Am enjoying 2 hour naps

· Currently reading an exciting WW 2 espionage book.

When we are—all of us-- together again, it will be like The Day of Jubilee! We’ll blow the shophar and sound the trumpets! God be with you ‘til we meet again!!

Love from Armour

“I am spending lots of time catching up on work and making online science lessons for my grandchildren. If anyone is interested in seeing them, they are at Jamah.net.”

--Nancy Allen

“I have missed my church, my friends. I now know, I can’t zoom on my Ipad, but I have been watching church on TV. Hi to everyone, love you, and hope to see you soon!” --JoAnn Holt

“Lonnie is busy working in the yard and the garden, also painting the outside storage buildings. Alice has been trying to do some house cleaning while wearing the cast on foot (not easy), also trying new dessert recipes and reading more.”

--Lonnie and Alice Anglin

“This is what goes on at the Spinner house: exciting meal planning, grocery shopping adventures, plus I traded my car in for a new one that doesn’t need new tires and a brake job or a recall, as of yet. We let the cat out on the porch and we let her back in, then out, then in. We Skype with grandchildren and their parents. I call my mother. Check email and Facebook. Practice piano and bassoon. Work on clearing boxes from my mother’s house which is my parents’ and grandparents’ past. Occasionally I look for my phone. And Carl works on tax returns. We heard that “The Crown” is good and now we are on Season 2 of that. We look outside at beautiful nature and wonder how so much craziness can be happening. We know that the Lord is in control of all.”

--Marsha and Carl Spinner