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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | SEPT 2017 – VOLUME 1

Welcome Back From Sabbatical, Dr. Perryman!
Reverend Albright for her leadership
Letter From Our Leader during my absence. While I was often

DR. PATRICK PERRYMAN, SENIOR PASTOR curious about what was happening at
First Presbyterian, I was never
Dear Friends, worried – knowing she provided
It is so very good to be back wonderful worship leadership,
among you and before you in worship! pastoral care and planning the
Thank you for providing the holy rest programming for the fall.
of sabbatical to me and my family. I prayer service, followed at 4:30 a.m. by Thank you to all of our staff,
studied, retreated, traveled, and rested Lectio Divina – a divine reading. Elders and Deacons who kept FPC
and it was a wonderful time. Throughout the rest of the day, we moving forward.
I began with a preaching gathered for Lauds (Latin for “praise”); In the Letter to the Hebrews
conference in Texas with a thousand Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper); Tierce (which our Presbyterian Women will
others – that included former (brief prayer), a Vespers service; and be studying this year) we find these
professors and friends, as well as Compline (Latin for “complete”); and thoughts in chapter 10, which echo
preachers I follow but had never heard finally the Grand Silence commenced my prayer for all of us this fall.
in person. It was a pastor’s nerd and an audible “Hush” would fall “My brothers and sisters, we have
across the beautiful grounds of the
heaven! boldness to go into the sanctuary…let
I then spent a week in silence at former plantation. us therefore come to worship with a
Mepkin Abbey in Monck’s Corner just I also traveled with and enjoyed my true heart…Let’s keep a firm grip on
up the road near Charleston. It was family, read, and rested. Absence makes the promises that keep us going…
the heart grow fond and by the end of
grounding, peaceful, and simply a holy Let’s see how inventive we can be in
experience. When we weren’t silent, we my time away I was eager to be back encouraging love and helping out…
would “pray the hours.” This meant with all of you. worshiping together and inspiring one
rising at 3 a.m. for Vigils—a brief A tremendous thank you to another.” Amen.
Peace & love, Patrick

Our Walk will simulate this trek to raise awareness of the global water crisis
here in our community. “We hope that all participants end the Walk with a better Beaufort Walk for Water
understanding of the challenges people around the world face daily in search of October 14, 2017
something that we often take for granted – water.” See Page 3 for details.

www.fpcbeaufort.org 1